Downward angle icon An icon in the shape of a downward angle. Joey Fatone, 47, doesn’t know what “rizz” or “mewing” mean. Philip Faraone/Getty Images Joey Fatone said he doesn’t understand his daughter’s use of slang like “no cap” and “beige flag.” The NSYNC member added that using Gen Z slang to interact with kids makes him sound “dumb.” A middle school teacher said it would be beneficial for parents to learn Gen Z and Gen Alpha slang.
Joey Fatone charmed teenage girls in the ’90s as a member of boy band NSYNC. Now he’s having a hard time understanding them.
Fatone’s 14-year-old daughter, Chloe Alexandra, uses slang words like “no cap,” “beige flag,” “blur” and “lizz,” Fatone told TODAY.com.
“Meow meow, moo moo, what are you doing?” he said, adding that he had “no idea” what those words meant.
Fatone, 47, knows the importance of understanding new words, saying he tried to use slang to talk to his daughter but ended up sounding “lame.”
Deciphering slang can help parents build better relationships with their kids
Middle school teacher Phillip Lindsay previously told Business Insider that knowing younger slang can help parents connect with their kids.
Lindsay, who creates content on TikTok explaining the meaning of Gen Alpha slang like “fannum tax” and “gyat”, said she had received messages of thanks from parents.
“I think a lack of understanding can sometimes inhibit the connection between adults and students,” he says. “Understanding their language translates to a level of ability to connect with them.”
Despite his struggles with communication, Fatone — who co-parents another daughter, Briana Jowley, 23, with ex-wife Kelly Baldwin — has found other ways to connect with his kids.
For example, Briana was surprised to hear that NSYNC took the stage with Ariana Grande at Coachella in 2019 to perform their hit song “Tearin’ Up My Heart.”
“I said, ‘Your dad is going to dance on stage with Ariana Grande,'” Fatone said. “She was like, ‘Are you serious? Oh, that’s funny.’ I was like, ‘My dad is going to dance with an artist that I know.'”
He added that when Briana was in college, he promised her that he would pick her up if she got into a difficult situation: “If she’s in the wrong place at the wrong time, I’ll pick her up, no questions asked,” he said.
What does he think about being parents? “You don’t have to be best friends or be together all the time, but there’s a bond,” he says. “When that happens, there’s a lot of respect, and it’s wonderful.”
A representative for Fatone did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside normal business hours.
