Adyasha: Mayur, I have to get this out of my system.

Mayur: As with most things. Don’t let me stop you, A.

Adyasha: Thanks, I won’t.

So apparently, our vocabs are so infertile that we now choose a word of the year. Like, one word. And they got even THAT wrong. Brain Rot is two words.

First, must we select a word of the year? Aren’t there a gazillion words? Set that aside for a moment and let's give credit where it’s due. Thank the Lord God Spaghetti Monster (whatever you believe in) that Skibidi or Rizzz wasn’t word of the year.

You know the Boomers are trolling us, right?

First, they came for the millennials. We spend too much on coffee and go to pride parades. Now, they’re taking aim at GenZ, rotting away their brains.

Na-uh. Gen Z is making millions online. They’re learning, entertained, entertaining – they travel the world through their phones. Brain rot? Pfft!

Mayur: Adyasha, for once (and I say this with some trepidation), we agree.

Cringe fest, ghaati, downmarket, local, all these phrases give me full samaj ke thekedar feels.

Let’s face it, we are classist. You are (yes you are) and I am. We all are. And we find these terms to classify not others, but ourselves. It’s who we say we are not.

But! In the middle of meetings, between meetings, on the metro, in cabs, on flights, sitting at cafes, sitting anywhere, we’re all melting into the madness that Fanta omelette is. We are losing ourselves in Kamalini’s whispers. Darshan’s nasal singing. Puneet’s screams. Admit it, Samay and his unhinged gags live rent free in your viewing history.

We are hooked to cringe (as we call it). Regional, real, original creators, meme lords have millions of views. Our views! Not ghaati-land views (as we call them).

Because andar se we all need raw, visceral dynamite content that shakes us out of our reverie. Of sameness. Of sugar pop, saccharine glazed, over-produced vomit wallpaper. Of the same stars screaming at us from billboards and films and fucking everywhere!

We need it. We want it. And it is making us feel alive by brain-rocking us to hell and back. It is class A drugs. What it is not, is Brain Rot. It’s fringe creators doing us all a favour by reawakening our rotting brains.

Fringe is the new mainstream and mainstream is the new cringe.

Adyasha: Mayur, do you need a moment?

Mayur: No Adyasha. I need Kamalini to pour some chaddi on me.

Tomar is creative director, McCann Worldgroup, and Hola is vice president - brand, Swiggy. This first appeared in the January issue of Manifest. Get your copy now!