I, like many writers, have been using (perhaps even overusing) the em dash for my entire career—I even know the keybord shortcut. Last week, my AD/ECD accused me of using ChatGPT because "only AI uses that."

I had to go back to dozens of decks and files I wrote before 2022 to prove myself, explained the keyboard shortcut, and explained the difference between a hyphen, en dash, and em dash. Then I pulled up this meme I shared on Facebook six years ago.

This is how I have to justify myself?

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Oh meanwhile he regularly uses midjourney for storyboards, KVs, and mockups. Which is totally fine, it streamlines the work and gives us way better references for complex ideas. But the irony...

likefunny

Don’t ever feel the need to justify yourself. All writers use em dashes—we just like them. But as soon as you start justifying yourself it never ends.

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That’s absolutely ridiculous. I LOVE the em dash—so much so, I’m using it here.

It’s like saying “only GPT spells correctly so you’re clearly using AI.” 🤦‍♂️

Your ECD is an effing moron and I hope the dummy sees this post.

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i used to love flexing on my coworkers with an em dash; now it’s back to the comma life. 😔

funny

I never use them. Nothing against them, but I remember in college my very first English comp paper I got a super low grade for grammar and punctuation errors, mainly comma splices. It traumatize and have been using semicolons since.

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*traumatized me

funny

Hemingway used them prolifically in correspondence to his editor, long before AI and ECDs

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Your ECD needs to touch grass.

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Oh fuck that.

Your boss heard someone repeat that on TikTok and believed it.

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The irony.

How asinine. I'd just have laughed and wished them luck getting anything that good out if chatgpt.

Each to their own but I was always taught that good writing uses as little punctuation as possible.

em dash gang gonna come 4 u

funny

For f**k’s sake. I only started using em dashes because I had a Copywriter ECD who corrected my bad use of hyphens.

I’ve been em dashing for 15 years now.

you only used once in this post—don’t let them break your em dash spirit !!!

I overuse ‘…’ personally…

semicolons are for cowards. go full colon always.

Dash gang 4 life.

Don't ever forget, shit floats upward.

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