New York Times raises eyebrows with lengthy explainer on alternative pronouns: 'Is this all real?'

Most people are familiar with the concept of pronouns, but The New York Times left many people scratching their heads Thursday with a lengthy report on "neopronouns," a new phrase for a pronoun "without expressing gender."

"He," "she," and "they" do not suffice for some, the Times' Ezra Marcus wrote, in a piece that quoted people as young as 13. These "noun-self pronouns" emerged from "an online hotbed for avant-garde ideas around gender expression."

"A neopronoun can also be a so-called 'noun-self pronoun,' in which a pre-existing word is drafted into use as a pronoun. Noun-self pronouns can refer to animals — so your pronouns can be "bun/bunself" and 'kitten/kittenself.' Others refer to fantasy characters — 'vamp/vampself,' 'prin/cess/princesself,' 'fae/faer/faeself' — or even just common slang, like "Innit/Innits/Innitself."

According to the Times, the small number of people who employ "neopronouns" in the online "edge behavior," are hyperaware of any critics of their alternative grammar.

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"A popular Twitch streamer who goes by AndiVMG recently apologized after jokingly tweeting that her pronouns were "bad/af," which led many neopronoun users to accuse her of transphobic invalidation of their identities," Marcus wrote.

A site explaining neopronouns pushes back against people declaring the concept "made up," saying: "Literally every word is made up! Neopronouns are real because they carry meaning and are understood by others."

The article goes on to quote practitioners explaining their reasoning for choosing a neopronoun, including a 15-year-old who feels their affinity for vampires is part of their gender.

Noting one critic who said pronouns were a form of identity, "not an aesthetic," Marcus asked, "what's the difference between an aesthetic and an identity anyway?"

"Nothing, if you're a reporter from the NY Times," author Jordan Peterson retorted.

"Is this all real?" author Christina Sommers wondered.

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At points, the article adopted a defensive tone on behalf of neopronoun users who expect people to be confused or poke fun at their lifestyle.

"The neopronoun community comprises mostly internet-native young people,"  the article concluded, "and is agile when it comes to facing down criticism and mockery."