Snow clones are a literary device that transform pop culture clichés into modern analogies by substituting key words. They can be formed by borrowing familiar phrases and injecting specific arguments. The device works contextually and can be used to create cultural shorthand between writers and readers. Critics consider it an easy way out for writers, but as long as it brings clarity and familiarity, it can be used sparingly.
A snow clone is a literary device that involves transforming pop culture clichés, axioms, and catchphrases into modern analogies. By substituting a few key words from the original saying, a writer can put new context on an old concept.
A snow clone can be formed by simply borrowing a well-worn but familiar cliché and injecting the specific argument into its basic syntax. The film’s tagline “In space, no one can hear you scream,” for example, can be turned into a business-related snow clone: ”In space, no one can hear you negotiating.” The device works contextually because the two catchphrases have a common theme; nothing works in a vacuum. The same formula could be used to create other snowclones: “In X, no one can hear you Y”.
Other popular slogans and axioms lend themselves to training. “Pink is the new black,” a familiar fashion axiom, is often turned into a political snow clone: “Liberal is the new moderate,” among other concepts. The familiar formula “X is the new Y” can be applied to any number of modern ideas that have replaced earlier ones. As long as the analogy is structurally sound, the sentence functions as a form of cultural shorthand between writers and readers.
Critics of the practice consider it an easy way out for professional writers, who shouldn’t have to rely on clichés and catchphrases to prove a point. Because there are literally thousands of familiar phrases that could be converted into a snow clone, writers often look to them for guidance in non-fiction articles: “If the Eskimo language has a hundred different words for snow, why don’t business leaders can they be satisfied? on a word about their new fare policy?” “To sell or not to sell? That’s the question homeowners face during times of rampant inflation.”
As long as the sentence in question brings clarity and familiarity to the article, writers should feel free to use the literary device sparingly. If the article is overloaded with clichés, or the writer uses an obscure or unfamiliar snow clone, the structure of the piece may be weakened.
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