Grammar Police "anymore"

We live an in age where a multi-billion dollar company (Apple) had their grammatically incorrect advertising slogan (Think Different) plastered all over the world for a year. So I guess it is difficult for many to understand why grammar and communicating clearly are important when you have huge corporations that do not communicate clearly and correctly in their advertising.

I just read a nice "article" over on the PVC (Pro Video Coalition Website) this morning. The writer incorrectly used the word "loose" not once but twice in this multi-page article http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/alindsay/story/podcasting_design/

Once here
"This serves as a back-up and a sync check (as you run audio through equipment, you can loose anywhere from 0-7 frames of sync...)'

Hmm, I have never heard of how you can "loose" sync

and here, a page later...

"We loose some listeners because of this but we have one solid format instead of many bad ones. "

How can you "loose" a listener?

Why do people do this? Other than these two misuses, this writer seems reasonably knowledgable and educated. Keep in mind that this isn't a forum posting he is doing this on, this is a "published" (as much as any web article is published) web article on a leading industry website. Does the PVC website not have an editor? It's no wonder that when you travel as an American, you begin to feel a bit undereducated. I guess all of those years of having the lowest education ratings and test scores of any western nation are finally coming to bear as we have adult writers who are not even capable of using correct grammar and syntax.

Dan
 
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Charli said:
What's wrong with you reality show personalities!!! Did you not attend English class?
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Have you seen today's typical reality show cast member?! Honestly, I don't think many (read: any) of the girls on "Rock of Love" have grammar at the tops of their priority lists. But then, manners, tact, and discretion also seem to have fallen from those lists.
 
You know when Civilization is doomed when the works of such greats as Rabindranath Tagore or William Shakespeare are overshadowed by "Hanna Montana"

Anhar
 
I agree that this day and age we call our own is in need of not only grammar police, but a full-on grammar Gestapo.

But, I feel it is great a mistake to lump regional pronunciations (i.e. "warsh") and/or poetic licensing used in advertisement (i.e. "THINK DIFFERENT") in with shi*ty grammar.
 
MattinSTL said:
And let me add that I speak my mind at the moment I type. Take me as you can.
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That quote never fails to bring a smile to my face.

C2V said:
Have you seen today's typical reality show cast member?! Honestly, I don't think many (read: any) of the girls on "Rock of Love" have grammar at the tops of their priority lists. But then, manners, tact, and discretion also seem to have fallen from those lists.
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What do you expect? So many "contestants" from reality shows are really actors...:evil: Reality is more scripted than most people realize... hmmm...wonder what that says about the writers?
 
puredrifting said:
We live an in age where a multi-billion dollar company (Apple) had their grammatically incorrect advertising slogan (Think Different) plastered all over the world for a year. So I guess it is difficult for many to understand why grammar and communicating clearly are important when you have huge corporations that do not communicate clearly and correctly in their advertising.
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IMO that is perfectly worded. Incorrect grammar is a creative tool IMO, just like making a poem 's rhyme get off the tracks when pain or discomfort is being conveyed. What better place to use it than for the purpose of "thinking different".
 
one thing I can't stand on forums is when people don't use periods this is because if you don't use periods or even any commas it makes it extremely difficult to read the post there aren't any pauses for you to take a breather and you're not sure what's a single thought or sentence or whats a new paragraph or what not it just gets really confusing why do people not use periods it's really simple but the 12 year old behind the keyboard just doesn't think of the person reading.

OMG lols, grammar police ftw! You guyses are hi-larious!
 
USLatin said:
Incorrect grammar is a creative tool
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Roberto:

You make my point perfectly. So are indecipherable language, bad musicianship, hack filmmaking, terrible writing and lousy art. But they are not commercially, artistically or aesthetically viable. If we settle for that, the future as envisioned in "Idiocracy", Mike Judge's latest film, is well on it's way here. Unfortunately, I think his vision of 500 years in the future is almost here today.

Or perhaps the band DEVO had it right..."The name "Devo" comes "from their concept of 'de-evolution' - the idea that instead of evolving, mankind has actually regressed, as evidenced by the dysfunction and herd mentality of American society."

Dan
 
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puredrifting said:
Roberto:

You make my point perfectly. So are indecipherable language, bad musicianship, hack filmmaking, terrible writing and lousy art. But they are not commercially, artistically or aesthetically viable. If we settle for that, the future as envisioned in "Idiocracy", Mike Judge's latest film, is well on it's way here.

Unfortunately, I think his vision of 500 years in the future is almost here today.

Dan
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Fo' Shizzle Dan!

Straight out of Wikipedia.

Shizzle
Shizzle is a slang word for "sure", coined in the 1970's and popularized by rap star Snoop Dogg, because of his love of the pimpin' Mack lifestyle of the 70's. It has been adopted by several rappers and reggae deejays and is commonly used as: fo' shizzle as in, "for sure", often paired with "my nizzle" as in, "my nigga". This pairing became popular after Snoop Dogg used it in his song, "What's My Name (Part 2)" on his Album Tha Last Meal. At the beginning of the song, Snoop talks over the beat:
Izzle kizzle, fo' shizzle My nizzle, what you sizzle? Fo' shizzle bizzle, ha ha (Lyrics) Snoop Dogg himself probably did not expect the phrase "Fo' shizzle my nizzle" to gain such popularity.[citation needed] First, the phrase is broken by a long pause on the track itself, suggesting that Snoop himself considered "Izzle kizzle, fo' shizzle" to be one phrase ("It's okay, for sure") and "My nizzle, what you sizzle?" to be another ("My nigga, what you say?"). Snoop's laughter at the end of the blurb further suggests that the whole intro was just meant to be a joke, albeit one that caught on quite broadly.[original research?]
A simple example is translating the word "house", to become "hizzouse".
An example of a sentence using this technique of slang is:
  • This new doggyfizzle televizzle gon' be off the hizzle, fo shizzle.
  • Translation: This new Snoop Dogg television show is going to be off the hook (meaning great), for sure.
The song Double Dutch Bus, written by Frankie Smith originally spawned the use of 'izzle' as a suffix for words. While used in its purest form and true meaning as listed above, izzle as a suffix was rarely used, with exceptions occurring in a song now and then.[verification needed] But as the pop and rap scene grew increasingly successful, the phrase became quite popular.[verification needed] Those who heard the phrase, not understanding its meaning, often misinterpreted it, and further spread it without fully understanding it.[verification needed]
This has led to the use of Shizzle to mean "****", in its slang form meaning "cool", to replace any noun in popular speech, much like "shizznit", as in "my shizzle's hella fizzle, yo." Such terms can be used in slightly more polite company, or to get past censors on TV or radio.
"Shizzle my Nizzle" has also become a popular phrase to express surprise in New Zealand, popularised by Glen Browne who is also the author of the wildly popular Diggy Dr Brzay's word of the Dzay.[citation needed]
 
Aah.

I interviewed Snoop for "Taint of Greatness: The Journey of Beavis and Butthead", a thing I shot for MTV a few years ago. It's funny, off camera, he is a pretty quiet enigmatic guy, Calvin. Turn on the camera and he becomes Snoop.

It is strange but that stuff doesn't even bother me because it is a joke. I don't really consider it a butchering of English any more than Norm Crosby's malpropisms when I was a kid. It is pure entertainment, not really a de-evolution of the language. My wife is a middle school language arts teacher and when you go and hang out and listen to how the seventh and eighth graders speak and think, who their role models are and what their command is of the English language, it is really pathetic.

"I weep for the future"
Jonathan Schmock - Maitre'D at Chez Quis in "Ferris Buellers Day Off"

Dan
 
I think there is a difference between talking in slang and using regular language improperly. People who speak in slang aren't trying to speak formally and failing, they are speaking a whole other sub-language with its own words and definitions.
 
puredrifting said:
Roberto:

You make my point perfectly. So are indecipherable language, bad musicianship, hack filmmaking, terrible writing and lousy art. But they are not commercially, artistically or aesthetically viable. If we settle for that, the future as envisioned in "Idiocracy", Mike Judge's latest film, is well on it's way here. Unfortunately, I think his vision of 500 years in the future is almost here today.

Or perhaps the band DEVO had it right..."The name "Devo" comes "from their concept of 'de-evolution' - the idea that instead of evolving, mankind has actually regressed, as evidenced by the dysfunction and herd mentality of American society."

Dan
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A hiccup in the rhyme of a beautiful poem works if the rest of the poem is in fact beautiful. Apple's marketing to me is some of the best out there, just like their product design they are masters of less is more, clean lines, etc.. so in the context of Apple's marketing I think it worked perfectly.

About the evo/devolution point you bring up, I see your point and agree. However, there is only one purpose for language and that is to communicate. This by definition means that communication is subordinate to the actual content. I will take whatever set of "notes" and try my best to articulate with them a message that goes beyond words. Just as there is tons of horrible cinema, there also happens to be heaps of technically perfect empty films out there. How many movies have you gotten stuck watching that had perfect three act structure but felt sterile?

My overall point is that soul in art or achievement in life is far more important than correct grammar.
 
I always interpreted the Think Different slogan not as an improper construction to convey think differently but 'think different' in the same way that one might say 'think Chevy' if trying to promote Chevrolet.

Still grammatically weird, but somehow not quite so much so.

It's true that breaking rules can pay off creatively, but I strongly suspect that the majority of apparent errors are just errors and that people claiming to have made deliberate 'creative choices' are frequently just trying to cover up their lack of aptitude in using their tools correctly.

Batutta said:
People who speak in slang aren't trying to speak formally and failing, they are speaking a whole other sub-language with its own words and definitions.
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Ugh. That way lies formal classroom instruction in Ebonics.
 
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puredrifting said:
Aah.

My wife is a middle school language arts teacher and when you go and hang out and listen to how the seventh and eighth graders speak and think, who their role models are and what their command is of the English language, it is really pathetic.

"I weep for the future"
Jonathan Schmock - Maitre'D at Chez Quis in "Ferris Buellers Day Off"

Dan
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My 7 year old neice who lives in LA just stayed with me for three weeks and I'm so greatfull she had no idea who Britney Spears is. Whheeww...

I was just kidding around about Snoop because as well as you write I can picture you on a shoot with 9mm's and weed everywhere wondering how to get the shot :)

Edit: Knowing how to get the shot!
 
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So my post was invisible?!
invisman.gif


Good to know.
 
Sad Max said:
It's true that breaking rules can pay off creatively, but I strongly suspect that the majority of apparent errors are just errors and that people claiming to have made deliberate 'creative choices' are frequently just trying to cover up their lack of aptitude in using their tools correctly.
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I agree that a large part if not a majority of the breaking of the rules are in fact simple mistakes... as in unintentional. Would you say Apple had a happy mess up? I know you probably don't thing so Max. Since Apple marketing rocks I personally assume it was 1000% intentional. There are movies that manage to build up enough technical credit before the climax of the third act and then use said credit in a more creative fashion... some are so fantastic that they clearly establish "mistakes" as intentional to the general audience... I can only pray to have such mastery of the craft before I die.

I is not understooding the whys and the woots of this shieet, but I am so like woOOOOow! Cause this is some crazy kool shiet we is talking aboot ain't it?! :nads:
 
It's actually comforting that so many here care about this issue.
After all, is our language not integral to our identity as a people?
I hope you guys generate lots of offspring.
 
Sad Max said:
Ugh. That way lies formal classroom instruction in Ebonics.
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Hey, I'm not saying it should be taught in classrooms, I'm just saying there is a difference between someone who speaks english poorly out of ignorance, and someone who is deliberately peppering their language with slang terms. One is the result of poor education. The other is the result of cultural conditioning. These two often mix but I was just pointing out the demarcation. If you say "I don't got none", that's poor english. If you say, "That is off tha' hook", that's slang.
 
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