Word: Seraph
Meaning: Literally “burning ones,” and refers to six-winged celestial beings in the Bible, which circled the throne, or something.
Usage: “Maidens like moths, are ever caught by glare, and Mammon wins his way where seraphs might despair” — Lord Byron
You should know it because: Victoria’s Secret fashion show tonight!! Who’s excited? Well, FASHION‘s Sarah Casselman might be; she’s attending, so stay tuned for her tweets from @FashionCanada. My own feelings are... mixed. I like Wim Wenders (see: Wings of Desire) as much as the next half-German romantic, but I hate this angel/slut complex that still defines women in popular culture. And Victoria’s Secret, with their naughty, oiled-up Angels parading down the runway in directional lingerie, seems bent on proving that pop culture is stuck on the old angel/slut complex as a way of defining/trapping women. And not just stuck, but like, celebrating it in this massive super-explicit way.
Anyway, the flame-tinged word “seraph” is a better word than mere “angel,” given that Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Adriana Lima, et al are nothing if not... on fire. We can pretty much all agree on that.
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