Have I told you all lately why

[conuly]

this sort of shit just isn't funny?

It wasn't funny when it started, and it sure as hell isn't funny now, years after the fact.

Find a new joke.
One that's relevant.

Hell, I'll even repeat my list.

Ways we know Bush is stupid:

His foreign policy is non-existant
He thinks people believe his lies (well....)
He thinks abstinence-only education works
Etc.

Things which DO NOT prove his stupidity:

He speaks with an accent (nuculer, al quader)
He has problems speaking (this could be a learning disability or a simple problem of poor verbal performance. We all do that)
He's clumsy (oh wow. He fell off a bike! He's an idiot! Along with everybody else who can't ride a bike! LOLOL!!!!11111)
We can find a funny picture that makes him look like a chimp (just stop insulting our friend, the chimp.)

See the difference?

Comments

[mortaine.livejournal.com]

See, I think his speech problems aren't indicative of a learning disability. I tend to agree with analysts who think he's either a sociopath or suffering from a degenerative brain disorder. Or my own analysis, which is that he can't read. In any case, he's not fit to lead this country.

The "nukular" joke is funny because the Simpsons did it years ago.

[conuly]

The point is, we don't *know* what causes them, and blathering on and on about how "OMG! HE CAN'T SPEAK! PEOPLE WHO CAN'T SPEAK ARE STUPID!!!!!" is a sure way to piss me off, fast.

Especially when people confuse "can't speak" with "has an accent".

[priyatelka.livejournal.com]

I agree with everything except counting "nucular" as an accent. That's a mispronunciation, not an accent. I live in the South and most people say "nuclear" here with an accent, some mispronounce the word and say "nucular". Mispronouncing it is not a product of the accent. And I have heard both of his parents say the word correctly, so I know he's heard it before. I think it's an affectation. Makes him appear more down to Earth, one of the guys and all that, and that really works for him.

[conuly]

That's not a mispronunciation. It's considered to be a valid dialectal difference.

(And I know it's an affection. But it's an affection of what is considered to be a valid dialectal difference, aka an accent)

[fascinoma.livejournal.com]

Whatever else we think of Bush, I actually think his little "Bushisms" in his speech, are kind of creative.

[priyatelka.livejournal.com]

Considered valid by whom?

[conuly]

Well, me for one! And some people who are actual linguists, unlike me. Hold on, I'll go find articles....

[marveen.livejournal.com]

Conuly, apparently. *snerk*

Conuly and I have had this discussion before--I lean much more towards a prescriptive viewpoint, whereas she is firmly in the descriptive viewpoint. In other words, simply because a lot of people use that "form" of the word, it is now dignified as a "dialect."

I think pronouncing letters that aren't there in the word qualifies as mispronouncing, not dialect. But that's me.

[conuly]

Y'know, that's putting WAY too much emphasis on spelling. I wouldn't do that, considering words like "know" and "lamb" and so on.

[marveen.livejournal.com]

There is a difference. Not pronouncing letters that are actually in the word is an old tradition (one enthusiastically followed by the French). Inserting letter-sounds that aren't in the word is a whole 'nother kettle of fish.

Think about the difference a vowel sound can make. Sexual/asexual, for instance.

[conuly]

It's a classic example of metathesis. Now if only I could find where I first read it. Gah, I hate google.

We have one here, which is where I first saw it I think

Wow. You'd think a seach for "nuclear" "metathesis" and "dialect" would bring up more results.

Dictionary.com also lists nuculer, but I don't like them.

[conuly]

What letter sounds aren't in the word, though?

I know, you're gonna say the "y", right?

So, do you say cue the same as coo?

[marveen.livejournal.com]

In our local dialect *gives you a direct look*, cue is pronounced more or less the same as coo, oddly enough. One infers from context.

(Sidebar on accents v. dialects: I was fairly amazed when I first heard a British accent making "flaw" and "floor" sound alike.)

Further on our local dialect: I speak as I write, or at least I use all the same words in the same order. I do have an accent, which means I don't always pronounce all the letters. *phonetic rendering* F'r instance, th' speech pattern Ah was raised with drops th' end vowels a good deal o' th' time, an' frequently slurs over endin' consonance as well.

[eofs.livejournal.com]

I wonder how many people criticising the nuclear thing agree themselves on how to say it (nooclear or newclear.)

[carakarena.livejournal.com]

Call me a horrible cultural elitist, but I want my president to be able to speak standard English correctly. And I want him to be able to communicate clearly, in complete sentences.

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

Well, I say it "nuu-clee-ur"

he makes my ears sad when he speaks, but it's his policies I dislike.

[eofs.livejournal.com]

You see, that doesn't tell me which one you say unfortunately ;0) There's a thing a lot of US dialects do (North-Eastern for one I think) where the y sound goes from Tuesday, knew etc, to make toosday, knoo and so on. So I was wondering whether or not they want him to have that sound (I've actually never heard the clip anyway so I don't know how he is saying it.)

[conuly]

In our local dialect *gives you a direct look*, cue is pronounced more or less the same as coo, oddly enough. One infers from context.

What, seriously?

COOL!

I should've asked what the apostrophe in whole nother means. *sighs*

[conuly]

Well, you know my feelings on the whole standard English thing.

About being able to communicate clearly, I'd like that too. However, it pales in comparison to my other complaints about Bush and I very much dislike the idea that because he doesn't speak clear Standard English he is therefore an idiot. There are a myriad reasons not to speak clearly, or to speak Standard English. A lack of intelligence, while possible, is not the most likely reason.

[wakasplat.livejournal.com]

You know my feelings on the matter already: IQ jokes, other disability epithets, just not funny, and not because I lack a sense of humor either.

I have a friend who's autistic and who may be running for office in a couple years — I hope people judge her on whether she can do the job, not on the fact that she has a speech impediment. And certainly if you judged me on my speech (which does exist — barely — there's just not nearly enough of it to communicate with and the vast majority of it is just repeating phrases over and over with no communicative intent at all), motor skills, or mannerisms, you'd have all manner of "retard" jokes to make if so inclined (and this isn't to mention my friends who really do have low IQs, one of whom worked in politics for awhile). So... yeah. No more funny than using the n-word as far as I'm concerned.

[wakasplat.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I forgot to mention, we can laugh at ourselves. I've had situations my friends and I get into because of the combination of the way our bodies and minds work that we all found hilarious. But it's one thing to laugh about life and it's another thing to use disability as a putdown.

[conuly]

But, really, they're just jokes! *whinewhine*

Jokes are funny. That's the end of it. And it doesn't make anybody look good if the best you can come up with against this guy is "well, he speaks funny and ONCE he almost DIED choking on a PRETZEL!!!! LOL!!!"

Whee, back to your friend. I hope she's judged fairly as well. Doubt she will be, but.

[eofs.livejournal.com]

You would, I imagine, be delighted to know of the Dutch city 's hertogenbosch :0)

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

well then, I say it whichever way Houstonians do. (south Texas-y)

Nooclear, I guess. better than Newclear.

also: no, I don't want him to make that sound. it's pretty bad. ><

also: might change icon. like Fell better than Spikey. *notes*

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

shoot, as long as this friend shows what she is for, and not what she is against, I'm all for it. Issues > GNAR WE DUN LIKE (opponent).

grr. I can't stand the n-word for some reason. I don't even know why.

*nosynosy* what's wrong with your speech?