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Why the hell should we learn a foreign language? What for? If one doesn't plan on working in the tourist industry it is of no use. Face it, it's only Spanish being shoved down our throats in our country. How many of these Spanish speaking immigrants knew English while in their own countries? Come on, let's not be a hypocrite here. Besides, most Hispanic-Americans know English so we already that common language to communicate with them in and afterall it is the language of THIS country.
Why should we learn anything that does not have obvious utility? Your mindset is precisely why our universities are increasingly resembling trade or vocational schools. And, besides, if you were ever in a situation in which you needed to be conversant in Spanish, you could just look it up on your IPhone, yes?
And people wonder why I talk about the vast majority of you being boring. Incredibly boring.
Why the hell should we learn a foreign language? What for? If one doesn't plan on working in the tourist industry it is of no use. Face it, it's only Spanish being shoved down our throats in our country. How many of these Spanish speaking immigrants knew English while in their own countries? Come on, let's not be a hypocrite here. Besides, most Hispanic-Americans know English so we already that common language to communicate with them in and afterall it is the language of THIS country.
I find Target's new commercial, entirely in Spanish, featuring the ula ula song, disturbing. I turned on the closed caption option on my tv and I read the Spanish lyrics, but they are meaningless to me. Does this commercial bother anyone else?
I was wondering when someone was going to post about this commercial on CD. I've seen complaints about it elsewhere online. I find it interesting that no one seemed to have any problem with Target's 'Alouette' commercial last year. The use of a French song didn't provoke any of the faux outrage that the use of this Spanish song is getting.
First of all, the commercial is not entirely in Spanish. Only the background song is in Spanish. All of the words they show are in English. "Ula Ula" is a real song by Illya Kuryaki & The Valderramas. It's just a pop/dance song, so I'm not sure what kind of meaning you expect to get from it. If you don't speak Spanish, then how would it have any meaning to you? If you mean that you literally don't understand the words after translating the lyrics, you have to keep in mind that these online tools don't always translate correctly, nor do they differentiate between the nuanced differences between languages and when certain words should not be taken literally.
I find Target's new commercial, entirely in Spanish, featuring the ula ula song, disturbing. I turned on the closed caption option on my tv and I read the Spanish lyrics, but they are meaningless to me. Does this commercial bother anyone else?
It doesn't bother me. I just assume Target no longer wants English speaking customers so I'll take my business elsewhere. Last time I looked, English was the official language here. Apparently, what they have on sale is intended for only people who speak spanish. I'll shop at stores that advertise in the language I understand, thank you. I refuse to shop in stores that advertise in foriegn languages. I figure if they don't want my business bad enough to put out commercials I understand, they don't want my business.
It doesn't bother me. I just assume Target no longer wants English speaking customers so I'll take my business elsewhere. Last time I looked, English was the official language here. Apparently, what they have on sale is intended for only people who speak spanish. I'll shop at stores that advertise in the language I understand, thank you. I refuse to shop in stores that advertise in foriegn languages. I figure if they don't want my business bad enough to put out commercials I understand, they don't want my business.
Right. Because clearly using a song with Spanish lyrics as their background music is exactly the same as saying they only want Spanish speaking customers. Just like their previous use of a song with French lyrics meant they only wanted French speaking customers. There's no other possible explanation for this company having the audacity to use anything other songs with English lyrics here in the good ole US of A!
Right. Because clearly using a song with Spanish lyrics as their background music is exactly the same as saying they only want Spanish speaking customers. Just like their previous use of a song with French lyrics meant they only wanted French speaking customers. There's no other possible explanation for this company having the audacity to use anything other songs with English lyrics here in the good ole US of A!
Well, they, obviously, are not targeting English speaking customers. Sorry but I have no desire to do business with someone who won't even tell me what is on sale in my own language when my language is the language spoken here. IMO, Target is making a very LOUD statement about their loyalties with this commercial. I hope they have plenty of spanish speaking customers because they're about to lose a lot of English speaking customers. They've made their choice.
If you require me to learn a FORIEGN language to understand your commercials, you, obviously, do not want my business. Not only do I turn off this commercial but all Target commercials now. I find this very annoying and I now have one less credit card. The one with the bulls eye got shredded...it was in English so I assumed it was no longer welcome at their stores since they're into Spanish speaking people now. Target is free to be a spanish company if they wish and I'm free to do business with English speaking companies.
And the entire commercial is in spanish. I don't speak spanish, which would be a problem if I were in a spanish speaking country, but I'm not, so I'm not going to sit and watch commercials in spanish nor will I shop at the companies that made them. They, clearly, are not targeting Americans. That's their choice.
Well, they, obviously, are not targeting English speaking customers. Sorry but I have no desire to do business with someone who won't even tell me what is on sale in my own language when my language is the language spoken here. IMO, Target is making a very LOUD statement about their loyalties with this commercial. I hope they have plenty of spanish speaking customers because they're about to lose a lot of English speaking customers. They've made their choice.
That's certainly your right. My response was not about changing your mind. It was about informing you that just because a company uses a song that's not in English, that doesn't mean they only want customers who speak the other language. Assuming that's the case is really stretching things, and it's obviously the result of some deeper issue or correlation that you've made with what it means to be a Spanish speaker in this country. Again, did you have this same kind of outrage when they used the French song "Alouette" in a commercial last year? Did that mean their loyalties were only with French speaking customers? I don't think nearly as many English speaking customers are as offended by this commercial as you think they are. I highly doubt Target's business will be negatively impacted by this commercial. By the way, America does not have an official language. Many people assume that we do, but that is not the case.
I was wondering when someone was going to post about this commercial on CD. I've seen complaints about it elsewhere online. I find it interesting that no one seemed to have any problem with Target's 'Alouette' commercial last year. The use of a French song didn't provoke any of the faux outrage that the use of this Spanish song is getting.
First of all, the commercial is not entirely in Spanish. Only the background song is in Spanish. All of the words they show are in English. "Ula Ula" is a real song by Illya Kuryaki & The Valderramas. It's just a pop/dance song, so I'm not sure what kind of meaning you expect to get from it. If you don't speak Spanish, then how would it have any meaning to you? If you mean that you literally don't understand the words after translating the lyrics, you have to keep in mind that these online tools don't always translate correctly, nor do they differentiate between the nuanced differences between languages and when certain words should not be taken literally.
My issue is that I don't understand what is being said in the commercial. How am I supposed to know whether or not it's anything I want? Obviously, they do not care if English speaking people understand their commercial or not. Obviously, we are no longer their target customer.
As to the Aloutte commercial, I'd wager that most English speaking Americans recognize the song and know that the words aren't an advertisement in another language. I have no idea what the song is about in the spanish commercial, whether it's advertising product or just background. I don't recognize it or understand the words. I do not like turning on my TV and being subject to things in foriegn languages I don't understand. I expect that in foriegn countries but I did not move to one. People recognize Aloutte so the situation is not the same. Why would we be offended by a song we sang as kids and recognize? The difference between the Alouette commercial and this one is one of recognition. I am not offended by the aloutte commercial because I recognize the song. In that commercial, Target pulled from our childhoods and gave us something we remember. This time, they gave spanish speaking people something they understand but we don't. There's a major difference here.
Last edited by Ivorytickler; 06-08-2013 at 09:12 PM..
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