I have discovered a new and unexpected way to feel old:
Olivia Rodrigo has named a music festival Daisy Chain Fields, and apparently, the world is going to pretend that means flowers.
To be fair, it does mean flowers. A daisy chain is a chain made out of daisies. I get that. I even looked it up because I thought I had invented some slang that didn’t exist, or that maybe it only existed in my locale — which wouldn’t be crazy, I’ve been living in San Francisco since my early 20s — though I am not a gay man, so.
When she explains the name in interviews, she talks about girls sitting under trees making flower crowns, friendship bracelets and little daisy chains. She likes the idea of everyone being one link in something bigger. Strong and beautiful together.
Awesome. I’m with that too. 100%
However, a daisy chain is also slang for a sex thing. A group sex thing. I am not going to explain it in detail because this is not that, but it involves several people arranged in a sort of circle of mutual participation. It’s a supremely beneficial arrangement for all parties involved.
It is not a new meaning. It has been around for a long time. Like I said, I looked it up.
The phrase also has a history in gay male slang, which is probably why the name feels especially funny in the context of a big, progressive, women-centered music festival. This is not exactly a crowd with no knowledge of old queer vocabulary.
And still, every explanation of the festival name returns to the meadow.
Flowers. Friendship. Community. Interconnectedness.
Good stuff. All of it.
I’m just wondering where the follow-up is? Why does this seem like a question nobody is asking? Maybe this is exactly why I’m not a journalist. Anyways.
I don't think Olivia Rodrigo has done anything wrong. I am not suggesting that she needs to apologize for anything. There’s zero attempt at cancelling going on here, this is just me cocking my head like a confused and curious dog.
To be fair, nobody owns two ordinary words because people once used their combination to describe something much less innocent. But I am fascinated by the possibility that the meaning has disappeared.
There was a time when saying “daisy chain” in certain rooms would not have made anybody think of flower crowns. Now it is the name of a major music festival, and the official explanation is basically: girls under a tree, making bracelets.
Perhaps Olivia knows about the other meaning and doesn't care. Maybe somebody told her and everybody laughed. Maybe the whole thing is an accidental reclamation.
Or maybe she really did picture girls sitting under a tree making necklaces out of flowers, said “Daisy Chain Fields,” and an entire team of managers, publicists, record executives and journalists all said: Perfect. No notes.
If that's what happened, I don't think I'm offended that Olivia Rodrigo doesn't know what a daisy chain is.
I think I'm offended that I am now one of the old people who does.