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It says "frageelay" - it must be from Italy!
Italian graphic designer Modulgraf is developing a talking wine label. According to a company spokesperson, "The idea is to bring the oenologist to the table so that each wine can explain itself in the first person."
Wouldn't it just be easier to teach the Italians to read? Then you could write the information on the label and save the electronics for advanced weapons systems or gondola motors.
Posted by Charles Star on 07/07/2005 | Permalink
Comments
Are you implying Italians can't read? You don't want to force me to compare literacy rates do you?
Posted by: rossi | Jul 7, 2005 1:30:28 PM
What's with the stereotyped slam on Italians? Teaching them to read and gondola motors?! I'd like to see you write the same kinds of stuff about ebonics - wouldn't it just be easier to teach THEM to read? Oh wait, I forgot, Italians aren’t a protected group.
Posted by: Jim | Jul 7, 2005 4:32:16 PM
It is not Mr. Star who presumes Italians cannot read, it is the talking wine bottle on which he comments.
Furthermore, rossi's post presupposes that Italians CAN read- one wonders if he also assumes that blacks can dance.
Posted by: Tim Harrod | Jul 7, 2005 6:45:48 PM
Nice try Tim. So now the talking wine bottle wrote the post? The words are Charles', and ignorant stereotyping is ignorant stereotyping - even from Charles Star.
Posted by: Jim | Jul 7, 2005 7:27:14 PM
Hi Tim. While I bet you meant to be "funny" and not insulting, that was actually, well, quite unfunny, and pretty insulting. Anyway, seriously folks. Take the sentence, "Wouldn't it just be easier to teach the Xs to read?" and run through a few substitutions for X, and you'll probably understand why this raised some neck hairs. I'm willing to give people the benefit of the doubt and assume no one *meant* to be insulting, but regardless of the intent, it was insulting.
Posted by: rossi | Jul 8, 2005 12:21:24 AM
It's true, the "illiterate Italian" is a common and hurtful stereotype. When I was growing up as someone of one-quarter-Italian heritage, I remember being taunted with cries of "Francis is 25 percent Italian! He can only read 75 percent of a given book!" For shame, Charles.
Posted by: Francis | Aug 3, 2005 1:25:45 PM
