The Super Bowl Coca-Cola ad...

[TonyAndonuts]

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/201...ne-debate/
I usually don't make multiple threads in one day, but I came across this article where apparently the Coca-Cola ad that was on the Super Bowl last night sparked controversy, mainly because it featured people of many different backgrounds singing "America The Beautiful" in different languages. People are upset because they feel like that song should only be sung in English. I kinda think it's a really stupid thing to get all upset about and isn't exactly supportive of diversity if they wanna restrict languages, but people on the other side argue that it's supposed to be a commercial honoring America and in America you speak English. If you never learned the language, you're not properly integrating into the American system and culture and whatnot or something like that. So a better way to represent diversity and American pride would be to have people of different backgrounds coming together and singing in English to honor America. Do they have a point? I'm not exactly the most patriotic person, so I really don't care about this kind of stuff. But I know a lot of people do. What may not offend me may offend a "true patriot".

[Pix]

1. I think there are much more important things to worry about.

2. I suspect Obama winning had a lot to do with the outrage here. So many had a meltdown over him breaking through the glass ceiling and when efforts to go after him and paint him an outsider who didn't belong failed then they went after illegal aliens with a vengeance, and I don't think that's a coincidence (especially with the big deal made about birth certificates). And that has spilled over into this political correctness (the conservative version). Had McCain been POTUS for the last several years then I bet hardly anyone would've noticed.

[Pix]

Oh, and btw, this is my favorite song to be an "American." Granted, I'm not much for lines on a map but this was sweet, IMO:




Yeah, maybe more idealistic than realistic but IMO it's preferable to chest beating over who has the biggest guns and bravest soldiers that most patriotic songs seem to be based on.

I bet if this started playing for children again that many would have a meltdown over it and stop their kids from watching cartoons (or they'd try anyway, failing to realize it would make real sure they got to see it AND pay attention).

[CellarDweller]

I think the whole uproar over it is just dumb.

Perhaps people need to look at it in a different way. Most people know that song because it was drilled into their heads as kids. Those who sing it in a different language took them time to find the English lyrics, translate them to their other language, and then learn it.

[MisterTinkles]

Call me an ignorant red-neck if you must..........
Throw sticks and stones at me if you feel you have too.......



But I agree with the fact that people coming over here have absolutely NO respect for us or this country. And one major, consistent insult is these people refusing to learn English. I could not care less HOW many languages someone speaks, but if you live in the USA, one of them BETTER be English. Otherwise you are pretty much just spitting in our faces, because you have no respect for us or this country.

[CellarDweller]

*taken from an internet site*

(I’m waiting in line behind a woman speaking on her cellphone in another language. Ahead of her is a white man. After the woman hangs up, he speaks up.)

Man: “I didn’t want to say anything while you were on the phone, but you’re in America now. You need to speak English.”

Woman: “Excuse me?”

Man: *very slow* “If you want to speak Mexican, go back to Mexico. In America, we speak English.”

Woman: “Sir, I was speaking Navajo. If you want to speak English, go back to England.”

[Sylph]

But didn't Americans get English from the British, so your technically spitting in the face of English speaking Europeans?

And are not the majour Latin derivative languages all broken forms of the original Latin?

So why is it such an issue if say a French person sang an American song in French?

American children sing that Frere Jacques song or "Brother John" / Are you sleeping; in English. Which is clearly a French nursery rhyme Americans are spitting on with the American English.

[Festino]

Patriotism is one of the most basic and barbaric sentiments mankind proudly waves around. Fuck all goverments and fuck all patriots.

[philsguy95]

I know I might get hit hard for this, but I didn't like the ad when I saw it. I wasn't banging my head against a wall over it, but think of it in reverse: if we ever tried that with a patriotic song of another nation, we'd get crucified for it. A song about America should be sung in English, just like a song about Switzerland should be sung in Swiss. Things that are so massively representative of a cultural should retain that culture's fundamental identity, if that makes sense.

[marshlander]

Patriotism is one of the most basic and barbaric sentiments mankind proudly waves around. Fuck all goverments and fuck all patriots.

Well, I wouldn't have put it quite in those words, but I think patriotism is highly over-rated and responsible for a lot of abusive behaviour.

I was going to quote Samuel Johnson - "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel."

I rather like this George Bernard Shaw quote too - "Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it."



So, who knew that Winston Churchill said, "When I am abroad, I always make it a rule never to criticise or attack the government of my own country. I make up for lost time when I come home."