CBS Wants you to Know Bad Bunny Sings in Non-English

If you caught the Grammy Awards ceremony last Sunday (and you are someone like me always looking for the awkwardness) you might have noticed the closed captioning during Bad Bunny’s opening act, which was… well… awkward.

And that is because while he was presenting or singing away, the captions only read “[SPEAKING NON-ENGLISH]” and “[SINGING IN NON-ENGLISH]” apparently, because that’s the language spoken by my people.

Ok, CBS, I get it. To be real honest, I have no idea what he’s talking *and* singing about most of the time. Still…

The only great thing about the closed captioning brouhaha is that someone came up with the awesome idea of launching a non-English Spotify list, featuring –who else?– Bad Bunny himself along with other English –non-English– performers.

Photo: Variety

Telemundo Announces Tplus, English-language Content for ‘the 200%ers’ 🙄

I’m too old to remember Fusion, the short-lived, multimillion joint effort between Univision and ABC to craft English-language content for U.S. Latinos (now mostly known as “Latinx.”) We all know that didn’t go anywhere, but now Telemundo is giving it another shot with the launch of Tplus, a “new content brand” to serve the full spectrum of U.S. Hispanics as part of its effort to grow Peacock subscribers.

According to media reports, the new brand will initially be available on the Peacock Premium tier, with content programmed for what the company refers to as “the 200%ers”: audiences who are 100% American and 100% Latinx. 

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Romina Rosado (who somehow was identified as “Rosada,” throughout the article) said Tplus “is meant to resonate with U.S.-based Hispanic viewers who tend to skew younger and are, therefore, digitally native.”

I don’t know, man, seems like Big Media keeps throwing stuff to see what sticks and I’m just getting too old and tired to follow up -or even care.

Spanish 101 for English-Speaking People

Americans: How can anyone not like them?

Challenged by some very unorthodox methods to teach English to Latinos (such as this one and this other one) Mexicans have come up with yet the most creative way to teach Spanish to English speaking people (i.e. mostly gringos.)

All you have to do is read the following sentences as if you were reading English.

Check it out. It’s easy, it’s revolutionary and… It’s FREE!

1. Boy As-N-R (Voy a cenar): I’m going to have dinner

2. N-L-C John (En el sillón): On the armchair

3. Be a Hope and Son (Viejo panzón): Fat old man

4. As Say Toon As (Aceitunas): Olives

5. The Head The Star Mall Less Stan Doe (Deje de estar molestando): Stop bugging me

6. Kit At Tell Loss War at Chess (Quítate los huaraches): Take off your sandals

7. Pass a Lass All Saw (Pasa la salsa): Pass the sauce

8. Be Goat Tess The Ran Chair-O (Bigotes de ranchero): Farmer’s mustache

9. Web Us Come Ham On (Huevos con jamón)

10. Does Stack Kit Toes The Car Neat As (Dos taquitos de carnitas): Two pork little tacos

Amy Klobuchar Says her Spanish Name Used to be Elena; Hilarity Ensues

During a meeting with a mostly Hispanic crowd, Amy Klobuchar reminded us her Spanish name used to be Elena –for some reason.

During a meeting Tuesday night with Culinary Union members in Las Vegas, Sen. Amy Klobuchar tried to relate to a mostly Hispanic crowd by talking about her fourth-grade Spanish and other Spanish-related anecdotes. According to various reports, Klobuchar kicked off her presentation by saying: “My name is Amy, but when I was in fourth grade Spanish they gave me the name Elena.”

I decided to tweet out a video of the exchage using the hashtag #MyKlobucharEthnicName and what followed was a hilarious thread of people sharing their “ethnic name.” Purely for this blogger’s entertainment (I hope).

WATCH the original video (below) and then scroll down for some hilarious responses:

Hispanics at Starbucks

Shut up, Alicia!

Chomp, chomp!

Lalo is Klobuspeak for AMLO

EMLO, anyone?

JUST FOLLOW #MyKlobucharEthnicName for more entertainment…

This Is the Best Ad for English Lessons you’ll ever Find

Marketing and advertising executives would be well advised to use the advertising tactics of Mr. Miguel Fong, some dude I don’t know but who teaches English in Mexico.

If you are bilingual, you will now have appreciated the power of the above ad. But here’s a quick translation for my beloved monolingual followers:

WANTED

He responds to the name “Unforgettable”

If you cannot read this name, it is because its in English. Contact me so you can learn!

Nice job Mr. Fong, I wish other language institutions would follow your lead.

Via: Reddit

Alexa Will Soon Speak Spanish –and it’s about Time!

According to numerous reports, Amazon is asking customers to participate in a program that will help the company build “a Spanish-language Alexa experience” for U.S. users. The program, which is currently invite-only, “will allow Amazon to incorporate into the U.S. Spanish-language experience a better understanding of things like word choice and local humor.”

This couldn’t come soon enough because last time we checked, Alexa was doing *this*…

Via: CNET.com

See? Even Beto O’Rourke Knows America is not a Country

Former Texas congressman Robert “Beto” O’Rourke this week officially launched his presidential campaign Website but despite touting the slogan Beto for America that he uses for his English-language page, he decided to go for a combination of Beto para Estados Unidos and Beto para todos (Beto for Everyone) in the Spanish-language one.

And the reason for this, my friends, is simple: As I’ve been saying, like, forever, America, my friends, is not a country –at least not when you speak Spanish.

So, this is all great señor Beto, now … Where are the free donas?

 

Monolingual Drunk Berates Woman for Speaking Spanish; He Gets Lectured… in Spanglish

Another day, another drunken, monolingual moron in America feels threatened by people speaking Spanish around them.

In the latest episode of an increasingly common occurence, a man in El Paso, Texas claiming to be a war veteran goes off on a local woman for speaking Spanish to… her mom.

“This is America… We speak English here! Why don’t you speak English?” says the man, who according to local media, is a war veteran from Wisconsin.

I’m sure the incident was very upsetting for the women, but the exchange quickly turns quite hilarious as the woman’s mother starts yelling back at the man… not in English or Spanish, but in Spanglish.

“Como vas a estar tomando beer in the morning?  Puto!”

The whole exchange is a bit ridiculous (and innecessarily long, if you asked me) but watch it below if you’re so inclined… SIGH.

Via: El Diario La Prensa

Some New York City Lawyers are Genuinely Bilingual…

As seen in multicultural Harlem

… unlike racist New York lawyer Aaron Schlossberg, who once claimed to be “fluent in Spanish” but then went batshit crazy and threatened to call ICE on people speaking the language at his local deli.

Shame on you, Señor Schlossberg. You should learn from the fine lawyers of Spanish Harlem, who I’m sure are much more attuned to the sensibilities of a multicultural, multiethnic city –and the need for [true] bilingual professionals.

Photo: Laura Martínez, NYC 2018