Power
A Zine Piece Written in Hawaiian Pidgin
Pages 12-13. Written by a native Hawaiian in [Published on 03-01-2022]
John Kennedy Is America’s Folksiest Senator. Some People Who Know Him Say It’s An Act.
Touches on differences in the senators accent pre-running vs. post-running/ while democratic vs. republican. Goes into rebranding, 'quotability', being 'folksy' vs. 'educated', "dialing things up a notch for the cameras as most good politicians do"/public persona. Mentions his speech being flat and having faster cadence, then slowing down, 'giving him a distinct vocal style'. [Published on 10-15-2020]
Queen's English Society
The Queen's English Society, referenced in Harrington's study of Queen Victoria's language change over time, still exists. They are self-described prescriptivists who want to protect the "clarity and elegance" of the English language. [Published on 02-24-2022]
Rep. John Lewis’ Speech at March on Washington 1963
Play videoA speech given by Rep. John Lewis at the March on Washington in 1963.
Life of Brian - Latin Lesson - Romans Go Home!
Play video1979's "Life of Brian" comedically depicts the titular main character, played by Graham Chapman, defacing, in Latin, a Roman monument. A Roman centurion, played by John Cleese, stops him and punishes him for his "bad" grammar. The scene is largely a parody of the relationship between English schoolchildren and their teachers. Linguistically, it's interesting as a demonstration of prescriptive norms as well as the representation of different dialects. Cleese's dialect is meant to sound more elevated while Graham Chapman's, who is from Melton Mowbray, north of London, is meant to sound less elevated, which is supposed to add to the comedy. Funnily enough, I think some of Brian's usages correlate with changes that would end up occurring in Latin before it changed into the various Romance languages.
Ted Cruz/ Hispandering
Play videoTed Cruz displays Hispandering during an interview, on Bloomberg. This involves explaining how he has the ability to relate to being Hispanic. There is a bit of code switching also, toward the end of the interview
Linguistic Discrimination in School
Play videoStory about a lawsuit brought against a school after AAE speakers in a predominantly white school were put into special education classes and often ignored.
Oprah on Black and Standard English
This is the episode where Oprah talks about her views on Black English, famously referring to this type of speech as the 'ebonic plague,'while speaking with features of Black English, as referenced in "Oprah and /ay/: lexical frequency, referee design, and style" (Hay, 1999).
Forensic linguistics gives victims and the wrongfully convicted the voices they deserve
CW: explicit discussion of sexual assault
This article uses critical discourse analysis to look at how language is used in the courtroom, particularly in relation to the accused and the accuser. It highlights the persuasive power of language and how the phrasing of certain statements can have the power to sway a jury or judge's opinions. The author talks about a specific case of sexual assault and describes the language used by the victim to tell her story.
Clothes as Codeswitching
Usage of clothing by immigrant women in the United States as a form of code-switching to help them identify / be identified with the culture they want to be [Published on 07-13-2017]
What Kind of Person Fakes Their Voice?
This article investigates the voice of Elizabeth Holmes, the ousted founder of Therannos. It turns out, she speaks in a deep baritone, that turns out to be fake. Former co-workers of Holmes told The Dropout, a new podcast about Theranos’s downfall, that Holmes occasionally “fell out of character” and exposed her real, higher voice — particularly after drinking. You can sometimes find YouTube videos in which Holmes can be heard using that real voice before catching herself and deepening it. The question here is, why would someone fake their own voice? Research shows that when men and women deliberately lower their voices, it's actually successful in sounding more dominant or in a position of power.
Man accidentally signs emails with female coworker's name
This is a collection of man's tweets about his experience accidentally signing emails with his female colleague's name, followed by a deliberate week of swapping names with her to observe their relative productivity at serving their clients. [Published on 03-10-2017]
India’s Hindu nationalists changing Muslim town names
This article discusses the language ideology of a political party in India. The BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) is making an effort to change names of towns that have had connections to Muslims in Uttar Pradesh, India to Hindu association names. The latest attempt is of the town of Agra where the Taj Mahal stands, which is trying to be changed to something of Hindu association due to it being the capital of the Mughal Empire for many years in the 17th Century. The language ideology of the BJP nationalist party is that names deriving from Arabic, Persian, or those of Muslim association are anti-Indian and should be restored to Hindu names. [Published on 01-15-2019]
Masculinity and Femininity in Disney's Mulan
Play videoThe song “I’ll Make A Man Out of You” from the 1998 classic Mulan shows gender stereotypes and battling them. Mulan is a Disney classic that confronts battling feminine stereotypes head on and throughout the movie the protagonist Mulan shows that she can do anything a man can do. In this song specifically, the gender stereotypes of being a man in the war and what a man should be able to do and be is explained to a very catchy rhythm. Along with this throughout the song, Mulan shows how she is strong and she can fight just the same as them, but because of the laws, she must do this all while dressed as a man to blend in.
Cantonese v Mandarin: When Hong Kong languages get political
This article is about the language battle between Cantonese and Putonghua (Mandarin Chinese). Even though Hong Kong returned to China in 1997, the social rejection of Putonghua still takes place in Hong Kong. In this case, it illustrates the effect of language ideologies. People in Hong Kong reject to speak Putonghua because they question their Chinese identity. Their interpretation of language is that speaking Putonghua makes people lost the identity but speaking Cantonese could protect their culture and history. Importantly, this is the way to clarify the identity. People in Hong Kong believe that Hong Kong is not a part of China, and Cantonese is not one of the dialects of Chinese. Also, they argue Cantonese is the standard "Chinese."
[Published on 06-29-2017]
Fox News clip sampled on DAMN.
Play videoThis clip is a really clearly delineated example of "language as proxy" for racism. It's really clear in the tone of the broadcasters when reading Kendrick's lyrics that their issue is not only with the content but with the stigmatized aspects of AAVE. I also wanted to bring up this clip/the album DAMN. because it's a great example of a lot of the themes talked about in the film Talking Black in America, particularly regarding hip-hop. The way Kendrick puts his music, which deals with issues of race and is basically the way he was able to survive violence in dialogue with white people saying "hip hop is doing more damage than racism" is really masterful and gives me chills.
Things Not to Say to Women at Work
Play videoThis video challenges language used in ways that specifically applies to women. This video produced by the BBC discusses common phrases, words and topics that specifically target and apply to women in the workplace that portray sexist ideologies. The women in the video confront these, explain why they are inappropriate, and in some cases offer alternate ways to frame these discussions.
Linguist Jennifer Scalfani’s analysis on Trump’s “unique” use of language
Play videoThis video is about Jennifer Scalfani, a linguist at Georgetown University, who analyzed Donald Trump’s “unique” use of language that he uses as the President of the United States. His language is unique in a way that it is different than the language that other Presidents spoke in the past. He uses much more simple vocabulary and grammar, jumps from one topic to another, involves a variety of hand gestures, and uses an expression at the end of the phrase to emphasize his message. Scalfani analyzed how Trump’s unique use of language is a representation of how language can create a brand, construct an identity that is recognizable, and create an authentic persona.
Ellen DeGeneres' coming out episode
Play videoIn a televised talk show this year host Ellen DeGeneres celebrated the twentieth anniversary of her revelation on national prime time television that she was a lesbian. Forty-two million viewers tuned in to watch Ellen’s sitcom character declare “I am gay”, and this challenging and controversial decision made television history. A media frenzy followed with heated debates on gay rights and lifestyles. Ellen’s difficult and personal decision to reveal her lesbianism led to her sitcom show being cancelled in 1997. By 2004 she returned to television as a talk show host, and since then has earned ten Emmys for excellence in television. By making it acceptable for a public figure to declare a sexual preference, social change has occurred, and since then, gay marriage has become legal in the United States.
John Oliver interviews the Dalai Lama
Play video“Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver interviewed the Dalai Lama, a Nobel Peace laureate and Tibet’s spiritual and political exiled leader. With a hint of investigative journalism, Oliver used his gift of humor to engage the Dalai Lama in broad discussions from conflicts with the Chinese Government to claims that drinking horse milk will cure alcoholism. The interview demonstrated a self-reflective Dalai Lama laughing at labels from the Chinese Government. This televised comedy show provoked the Chinese government so much that they proclaimed the interview to be politically motivated and propaganda for an anti-China separatist movement.
School of Rock First Day
Play videoThis is a clip from the movie School of Rock when Jack Black who plays Newy Finn has his first day as a substitute teacher. The language that he uses and the way he communicates is very out of role than what a student would expect from a teacher. Teachers are expected to all be in one speech community and Jack Black shows that he is not part of that speech community that most teachers are in.
9 Non-Threatening Leadership Strategies For Women
I found this while scrolling along my Facebook feed. I believe the comics do a good job of describing the absurdity women have to deal with in order to be seen as a valid worker in the workplace, and they way in which their language reflects upon that identity.
Vladimir Putin Speaks English for the International Expositions Bureau
Play videoThis artifact shows Russia´s president Vladimir Putin welcoming the members of the 2013 International Exhibitions Bureau while speaking entirely in English. Putin usually avoids speaking in English even though he is known for knowing enough English to even correct his translators. Speaking English in this welcome video shows his appreciation and respect to the members and guests of the exhibition.
10 ASL Signs All Police Officers Should Know
Play videoA deaf youtuber shares 10 signs that would be beneficial for police officers to know. Their knowledge of these signs would increase cooperation, breakdown linguistic barriers, and relieve anxiety for both the police officer and the person being detained.
Martin Impersonates Daphne (Frasier)
Play videoA scene from the show Frasier which showcases Martin Crane teasing Daphne Moon's English Accent. I see a two linguistic-anthropology elements in the scene. First, by code-switching dialect during the interaction he is drawing attention to the fact that Daphne is not American. What this accomplishes is up for debate given that the two are friends and that the interaction was not hostile in nature. I'm guessing that the impression may mildly suggest that the two are not on equal footing; one is a "native" while the other isn't. This may work in elevating Martin's position in the argument. Second, Martin mentions how Daphne is always complaining about what to do with her hair. Here he is indexing a gender identity that might conflict with his own. In the reading I came across portions that relate language use as a form of identity expression and so while Daphne was being expressive of her female identity Martin, annoyed by her, replied with an antagonistic male critique of her speech.
ASL Interpretation of Music
Play videoThe video starts by explaining some basics of ASL. It goes on to discuss the complexities of interpreting music in ASL and the language ideologies associated with ASL and deafness. I think this video also addresses issues of language and power when it discusses how ASL is subordinate to spoken language at things like music events, which limits access for those who are part of the ASL speech community.
Icelanders Seek to Keep Their Language Alive and Out of 'the Latin Bin'
Icelanders are becoming concerned that their language is being overridden by the English language. The current official language in Iceland is Old Norse. It has changed in incredible amount over more than a thousand years and is now a unique dialect. Nowadays English is becoming more prominent due to the tourism industry and devices with automated voices in English. Only about 400,000 people speak it now, and with the vast globalization Icelanders as well as linguistic experts are in fear that Old Norse will have the same fate as Latin. [Published on 04-22-2017]
Covert Racism Found in Grey's Anatomy
Play videoDuring this scene of Grey’s Anatomy, Amelia approaches Maggie, who is African American, about a situation where she felt like she may have come off racist. There are several points during their conversation in which anthropological elements are highlighted. One major example is presented when Maggie talks about about how people assume things about her based on her race. She mentions that she approached an airline ticket booth with a first class ticket and the attendant said, “We aren’t boarding coach yet.” Although this isn’t an overtly racist statement, the subtle racist ideas are still present. This example is similar to the statement “You can turn the air conditioning on if you want to” that we talked about during lecture. When we make implicit statements like these, we are giving power to racist ideas without coming out and using actual racist language. We let our assumptions do the talking and reinforce the racial stereotypes that already exist in our society.
Romani ite domum - Monty Python's Life of Brian
Play videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lru4dJ4J6g In an act of rebellion against the Roman occupation of Judea, Brian writes in Latin "Romans go home". He is caught by a Roman soldier played by John Cleese who, instead of punishing Brian for vandalism, corrects Brian's grammar and forces him to conjugate his "grafitti"
What if Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton Had Swapped Genders?
This article is about a play that recreated the debates between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, but with a woman playing Trump, and a man playing Clinton. The actors trained to accurately replicate each candidates speech and gesture, and the project is meant to highlight the ways that similar stylistic gestures are deemed acceptable or not when used by men and women. [Published on 02-28-2017]
Alice Walker: Fear of Being Feminine
Play videoAlice Walker is an American novelist, poet, and civil and women’s rights activist. She is best known for her critically acclaimed, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Color Purple. In this video, she talks about the negative repercussions of referring to women as ‘guys’. The type of situation she is referencing are when someone, say a server at a restaurant, walks up to a group of women and addresses them by saying “Hi guys, how are you doing today?” Men and women both do this in America and it only perpetuates the fear of being feminine, or a female in general. With so many women still fighting for equal rights, it is crucial to be proud of being a woman and for women to not label themselves or other women as ‘guys’. This way of speaking stems from the fact that the English language is a “masculine default” language. This means that masculinity, along with masculine terms, are the default in English and other feminine terms have been unnecessarily created in order to differentiate between a male and female performing the same role. A good example of this sociolinguistic model is actor vs. actress and waiter vs. waitress. The original words are changed when talking about a woman when really, the word itself is just supposed to describe the job someone is doing. Although feminine words are added, many people still use the masculine terms by default, creating an alienation and feeling of unimportance or lack of superiority for women. Unfortunately, the aforementioned linguistic features, along with calling a group of women “guys”, are innate in most people’s vocabulary and using them can be a very difficult habit to break. Walker suggests women coming together to change the way that they label themselves and other women in order to first separate women from men and then empower those women. Although it may seem like a small step on the way to equality, it is an extremely vital one.
Press One for English
Play videoThis music video features a clearly Anglo couple singing in thick Southern U.S. accents about the need to speak English in the United States. It clearly showcases many examples of languages ideologies and subtle racism. The video indexes a strong relationship between an American identity and English ability by using many flags, referencing the U.S. military, and blatantly saying "English is the language of the land." They also support the dominance of English, associating it with the opportunities of America, even ironically saying that "We share this land of liberties, so please speak English". Language is closely tied to one's identity, and it is a great abuse to force language upon another person. It's also very difficult to learn another language, especially to full proficiency, once one has passed puberty. Despite these facts, the lyric "You chose to come, now choose to speak English", insists that to be accepted as an American, you must alter a fundamental aspect of your being. The song goes on to associate different languages with "others", saying " I don't live in China, Mexico, no foreign place," and frequently implying that to speak another language is to be lesser, especially in the U.S. These attitudes surrounding English are what create the English hegemony in the U.S., but just because it is the norm doesn't mean it is positive. Many nations are multilingual and there are massive benefits, but this song maintains that it is absurd to have "subtitles in 5 languages" and that as an American, "why should I have to press one for English?". English is massively dominant in the U.S., despite the present of many other varieties over time. The dominance of English is closely tied to the systematic oppression of various ethnic groups in the U.S. over time.
Political Speech Comparison
Play videoIn this clip from "The Daily Show" Trevor Noah compares the speech of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. He comments on the surprise of hearing a politician "speak in full sentences", but also comments on how after listening to Donald Trump for so long a fruitful and complex political discussion is difficult to continue paying attention to.
Chelsea Handler Criticizes First Lady For Having An Accent
This news article/video is about how comedian Chelsea Handler put down First Lady Melania Trump for having an accent. Chelsea Handler stated that she would never have Melania Trump on her show because "she barley speaks English." However, the article quickly points out that the First Lady actually speaks at least five languages, including French, Slovene, Italian, German, and English. This portrays how language ideologies are used in everyday life and how it influences individuals' attitudes, beliefs, opinions and knowledge about language. In linguistic anthropology language ideologies are a set of shared beliefs, such as the appropriate language use or how language should be used by particular groups. Chelsea Handler has a negative attitude towards Melania Trump's accent because in the U.S., there is the idea or belief that powerful leaders in politics should not possess "foreign accents." Chelsea Handler's comment about not wanting Melania Trump on her show portrays the idea that English is the dominant language. In the United States the popular ideology in regards to the English-only Movement is very prevalent in today's society. [Published on 01-24-2017]
English = civilized language
Play videoIn the episode series, The 100, there are three groups of people, the mountainmen, the ark, and the grounders. The mountainmen and the Ark have both been living in conditions with a school system and a more systematic type of life in general. They both speak Standard English and after 97 years apart come back together and can communicate. The grounders, who live on the ground in a less "civilized" way in the modern worlds eyes, speak a language called “Trigedasleng”, which is supposed to be a descendant of modern English. The grounders have to speak English in order to communicate with the mountainmen and the ark. There is a language ideology within the show that seems similar to the English-only ideology around today. This idea that English is the best language and should be the language to communicate with others as well as the most civilized language (Crawford, 2000). I have attached a video of the language spoken by the grounders and one can also see how they are depicted within the show in accordance to the ideology that they are “less civilized”.
Mock Spanish in Scrubs
Play videoIn this video from the show "Scrubs", one of the characters uses mock Spanish to demean some of the other characters from the show. It was interesting to see mock Spanish used in such a popular and well known show
Boys' keypads Versus Girls' keypads
This image of “boys’ keypads versus girls’ keypads” shows ideologies about gender and texting. Apparently on a woman’s keypad, there are only three not-so-much-informative words: hm, ok, and oh, while boys seem to text normally, at least in words or sentences. It also shows a phonological feature of women’s texting habits like “hmmmmm, okkkkkk, ohhhhhh” which seems unnecessary when conveying information. In the place of the punctuation button, women apparently use two emojis: smile and wink. This may indicate two things: women’s talk is more cooperative, emotional and encouraging; or women’s talk is mostly not genuine, since whatever others text, women only reply with a happy emoji. Compared to the ideologies that women talk more than men, this keyboard image seems to show women scarcely text anything more than three non-informative words and emojis. However, they both portray a negative image of women’s talk: not too much content. The anecdote also portrays a binary distinction between girls’ talk and boys’ talk, and ignores the varieties of how women/men actually talk in real life.
Mitchell on Manners
Play videoThis is the first of a four part series exploring linguistic interactions surrounding manners and their culturally-defined meanings. The program describes how cultural norms determine what is considered polite or rude, such as what questions you can ask another person and how you should address people who are older or younger than you. Manners in Western Europe are explained to be standards set by the ruling and higher class members of society who sought to further establish their superiority over the lower classes, who couldn't afford eight different knives for a singular meal. The discussants also speak about a possible delineation between "etiquette" and "manners." The later portions of the program discuss expectations of social interaction, such as not constantly looking at one's phone while accompanied by another person and to ensure that there are no awkward pauses during a conversation.
Russell Peters - Red, White, and Brown
Play videoRussell Peters is a famous Stand up comic who is known for his portrayals of other cultures and ability to mimic their accents. Russell is a world traveled individual who has shows in Bangkok, Dubai, Europe and America. He draws on his life interactions to really capture a moment or interaction and portray it in a humorous way. In this clip he is setting up a power hierarchy of cheapness and claiming that cheap is good thing to the minority and an insult to the Hegemonic identity in America. “Cheap” in this sense is going against the dominant cultural belief of cheap is an attribute that is unfavorable. This is showing the intermingled power struggle between the dominant class and others and how pushing back against ideologies is occurring. The voices used in separating the characters also indicate indexicality and Language socialization. The voices used help guide and reaffirm how we preserve different culture groups to sound. His experience and worldliness is also a point of power. Most people are not as traveled as Russell Peters and cannot truly understand the differences in cultures he is portraying however through him we get a glimpse of the other. He has the power in the setting and his perception of life is the one we are subjected to. His viewpoint on life is guided by humor and stereotyping for a broader audience in order to showcase cultural differences and how they interact and intermingle within the world.
Hillary and Her Iconic Pantsuits.
Play videoOne thing that really stood out when Hillary Clinton was running for president was iconic attire. Orthodoxically, woman who are in or are running for higher professions, such as the Presidency or any other higher office, would be expected to wear clothing such as a dress, a skirt, or a pair of slacks. The pantsuits worn by Clinton, however, during much of the campaign, is heterodoxical to much of what is normally worn by women in these positions. Conventionally, there has been a very negative sentiment towards this style of clothing as it has been received as inappropriately masculine, and there have even been attempts to ban it in certain places. Therefore, her use of this masculine attire during her campaign can be seen as an appeal of increasing power among women.
Trump Relies on Mock Spanish to Talk About Immigration (OPINION)
This blog post is about how non-Spanish speaking white peoples' use of "mock Spanish" is a form of covert racism that is used as an unconsciously strategic effort to silently dominate the folks who are imagined to speak the language, but to do so through attempts at silliness, humor and acting "cool” or "with it". This article is written by a Spanish professor. He discusses how hard it is to talk to white people about mock Spanish, and even cites Jane Hill, but a different paper from the one we read. [Published on 10-20-2016]
"Stop Trying to Make 'Fetch' Happen"
Play video"Mean Girls" has provided us with an excellent example of the shortcomings of trying to attribute the success of certain linguistic features and usages solely to language-internal factors. The term 'Fetch', which would appear to offer extensive linguistic utility and appeal, finds its success limited by the asymmetric, structural power differential between Regina George and Gretchen. As sociolinguists we must consequently keep in mind the need to contextualize speech features within wider historical and political movements (see Milroy and Milroy 1985: 13, "Prescription and Standardization" in Authority in Language).
'English Only' Sign Triples Diner's Business
Play videoThis video reports about an owner of a diner in North Carolina that gained major support when he posted an 'English Only' sign at his door. In this interview the owner claims it started because of it was annoying to him and his staff to have to wait on people that did not speak English. He said it became very frustrating for both parties and eventually the Spanish speaking customers were hostile towards him. When the sign was first put out the diner tripled its business. People from the local community supported his stance and pledged their support for him in there continual attendance. He even said people requested to have their own signs so he made copies and has given out nearly 2,000 signs. What was shocking to me was the national support this man was getting. Celebrity new anchors and various organizations contacted him in support of his stance. One political organization even offered free law support if he were to come into any conflict regarding the issue. I figured something like this would have support, but not nearly to the magnitude it did. What shocked me even more was the lack of push-back he was receiving. He claimed that there was little to none. That being so, it can either show the dominant ideology in America regarding the English Only movement, or the difficulty to organize anti-Engliah Only groups.
Russian Aristocracy Spoke French
Prior to the Decembrist revolt, the Russian aristocracy's principal language was French, not Russian, even within family and personal relationships. Children of aristocrats were forbidden and even punished, for speaking Russian. After the revolt, the aristocracy started speaking Russian, or risk punishment. French continued to be spoken by the aristocracy, but the social situation determined which language, Russian or French, was appropriate. However, the addition of Russian, did result in one set of language rules for men and another to women. [Published on 12-04-2008]
Hurt BAE
Play videoThis video shows a younger couple discussing the infidelity on part of the male in the relationship, while a variety of older viewers watch the conversation. The video shows the differences in how younger generations communicate versus older generations, and the changes in how we communicate. Throughout the video, you see and hear the various reactions from the group and hear their thoughts and perception of the situation based on the conversation between the couple and the memes that were posted on the internet about the video.
Be Free- J. Cole
The artist J. Cole uses his lyrics to express the hardships that he has faced in relations to his experiences as a Black man.
African Children Punished for Speaking Vernacular (Luganda in Uganda)
This brief web article exposes punishment of children for speaking their native languages in Africa and debunks the myths for why English is "needed." [Published on 12-31-1969]
Donald Trump’s strange speaking style, as explained by linguists
This article has linguists examine Donald Trumps speaking style. It examines his linguistic approach through many different angles and talks about why some people can relate to it more than others. It proves how language and power can play a pivotal role in politics and spreading a message.
[Published on 09-26-2016]
Watch the second presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton
Play videoCertain ideologies have been established without actually speaking, such as handshaking. In the recent debate it was apparent as the candidates met on the debate stage there was no such exchange. Throughout the debate Mr. Trump displayed numerous was to establish power, both through gestures and verbal exchange. Mr. Trump stood throughout and when Senator Clinton was speaking he often stood behind her. This could be interpreted as a stand of power. Mr. Trump interrupted and made comments while Senator Clinton was talking that could have been an attempt to establish power. Mr. Trump’s continued reference to “locker room talk” could appear to be gender based.
"Hispandering"
Play videoThis clip is a president election debate and it’s regarding Latino issue. Both of the candidates are in favor of Latino and against deportation. The debate end with “that what we are trying to do is to united families and not to divide families”. This clip is a really good example of expanding “hispandering”.
Who is really “American”?
Play videoPeople from North, South and Central America discuss the use of the term “American” as an identifier by people from the United States. "Americans" have a linguistic ideology about what it means to be one and seem to ignore the fact that it excludes people from all other regions in the Americas.
Code-Switching: Obama's N-Word Moment Makes Civil Rights History
The article includes the quote from President Obama, in which he says the n-word, which ended the President's final White House Correspondents Dinner. The importance of this is the switch between what could be considered formal English and AAVE. The article also addresses the question of language ideologies by responding to the idea that it was inappropriate for the term to be included in the speech. Furthermore, that language ideology is rooted in racist ideologies, so the utterance is also a response to power structures. [Published on 05-02-2016]
Issues of Hispandering
Play videoComedienne Cristela Alonzo discusses Hispandering in her own experience growing up in South Texas, often referring to political campaigns and gender issues.
Melania Trump Echoes Michelle Obama in Convention Speech
As the title suggests, presidential hopeful, Donald Trump's wife Melania Trump gave her first major political speech last night. Many found striking similarities between her speech last night and that of First Lady Michelle Obama's earlier DNC speech. These similarities bring up the question of "shared values" or plagiarism. Also notable are factors such as Melania's native language not being English: how did this affect the speech and the way it was received? [Published on 07-18-2016]
Should Holocaust Denial be Criminalized?
Play videoFascinating example of rhetorical devices and traditions at the Oxford Union...Question is whether holocaust denial should be criminalized. Proponents narrow the scope of the debate, opponents broaden the issue well beyond holocaust denial. Also, I love the fact that at the Oxford Union, the speakers are introduced by their opposition in the debate...great device that illustrates the philosophy of this great institution.
Gulf Between Words and Actions @ CU-Boulder
Very interesting article illustrate a situation where simply using the "right words" isn't enough. [Published on 03-10-2016]
Potty-Mouthed Princesses Drop F-Bombs for Feminism by FCKH8.com
Play videoThis video uses young girl cussing to show that there are more problems in society than little girls cussing. The fact that they are talking the way they are is shocking, which is done to make people actually listen to the bigger point.
Why the f*** shouldn't women swear?
This article talks about sexism in the fact that there is an idea that women should not curse. For example, it mentions that people tell female rapper, Nicki Minaj that she should not cuss, but the same is not said to male rappers, like Eminem or Lil Wayne [Published on 11-04-2014]
Language equality in post-apartheid South Africa
Play videoCollege students demonstrate for language equality in Pretoria, South Africa. Students are currently taught in Afrikaans, the language of apartheid-era oppression. This is an example of how language can be used to signify either oppression or equality.
CNN Election Center
Play videoIn this video there are many different types of sociolinguistic artifacts, and in any kind of SNL skit they have to make it more dramatic to bring out the commentary. Yet, within this clip you see many types of tags used within the first few minutes. For example, Donald Trump is the first person to be impersonated, but within the short clip that he is in he shows tags of "Race/Ethnicity, Sexism, Gender, Politics and Policy". And for Hillary Clinton she is showing many of the same character traits as well. Within all of these impersonators they are all trying to benefit themselves in some way that looks appealing to the audience.
Nigerian Pidgin English accepted as unofficial second language
Play videoA news story with examples of spoken NPE as well as cultural context for the shift in perception of the Creole Language.
Ernestine Johnson Performs 'The Average Black Girl' on Arsenio Hall Show
Play videoErnestine Johnson's performance of "The Average Black Girl" shows the stereotype of talking white vs talking black. Here is a good example of the relationship between race and language.
Stephen Fry - The power of words in Nazi Germany
Play videoStephen Fry speaks about the power of language during the time of Nazi Germany and how using certain words to describe others can change everyone's perception of those people. This video significantly shows how language influences world-view.
Hillary Clinton "Hispandering" Pummeled On Twitter
Play videoA news reporter talks about Hillary Clinton and her "Washington games." He mentions that now because of the internet, she is no longer able to continue the same political approach as she has in the past. He also calls her out on her calm that she is just like the Latinos abuela, and how far off she really is with this claim.
Rudy Giuliani: Beyoncé’s halftime show was an ‘outrageous’ affront to police
Rudy Giuliani describes Beyonce's halftime show as being inappropriate for the middle american audience of the Super Bowl. He states “This is football, not Hollywood, and I thought it was really outrageous that she used it as a platform to attack police officers who are the people who protect her and protect us, and keep us alive." [Published on 02-08-2016]
Tense Present: Democracy, English and the Wars Over Usage
David Foster Wallace reviews 'A Dictionary of Modern American Usage'. In so doing, Wallace explores how language rules are developed and on what authority they are created. Near the end he tells a story about trying to convince students to write in what he calls SWE "Standard Written English" or "Standard White English". [Published on 04-01-2001]
Carlton
Play videoThis particular clip shows the comparisons of what some specific groups might think of how someone should be because of color and class when it is society who defines these boundaries.
Key & Peele - Negrotown
Play videoIn this Key and Peele video, the stigmas attached to African Americans are shown. A white police officer begins to arrest a black man walking in an alley who is doing nothing wrong. When they enter 'Negrotown' he begins singing a song in which he says "here you can walk the streets without being stopped, harassed or beat." This brings in race and ideology about how African Americans are still being treated unfairly.
Freshwoman
This article has an interesting perspective on Language and sexism. How our language is still objectifying woman. It's speaks to the power of the words we use. [Published on 03-20-2012]
Cultural Hegemony
Play videoA wonderfully concise description of hegemony, with real world examples of things we see in our everyday life that we may overlook. This idea relates to language in how our society favors standard English and those who utilize it.
What Matters- Code Switching: Communication That Matters
Play videoA great video on a more educational aspect of code switching and how important it is to understand the implications of this valuable language tool.
We Can Do IT
This sign was an empowerment for women to join the workforce and was widely re-popularized in the 80's Women's Movement promoting equality in the workplace. [Published on 09-22-2014]
"Hispandering" through food.
I am starting my proposal for my research paper and we are tasked with investigating "Hispandering" from a linguistic anthropological perspective. This add personifies "Hispandering" it uses performance to elicit feelings about stereotypes of ethnicity. [Published on 09-30-2014]
The US Supreme Court legally defines our words
Play videoThe United States Supreme Court defines the word "marriage" in a legal and social context by defining the "Equal Protection" clause of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution.
LGBTQ girls and the heterosexual marketplace
This article isn't specifically linguistic, but relates to Eckert's notion of the heterosexual marketplace, where adolescents learn how to speak/act/dress/present in the best way possible to attract people of the 'opposite' sex and thus gain popularity. This article deals with how lesbian and queer girls fair in this social structure as people who essentially do not participate in the heterosexual marketplace.
Interestingly, the article posits that a good way to combat the isolation of non-conforming young people would be for schools/institutions to reward non-physical and non-sexual achievements. I find this a strange concept because I think of popularity/success in the heterosexual marketplace as being determined almost entirely separately from school-sanctioned recognition of achievement; in fact, I think institutional recognition often detracts from a person's success in the marketplace, and I wonder how/whether institutions are capable of causing a shift in the dynamics of young people's social structure. [Published on 12-31-1969]
Debate about who gets to use a word
cw: discussion of racial slur
This is a CNN interview between a white commentator and a black rapper named Trinidad. They're debating about use of the n-word.
I find the controversy about who gets to use certain words fascinating. I hear a power & privilege conversation most often, as well as an "in-group" vs "out-group" conversation. [Published on 03-17-2015]
Philippine "Gay Lingo"
The following quote from the Bourdieu reading reminded me of Swardspeak (or Bekimon), an argot/slang used by queer communities in the Philippines (where I was born and raised):
"it is not space which defines language but language which defines its space" (44)
(Citation: Bourdieu, Pierre. 1991. Language and Symbolic Power.)
Swardspeak has indeed created a distinct space for gay communities in the Philippines, helping them resist cultural assimilation. The linked Wikipedia article has more information as well as great examples of Swardspeak constructions.
Here's a clip of how it sounds. It's from a hit talk show; the host, Vice Ganda, a queer comedian/TV personality, makes his guests reenact a scene from their movie in standard Tagalog and then in Swardspeak. It's mostly in Tagalog, but I think it's pretty easy to tell how different Swardspeak is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfZ91K2MS6g
Thug Kitchen: Literary Blackface
Play video"Now, the Hollywood couple behind online blog turned vegan cookbook are in the limelight for a clumsily adopted, expletive-charged “thug” persona reminiscent of hypermasculine Black men. Thug is a heavily loaded word and while it is not explicitly synonymous with African Americans, it recently adopted new meaning and performs as a colloquial version of the n word. Did I mention the founders of Thug Kitchen are white? Yes, white. The authors kept their identities anonymous for quite some time."
-http://www.forharriet.com/2014/10/dear-creators-of-thug-kitchen-stop.html#axzz3S8EWrMRn
BBC News: Economic success drives language extinction
Research shows that in countries with more successful economies, minority languages are at greater risk of extinction (due to one language dominating political, educational, and economic spheres). [Published on 09-02-2014]
Anita Hill-Clarence Thomas Hearings
Play videoA clip from the 1991 confirmation hearing of Supreme Court Justic Clarence Thomas, which shows Senator Arlen Specter questioning Anita Hill.
I use this with the reading: Mendoza-Denton, Norma. 1995. "Pregnant Pauses: Silence and Authority in the Anita Hill-Clarence Thomas Hearings."