During the latest "boom" here in Fort McMurray, anyone with a heartbeat could land a job. Tim Hortons and Wal-Mart were paying people somewhere in the neighbourhood of $17 an hour to take orders and count change. This isn't the first time you're reading about this, I know, but I'm feeling the need to do a small rant that combines the labour shortage with my hatred of grammatical blunders.
Over the past few months, there have been three distinct things that have annoyed me about various radio stations up here. I'm sure there are more, but there are three that stand out, specifically.
#1: The mispronunciation of "address".
In a radio advertisement airing for a woman who was going to give a little spiel about social media at the college, the voice person pronounced address like he was writing numbers on an envelope:"Come hear Lady Soandso as she gives a global ADD-ress on social media...".
Are you fucking kidding me? It's ad-DRESS on social media, you moron. I don't want to send social media a postcard, I want to hear a speech about it.
Now, mispronouncing it is one thing, but this ad surely had to go through other people before airing. How did this grammatical blunder sneak through?
#2: Two hockey commentators announcing the local Junior 'A' Oil Barons game with various phrase screw-ups and then this beauty: "the goalie certainly isn't showing signs of uncomposure, that's for sure".
What are you TALKING ABOUT?! Uncomposure? How about he's staying composed, he's maintaining his composure, he's doing a great job backing up his teammates, he's standing strong in the net, he isn't looking shaky, etc. etc. etc. Now, I know it's live radio, but come on.
The two announcers also went back and forth about what phrase to use after a player from the opposing team lambasted an Oil Baron and received a game misconduct. "You know how it is, 'you make your bed, now you have to lie in it', or, i think that's how the saying goes, or 'you do the crime, you have to serve the time'. The other announcer backs him up, "I'm not sure what it is, but I'm sure there's a saying in there somewhere."
Ugh. I promptly switched the radio station.
#3: The radio guy who emphasizes the wrong words.
About six months ago I was driving to work with my co-worker and good friend, Kristen, when the most annoying radio announcer came on to the station (Rock 97.9) to deliver the morning headlines. I immediately picked up on his improper accenting and became seriously annoyed.
"In today's news: Xcompany ANNOUNCED today that their unnamed PROJECT would be delayed indefinitely. Spokesperson Tom Harry BACKED UP their release by saying they REMAINED committed to the COMMUNITY."
I'm sure that I'm not showing you just how bad it is, but every single time I hear this guy read the news on the radio, I have to change the channel because he continually emphasizes the wrong parts of the sentences. "Today the ALBERTA GOVERNMENT announced it had RUN out of H1N1 vaccines. People who have NOT YET received their vaccines will now have to wait for more to ARRIVE." Now, but accenting the last word, the listener automatically thinks there's more to come, but nope, it always just ends. There's no quote from a spokesperson, or anything.
The way he accents the end of the sentence, is almost how you would talk if you were asking a question: The Alberta government did WHAT?. SO annoying.
What's worse? He has now changed jobs and reads the news for my favourite radio station. FML.
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5 comments:
It does sound very annoying and Glen would surely tell you that radio sucks and you should not listen to it. Me on the other hand would do the same as you and just switch channels when i got annoyed.
If it makes you feel any better, you can take consolation in the fact that the radio guy probably makes next to nothing for his efforts.
Economic boom or not, radio people might as well work at Tim Hortons for that $17/hr. When I was in Peace River, the radio people made $19,000 a year. They seemed like the only people in town who made less than us at the paper.
And considering we didn't like our jobs and constantly complained about being underpaid, this fact brought us joy.
Radio sucks, get an iPod or use your BlackBerry.
YOU FAILED!!!!
No post for Monday.
Grrr!
How about the perpetual ad on Mix 103.7: "And we're not below bribing you with great prizes". WTF? Not BELOW? So this means that you won't be bribing us with great prizes? This ad has been on for months, and I feel more and more anger every time I hear it.
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