Newscaster slang can be a ‘hot mess'

I think it’s time to clarify what is and is not a “hot mess.”

Recently, I heard a local newscaster, whose name I won’t mention, use the term “hot mess” completely inappropriately.

He was reporting a story in which an elderly woman suffering from dementia was videotaped driving the wrong way on the highway. She caused four wrecks during the unfortunate trip, but, luckily, nobody was hurt.

After the report, this newscaster turned to his cohort and said, “That was a real hot mess.”

No!!!!! That was not a hot mess. That was a very sad and scary event.

Snooki is a hot mess. Russell Brand is a hot mess. Whitney Houston is a hot mess.

This term has been overused — and used inappropriately — lately. I can see why it’s sometimes confusing for people trying to use it, because it’s one of those terms — like gnarly from the ’80s — that can be both positive and negative.

There are several acceptable definitions for the trendy term. Here are a few definitions of “hot mess” from Urban Dictionary: