Lingos: Yes or No?

Enthu. Unglam. Emo. Noob.

Do all these words sound familiar to you? If not said on a regular basis, most of you have most likely said these words at least once or twice to your peers before. And all these words, also known in the field of linguistics as ‘clipping’, are apparently creating a headache for parents of youths as they are finding it increasingly harder to communicate and understand their children. They also disapprove of the usage of such language as they feel that it is a form of slang and so, ‘improper’ English, but to the youths, this language is what sets them apart from the adult population.

So is the use of such lingos really that worrisome? It seems to be a divided opinion.

Adults like the interviewee, Serene Foo, seemed to feel so when she commented ‘It is just nonsense. It just doesn’t sound like English to me’, as do Mr Goh Eck Kheng, chairman of the Speak Good English Movement when he cautioned how slang is not acceptable in formal settings. However, the youths seemed to find no cause of worry at all, and I find myself agreeing with them. As quoted from Bealson Tan of Ngee Ann Polytechnic, ‘It is all about finding a balance.’
As much as parents still think that their children are still ignorant because of their age, I feel that because of the studying environment and general upbringing Singaporean youths these days grew up in, they have become smart enough to differentiate for themselves whether it is appropriate or inappropriate to use lingos for the different situations. Slangs might come out naturally from their mouths when they are in a casual gathering with friends but it is unlikely you will see them carry it over to more important and serious occasions like project presentations or during examinations.

Just as much as Singlish is a Singaporean lingo, this new form of word clipping is just a lingo formed by youths to feel different from the adults and in a way, to communicate quicker and more efficiently with each other. Moreover, looking on the bright side, although these words are shortened forms of proper English words, at least it is still words derived from real words. That still makes it in a way, a level higher then the regular Singaporean lingo doesn’t it?


(Credits: The Sunday Times, Lifestyle 31/05/09)

Blasphemy? Or just intelligent marketing?

Controversy have been a time and tested marketing formula for the main fact that it creates hype and leads to discussion which in turn creates and attracts lots of attention to the marketed product. It is an uncertainty whether the attention drawn would end up being positive or negative but people have also always said, ‘bad press is better than no press’. And it seemed Antonio Federici Gelato, an Italian ice cream brand, have decided to jump in on the bandwagon for this. Their latest marketing campaign saw them coming out with print ads showing a man and a woman in compromising poses, seemingly ready to kiss. And the problem? The man and woman are a priest and nun, respectively.



Searching through various websites on this print ad, I found very varying comments and thoughts from people who have seen it. The two most common comments though seemed to be between two groups. The first being those who are offended or think that this advertisement has gone overboard and those who are not bothered by the controversy and in fact liked it (mostly because of the half-naked male model). The reason for the difference in their opinions can be attributed to the difference in subjectivity in interpretation between the two groups which eventually leads them into taking a figure and ground approach in organizing their thoughts and opinions towards the print advertisement.

Although the people who had left comments on the multiple websites had not left their details such as their religion, nationality and basically any other information except for their online alias, it would still be safe to assume most of the people from the first group (the print ad haters) should be Christians. Because of their religion, they have not zoomed in on the intended implied message (that the ice cream is irresistible) but focused only on the part of the nun and priest almost kissing. The same thing had happened before back in 2006 when ‘The Da Vinci Code’ was about to show in cinemas. Based on a book that was purely fictional, the main idea of the story was in the process of how the main character, Robert Langon, solve the mysteries in the book, but because there were usage of Christianity and biblical stuffs that were not the same as the bible, the Christian community had decided to protest in anger and even thought of boycotting the movie as a sign of protest. Other people, presumably the non-Christians or not-so-devote individual, had on the other hand just read and book and watched the movie, taking in the plot as just a good plot with good climax and mystery, instead of taking it to the more extreme way that it is blasphemy. Similarly, the other group of people (lovers of the ad) could be assumed to be non-Christians with characteristics that are not as affected by religious differences. Because they are not tied down by religious subjectivity, they were able to put aside the roles of the two models but focused at their point of interest; the male model, at which we can also assume the majority of those who had commented to be females.

As for me, my first point of attention was not even on the models. I had known this is an advertisement for an ice cream company before the picture loaded so my first instinct was to actually look for the ice cream in the ad before looking at the bigger picture to search for the controversy. Even then, I was not too affected by it and ended up still focusing more on the ice cream but this might have to do with the fact that I am a big fan of ice creams in general. The guy had not appealed to me as much as to the others and personally, I thought the advertiser was clever to use such a controversy for more media attention. They might be treading on thin ice but it gives them greater media coverage too, which is basically the main point of marketing.
So what are your thoughts about this? And are there any reasons behind it? Discuss!

(Credits:
http://great-ads.blogspot.com/2009/05/antonio-federici-gelato-shocking-print.html
http://www.ireallylikefood.com/701006870/controversial-ice-cream-ad-may-be-excommunicated/?ref=xn
http://www.adrants.com/2009/05/federici-gelato-poses-fresh-temptation.php)

Girl Power

I came across an article in Digital Life a few weeks backs that caught my attention. According to the author, the factor that affects a women’s decision the most is the looks of the product, followed by the function and lastly the budget, which is also the main reason why women tend to overspend most of the time. Men on the other hand think the completely opposite of women. To them, looks are not worth much if the product’s features, performance and value-for-money are not desirable enough. Although the main highlight of the article had been about the different importance in considerations women and men before they purchase a product, it fundamentally brings back the age-long discussion of men versus women.

As much as most women would love to disagree with the article as to why they overspend, myself included, it is likely most of us are also unable to refute it. Just how many times have you overspend on items you need just because it looks cute and good even if there is a similar product that is a lot cheaper but not as attractive in its packaging? Sometimes, we even buy things we do not need on the impulse, most often clothes, just because someone might have commented that the top you tried out looks good on you. And this can be attributed to selection because of gender influence.

Women love looking good and this is also what influenced them to choose and look at things selectively. Because they want to look good, everything that accompanies them, be it gadgets, clothes or accessories must look good too. Similarly with the men, they buy things that they need and features and value are always at the top of their list because the looks of the product matter little to them. It can be bulky and boring in appearance but as long as it functions the way they need them to, they will purchase it.

However, just how true men and women are to themselves when making such decisions? Can the difference in hormones between the two genders really influence their thoughts and thinking that much? Or is this just a result of cognitive schemata at work?

Women have always been portrayed as beauty seeking, wishing to look their best at any caught moment, while guys have always been viewed as being rational and practical; caring little about aesthetics. But is the difference between the two really biological differences, or is it in fact biological “hard-wiring”. Are men and women reacting and choosing things the way they do now because they really feel that day or could it really be just an unconscious conformity to the norm that had been laid out centuries ago. Because they do not want to look weird and different from others of their gender, they end up reacting the same way and even if they do not feel the same way at first, over time, it becomes something like a habit that they do not even realize it any longer.

Personally, I feel it is really more biological “hard-wiring” then anything else. If it really is hormones at work, what is the explanation for the increasing individuals in society (metrosexuals, homosexuals, goths, etc.) who have acted differently from what is expected of them? Is there some ‘mutation’ that formed in their genes, or are they just brave individuals that have decided to stepped out because of who they believe they are. I choose to believe in the latter because I believe strongly that it is human nature to want to fit in with the majority. No one really wants to be an outcast. Just look at how people can easily be influenced by their friends to do certain things just to blend in with their clique even if they know it’s harmful (smoking, tattoos, etc.). If people would do that just to fit in with their friends, what more will they do to fit in with society.

So what do you really think is the real influence behind the differences between men and women? Is it really just gender differences that you are both with, or do people just want to look normal and fit in? Discuss!

(Credits: The Straits Time, Digital Life, 29/04/09)