Date Collected
Winter 12-2017
Place item was collected
Hyde Park, Utah
Informant
Darren Perkes
Point of Discovery/Informant Bio
Darren Perkes is my dad and a high school teacher. He grew up with his parents and six sisters in Orem, Utah and currently works at Green Canyon High School in North Logan, Utah. He enjoys golfing, skiing, watching comedy and action movies and tv shows, and spending time with his wife, Melissa. He also enjoys teasing and playing with me, my two little brothers, and little sister.
Context
I talked to my dad as we travelled with my mom, brother, and sister to Idaho to cut down our Christmas tree. He had caught a cold a few days earlier, so our conversation was interrupted by his coughs, as well as a few minor interjections from the rest of the family. My parents are very open with us kids at home. He hopes that by talking about these things that they become less foreign so that when a situation presents itself involving boobs, butts, alcohol, or drugs, we’ll be more confident with our decisions to say no. My parents first heard this saying from my younger brother’s soccer teammate’s parents, who said it to their kid once and explained it to my parents. They liked the idea and so started saying it every time we kids would go out with friends. They normally only say this to us kids and our cousins who had a similar sense of humor. They wouldn’t say this to those who don’t share or understand their humor.
Text
Don’t be BBAD… No boobs, no butts, no alcohol, no drugs.
Texture
We talked about this like a casual saying that we used to say a lot more. But I remember when my parents actually used the phrase more often a while back, they’d say it in a half-joking, somewhat over-the-top attitude as if saying, “We are being super open about this and it’s funny, but the lesson behind it is serious.” My dad mentioned that he feels kind of weird using since he didn’t make it up, but he thought the message of it was both funny and educational.
Course
Intro to Folklore - ENGL 2210
Instructor
Lynne McNeil
Semester and year
Fall 2017
Theme
G3: Euphemisms
EAD Number
10.7.8
Recommended Citation
Perkes, Tanner, "Don't be BBAD" (2017). USU Student Folklore Fieldwork. Paper 123.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/student_folklore_all/123