Confederacy of a Dunce - Flapping Kirk

Tuesday, June 07, 2005

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There's a new TV advert gracing our airwaves, featuring the one and only William Shatner. He's advertising Kellogg's All-Bran Flakes "Yoghurty" which appear to be simply a less-healthy version of Bran Flakes (including some yog(h)urt-covered ones). The advert seems to capitalize upon Shatner's perceived incompetence and general out-of-touch-ness, presenting a series of clips in which he fluffs his lines, stutters and stammers, and generally appears confused by the whole process (Great acting, I'm sure). I must take offense, however, with the punch line (as it were) in which Shatner is instructed to call the product "yoghurty" by an off-camera voice. He mispronounces it (saying it more like "yogurdy") and is corrected by the same voice, but mispronounces it again, showing a look of complete befuddlement. Despite my initial enthusiasm for anything ridiculing Mr. Shatner himself (although what could do more than Mr. Shatner's own work?) I have to lodge my disapproval. After all, the particular element which is being ridiculed in the "yoghurty"/"yogurdy" exchange features prominently in my own dialect of English as well (I pronounce "printer" more like "prinner"; "computer" more like "compuder", "ladder" and "latter" as near homonyms, etc.). Technically speaking this is an intervocalic flap: the conversion of /t/ (and some instances of /d/) into /ɾ/ (IPA). As a flapper myself, I am deeply offended by the notion that we flappers are speaking incorrectly. Especially when it's being used to sell breakfast cereal.

consume | language

Tuesday, June 07, 2005 3:22:41 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)