The word daddy has been around for many years. For many, it simply means father, or perhaps a term of endearment for a father-figure in your life. But in reference to what Yondu said to Peter Quill in the latest Guardians of the Galaxy film, "He may have been your father boy, but he wasn't your daddy," this word can also bear some NSFW definition that roots to its BDSM history.
Quite recently, the term has become even more popular and widely used among millennials. Maybe it’s because of its sudden popularization by the Riverdale cast that suddenly made the word easy to be casually used when referring to someone. With this in mind, I’m curious about the parameters of how to determine being someone’s "daddy." Have millennials finally resolved to understand that gender roles and power are ultimately fluid and non-gender exclusive? Who is your daddy? Or, more precisely, who is daddy?
IMAGE Gab Gutierrez
Given today’s societal context, I understand that Yondu was right. Daddy is definitely not your biological father. Daddy could be someone you’re dating, your best friend, your celebrity crush, or a stranger you just met. Daddy could refer to someone you admire, whether in a platonic or romantic way. A daddy is ultimately someone you respect. I guess if you’re going to flip through the millennial dictionary, calling someone a daddy follows an ironic meaning, colored in various contexts.
The New Inquiry says, “[This] marks an era of social and economic precarity that leaves young people righteously without faith in institutions, but more fluent in language with points of origin online.” In essence, as we ignore the previous definitions of the word daddy, we orphan old biases and devoid them of meanings. Instead, we baptize it with renewed substance, a new meaning adapted to the truths we accept now.
Perhaps you think your best friend is a daddy because he’s strong, independent, and makes you feel safe. Maybe you see your lover as one because he provides and cares for you. You can even call your celebrity crush a daddy because he’s confident and comfortable in his own skin. I guess it all boils down to self-awareness and tenacity.
So, if you find yourself still questioning who's yours, maybe you should consider yourself to be your own daddy. He is whoever we want him to be.
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