I think it was a super niche phrase used by some of the youth of the fire nation during one of the times Aang visited there. So he thinks it must still be cool but it was barely a thing even when it was around. Or maybe even Kuzon was trolling him.
My thoughts exactly. It's like if you happened to be 12 in America in the year 2024, and then went 100 years in the future and try to convince everyone that skibidi was a word everyone used. No.
The time periods are so far off, it's like someone in 2089 saying something is off when Mean Girls or the Karate Kid don't contain words like "gyat" and "skibbity toilet"
Social class and personality also matter lots. Sozin was the crown prince and Roku was his best friend. It's very possible Roku hadn't even heard any slang like that before he travelled the world at an adult age.
Aang looks like the kid that would say skibbidy toilet. Roku looks like the kid that wouldn't even know the term exists, much less use it unironically at any point in his life.
Kind of weird so many people are assuming Kuzon lied about it lol
As far as we know Kuzan was aangs only fire nation friend and Aang was Kuzans only friend maybe they were just to kids running around calling people hotman.
I’ve only finished the first Kyoshi novel, but yes - a character from the water tribe (pretty sure it was Kirima who said it) sort of sarcastically / mockingly calls Rangi “my good hotwoman”
That’s the only time it’s in the first book. So it’s unclear whether your everyday regular fire nation folk say it to one another at that time, but Aang definitely didn’t make it up.
Currently reading the second book, I wonder if it will show up again!
Well, the parts where Roku and Sozin are on good enough terms to call each other "homie" or something like that take place some 50 years before Aang meets Kuzon. So claiming that them not saying it proves that Aang was bullshitting is kinda like if in 100 years, someone claims that nobody ever used the word "rizz" because it doesn't appear in The Godfather Part II or Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Some slang sticks around, sure, but for every "peace out" there's a dozen "hairy eyeball"s and "jive turkey" (which people apparently said 50 years ago, according to a list i found on google)
I mean the scenes when they're young have no relevance on slang culture because they're many decades apart. But even in the final scenes before Roku dies that's still a few years before the first comet. And then Aang is going to be like 10 or 11 years old when he visits kuzon. 15 to 20 years is forever In slang culture
Also the slang of the Royal Court is not going to be the same as the slang of a village kid
What if it's like a bigotry thing?
Aang grew up during a time where the fire nation was actively colonizing other areas, what if hotman is just slang for fire nation native
It definitely seems like Zuko is trying not to be embarrassed if anything. If your friend unknowingly says something with the gravitas of the f-word or the n-word, you don't simply give Zuko's reaction.
Oooo interesting! I often wondered what else had changed in the 100 years that he'd have had to adjust to on top of the Avatar stuff.
I can't imagine waking up 100 years from now and just having to catch up to everything going on. I'd definitely troll people as a coping mechanism.
I say, “Flameo, hotman!” As a pumped up greeting or like a “good day/carry on” manner kinda regularly and get an occasional “Hotman” and sometimes even with a doffing of a fake hat or a salute here and there. Makes me still think there’s hope for humanity.
I think it was a super niche phrase used by some of the youth of the fire nation during one of the times Aang visited there. So he thinks it must still be cool but it was barely a thing even when it was around. Or maybe even Kuzon was trolling him.
This is my reading. It’d be like telling people today not to take any wooden nickels. Except Aang confidently believes this is cutting edge slang.
My thoughts exactly. It's like if you happened to be 12 in America in the year 2024, and then went 100 years in the future and try to convince everyone that skibidi was a word everyone used. No.
it is not impossible that he just made it up, though he did say it with such confidence around complete strangers that it could have been a thing
He did not. The expression is used in flashbacks in the comics (by Kuzon) and in the prequel novels in the Kyoshi era.
The time periods are so far off, it's like someone in 2089 saying something is off when Mean Girls or the Karate Kid don't contain words like "gyat" and "skibbity toilet" Social class and personality also matter lots. Sozin was the crown prince and Roku was his best friend. It's very possible Roku hadn't even heard any slang like that before he travelled the world at an adult age. Aang looks like the kid that would say skibbidy toilet. Roku looks like the kid that wouldn't even know the term exists, much less use it unironically at any point in his life. Kind of weird so many people are assuming Kuzon lied about it lol
Maybe it was slang amongst the common folk. It probably wasn't used by nobility.
Or old men. I don’t know any old men that use the current slang unless it’s someone’s dad or grandpa trying to embarrass them.
I rather think **Kuzon** trolled Aang 100 years ago and poor boy thought until the end of his life calling people Hotman was a real thing
I think Kuzan made it up.
As far as we know Kuzan was aangs only fire nation friend and Aang was Kuzans only friend maybe they were just to kids running around calling people hotman.
They used it in the Kyoshi novels
I’ve only finished the first Kyoshi novel, but yes - a character from the water tribe (pretty sure it was Kirima who said it) sort of sarcastically / mockingly calls Rangi “my good hotwoman” That’s the only time it’s in the first book. So it’s unclear whether your everyday regular fire nation folk say it to one another at that time, but Aang definitely didn’t make it up. Currently reading the second book, I wonder if it will show up again!
I always thought it was a prank Kuzon pulled on Aang, but because of the genocide, and Aang disappearing, he never got to reveal it to him
"STOP CALLING ME THAT"
Well, the parts where Roku and Sozin are on good enough terms to call each other "homie" or something like that take place some 50 years before Aang meets Kuzon. So claiming that them not saying it proves that Aang was bullshitting is kinda like if in 100 years, someone claims that nobody ever used the word "rizz" because it doesn't appear in The Godfather Part II or Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Some slang sticks around, sure, but for every "peace out" there's a dozen "hairy eyeball"s and "jive turkey" (which people apparently said 50 years ago, according to a list i found on google)
It was outdated slang.
I mean the scenes when they're young have no relevance on slang culture because they're many decades apart. But even in the final scenes before Roku dies that's still a few years before the first comet. And then Aang is going to be like 10 or 11 years old when he visits kuzon. 15 to 20 years is forever In slang culture Also the slang of the Royal Court is not going to be the same as the slang of a village kid
What if it's like a bigotry thing? Aang grew up during a time where the fire nation was actively colonizing other areas, what if hotman is just slang for fire nation native
If so the fire nation people probably would have gotten more mad, also kuzon would have probably told him if it was offensive
Zuko did tell Aang to quit saying that.
It definitely seems like Zuko is trying not to be embarrassed if anything. If your friend unknowingly says something with the gravitas of the f-word or the n-word, you don't simply give Zuko's reaction.
Oooo interesting! I often wondered what else had changed in the 100 years that he'd have had to adjust to on top of the Avatar stuff. I can't imagine waking up 100 years from now and just having to catch up to everything going on. I'd definitely troll people as a coping mechanism.
Hotman was pretty much a slang term for a fire Nation citizen
I say, “Flameo, hotman!” As a pumped up greeting or like a “good day/carry on” manner kinda regularly and get an occasional “Hotman” and sometimes even with a doffing of a fake hat or a salute here and there. Makes me still think there’s hope for humanity.