Just call "me"

When did the word “me” become forbidden? At least once a day someone who should know better uses “myself” when “me” is appropriate. Here is an example from a political campaign, posted by someone widely regarded as a bright and articulate fellow (emphasis mine):

This interview format will be a great way to hear what’s on your mind and share ideas from both (the candidate) and myself -- it should be a whole lot of fun.

If he were talking to us, wouldn’t he just invite us to share ideas from “both Joe and me?”

Here is some information I found:

What does me mean? Me is a personal pronoun that refers to one’s own self. Specifically, it is an objective pronoun. Me takes the function of an object in sentences. For example,

·        “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were talking to me,” said the woman at the bar.

·        “Give me that ax!” bellowed the quartermaster.

·        “That jerk punched me in the face; he deserved what I did to him,” the man told the police officer.

·        Ten members of the Ukrainian secret service came looking for me last Friday.

Many people confuse the pronouns I and me. I, of course, is a subject pronoun, while me is an object pronoun. 

What does myself mean? Myself is also a pronoun that refers to the speaker, although it is a different kind of pronoun than me. Myself is a reflexive pronoun, meaning the speaker or writer would use it self-referentially. In other words, myself is used when the speaker both performs and receives the verb’s action. For example,

·        “I like to describe myself as an introvert, who has extroverted tendencies as well,” explained Mary.

·        I care for myself by running every morning, avoiding unhealthy foods, and getting plenty of sleep at night.

·        “I hurt myself falling down the stairs,” said Joel.

Myself can also be used intensively, like in these examples,

·        “I, myself, like a little sugar in my coffee from time to time,” said the wizened old cartographer.

·        “Why would I pay someone to build a shed for me when I could do it myself?” asked the amateur carpenter.

I am happy to have any of you weigh in and share your thoughts on this with me!

All this reminded me of the 1965 Petula Clark song, “Call Me,” later recorded by numerous other artists including Helen Reddy and Shirley Bassey. It is clear that “Call Myself” would not have worked here!

Love,

Rebecca