The use of slang on local TV newscasts.

[sdwulfdawg]

And I thought this thread would be about how TV reporters and anchors
have "slanged-up" the language, such as during a toss at the end of a
live shot where the reporter says "back to you guys." :

As someone who works as an anchor, it comes down to the director and news director and GM.

Personally, it is about CLASS, or the lack of it or the lack of good upbringing...and education.

I had a lead reporter who used the term "innocent victims" -- when there is no such thing. A "victim" is a "victim."

I slam back though when a co-anchor says something utterly stupid as "...our thoughts and prayers go out out to the family," etc. It usually coincide with how much warpaint (makeup) a co-anchor or lead reporter puts on.

 

[nightfly61]

Uptight people need to relax. They are just words. WORDS, and nothing else. Isn't there a phrase, Stick & Stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me. When did the people in this world become such candy asses where a few words can hurt them and get their panties in a bunch? Over the years I've been called ever name in the book, and it doesn't bother me one bit. But if you were to put your hands on me,..then that's a different story. That's where the line would be crossed. There are way too many goodie two shoes in this world with a bug up their ass, thinking they can tell me, and people like me, what I should think and say. Sorry, it just doesn't work for me.

I agree too. Even though I never liked the term "sucks" since it originally was "that sucks d***". People should chill. I heard a local weather man tonight say "It ain't nothin' nice out there". Should he be scolded for using ebonics?
If someone tells a corny joke and I say "That was gay"...it's just another term for lame or corny. There is a time & place for everything, but unless you're quoting someone about a story on ANY t.v news...stick to reading the teleprompter-it'll save credibility. Ask Bill Bonds, formerly of WXYZ, Detroit.
p.s-God D*** never should have started being allowed to be used on ANY form of media. I personally think it's worse that the eff word & I think it was a nail in the coffin when McCain used that reverend saying it on a political ad. First time I heard it used was on Hill Street Blues & couldn't believe. "Pissed off" is another that t.v could do without. Most of the stuff isn't even allowed on THIS site!

 

[LKellerIII]

And I thought this thread would be about how TV reporters and anchors
have "slanged-up" the language, such as during a toss at the end of a
live shot where the reporter says "back to you guys." :

As someone who works as an anchor, it comes down to the director and news director and GM.

Personally, it is about CLASS, or the lack of it or the lack of good upbringing...and education.

I had a lead reporter who used the term "innocent victims" -- when there is no such thing. A "victim" is a "victim."

I slam back though when a co-anchor says something utterly stupid as "...our thoughts and prayers go out out to the family," etc. It usually coincide with how much warpaint (makeup) a co-anchor or lead reporter puts on.

It's interesting to speculate about the origins of phrases like "innocent victims," which as you correctly point out, is a bit of an oxymoron. The first time I remember hearing it was the opening of The Fugitive in the mid 60s, as voiced by the late great William Conrad:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb9HMkVtR_A

 

[oldiesfan6479]

From 10:00pm ET/PT on 09/17/63 ("tonight's episode: Fear In A Desert City"),
until about 10:50pm ET/PT on 08/29/67 ("tonight's episode: The Judgment Part II"),
Lt. Gerard was probably the most hated man in America.

 

[bpatrick]

I remember when Pat Polillo, news director at KGO,
took the job of news director at WAGA. He brought
the "News Scene" title, the "Cool Hand Luke" music,
and "I'm Chuck Moore (or Jim Axel), here's what's
happening."

The late Hoyt Curtin, composer of "The Flintstones"
theme, gave an interview not long before he died,
in which he explained that he changed "gay old time"
to "great old time" so no one would think Fred and
Barney were homosexual (when he originally wrote it,
"gay" meant "happy").

So far I haven't heard any of the expletives (including
"retarded") on any of my local newscasts. As conservative
as North Carolina is, I'm sure the Triad and Triangle stations
would get an earful from viewers if anybody said the words.

 

[LKellerIII]

I remember when Pat Polillo, news director at KGO,
took the job of news director at WAGA. He brought
the "News Scene" title, the "Cool Hand Luke" music,
and "I'm Chuck Moore (or Jim Axel), here's what's
happening."

The late Hoyt Curtin, composer of "The Flintstones"
theme, gave an interview not long before he died,
in which he explained that he changed "gay old time"
to "great old time" so no one would think Fred and
Barney were homosexual (when he originally wrote it,
"gay" meant "happy").

So far I haven't heard any of the expletives (including
"retarded") on any of my local newscasts. As conservative
as North Carolina is, I'm sure the Triad and Triangle stations
would get an earful from viewers if anybody said the words.

That Cool Hand Luke music was standard issue for ABC O&O stations, including Eyewitness News in LA and New York, and some ABC affiliates. KGO-TV couldn't use "Eyewitness News" because Westinghouse owned KPIX (Bay Area CBS affiliate) beat them to it.

When "gay" first became synonymous with ****-sexual, I remember hearing a lot of older people complaining that they felt they could no longer use the word to mean "happy."

 

[mleach]

The late Hoyt Curtin, composer of "The Flintstones"
theme, gave an interview not long before he died,
in which he explained that he changed "gay old time"
to "great old time" so no one would think Fred and
Barney were homosexual (when he originally wrote it,
"gay" meant "happy").

When "gay" first became synonymous with ****-sexual, I remember hearing a lot of older people complaining that they felt they could no longer use the word to mean "happy."

Within the next five to ten years, I wouldn't be surprised to see the word "bear" being "almost" synonymous with "gay". I say "almost" because even though I highly doubt Chicago will rename its NFL football team or local news stories about some bear being loose on the streets will be overlooked on purpose because the word is slang as "hairy gay male" it would not at all surprise me that some radio station someplace who now uses the term Bear ( Example: 107.5 The Bear ) or some business someplace will stop using it as a direct result.

Don't know if it was the case in California, Florida or Arizona who recently had their own vote on gay marriage but I do remember some years back in Virginia when my home state was going through the gay marriage thing some religious group did throw out the term 'bear" in its ads against gay marriage. The one ad I remember seeing on our local Comcast cable ( on ESPN ) had a little boy getting yelled at by his father because the child didn't want to call his dad's lover "my daddy's hus-bear".

 

[MarcB]

"hus-bear".

hus-bear. I hate that word. What's wrong with calling it husband? At one of the places I worked I had a gay boss and she used to refer to her partner as her wife (and wifey), so if a gay woman can call her partner a wife, why can't a gay guy call his partner a husband?

 

[nightfly61]

"hus-bear".

hus-bear. I hate that word. What's wrong with calling it husband? At one of the places I worked I had a gay boss and she used to refer to her partner as her wife (and wifey), so if a gay woman can call her partner a wife, why can't a gay guy call his partner a husband?

In a gay male relationship, if one guy takes on the role of the man & the other is the woman why don't they call each other husband & wife?
Same with lesbians?

 

[LKellerIII]

"hus-bear".

hus-bear. I hate that word. What's wrong with calling it husband? At one of the places I worked I had a gay boss and she used to refer to her partner as her wife (and wifey), so if a gay woman can call her partner a wife, why can't a gay guy call his partner a husband?

In a gay male relationship, if one guy takes on the role of the man & the other is the woman why don't they call each other husband & wife?"Same with lesbians?

I had a gay college professor who referred to his partner as his "husband," and ihe gave the impression that he considered himself the "wife" in the relationship. I got the impression this was mostly because he was a part-time lecturer making a paltry income while his "husband" was a successful lawyer. But he said this somewhat tongue-in-cheek.

I've known many gay couples - male and female, and as often as not, their respective roles are equal, and not particularly obvious - either to their friends, and even to themselves. What's the matter with husband/husband for gay men; and wife/wife for lesbians?

 

[mleach]

"hus-bear".

hus-bear. I hate that word. What's wrong with calling it husband? At one of the places I worked I had a gay boss and she used to refer to her partner as her wife (and wifey), so if a gay woman can call her partner a wife, why can't a gay guy call his partner a husband?

In a gay male relationship, if one guy takes on the role of the man & the other is the woman why don't they call each other husband & wife?"Same with lesbians?

I had a gay college professor who referred to his partner as his "husband," and ihe gave the impression that he considered himself the "wife" in the relationship. I got the impression this was mostly because he was a part-time lecturer making a paltry income while his "husband" was a successful lawyer. But he said this somewhat tongue-in-cheek.

I've known many gay couples - male and female, and as often as not, their respective roles are equal, and not particularly obvious - either to their friends, and even to themselves. What's the matter with husband/husband for gay men; and wife/wife for lesbians?

Most of the gay couples I know that is exactly what they do. Two guys..both are considered "husband", two lesbians both are consider "wife". The only exception to this is I can think of is with gay men within the gay bear community who call their partners their "hus-bear" or among the younger so-called bears "hus-cub". Sounds weird but then again it seems the entire bear segment of the gay community is ..well different anyway. The "bears" have their own pride flag, their own pride events, their own vacation spots, their own businesses ( yes there are actually gay owned businesses that cater strictly for bears ), many call their homes a "bear den", the bears have their own version of the magazine The Advocate ( "A Bears Life" ) heck they even "adopted" their own "bear city" and its not San Francisco but rather its Columbus, Ohio ( though others seem to think its either Denver or Indianapolis ). Why Columbus, I don't know but maybe it has to do with the now defunct Big Bear Supermarket Chain that was based in that city since I believe in their old ads much of the bear lingo that is currently being used now like "hus-bear", "bear soup" ( a bear party ), "bear hug" and so forth were used only to have those same terms years later being adopted by the gay bear community as their own.

My brother is gay and he is into the bear scene and yes he often calls his partner of 17 years his "hus-bear" even though for the rest of us in the family we consider his partner, well just that. His partner. Yes it does seem very weird and I believe the media sees it that way too. The film "Chuck & Larry" that came out last year could have been full of "bear references" since after all Adam Sandler and Kevin James could have easily passed themselves off as a bear couple in the movie, but the term "bear" wasn't used at all in "I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry". Maybe Hollywood believes that had they used the term in the film it would cause some sort of backlash or whatever. I don't know.

 

[nightfly61]

"hus-bear".

hus-bear. I hate that word. What's wrong with calling it husband? At one of the places I worked I had a gay boss and she used to refer to her partner as her wife (and wifey), so if a gay woman can call her partner a wife, why can't a gay guy call his partner a husband?

In a gay male relationship, if one guy takes on the role of the man & the other is the woman why don't they call each other husband & wife?"Same with lesbians?

I had a gay college professor who referred to his partner as his "husband," and ihe gave the impression that he considered himself the "wife" in the relationship. I got the impression this was mostly because he was a part-time lecturer making a paltry income while his "husband" was a successful lawyer. But he said this somewhat tongue-in-cheek.

I've known many gay couples - male and female, and as often as not, their respective roles are equal, and not particularly obvious - either to their friends, and even to themselves. What's the matter with husband/husband for gay men; and wife/wife for lesbians?

Most of the gay couples I know that is exactly what they do. Two guys..both are considered "husband", two lesbians both are consider "wife". The only exception to this is I can think of is with gay men within the gay bear community who call their partners their "hus-bear" or among the younger so-called bears "hus-cub". Sounds weird but then again it seems the entire bear segment of the gay community is ..well different anyway. The "bears" have their own pride flag, their own pride events, their own vacation spots, their own businesses ( yes there are actually gay owned businesses that cater strictly for bears ), many call their homes a "bear den", the bears have their own version of the magazine The Advocate ( "A Bears Life" ) heck they even "adopted" their own "bear city" and its not San Francisco but rather its Columbus, Ohio ( though others seem to think its either Denver or Indianapolis ). Why Columbus, I don't know but maybe it has to do with the now defunct Big Bear Supermarket Chain that was based in that city since I believe in their old ads much of the bear lingo that is currently being used now like "hus-bear", "bear soup" ( a bear party ), "bear hug" and so forth were used only to have those same terms years later being adopted by the gay bear community as their own.

My brother is gay and he is into the bear scene and yes he often calls his partner of 17 years his "hus-bear" even though for the rest of us in the family we consider his partner, well just that. His partner. Yes it does seem very weird and I believe the media sees it that way too. The film "Chuck & Larry" that came out last year could have been full of "bear references" since after all Adam Sandler and Kevin James could have easily passed themselves off as a bear couple in the movie, but the term "bear" wasn't used at all in "I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry". Maybe Hollywood believes that had they used the term in the film it would cause some sort of backlash or whatever. I don't know.

I remember back in the 80's an underage gay male (under 18) was called a chicken. In the south if there was a gay couple with one underage(just like male & female happens so much steriotypically)...I wonder if the elder would call the young one the hus-chicken, or hus-chick?