Rant - commercial with poor grammar

[bcla]

I've been seeing this Comcast commercial that really bugs me. The premise is Comcast's program to hire veterans. Seems fine on its face. This one features a US Navy veteran who is talking about how difficult it was to get a job after he left the military.

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/ZYIQ/comcast-careers-hiring-veterans-the-call-that-changed-my-life
However, what really bugs me is that that they could at least have a script where he uses proper grammar.

To hear my son day, "Are we going to daddy's house?" Son, daddy don't have a house.​

I'm not quite sure what this is trying to project - whether it's someone else talking or he's responding to his son. However, I'm not sure what Comcast is trying to portray. Would it have hurt just to say that line with correct grammar? Are they saying that people who have spent 8 years (Comcast explains this in another segment) in the military can't use proper grammar? This commercial is slickly produced. I'm sure they had several takes? Could someone have at least cleaned it up a bit?

 

[zoo2tycoon]

It appears they are trying to make it seem real and let the person speak as they normally would. Many people misuse words.

I seen xxxx (instead of I saw)
For sell (instead of for sale)
I need advise (instead of I need advice) or advise needed (instead of advice needed)
They borrowed me money ( instead of they loaned me)

Think it’s just the way people brought up and regional grammar mistakes. “I seen” drives me crazy!

 

[smiths02]

I would be careful about calling something a "mistake" versus seeing it as dialectical or non-standard.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

Commercials with poor or improper grammar have been produced for decades.

"Winston tastes good like a cigarette should" was a long time slogan for the brand. Some grammar nazis eventually complained that the correct saying is "AS a cigarette should." Winston clapped by acknowledging the mistake but told the critics to get the sticks out of their butts. "What do you want, good grammar or good taste?"





Tsk, tsk. Those damn kids smoking at the table while the turkey is being presented.




What is this woman suggesting????





EEEEK!!!!

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I seen xxxx (instead of I saw)

Could also be "I have seen"

 

[BadgerGirl84]

I'm a grammar snob, and that doesn't bother me at all. It sounds like it's just how he speaks and people often use imperfect grammar, for whatever reason, when speaking to children.

 

[mrodgers]

Could also be "I have seen"

This is what people are actually trying to say. I have seen turns into I've seen and gets shortened and learned incorrectly as I seen.

Me, I couldn't care less about commercials and don't understand why people are all up in arms about them. Who doesn't record and fast forward through commercials today if you haven't "cut the cord" yet?

 

[belle032]

It appears they are trying to make it seem real and let the person speak as they normally would. Many people misuse words.

I seen xxxx (instead of I saw)
For sell (instead of for sale)
I need advise (instead of I need advice) or advise needed (instead of advice needed)
They borrowed me money ( instead of they loaned me)

Think it’s just the way people brought up and regional grammar mistakes. “I seen” drives me crazy!

Omg, my SIL and DH say "I seen..." and I just cringe every time. I've called DH out on it enough that it's not as common anymore, but it's constant with my SIL. I just want to scream you are not uneducated rednecks, stop sounding like them! Neither of my in-laws say it so I don't know where it comes from. Why they didn't nip it in the bud is beyond me, but it drives me absolutely crazy. (For the record, we live in the country and poor grammar/spelling/punctuation is rampant. )

 

[DopeyDame]

There used to be a commercial on the radio around here that ended with the tagline "We never forget who we're working for." Every single time I heard it, I'd scream into the void "FOR WHOM WE'RE WORKING!"
Drives me batty.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

Poor grammar often bothers me, but I don't have a problem with that particular commercial. They are showing an actual person, as opposed to an actor playing a character. They most likely prompted him with questions and recorded his responses. This type of interview should not come across as scripted. If that's how the person phrased his answer, then that's what we should see. If they tried to feed him lines or correct his grammar, the true life aspect of the man's story would be lost.

 

[Diznygrl]

There's a line of dialogue in Haunted Mansion Holiday where the Ghost Host says, "Jack's holiday vision was unlike no other". Almost 20 years of HMH and they still haven't fixed it.

 

[bcla]

There's something to be said for subtle grammar issues of the kind that are deeply debated. I don't worry too much about that. It's fun to debate, but these are tiny details.

I understand this guy being featured. I've known people who talked like him, but in a more formal setting they would use proper grammar (i.e. "code switching"). I went to schools where we had a lot of kids from inner-city neighborhoods where many kids' parents likely talked like that. However, if they were in a more formal setting (such as in front of the class) they would never think of saying "daddy don't have a house." 8 years in the US Navy and I'd expect that he would have been able to say "daddy doesn't have a house."

 

[bcla]

Poor grammar often bothers me, but I don't have a problem with that particular commercial. They are showing an actual person, as opposed to an actor playing a character. They most likely prompted him with questions and recorded his responses. This type of interview should not come across as scripted. If that's how the person phrased his answer, then that's what we should see. If they tried to feed him lines or correct his grammar, the true life aspect of the man's story would be lost.

I certainly understand the attempt to make it seem more organic, but it would surprise me there hadn't been multiple takes and maybe hints on how to proceed or what to say. I'm darn sure they didn't go into this without an idea of what he was going to talk about.

However, it sets a poor example. Does he know any better? I'm pretty sure he does. I don't know if I feel any better about Comcast or the US Navy if they can't train their employees to use proper grammar in a formal setting. My kid sees this commercial and instantly noticed the improper grammar. I know it's supposed to be heartwarming that Comcast would hired this guy, but it doesn't leave me feeling very good about using their service.

 

[sam_gordon]

I know it's supposed to be heartwarming that Comcast would hired this guy, but it doesn't leave me feeling very good about using their service.

So all the reported issues with Comcast you have no problem with, but letting someone talk normally (ie not grammatically correct) and THAT'S why you'd avoid using them?

 

[TipsyTraveler]

There's something to be said for subtle grammar issues of the kind that are deeply debated. I don't worry too much about that. It's fun to debate, but these are tiny details.

I understand this guy being featured. I've known people who talked like him, but in a more formal setting they would use proper grammar (i.e. "code switching"). I went to schools where we had a lot of kids from inner-city neighborhoods where many kids' parents likely talked like that. However, if they were in a more formal setting (such as in front of the class) they would never think of saying "daddy don't have a house." 8 years in the US Navy and I'd expect that he would have been able to say "daddy doesn't have a house."

Is a Comcast commercial really a formal setting though? Besides, he was recounting what he said to his child during informal conversation. I would assume it was a direct quote.

 

[Lumpy1106]

"THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER THING"
Nope. It's either " a whole other thing" or "another thing", but "NOTHER" is not a word.
Drives me crazy. You hear both radio and TV personalities say it all the time.

 

[Jennasis]

I certainly understand the attempt to make it seem more organic, but it would surprise me there hadn't been multiple takes and maybe hints on how to proceed or what to say. I'm darn sure they didn't go into this without an idea of what he was going to talk about.

However, it sets a poor example. Does he know any better? I'm pretty sure he does. I don't know if I feel any better about Comcast or the US Navy if they can't train their employees to use proper grammar in a formal setting. My kid sees this commercial and instantly noticed the improper grammar. I know it's supposed to be heartwarming that Comcast would hired this guy, but it doesn't leave me feeling very good about using their service.

 

[bcla]

Proofreading mistake. If I had an editor I would hope it would have been fixed. I’m just saying that it doesn’t speak highly of the professionalism of the people producing the spot. I used to listen to a radio host. He said his mother was an English teacher and would have yanked his ear if he used clearly incorrect street grammar in front of her.

 

[AppleDumpling]

Poor grammar often bothers me, but I don't have a problem with that particular commercial. They are showing an actual person, as opposed to an actor playing a character. They most likely prompted him with questions and recorded his responses. This type of interview should not come across as scripted. If that's how the person phrased his answer, then that's what we should see. If they tried to feed him lines or correct his grammar, the true life aspect of the man's story would be lost.

I agree. I’m a writer and have always been good at grammar and spelling. However, I’d never correct someone (other than my own child), because I don’t feel it’s my place to do so. IMO, an adult is unlikely to change a lifelong habit and it only comes across as rude and condescending to point out their mistake.

The man in the ad is relating a story in his own words. It’s not the same at all as a slogan written by an advertising agency.

Perhaps the point being made is that Comcast gives opportunities to veterans because they value and respect them for their service, despite not being perfect.

 

[Carol_]

I agree. I’m a writer and have always been good at grammar and spelling. However, I’d never correct someone (other than my own child), because I don’t feel it’s my place to do so. IMO, an adult is unlikely to change a lifelong habit and it only comes across as rude and condescending to point out their mistake.

The man in the ad is relating a story in his own words. It’s not the same at all as a slogan written by an advertising agency.

Perhaps the point being made is that Comcast gives opportunities to veterans because they value and respect them for their service, despite not being perfect.

I agree with this but I also agree that it’s a condescending ad. It sends the message that military people (who might talk a certain way) are relegated to “can’t afford a house” status because they’re too intellectually feeble to earn money . Do you guys remember that McDonald’s ad where the man asks his woman to marry him at McDonalds? I never thought anything of it until a friend of a similar background pointed out how their people were insulted by it. Who proposes at McDonalds? She was right. It was stupid. So is this ad.