"People who like this sort of thing will find this the sort of thing they like."

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

The ACCENTuation of Commercialism

For reasons beyond my understanding, I find myself as of late,unable to resist the allure of blogging. Despite the fact that my proverbial plate is more than full and regardless of my acknowledging the fact that I am a chronic procrastinator (admitting it is the first step), I continue to return to the warmth and familiarity that is the blogosphere.
Earlier today whilst watching tv, I noticed something that I hadn't before: the use of accents in commercials. Geico and their infamous biaccentual gecko, Orbitz gum and their vibrantly youthful spokeswoman, and Kahlua and their flavorfully Hispanic representative are among only a number that come to mind. (Not to mention the countless cosmetic related commercials that pronounce mascara as mascARa)
Perhaps, because the advertisement is spoken in an accent unlike that of the consumer, it will have a more memorable impression, and will thus increase the likelihood of purchase.
Perhaps, because the particular accent used is consistent with the connotations associated with the commercial's message, it further reiterates the theme.
Perhaps, because it is a known fact that accents are perceived as awesome, it is only logical to include them.
However, perhaps not.
Although accents are in many ways, "pretty cool"; when used excessively, they become what I would like to refer to as "dialectically invasive". After flipping through the channels unable to find a commercial in my own dialect, I am left with a foreign taste in my mouth and an unpleasant one at that. America is America and it is in all honesty, absolutely absurd that we continue to rely on foreign accents in order to appeal to an American audience.
Truthfully, I find the preceding nothing more than mildly annoying, however, in order to emphasize and entertain, dramatization is necessary. Feel free to comment and for a lack of better sign off words........."Live long and prosper".

2 comments:

  1. You forgot a space after a comma THE SEARCH IS ON!! Also, i would prefer all of commercials in general to be in japanese dialect.

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  2. The "Porque no los dos?" commercial gets me every time. I'm not even sure why it's funny. But it is. I'm serious. >:C

    Spock <3

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