Palinglish and desensitization
At the barber shop I frequent, there is an elderly gentleman there named Ray. Ray is probably in his mid 80′s and has been deaf for quite some time. As a result of this and maybe other factors, Ray’s speech is difficult to understand. When i first started getting my haircuts there, I could barely understand a word Ray said, and would often have to ask him to repeat his questions. Now that I’ve been getting cuts from Ray for a while though, i have little trouble understanding him – he chides me for shaving with a hacksaw and i ask what mileage he’s getting in his Corolla.
I find that, without my realizing it, the same thing seems to have happened with Sarah Palin, and in a much shorter window. Watching tonight’s debate, what struck me most was her quick jump from question to talking points, and her folksy affectations. And yet, what somehow went right past me was her general mangling of syntax when ramming together talking points like a logjam on a river. My inner jam-cracker was apparently running on overdrive, silently breaking apart those well-worn phrases and presenting them in a normal flowing stream to my mind for processing. It wasn’t until i went back and watched a couple segments later and started to look at others reactions that i suddenly realized what my mind was doing. Now i grant that her verbal contortions were not of the same scale as those from her prior interviews. However, they were still there on display. And it’s shocking to me that my mind so quickly became acclimated to those speech patterns that i was practically able to “tune them out” without even realizing it, just from exposure though youtube and other online video.
I wonder, is this something that many of her supporters are also doing? Adapting to her disjointed speech patterns to the point where they glide by unnoticed, and the only the presumed content remains? Or is it something you notice but consciously choose to write off or ignore?
Category: Campaigns and Elections
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It’s part of being tolerant and diverse. Soon, with a lot of effort, you might eventually get past dwelling on how people speak differently from you.
Then you can ask why Biden thinks you need a “slight Indian accent” to go into a 7-11.
Jeremy,
You probably feel this way because it’s refreshing to hear the truth. I know, it’s kinda shocking coming from a politician, so at first you can’t believe what you’re hearing, but then you start liking it.
JR,
“…hear the truth.”..?
Uhh, I don’t remember her answering one question last night. All I heard was rapid segue in to canned poli-speak. It was like eating cotten candy, all taste, no substance.
Hey, I’m not saying Biden was the bastion of plain speak, he’s just more practiced at it, but I really don’t understand what people are hearing this women say that’s so impressive.
I just get the feeling that our universal translators are on different channels.
Jim –
Seriously, what truth are you talking about. I realize you are a good GOP soldier, but c’mon? Seriously??? She hasn’t actually said anything, nor does she stand for anything?
Let’s see, if the truth is something seldom heard from a pol. then it must be all mavericky to tell it. So yeah, i guess you’re right Jim! She’s just such a mavericky maverick that doing something like telling the truth is just her order of mavericktude. I’ll tell you what, that chock-full-o-mavericks “Straight Talk Express”, in its full maverificance, is just so maverickfull that they may just blow out the maverickness scale and maverick that maverific needle way all the mavericking way around and back to…. lies. But mavericky lies. Also.