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Melissa Tyndall Dr.

McWilliams LING 4050 February 20, 2004

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He Did What He Do: Mispronunciation and Language in the Media Think back to Super Bowl XXXVII. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Oakland Raiders, and one of the Buccaneers players was interviewed after the game. On national television, with millions of television viewers watching, one of the Buccs stumbled over a grammar no-no in front of all of America. When asked to comment on a fellow player, he (not once, but twice) replied, He did what he do. When thinking about grammar and language, especially when it pertains to what Americans view in the mass media, it is important to know that viewers both mimic and criticize those they hear speak on television. The use of proper language is essential in todays society, and is often attributed to education and intellect (i.e. improper language indicates less intellect, whereas accurate use of language indicates higher education and intellect). In the September 1992 issue of The Quill, Paula LaRocque wrote, radio and television newscasters who mispronounce words are likely to appear less credible to their listeners. As such, they must always be careful lest they utter the wrong pronunciation (LaRocque). The basis of LaRocques article surrounded the frequent mistake journalists makemispronouncing syllables or adding syllables into a word which do not exist. One example was of a television newscaster who pronounced Caribbean differently each time he used the word on the air sometimes Caribbean, other times Carribeean). Other syllabic blunders in the mass media

Melissa Tyndall Dr. McWilliams LING 4050 February 20, 2004

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included: onvelope rather than envelope, renumerate instead of remunerate, and realators replacing realtors. There athaletes dominating sports (not athletes), foreign affairs required a lay-uh-zahn more willingly than a liaison, and the Middle Eastern countries Eyeraq and Eyeran lacked short Is at the beginning. Even more interesting were words that Americans mispronounce every dayforte, the French word for ones strong point is actually pronounced fort, while forte is an Italian words for loud, flaccid is pronounced flaxid, and forbade is pronounced forbad (LaRocque). In conjunction with LaRocques article, Erin Kelly wrote an article for Fortune magazine in 1998 on the pronunciation of Moscow. Kelly wrote, Watching the national drama unfold in Russia, one question burns in TV viewers minds: Why do correspondents say Mos-coe (as in Ros-coe) and not Mos-cow, as most Americans pronounce it? (Kelly). Kelly interviewed a Russian instructor, William Mahota, at Yale who stated that the pronunciation had nothing to do with Russians, (their word is Moskva) but solely with Americans. Mahota stated, . . .it sounds artificial to say Mos-coe because most Americans dont speak that way (Kelly). However, CNN and national public radio disagree, believing Moscoe is the only way to go. CNN bureau chief Jill Doughtery had to retrain herself from her old Moscow days to conform to the pronunciation acceptable to CNN. NPRs Moscow correspondent, Michele Kelemen also had to retrain herself at her former job with Voice America and had to continue with the Moscoe pronunciation at NPR. However, the pronunciation is disagreed upon:

Melissa Tyndall Dr. McWilliams LING 4050 February 20, 2004

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VOA, the pronunciation authority of broadcasting, mandates Mos-coe because that's what Webster's New Geographical Dictionary suggests, says Jim Tedder, the network's pronunciation czar. Wrong: We found the dictionary, and it recommends "Mos-cow." "We strive to base our pronunciations on actual pronunciation in America," says Deanna Chiasson, one of the dictionary's editors. "Mos-cow is the more common pronunciation, and that's why we have it entered first." So why do journalists insist on Mos-coe? NPR's Anne Garrels, a Moscow veteran, chuckles and offers her explanation: "We're all pretentious" (Kelly). While many people attribute the level of ones education and/or intellect to the proper use of language, some critics, such as Richard Grenier, would argue that proper language could be pretentious or alienate the media from the public. In his article, Provincial Pronunciation Preferred, Grenier complains about how the media or members of society attempt to properly pronounce words (usually of foreign cities that many Americans mispronounce) and attributes this to elitism. He goes on to criticize our society by writing: This sort of superiority is spreading. Indeed, the desire to rise above the common herd seems quite common. In recent decades, entire professions, formerly of low social status, have been lifted and consequently have been attracting persons of the distinctly better sort. Anyone who reads social

Melissa Tyndall Dr. McWilliams LING 4050 February 20, 2004

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history must realize that until quite recently journalists, and even more decidedly entertainers, were people of no great repute (Grenier). Ironically, Grenier himself uses proper and formal language in his article. He sardonically mentions an entire list of his own capitols of foreign cities, contradicting his whole article. However, looking back on history, his argument can be easily refuted. It is pertinent that those who are distributing knowledge about foreign affairs and worldwide issues inform the American publicly formally and properly. The majority of the American publish seeks the news, whether televised or on the radio, to amass information about the world around themto educate themselves about current events (not discuss the pompous nature of educated newscasters). When considering how grammar and language is viewed, listened to, and read in forms of American mass media, it is important to know that viewers and pass judgment on those they hear speak improperly. It is imperative that this society educates its young people on the importance of proper pronunciation so that they may carry out their jobs and their personal life successfully. The bottom line is that proper language skills are pertinent in todays American way of life. People have to be able to communicate with each other on an educated scale. Whether it is fair or not, proper and improper grammar, language, and pronunciation are recognized and they classify people as intelligent and not-so-intelligentlow class and high class. Our young people do not want their accomplishments to be blemished with a quote that makes them infamously unintelligent for all time such as, He did what he do.

Melissa Tyndall Dr. McWilliams LING 4050 February 20, 2004

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Works Cited Grenier, Richard. Provincial Pronunciation Preferred. (Elite Language and the Media) Insight on the News 10.44 (October 31, 1994):36 Expanded Academic, Gale Group InfoTrac. Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN. 06 February 2003. <http://www.galegroup.com>. Kelly, Erin. Mos-cow or Mos-coe? (Media Disagrees Over How To Pronounce Moscow) Fortune (November 9, 1998):56 Expanded Academic, Gale Group InfoTrac. Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN. 06 February 2003. <http://www.galegroup.com>. LaRocque , Paula. Want To Blow Your Credibility? Mispronounce It! The Quill 80.7 (September 1992):51 Expanded Academic, Gale Group InfoTrac. Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN. 06 February 2003. <http://www.galegroup.com>.

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