Ah, code switching—a term that sounds like it belongs in a tech manual, but instead, it’s the art of changing the way you talk depending on who’s listening. Enter stage left, Gavin Newsom, California’s suave governor, suddenly discovering his inner storyteller while chatting on a podcast hosted by two Black NBA legends, Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. No, he hasn’t turned into a sports analyst overnight. This was more of a performance in cultural mimicking, or as the kids call it, “trying too hard.”
As he regaled listeners with tales of hustling in Marin County and eating Kraft mac and cheese, one might wonder if young Gavin was really a closet baller all these years. But let’s not get carried away. This wasn’t about basketball; it was about blending in, or trying to, with an audience that doesn’t tune in for half-hearted impersonations.
The cringeworthy transformation has a name—code switching. It’s when elite liberals, in their wisdom, decide to change their accent and lingo to appear relatable. The result? Well, it’s kind of like watching your dad try to do a TikTok dance—awkward at best. They believe they’re forging connections, but often, it just feels like they’re ticking boxes in the ‘How to be Hip’ handbook.
As one might predict, this attempt at cultural camaraderie didn’t sit well with the audience or much of the internet. Social media dragged Newsom across the virtual coals, highlighting the faux pas as another prime example of out-of-touch benevolence. Yes, Gavin, the execution was far from Oscar-worthy. It didn’t help that many Black commentators pointed out how such efforts can feel more like being patted on the head than warmly embraced as equals.
Yet, here lies the irony: in a bid to prove their progressive credentials, these attempts at being “down with the culture” often reveal the exact opposite—an assumption that minorities need help and can’t make it on their own. In their view, the task of upliftment becomes a job for the enlightened elite. So, next time Gavin or any of his ilk try to dazzle with an impromptu cultural impression, one hopes they’ll remember that authenticity usually beats any award-winning performance.
