For race, he cites ebonics (or what he calls African American Vernacular English, or AAVE) as an example of how a 'second language' can work to empower Black people, such as in its expression in hip-hop, while also providing cover for White criticism of a historically marginalized group's lack of assimilation. It's also self-reinforcing on each side to the point that the dominant side (The Mighty Whitey) can't even understand Mr. Ebony. Remember Archie Bunker and his tussles with Lionel Jefferson next door and the communication gap? Shariatmadari paraphrases the Bunker mindset, when he cites an Oakland Department of Education decision:
The desire to bend over backwards to accommodate an ethnic group's sensitivities was trumping the need to deliver a high-quality education to the students.
(But it's okay to bend over forward for the upper class?)
Similarly, in discussing Class, Shariatmadari cites the language differences of the Upstairs/Downstairs experience of shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue versus Klein. Citing a linguistic study by Bill Labov, among many differences over time, he notes, in Saks, how clear and well-enunciated "fourth floor" rings from employees, while at the Klein he hears, instead, "fawth flaa." You could tell where someone might shop just from how they handled Rs.
One is reminded of the way that Ben Affleck gets initially punked by a privileged Harvard student as he tries to impress a co-ed, onnacounta his Boston accent, only to be bailed out by pal smart guy Matt Damon, who dresses down the Brooks Brothers snob and later pays him back in spades, holding up the co-eds phone number to him, while uttering the famous movie punchline: "How do you like them apples?"
On Shariatmadari goes, "When you say something you send out social signals." (Indeed, what would be the point of cracking the wind with a tongue whip, if not to communicate your desire to an other?) He cites an amusing example to show cultural differences -- the Sex Pistols' Sid Vicious. Unlike the Rolling Stones, who Shariatmadari claims were putting on "a bluesy [American] drawl" in the song, "Start Me Up," he claims that if "Sid Vicious tried to sound American he would've been seen as inauthentic - something that was anathema to the punk ethos." (In the punk bar I used to hang out in, if the regulars didn't like the look of you -- maybe you were dressed like Jim Carroll -- when it came your turn to swan into the mosh pit everybody moved away while you were in mid-air.) We've all laughed at attempts by people to sound like they're from another culture, even fascist ones.
There's a section where Shariatmadari seems to go off the rails some, going all Tourette's for a minute, with a flush of coprolalia (familiarly known as, talking sh*t) maybe channeling Samuel Johnson. It's hard to tell sometimes:
I can say 'f*ck me!' as an exclamation, but I can't say 'f*ck me precisely' or 'f*ck me by midday' without reverting to the literal meaning. 'f*ck me!' is an emotional signal rather than an example of propositional speech.
No f*ckin' comment.
And, the Turks say, AvrupalÃŽ ¹laÃ...ŸtÃŽ ¹rÃŽ ¹lamayanlardansÃŽ ¹nÃŽ ¹z, which means 'You' re one of those we can't make a European out.' And we say: antidisestablishmentarianism, which means 'You're one of those we can't make a good Catholic out of." Will they ever see eye to eye?
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