DB -
It is often said that Hollywood influences the world. I have no doubt that to some extent that is true. However, I can personally attest to how the BBC has influenced my own family, which has caused strife and confusion. We have Netflix and my seventeen-year-old son has watched every episode of the British version of Top Gear, (yes, there is an American version – it is horrible) and now he can't pronounce vehicle brands the same as his friends and family.
Since I knew what a foreign car was, Fiat was pronounced as “Fee-aught”. Jeremy Clarkson has brainwashed my son into believing it is to be spoken as “Fee-it”. He mocks me and says that I don't know how to say the word even when commercials on television and radio confirm my way. Did you know that thanks to a British car show Peugeot has an 'R' in it now? It's not “Pew-joe”, it is “Purr-joe”. I can't even attempt to show you the phonetic spelling of Bugatti he uses. All I know is every time I say it, he corrects me.
He also believes that all American cars are junk. While this for the most part has a grain of truth in it, they are nowhere as 'God-awful' as the hosts of Top Gear make them out to be. Jason Dawe, Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond have convinced my son that American car makers are as inept as our government. To that I take great offense. No one can screw things up like the mighty American political machine. Ford, Chevy and Dodge would be closer to Moe, Larry and Curly if they were anything like our government. There have been some fine automobiles to come out of America, most of which have gotten little if no recognition from Top Gear. I do believe a little prejudice has tainted that program. One has to wonder if a show as popular around the world as Top Gear might be 'on the take' and the hosts might be lining their pockets with bribes like our politicians do. Corruption has no nationality. Most likely they just love driving million-dollar cars and our relatively inexpensive cars are not even on their radar.
I will admit that the hosts of Top Gear are both charming and funny. And the show is enormously entertaining. I am a huge fan myself. But I will never, ever, call a Fee-aught a Fee-it.
Jes doesn't drive, but I'm sure she can comment on the influence of Hollywood and the BBC around the world.
Jes -
The pronunciations of the car brands are as they are spoken in the country of origin – France and Italy in your examples. It is America that can't say them correctly and have made up their own way of reading something which they can't relate to.
It's very hard not to chuckle, while watching a serious American program, because the presenters sound stupid pronouncing everyday words incorrectly. It's not always the European languages that they have trouble with. The way they say 'route' has me in fits of giggles every time I hear it. It's not like they've made it easier to say. They've made it awkward and it doesn't flow with the sentence at all.
As for Top Gear, I have seen it unfortunately and I think it's shit. Three grown men acting like spoilt little boys, getting a new toy every week and seeing how far they can push it before it's destroyed. Then they get another and do it all over again – week in, week out.
I guess it's good for your son to get to see that there is a 'rest of the world' out there and even the places which you think are dangerous, aren't as bad as CNN or Hollywood make out.
DB -
I would imagine that the French and Italians would take issue with your argument. Something like... ziss Berritish gerl, zee tinks zee haz it cright. Zee doz naught. Only zee Frensh say Bugatti with zee cright aczent. What is funny about our country is we all speak the same language, but you might find differing pronunciations within a few hundred miles. I've never been a proponent of the 'there's only one way to pronounce a word' school, but having my own son correct me on a word I've used for many years was a bit weird.
Jes -
I wasn't talking about regional accents and the way people pronounce things differently. It's about brand names or people's names. If you went to a different country and wrote your name as Mr. Stephens, then people kept calling you Mr. Step Hen, I'm sure you would try to correct them on the pronunciation. A name is a name and it's about the sound of it.
I'm sure there have been many Mr. Peugeots who have visited America and despaired at how difficult it is to get people to say their name properly. You aren't saying Pew-Joe because you have a US accent - you're saying it that way because you've heard it that way. Just because it has always been said wrong on adverts, doesn't make it right.
Also your , above, French accent goes to show how much Hollywood has stereotyped your view of Europeans. I know a Polish guy who speaks English with an American accent because he learnt the language while living with an American. I also know a German guy who speaks English with a broad Northern Irish accent because he went to University there and learnt English from fellow students of the town.
Most European students, these days, learn English at school from English (mother tongue) teachers. You would find it very difficult to pick out whether they are French, German or Lithuanian.
Hollywood exaggerates 'zee Frarnch actures' accents to make it easier for you to realise they are French.
DB -
Now come on Jes! You expect me to believe that Hollywood exaggerates anything! And I'm supposed to believe that YOU don't sip tea all day while munching on crumpets. (What the hell is a crumpet, anyway?) Now your just being daft - love that word. I wish we would adopt it, but I'm sure we wouldn't pronounce it right.
Jes -
You can pronounce it da-ft or dar-ft. It's different depending on where you come from, but it doesn't matter, Mr. Step Hen.
It is often said that Hollywood influences the world. I have no doubt that to some extent that is true. However, I can personally attest to how the BBC has influenced my own family, which has caused strife and confusion. We have Netflix and my seventeen-year-old son has watched every episode of the British version of Top Gear, (yes, there is an American version – it is horrible) and now he can't pronounce vehicle brands the same as his friends and family.
Since I knew what a foreign car was, Fiat was pronounced as “Fee-aught”. Jeremy Clarkson has brainwashed my son into believing it is to be spoken as “Fee-it”. He mocks me and says that I don't know how to say the word even when commercials on television and radio confirm my way. Did you know that thanks to a British car show Peugeot has an 'R' in it now? It's not “Pew-joe”, it is “Purr-joe”. I can't even attempt to show you the phonetic spelling of Bugatti he uses. All I know is every time I say it, he corrects me.
He also believes that all American cars are junk. While this for the most part has a grain of truth in it, they are nowhere as 'God-awful' as the hosts of Top Gear make them out to be. Jason Dawe, Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond have convinced my son that American car makers are as inept as our government. To that I take great offense. No one can screw things up like the mighty American political machine. Ford, Chevy and Dodge would be closer to Moe, Larry and Curly if they were anything like our government. There have been some fine automobiles to come out of America, most of which have gotten little if no recognition from Top Gear. I do believe a little prejudice has tainted that program. One has to wonder if a show as popular around the world as Top Gear might be 'on the take' and the hosts might be lining their pockets with bribes like our politicians do. Corruption has no nationality. Most likely they just love driving million-dollar cars and our relatively inexpensive cars are not even on their radar.
I will admit that the hosts of Top Gear are both charming and funny. And the show is enormously entertaining. I am a huge fan myself. But I will never, ever, call a Fee-aught a Fee-it.
Jes doesn't drive, but I'm sure she can comment on the influence of Hollywood and the BBC around the world.
Jes -
The pronunciations of the car brands are as they are spoken in the country of origin – France and Italy in your examples. It is America that can't say them correctly and have made up their own way of reading something which they can't relate to.
It's very hard not to chuckle, while watching a serious American program, because the presenters sound stupid pronouncing everyday words incorrectly. It's not always the European languages that they have trouble with. The way they say 'route' has me in fits of giggles every time I hear it. It's not like they've made it easier to say. They've made it awkward and it doesn't flow with the sentence at all.
As for Top Gear, I have seen it unfortunately and I think it's shit. Three grown men acting like spoilt little boys, getting a new toy every week and seeing how far they can push it before it's destroyed. Then they get another and do it all over again – week in, week out.
I guess it's good for your son to get to see that there is a 'rest of the world' out there and even the places which you think are dangerous, aren't as bad as CNN or Hollywood make out.
DB -
I would imagine that the French and Italians would take issue with your argument. Something like... ziss Berritish gerl, zee tinks zee haz it cright. Zee doz naught. Only zee Frensh say Bugatti with zee cright aczent. What is funny about our country is we all speak the same language, but you might find differing pronunciations within a few hundred miles. I've never been a proponent of the 'there's only one way to pronounce a word' school, but having my own son correct me on a word I've used for many years was a bit weird.
Jes -
I wasn't talking about regional accents and the way people pronounce things differently. It's about brand names or people's names. If you went to a different country and wrote your name as Mr. Stephens, then people kept calling you Mr. Step Hen, I'm sure you would try to correct them on the pronunciation. A name is a name and it's about the sound of it.
I'm sure there have been many Mr. Peugeots who have visited America and despaired at how difficult it is to get people to say their name properly. You aren't saying Pew-Joe because you have a US accent - you're saying it that way because you've heard it that way. Just because it has always been said wrong on adverts, doesn't make it right.
Also your , above, French accent goes to show how much Hollywood has stereotyped your view of Europeans. I know a Polish guy who speaks English with an American accent because he learnt the language while living with an American. I also know a German guy who speaks English with a broad Northern Irish accent because he went to University there and learnt English from fellow students of the town.
Most European students, these days, learn English at school from English (mother tongue) teachers. You would find it very difficult to pick out whether they are French, German or Lithuanian.
Hollywood exaggerates 'zee Frarnch actures' accents to make it easier for you to realise they are French.
DB -
Now come on Jes! You expect me to believe that Hollywood exaggerates anything! And I'm supposed to believe that YOU don't sip tea all day while munching on crumpets. (What the hell is a crumpet, anyway?) Now your just being daft - love that word. I wish we would adopt it, but I'm sure we wouldn't pronounce it right.
Jes -
You can pronounce it da-ft or dar-ft. It's different depending on where you come from, but it doesn't matter, Mr. Step Hen.