Ngugi's Article

In our group discussion, our main focus was on the culture within the language.  Sometimes we teach English without realizing the cultural impact it may have.  Sometimes these differences can change not only the understanding of the language but by the use of it, change people's behaviour.  One story that came from our group discussion was this, students of different ages were in a classroom.  Most of the students were beginners of the language.  During break, the students went out to play.  A few minutes later, a few students came back crying.  The native teacher asked, why are you crying?  They had a fight.  The teacher asked why.  The answer, he is younger than me but didn't use the honorific terms.  He used language as if we were the same age.  The other student said, I didn't mean too.  Then I thought about this story for awhile.  Even for me, being a second generation Korean, I live in this country, I want to respect this culture, however, I don't know which line to cross.  Here is a story about myself, I used to be a director of an English Camp for elementary and middle school students.  The camp was usually around 4 weeks long.  We would have native teachers and Korean university students working at the camp as teachers.  After the first week, Korean university students would just call me by my name, "Huggy".  At first, I was perplexed inside, then irritated, finally angry.  I don't know why, I just was.  The western culture inside of me would not mind,  but since we were in Korea, shouldn't Korean culture reign, therefore I had a right to be angry.  Even though we spoke English, that should not be a passport for them to use the Western culture on me.  In the end, I didn't fight any of them, I didn't have any ill feelings towards anyone, I just wondered where do I have to draw the line.  Where does Western culture end and Korean culture begin, or vis versa?  How does language play its part?  To this day, I am still wondering.  Until a good answer is suggested, I will just go with the flow and bury my own personal cultural feelings away.

Heinekin Beer Commericals

As there are a lot of great commericals, I believe Heinekin and Budweiser are the two leading beer companies that make great funny commericals, but with a strong message behind them.  As my intention was to do a brand comparison of commericals, it became to big for the scope of the assignment, therefore I narrowed it to this commerical.

Heinekin Light - Lady Music

Here is a famous movie star, Maurice, lounging at home, while a young man is exploring his home.  It starts off by him saying,

"My friend Maurice has led an active social life. A very active social life. Maurice?"

What does very active social life refer to?  Having many friends, partying, .....

As he says this, he refers to the wall of many pictures then narrows in on one picture of  a beautiful, sexy, young girl in a sexual seductive position in her panties.  Then pans out, always having a wall of pictures in the background. 
Maurice: "Yeah?"

Now holding a record (considering Maurice's age, something he bought in the past and a vintage item that he still uses now) of Peter Cetera (a famous member of the Chicago, then went solo.  Know for his high tone love songs.) .  He asks, 


"You like Peter Cetera?"

There is a hint of sarcasm in his question.  "How can you like this artist?"  Only females like him.  This was his intended question.


Maurice: "Noooo. But they do. (gestures over shoulder at wall covered in photos of ladies who are part of Maurice's "active social life".) Yeah, the ladies love Cetera. And if you love the ladies, by default, you love Cetera."

Maurice gives the young gentleman a logical word of advice.  If A=B, and B=C, then by default, A=C. 
A= Maurice, B=ladies, C=Peter Cetera's music.
"So, I love Peter Cetera?"

The last thing Maurice says,

Maurice: "You got it."
 
Then a young beautiful attractive lady walks by.
 
Like a teacher, a lesson and a moral was given.  This is a strong message.  There is no direct message towards a beer, only images.  It's a lesson about life.  If you want something, then you must like what the something likes, even if you don't.  The only relations it has towards the beer is its suggestion.  When you want to pick up a woman, usually somewhere alcohol is consumed, to be successful, you need Heinekin because anything else will not be successful. 
 
As the ad may be funny, there is a strong brand message.  Usually at bars, you see Heinekin posters, billboards, and coasters to remind you or even stronger, to reinforce the idea of its commercial.  When you have a choice, Heinekin should be chosen because it will lead you to be more successful in what you do.  Then men will have to think about previous experiences where they struck out (not successful when picking up a woman), then remind them of the drink they were drinking.  The association of that beer/alcohol beverage lead them to their failure, so the next time, when in a similiar situation, drinking Heinekin will lead to  more success.  And by drinking Heinekin, using the logic from the commerical, the overall success, when retrospecting the past, came from drinking Heinekin.  After writing this, I want to have a Heinekin right now, wait, I'm married.  I guess it doesn't matter what I drink.