Pet Peeves

I posted a time ago about the Dove commercials. Back then I was sort of thinking, “Cool, Dove let’s you be a normal human being. Dove makes products for ’normal’ women. Maybe the beauty industry is starting to smarten up and become more atune to what’s really going on in today’s world. Maybe the beauty industry is becoming sensitive women’s real needs and the real needs of society. Maybe they are experiencing a sort of ethical moment. ”

In my own little naive way, I was, of course, wrong.

The beauty industry has learned nothing. They are not experiencing (and probably will never experience) any sort of ethical moment.

Look at these two clips from youtube. The first one is the famous Dove evolution commercial (dripping with moral righteousness) and the second one is from Greenpeace.

So is Dove really doing us a favour just because it advertises with middle-aged sagging women?  The whole beauty industry, irrelevant how they advertise, is just plain sick.

Don’t you just get tired of all this? What is wrong with this world that women’s looks can become such a central topic and can cause such unbelievable damage (I won’t even start on animal testing)? I just don’t get it.

Give us a break.

Seen at Ed’s blog.

dove evolution commercial beauty advertising industry greenpeace palm oil

Several months ago I found a funny video clip here .  Ha ha, I thought to myself. Isn’t that funny. Ha ha.

Well, yes. It is funny.
But not quite as funny today as it was back then. Sigh.

Ain’t that the truth.

How frustrating! I have tried several times to leave comments on and send trackbacks to the real Dichand blog, but they never make the “cut”. I wouldn’t have expected censor from a newspaper editor!

Hey, Mr. Dichand, isn’t that the point behind blogging - free exchange of information. Hmmm. Something’s wrong here…

There are lots of posts going around right now concerning the word “Ami”.  Is it a derogatory term - when used to describe a US-American citizen? Here, and here, and here …

I don’t think it is just about the word “Ami”. What about the name “Kraut” for Germans, or “Jap” for Japanese, “Beaners” for Mexicans, or “Itaker” for Italians (used here in Austria), or many others (I can’t think of any more, or I could think of some that are used here in Austria, but I can’t spell them, so I won’t use them).

I honestly don’t think most people like to be referred to using a word denoting the country of their origin. I think their name is probably much nicer and more personal.  Using such words is always a tad derogatory. All of them call to mind the many stereotypes associated with each ethnic group or nationality and using them automatically propagates those beliefs (positive or negative) and increases racism.

Now I don’t really want to turn this into a post about racism (here an good post from Bettina about that subject) but the connection between such terms and racism is a quick one for me and in an international environment like we have now, perhaps it is wise to avoid emphasising racial, ethnic or national backgrounds and instead concentrate on the person.

What do you think?

ami kraut jap beaner racism derogatory ethnic racial background

Don’t let your children grow up believing the canned version of beauty. Help them become the truly beautiful persons they were meant to be.

beauty industry dove commercial

Bing’s at it again, the ol’ grammar freak.

I know what he means, because there are some very strange things in the English language. One of them is the difference between they’re, there and their. It’s not hard in conversation, but boy can it get confusing when you have to write it down.

They’re is a contraction of “they are”. It means “they are” and nothing else, as in “They’re a bunch of crazy people”.

There is the opposite of here, as in “The book is over there“; or refers to a place, point or stage, as in “He went there after work” or “There is where I disagree with your statement”; or is used to express satisfaction, approval or sympathy, as in “There, I’m finished” or “There, there. Don’t cry”. 

Their refers to possession, as in “They took their work home with them”, or “Is that their new office?”. 

Consequently, the following must be correct:
“There, there, fair bear. Their rare pears are over there on their chair. They’re fair, those pears; but they’re not meant for fare. They’re meant to stay there, on their chair, those rare pears. There, there, fair bear.”

english grammar their they’re there

Did you read the news yesterday? Our friend JH wants to ban headscarves here in Austria.

Hey, if he gets that, then I want a couple of things changed around here, too.

For one thing, I want an aboslute ban on socks and sandals. And I don’t care what all you Germans say. It looks stupid.
And while we’re at it, let’s get rid of the nylons-over-unshaven-legs-thing. It’s gross. Especially with white nylons; it’s got to go. 
What about Izods with upturned collars - get over it, you guys. Those days are over and gone!

Why doesn’t anybody ask me what needs to be banned. I’ve got a whole list.

If Jörg gets his headscarves, then I want something done about the sandal thing.

Fair is fair.

headscarves ban jörg haider kopftuch

Have you read Bing lately? I like Bing. He sees himself sometimes as sort of a grammar-cop or language-trooper, as it were. One of his favorite topics seems to be scary trends in the world of grammar.
Now, maybe grammar isn’t one of your favorite topics, but Bing can really get into it.

Like I said, I like Bing. I can relate to his troubles. I have language pet peeves too.

One of my absolute favorites goes like this: (sign in a shop window) Closed on Sunday’s. Here’s another one (in case the first looked okay to you):  (another sign) Dog’s not allowed.

Does this bother you at all? It makes me go nuts.

Okay, okay,  I can hear what you’re thinking - Austria is a German speaking country. What can you expect. These people are not native English speakers.
True enough. But consider  this - I didn’t see these signs here (I admit, the closed on Sunday sign smacks of Austria, but the dogs not allowed sign,  never.) I saw these signs in the USA.

What’s with you guys?  Hey, my grammar isn’t perfect either, but this is definitely not a Good Thing.

The real problem is that this apostrophe-trend quickly crossed the ocean and set up house-keeping here, where people still nap after lunch and cows have purple spots.

Now everybody’s into it. We have ponie’s at the barn, they sell hotdog’s down at the Würstlstand and Corona’s at the bar down on shoe-shop road.
It’s an epidemic. And I’m scared.

Of course, I really shouldn’t complain. This trend helps keep me and my horses in oats.

english grammar apostrophe