In “Lesbian bar talk in Shinjuku, Tokyo” Hideko Abe shows how identity positions are constructed and claimed through language use. One passage, which shows how use of the word futsuu (ordinary) includes homosexual and heterosexual subjects in the same category, bears additional analysis.
In this excerpt, Cho talks about race and language: being asked to speak to viewers “in your native language,” being treated like a visiting exchange… Read More »Margaret Cho – I’m the One I Want
In this clip from I Love Lucy, Lucy is intent on teaching her future child to speak “perfect English”, and she criticizes her husband Ricky Ricardo’s… Read More »Perfect English in I Love Lucy
Jimmy Kimmel outsources Herman Cain jokes to an Indian call center. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9BzlfI6Mj8. This is a good clip to show with Deborah Cameron’s (2000) piece on call… Read More »Jimmy Kimmel outsources Herman Cain jokes to an Indian call center
In the trailer for the movie The Mexican, Brad Pitt says “el trucko” “towno” and “muy muy important.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apCvmjRDAMw [UPDATE 1/23/2016: The URL originally linked to… Read More »The Mexican movie trailer
President Obama sings in a nod to Al Green during a speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6uHR90Sq6k [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6uHR90Sq6k[/youtube]
In this interview for ESPN Deportes, Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski attempts to speak some Spanish and ends the interview by saying, “Yo soy fiesta”… Read More »Rob Gronkowski “Yo soy fiesta”
In this clip, John Connor gives the T-800 a lesson in Mock Spanish: “no problemo,” “hasta la vista,” “dickwad” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNo4yehpezc Here the Terminator uses the Mock Spanish… Read More »Mock Spanish in Terminator 2
On the subject of constructing Latin American immigrants as inherintly “illegal,” here is a great clip from a 2010 Colbert Report show– http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/361456/october-07-2010/indecision-2010—revenge-of-the-fallen—fearstock-com If the… Read More »2010 Colbert Report on creating fear through images
This December 2011 Media Matters article reports on controversy over use of the word “illegals” by former New York Times executive editor Bill Keller. The… Read More »NY Times Drops “Illegals,” As Fox Continues To Cling To Slur
This article reports on the Associated Press controversy regarding term “illegal immigrant” in news reporting. AP deputy standards editor David Minthorn is quoted as saying, “Alternatives like undocumented worker,… Read More »The Associated Press Updates Its Stylebook, Still Clings to I-Word
This anti-illegal alien site contains rants about illegal aliens and compares them to thieves, invaders, etc: http://www.illegalaliens.us/ Some of the more interesting links on the site… Read More »Anti-illegal alien website
In the fist 50 seconds of this video, Glenn Beck argues that illegal aliens are just like illegal drugs.The video can be found at www.youtube.com/watch?v=r79-Za5tj9E (00.00-00.50). If you… Read More »Glenn Beck on illegal immigration
Elections for AAA, Society for Linguistic Anthropology, and other sections are open from 15 April until 31 May, 2012. Log in at www.aaanet.org with your username and password and click “Vote Now”.
The candidates for AAA and SLA positions, as listed in Anthropology News
“You have lots of ‘splaining to do”… Senator Tom Corburn (R-Oklahoma) interrupted Supreme Court candidate Sonia Sotomayor’s explanation about gun laws with this phrase, which echoes… Read More »Sotomayor “You have lots of splainin to do”
From Taco- to Chimichanga-Gate * “Insensitive Remarks Know No Party” by Kathleen McKinley,Houston Chronicle (February 18, 2012) http://blog.chron.com/texassparkle/2012/02/insensitive-remarks-knows-no-party/ * “The chimichanga wars” By Dana Milbank,Washington… Read More »Politicians’ remarks about Hispanic voters and chimichangas
This episode of Glee is all about negotiating the Spanish language in an English-dominant US high school. There are some great examples of indexicality and lines… Read More »Glee “The Spanish Teacher” episode
In this clip from the 2012 Golden Globes, the TV series Modern Family is presented with an award, and the legitimacy of Spanish and intelligibility… Read More »Spanish at the Golden Globes
Newt Gingrich argues against bilingual education because English is “the language of prosperity, not the language of living in a ghetto.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rF694NzjPU [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rF694NzjPU[/youtube] Here is his… Read More »Gingrich and the language of prosperity