What does "edgy" actually mean?

Anyone who thinks anything of themselves in the creative industry currently comments on the unusual and daring with an admiringly breathy "edgy. The pronunciation alone exudes wicked glam. And that's exactly what we all want, according to a celebrity fighting for ratings. But let's start at the beginning.

The official translation into German is "sharp-edged," "nervous," or "irritable. What is meant, however, is a dimension of meaning that is more common in English: "daring," "provocative," or "trendy. To pronounce the latter, however, immediately disqualifies one as a boomer. Because "trends" were yesterday, "trendy" even the day before yesterday. "Trend researchers study how the new comes into the world," said Karin Frick, head of research at GDI, in a recent interview. And that may be exactly the point: trends are about passive anticipation. "Edgy," on the other hand, suggests that something new is just emerging here. That's perhaps why "edges" are in demand today, corners and edges that move away from the mainstream, because that's where nobody wants to be spotted, especially in the creative industry. It's no wonder, then, that even gray-haired marketing executives are now mouthing the word so as not to appear eternally stale. But where does this word come from?

Social media instead of linear television

It was launched by the casting show "Germany's Next Topmodel," i.e. in mainstream high culture. While the market share of Heidi Klum's casting box has drifted from mainstream to irrelevant, despite her claims to the contrary, the term has taken on a life of its own. But not thanks to linear television, but thanks to social media, which gives Heidi's disciples of yesteryear, who have long since grown up, far greater leverage than published ratings would suggest.

Social media is the new mainstream and "edgy" content still stands out there at the moment with doomscrolling. But for how long? Edges and corners are considered edgy until they become mainstream. Or to put it another way: what was once really edgy is only "edgy" afterwards.

* Benno Maggi is co-founder and CEO of Partner & Partner. He has been eavesdropping on the industry for over 30 years, discovering words and terms for us that can either be used for small talk, pomposity, excitement, playing Scrabble, or just because.