Last month, Dublin’s National Wax Museum Plus was under fire for a distasteful wax figure of Sinéad O’Connor, which was placed in the Star Wars section for some reason. Now, Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture is facing criticism for a Nirvana exhibition that says Kurt Cobain “un-alived himself.”

The term “un-alived” originated on TikTok, where the algorithm bans users for words like “suicide.” However, that language has manifested in the real world, so much so that it’s in this Nirvana exhibit, saying Cobain “un-alived himself at 27.” Another placard explains the use of the term, reading:

We recognize the dynamic nature of pop culture and its role in shaping language and social discourse.

In the digital age, social media influences how online communities engage in discussions, particularly around sensitive topics like mental health.

One example is the term “unalive,” which has emerged online to describe death by suicide or homicide. Users on social media platforms created this term to navigate around algorithms that censor content related to mental health and explicit topics. “Unalive” has sparked constructive conversations, especially among young people, addressing issues such as depression, anxiety, and suicide.

In this exhibition, the Guest Curator has chosen to utilize the term “unalive” as a gesture of respect towards those who have tragically lost their lives due to mental health struggles. By bringing awareness to this language, we aim to foster meaningful dialogue and raise awareness about the complexities of mental health and language in our society.

Of course this is all word salad, because “unalive” has really not sparked any constructive conversations. Many are drawing comparisons to George Orwell’s dystopian classic 1984, in which everyone talks in Newspeak, a language made up of antonyms. The museum has not yet responded to the backlash.