# Overuse of the Term "Diva" is Chapping My Ass **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 18, 2002, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overuse-of-the-term-diva-is-chapping-my-ass/109739 "2002-05-18T21:13:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2002, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overuse-of-the-term-diva-is-chapping-my-ass/109739/1 "2002-05-18T21:13:28Z")
“Diva” used to mean a performer who was paramount in their profession. It used to be used sparingly, as the ultimate compliment (with only slight undertones of difficult-ness that were overlooked because of the outstanding calibre of the talent). Now, diva is used for every woman in the world who has recorded a song or appeared in a video. I just don’t like this. What is left when the superlatives are used for every Mariah, Beyoncé, and Jennifer? On the subject in a similar vein, I don’t like standing ovations being given to every performer who crosses a stage at award thingies. Standing ovations used to be a spontaneous expression of appreciation for an excellent performance. A performer who received a standing ovation knew that they had done something special, and it was acknowledged. Again, what is left when the superlatives are used for every little thing (ooh, Julia Roberts just walked onstage to receive the Oscar for her boobs - we better all stand up and acknowledge the achievement)? Well, I feel better for getting that off my chest. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2002, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overuse-of-the-term-diva-is-chapping-my-ass/109739/2 "2002-05-18T21:15:19Z")
You diva! 😉 _::d&r::_ ---
**Author:** ![snermy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@snermy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snermy)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2002, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overuse-of-the-term-diva-is-chapping-my-ass/109739/3 "2002-05-18T22:22:14Z")
Divas and their sensitive asses ! 😉 Actually, I always think of Divas as mainly defined by how large a claque they pay to follow them around…which qualifies a lot of no-talent “stars” with their ridiculously large entourages. But you’re right, it’s used as if it’s an indication of talent now. And if I hear a about a sports play “making history” one more time, I’m gonna puke. The term would be “statistics”, if it ain’t in the history books, it didn’t quite make it, ya? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2002, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overuse-of-the-term-diva-is-chapping-my-ass/109739/4 "2002-05-18T23:19:10Z")
You’d better not be dissin’ **TubaDiva**! ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2002, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overuse-of-the-term-diva-is-chapping-my-ass/109739/5 "2002-05-18T23:37:12Z")
Yea. To give you some indication of how sparingly this ought to be used, the word “diva” is Italian for “goddess.” ---
**Author:** ![Truth\_Seeker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@Truth\_Seeker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truth_Seeker)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overuse-of-the-term-diva-is-chapping-my-ass/109739/6 "2002-05-19T00:06:08Z")
Which is a kind of salad dressing. I have to agree with this. > [@](#): > > \*\*Standing ovations used to be a spontaneous expression of appreciation for an excellent performance. A performer who received a standing ovation knew that they had done something special, and it was acknowledged. \*\* Nowadays, practically everything you go to ends in a standing ovation. I find this kind of annoying – it’s sort of like grade inflation. All too often, they’re started at concerts, plays, the opera, etc. by people who don’t have enough experience to know a stellar performance from a bad one. I don’t generally either, but at least I know that! ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overuse-of-the-term-diva-is-chapping-my-ass/109739/7 "2002-05-19T00:16:24Z")
I’m with you on this one. I reserve the term diva for the likes of Patti Labelle, Julie Andrews, and Cher. I feel the term should only go to women who have spent years honing their craft, have distinctive well-trained voices, and have had fans for more than five years. The current crop isn’t worthy. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overuse-of-the-term-diva-is-chapping-my-ass/109739/8 "2002-05-19T00:18:53Z")
_Diva_ falls into the same category as _icon_. Singer, Star, Superstar, Megastar, Icon/Diva. What’s next for Kylie Minogue and Britney Spears? Answers on a postcard to their Marketing People. ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overuse-of-the-term-diva-is-chapping-my-ass/109739/9 "2002-05-19T02:04:29Z")
I remember the first VH1 Divas concert, in which all agreed that there was only _one_ Diva of popular music, Aretha Franklin, who blew the others away like so many moths in a tornado. It’s not just a set of pipes - it’s a set of pipes aligned with spiritual force. That happens so rarely; the only other I can think of right now is Tina Turner. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overuse-of-the-term-diva-is-chapping-my-ass/109739/10 "2002-05-19T16:14:59Z")
**matt\_mcl** - exactly. Oh my, I just realized what comes after Diva, once that’s been used to death by every girly-girl in pop music; Super Diva. {heavy, heavy sigh} (and no dissing of **TubaDiva** is EVER intended by me.) ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overuse-of-the-term-diva-is-chapping-my-ass/109739/11 "2002-05-19T16:15:31Z")
If you start getting into _who_ qualifies and who does not, you’ll eventually end up with one of two situations:[ul][li]A “religious” war over who’s worthy of the title (_Cher_?!?)[\*]A list broad enough to include everyone’s choices, thus arriving back at the station that the **OP** railed against.[/ul]I, for one, agree that the word is much over-used.[/li] Side note: **matt** , Italian gets _diva_ from Latin, and there were _thousands_ of Roman goddesses, especially if you include the numina. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![apotheosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba8739/32.png) [@apotheosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/apotheosis)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overuse-of-the-term-diva-is-chapping-my-ass/109739/12 "2002-05-19T16:31:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Truth Seeker \* > **Nowadays, practically everything you go to ends in a standing ovation.** You’re approaching this the wrong way. Think of it as ‘upping the ante’. At one point, sure, standing ovations were a recognized expression of paramount appreciation for a performer. And 15mph was once an acceptable top speed for an automobile, too; but in these enlightened times, we just need something with a little more pizzazz. A good old-fashioned orgy, for instance. What better way to demonstrate the profound emotional and sensual impact of a singer’s work? Instead of their partner’s name, participants could scream the performer’s name at the pinnacle of bliss. Juvenile? Sure. But as extreme forms of worship go, it beats the hell outta ritual sacrifices. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overuse-of-the-term-diva-is-chapping-my-ass/109739/13 "2002-05-19T16:41:09Z")
Or maybe, we could all stand ON our chairs instead of just standing on the floor. Then the next raise will lead us to standing on each other’s shoulders. Performers will start preening based on how high the human pyramids got at their last performance. ---
**Author:** ![apotheosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba8739/32.png) [@apotheosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/apotheosis)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overuse-of-the-term-diva-is-chapping-my-ass/109739/14 "2002-05-19T16:48:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by featherlou \* > \*\*Performers will start preening based on how high the human pyramids got at their last performance. \*\* Right now, somewhere, a personal injury attorney is having a very, very nice dream. 😃