The Corporate Dude

"I do defy old-fashioned business norms. I do defy worn out company conventions. I dudefy the corporate world."

“My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning, and yet I’m happy. I can’t figure it out. What am I doing right?” — Snoopy (Charlie Brown's dog)

To "dudefy" is "to transform into a modern day dude", as defined in the UrbanDictionary.com.

Originally, its root word "dude" was used to describe a "fancy-dressed city folk who went out west on vacation". In this usage it first appears in the 1870s, according to TheFreeDictionary.com.

After more than a century, in the late 1990s, the infamous comedy film "The Big Lebowski", whose main character nicknamed "The Dude", became a classic cult. As a result, the word "dude" got a negative connotation—as a "lazy person" or an "unemployed slacker".

But thanks to the "Dell Dude" commercial advertisement in the early 2000s for it somewhat gave the "dude" a facelift. The ad campaign was a huge success and not only helped bring prominence to Dell computers, but to the self-proclaimed dudes of that time as well.

The phenomenal "Dell Dude" ad paved the way for dudes to penetrate the corporate world. "Dude" became an office buzzword, an everyday expression of strong feeling, and a fashion statement.

Today's dude is no longer bound by a set of stereotypes from past generations. He is now becoming more self-aware in learning new and better ways in a rapidly changing world. Today's dude is all about blazing new trails, trying new methods, and challenging the old school.

Coursera - Writing II: Rhetorical Composing

Ohio State University

Assignment 3: Making Visual Argument

By Ludwig Ritchel A. Kalambacal

18 May 2013