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Kevin Smith posting things to Twitter can be, shall we say, a mixed bag. Sometimes, you’ll get heartfelt but somewhat disturbing stories about his love life, and other times he will just share behind-the-scenes details about his projects or react to other big moments in pop culture.
Sometimes, however, you can learn something new from the Clerks director. Or at least get a reminder of something you may have already forgotten. And on a day where Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez seem to officially be a thing again, Smith made sure everyone knew that the couple’s now decades-old nickname was actually his idea. Apparently long before early 2000s gossip writers declared the couple “Bennifer,” Smith said it was his idea to call the two a single name.
Smith tweeted about the nickname on Monday, revealing that he started calling them “Bennifer” while on set filming Jersey Girl.
“Bennifer” is trending. It’s a name I first gave the kids during “Jersey Girl” pre-production, before the world found out they were dating. I’d later drop the name in an interview with the @nytimes. Shortly thereafter, it appeared in the article and then entered the vernacular.
— KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) May 10, 2021
“It’s a name I first gave the kids during “Jersey Girl” pre-production, before the world found out they were dating,” Smith wrote, mentioning that he also used the term in a New York Times interview that helped the word become part of the cultural lexicon. The movie was part of a pair of films the two did together during the start of their relationship and eventually led to an engagement, which was called off. But it’s 2021, people are nostalgic for pre-9/11 fashion and the two are apparently back together. Old is new once again.
It’s certainly not the first time Smith has impacted the pop culture landscape, but it’s one of the more unique contributions he’s made. And it’s one that’s apparently held up far better than, say, Chasing Amy.
