When Words are Bastardized for Marketing

Artisan is a noun that describes a person who is skilled in a trade, especially in making things by hand . As an adjective, it has been used to describe high-quality, distinctive products usually made in small quantities or to special order.

In the past years, use (misuse or overuse) of this term has exploded. Suddenly, every product is deemed “artisan” and we are supposed to believe it is of superior quality. You know a word has been commoditized when Burger King and Wendy’s, snack chips and drinks have artisan varieties. It’s a shame that mega-corporations usurped a term that means crafted in small batches, which they surely do not do.

Yet somehow, they have convinced consumers that their foods are upscale and they are selling those potato chips to “sophisticated” buyers.

It’s a shame that many people can’t differentiate the true artisan foods from the commercially processed garbage in a prettier package. It’s still a package of processed food stuff.

But my big gripe here is less about the quality of the food than the dilution of a term. As a “wordie” (yeah, I made that up and it doesn’t work as well as “foodie”), I take offense when big business takes the liberty of redefining the English language.