November 11, 2011

Perry goes on Letterman for a "Top Ten Rick Perry Excuses."



You can read the list here, but it's actually pretty fun to watch. Perry is good at doing comedy. In fact, he's so good at doing comedy, he can do comedy without even trying.

I liked #2: "I wanted to help take the heat off my buddy Herman Cain."

But I was especially interested in #10:
Actually there were three reasons I messed up last night: One was the nerves, and two was the headache, and three, um… uh… oops.
What caught my ear was the pronunciation of "oops." Did you notice the difference between the way he said it there and the way he said it at the end of the 53 seconds of hell on Wednesday night? He said it the old-fashioned way, with the "oo" as in "foot." In the debate, he said the "oo" as in "moo," which is a recent and especially girlish way to say it. It's the way Britney Spears pronounces it in "Oops! I Did It Again." (Hey that guy in the space helmet looks like Rick Perry!)

And by the way, there was something painfully school-girlish about the last 10 seconds of the 53 seconds. He starts the list of 3 over again, like a kid who's memorized a list. Then there's the pathetic... "I can't... I can't..." And finally, "oops," said with the Britney Spears pronunciation that seems to express an inane lack of interest in one's own helplessness.

And this extremely weak, girlish ending is especially bad because of the hypermasculine beginning: "And I will tell you, it's 3 agencies of government, when I get there, that are gone." Like he's that Texas gunslinger, comin' in there to git ya. But who's he gonna git? He doesn't even know!

That's why we shouldn't feel sorry for him. He wants to be the guy who's gonna git in there and do big things. He just knows what needs to be done and he's got the balls to do it. But if he doesn't know what he's doing... !!!

92 comments:

Lucius said...

What a bimbo!

That's a nice catch by the ear. I hadn't thought of his Awful Minute in such sexual terms, but it makes sense.

From strutting mofo to ditzy schoolgirl, it's like he underwent bimboification.

Or as Tina Turner might say: "One day cock of the walk; next day, a feather dusta!"

MadisonMan said...

That's pretty good.

People who take themselves too seriously shouldn't be in public office.

ndspinelli said...

One of my old man's favorite sayings was, "He's got more balls than brains."

Psota said...

I had no idea there' s two ways to say "oops" - an old fashioned way and a girlish way. I prefer the girlish "oops" myself

Ken B said...

Almost alone in the world I think Perry’s brain-freeze makes him look better. He didn’t make up some bad idea on the fly as we have seen Obama do. He didn’t fill in the gap with some absurdity like ‘there is not soviet domination of eastern europe’. He didn’t get mad, he didn’t freak out. He lost his place for a while, and ‘fessed up. I’ve done it, I’ve seen smart capable people do it. Of course it has killed him off at last but this is the one gaffe we’ve seen that shouldn’t have.

Martin said...

"In the debate, he said the "oo" as in "moo," which is a recent and especially girlish way to say it."

More drivel. That's simply the southern way to pronounce it. Ms. Spears is from Louisiana.

Carol_Herman said...

Oh, Ann. That was adorable! And, I wouldn't have seen it, if you didn't post it. And, I think this puts Rick Perry AHEAD!

I think he just had his Ronald Reagan moment! He comes off as such a nice guy!

WOW.

Maybe, making mistakes is such a human foible, you can't get when you "win the debate?"

Joe M. said...

He said it the old-fashioned way, with the "oo" as in "foot." In the debate, he said the "oo" as in "moo," which is a recent and especially girlish way to say it.

This might be regional. I grew up in Texas and I've never heard anyone pronounce it the first way (as in "foot"). "Moo" every time.

jus zis guy y'know said...

I'm from Louisiana originally, living in Texas for 25yrs now. The only way I've ever heard "Oops" pronounced is like "moo".

John Burgess said...

Oh, wow, Althouse!

Aren't you getting a little regional, a little parochial in assessing pronunciation?

Macmillan Dictionary gives the pronunciation you deprecate as their first choice of how Americans say the word.

The 'oo as in moo' pronunciation is certainly standard in my--originally New England, but then Great Midwest--dialect.

Curious George said...

AA: "That's why we shouldn't feel sorry for him. He wants to be the guy who's gonna git in there and do big things. He just knows what needs to be done and he's got the balls to do it. But if he doesn't know what he's doing... !!!"

Yeah, like Obama and healthcare.

Being President and handling problems is not a debate.

BarryD said...

Uh, in much of the country, I don't think that the "oo" pronunciation "oops" is considered feminine. It's the way the word is pronounced.

It's Wisconsinites that sound a bit off, to us.

edutcher said...

I think that was Ann's "How Perry Lost Me". A little heavy on the nasty, there.

Yeah, a sense of humor about something like this helps, but what he's doing is just digging the hole deeper. As I said, he's getting lousy advice.

ndspinelli said...

One of my old man's favorite sayings was, "He's got more balls than brains."

No.

Kevin J O'Connor to Brendan Fraser,
The Mummy, 1999.

Bender said...

It's McCain's fault!

John McCain made me vote for Obama!!!

I didn't have any choice, don't blame me -- it's his fault, he made me do it!

And when I vote for Obama again, it will be because Perry made me do it -- not because of his political philosophy or record of governance -- but because he looks bad on TV. So, don't blame me for Obama, blame Perry for making me vote for Obama.

Petunia said...

I thought it was funny, and good for Perry for having a sense of humor about it all.

His gaffe shouldn't be the end of his campaign. He hasn't said there are 57 states, or talked about corpsemen, or tried to claim he sat in church for 20 years without listening, or called his political opponents enemies, or any of a number of other idiotic things that our dear leader has said.

Ann Althouse said...

"More drivel. That's simply the southern way to pronounce it. Ms. Spears is from Louisiana."

How do you explain Perry's use of 2 different pronunciations? Was he from the South and then not from the South?

I think Spears used the "moo" pronunciation because it was more fluid for singing purposes, like the way we were taught in chorus to sing the word "glory" "glow-ree." Then, the Spears pronunciation went viral into speech.

Find some old examples of people saying "oops" with a "moo" "oo."

ndspinelli said...

One of the traits I've noticed in attorneys is they often get bogged down in minutia. The successful ones don't. Good attorney zero in on what's important. Details are indeed important, but they don't overanalyze.

Ann Althouse said...

"Macmillan Dictionary gives the pronunciation you deprecate as their first choice of how Americans say the word. "

LOL. The Macmillan Dictionary is totally f'd up. It has 2 pronunciations, the first being the Britney one, but did you listen to the second one? Do that, then come back here and argue for the authority of the Macmillan Dictionary.

Does anyone have a paper dictionary that goes back before Britney's pervasion of the American mind?

I have the American Heritage 3d edition, from 1996. Unabridged. It doesn't even have "oops" as a word. The song came out in 2000. Okay, so does anybody have anything relevant to refute my statement, based on life experience, about how that word was pronounced in the old days, at least pre-2000?

Shouting Thomas said...

Talk about screw-ups.

The President of the Board of Education in New Paltz, NY was busted last week for signing off on a delivery of a package containing 8 pounds of pot!

The sniffer dog ratted him out!

Martin said...

"Find some old examples of people saying "oops" with a "moo" "oo."

Read the rest of your comments. Joe M., Michael Parker, and John Burgess pretty much have it covered.

BarryD said...

The audio dictionaries I found in a search say that the standard American pronunciation of "oops" is like "moo".

Sorry, but Wisconsin dialect is not the standard for American English.

Even assuming that the standard archaic pronunciation was a short
"oo" sound, there's nothing "feminine" about using a standard current pronunciation of a word instead of one that is no longer considered correct. Claiming that someone is "girly" for failing to use an archaic pronunciation is bizarre.

It's okay not to like Perry. It's okay to think he's a bit of a wuss, if that's what you think. But this is not supporting evidence.

Kirby Olson said...

He was excellent, and likeable. I think this might ironically put him back in the race. I think we can all relate. What are all those departments anyway? Just throw them all in the Potomac. I doubt if we need any of them. I loved Paul in the debate, leaning over to help Perry.

There are five, there are five.

Perry stole the idea from Paul. Paul is then helping him.

I think Perry did this whole thing on purpose to look like Bush. We love goofups, and Perry knows that.

Lucius said...

I miss old-school Britney.

The Concise Oxford American gives the 'Britneyfied' pronunciation 2nd, but in the primary pronunciation notes a "(w)" for variant "whoops", from which our "oops" presumably derives.

I grew up a stone's throw from the NC line, and "oops" was never the Britney "oops".

Not that there's anything wrong with the Britney "oops."

Ken B said...

1. I am from Canada and in my area it sounds like moo.
2. I sometimes vary my pronunciation of words and names for no apparent reason. I don't think I am alone in this. Perhaps Althouse can read deep significance into these fluctuations in my vocal productions. Superior beings can read us like a book you know.

Titus said...

I thought he has managed this well.

I think the whole thing has been blown out of proportion.

Every time I turned on the tv I saw his "53 seconds".

Please, move on.

Tits and Clouds.

sakredkow said...

Bill Cosby "Oops" 1964.

http://youtu.be/0JrxXRU1GOE

Paddy O said...

"And this extremely weak, girlish ending is especially bad"

Girlish and feminine means extremely weak and especially bad?

So sexist!!

Unknown said...

In the debate, he said the "oo" as in "moo," which is a recent and especially girlish way to say it.

Nope. Both pronunciations originate from the twenties when it occurred.

Girlish? According to whom? Youm? You pulled both of these 'facts' out of your butt.

That's why we shouldn't feel sorry for him. ... But if he doesn't know what he's doing... !!!

What utter horseshit. If you make decisions based on things like this, it completely explains your vote for Obama.

Christopher in MA said...

"How do you explain Perry's use of two different pronunciations? Was he from the South and then not from the South?"

You know, Althouse, when Carol Herman sounds saner than you in a thread, perhaps it's time to pack it in.

Have you ever traveled outside the Happy Valley of Madison? People DO pronounce the same word in different ways, depending on location, stress or agglutination. I've spent a lot of time in England and still find "shedule" popping out of my mouth when I'm not thinking about it. I can take you to different Boston neighborhoods where the word "Dorchester" (the place) can be pronounced in at least 3 different ways by the same people, depending on whether they're hanging with their buds in Rozzie, throwing back a pint at Doyle's in JP or locking the car doors while speeding down Melnea Cass Boulevard.

Honestly, I hope this is just bait for the boobs. Because if your vote is really coming down to "he talks funny," I'm going to start a movement to repeal the 19th Amendment.

michaele said...

Gotta' say... Perry showed good comedic delivery and body language. I've noticed before that for a big masculine guy, he sometimes indulges in some little boy cuteness which was quite apparent in his fessing up schtick.

sakredkow said...
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sakredkow said...
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Martin said...

Ok phx nailed it. Dispute over.

Ms. Althouse, I am a "smart liberal" and I will never visit your blog again. Here's why:

My motive in reading is generally a negative one, i.e. so that I can express scorn and mock the largely conservative commentary. I'm too reserved to actually comment for the most part, but sometimes I can't help myself.

So when I read your completely off base politico-linguistic theorizing, I jumped in to call it drivel.

When you responded personally, I was again reminded that real people are behind these faceless computer texts, and I was rude to a person.

Sorry. I know from reading your blog that you're a completely lovely person. So I'm checking out to make the world a better place.

All the best to you and your readers.

Bart Hall (Kansas, USA) said...

Hey, at least it was just "oops".

When my oldest was a toddler, I would hear -- from time to time -- an "oops" arising from wherever he happened to be. I'd listen, but it was no big deal.

What got my attention, every time, was "uh-oh". I'm thinking Perry's comment ought to have been "uh-oh".

I like his track record and policies, but in the current environment you have to be halfway articulate as well.

Then again, President Ford made a far worse gaff in the 1976 election -- when he was already down by about 35 points -- and managed to finish within 2 points of Carter.

Perry still has a chance to salvage things. The election is a YEAR away.

jus zis guy y'know said...

"kay, so does anybody have anything relevant to refute my statement, based on life experience, about how that word was pronounced in the old days, at least pre-2000?"

Read my previous comment. I am 45 yrs old, lived in Louisiana and Texas my whole life, and have never heard "oops" pronounced any other way than "moo".

How do they pronounce "loops" in Wisconsin?

edutcher said...

There are all kinds of drawls.

Virginia, for example, is very different from South Carolina or Mississippi.

South Carolina sounds a little more hillbilly (Ah've awlways...), Mississippi is more Mark Twain (...down de ribber). Randolph Scott has a classic Virginia drawl.

Texas is both Southern and Western, so I'm betting it counts where you're from; i.e., Beaumont would say it differently than, say, Lubbock or Dallas.

Carol_Herman said...

"Moops"

I remember learning here that George got into a big fight over the word "moops." On a Seinfeld Show.

RICK PERRY got ahead in this debate regatta.

You can even see this with how people are reacting. Rick Perry got traction! And, he comes off as being WELL QUALIFIED to handle the public role of being president!

Even Letterman's "Ten Best" schtick works out fine, here.

Pastafarian said...

I'm not a big Perry fan, but there are a few things that bother me about this post, Althouse.

First, you frequently deride men as feminine; you use this as a cudgel. I don't understand how you square this with your classically liberal philosophy, as PaddyO points out.

Next, you're cutting this guy shit when he's trying to face up to his gaffe. That's a little annoying, given how difficult it seems to be for you to admit when you make a mistake. Watching you issue a mea culpa is like watching a dog shit peach-pits. Now, it's a somewhat endearing trait, but when you jump all over someone who's trying to own up to their own screw-up...bleccho.

Finally: What makes "oops" with the moo-sound feminine, and "oops" with the foot-sound masculine? Like most commenters who have weighed in, I've almost never heard the foot-sound oops. You've made this assertion that it's a masculine vs. feminine difference, or that the moo sound is a recent development, and it's not just a regional difference; perhaps it's you who should offer up some evidence.

To me, oops with the foot sound seems like a Brooklyn accent.

Are there words that men pronounce one way, and women another? That's new to me.

traditionalguy said...

You nailed Ms Perry. She is the cutest cheerleader.

Give her a break She hasn't memorized the Steve Forbes cheers yet, and they are really hard stuff.

Now Herman's new found "arrogant womanizer" image is frightening the girls while Perry is going all sensitive and cute on us...don't you just love her.

Pastafarian said...

tradguy, when you're trying to push a candidate who's accused of being a womanizing, brutish cad and adulterer, you might not want to insult his opponent by accusing him of being a woman, like that's a bad thing.

It sort of plays right into the whole criticism of Cain, you know?

Joe Schmoe said...

So he's gone from endearing to foot-munching oaf in the span of a few posts, uh? That didn't take long.

Re: how funny the Letterman bit was; I suppose if you think Prairie Home Companion on NPR is high comedy, then you may think the Letterman bit was funny. I didn't. He commits the main comedy amateur error by trying too hard. And Perry's handlers finally did something right for a change by making sure the top 10 list jokes didn't make Perry look too bad or offend any other candidates. As a result, though, the jokes were soft and unfunny.

I'm with Titus. A rather trite episode overall; move on.

Lucius said...

Perry really does deliver the "Top Ten" very well. If that's what it takes to recover, he's well on his way.

But never mind the genderizing of a pronunciation: he came barreling out last night with "three things", as decisive as could be, and then he wilts. It's not purely linguistic. He went from boastful man of action to potty-trainee.

It's not the brain-fart itself; it's the clear proof that policy is just talking-points for him. It's not like Buckley forgetting Waugh's name (I've done the same thing when talking up my own 20th Century literary lion, Muriel Spark).

There are glitches in minds that clearly have the furniture in there, and then there are glitches that are windows into empty rooms. Perry has comic chops. Policy-wise, he's shown us empty rooms.

Joe Schmoe said...

And who gives a shit about the 'oops' thing.

Banshee said...

Short and long oops and oops are regional variants, like short and long roof and roof.

It's not uncommon for someone raised in an area full of vowel mixing (like Texas, or southern Ohio) to use both pronunciations. Sometimes within the same sentence.

BarryD said...

Another reason someone might use two different pronunciations is that a word is not one that he normally uses.

I, personally, only naturally use the word "oops" in a consciously ironic way, in certain conversations where everyone is joking around.

In situations where I am expressing genuine emotions, the words I use wouldn't be acceptable on TV. If I caught myself, I might replace my expletive with "oops", but since it's not a word I use, it would come out however it comes out.

Possibly my favorite funny expletive comes from Team America: the recurring "Jesus T---y F--king Christ!" yelled by most characters in the film at some point.

Anonymous said...

He handled that beautifully - very impressive self deprecation. Doesn't mean I'll vote for him in the primary but I am impressed with his likeability/charm

Pastafarian said...

Suburban, I have heard both versions of roof. Usually roof sounds like "tooth", but occasionally here in Ohio it will sound like "hoof" or "put". Often it will have this "hoof" sound when it's used with a suffix like roofer or roofing.

I don't think women pronounce it one way and men another, though. I'm having trouble coming up with an example of that.

traditionalguy said...

Pasta... I laud Rickie Perry for being sensitive and caring. That's his secret liberal side, and it is very attractive.

I just can't make it balance out with his Texas toughness persona.

In fact Perry cannot make them balance either, and the result is his boyish stage fright that makes us want to protect him...but he is a man, I think.

I just don't have a heart that wants to protect a very powerful career Pay to Play Politician. I want someone to protect me.

PaulV said...

Biden is a hero of the left despite hid Kinnoch plagerism, outright lies about his academic success and rewards and not knowing that VP is an Article 1 office.

pm317 said...

In that Letterman clip, I was more interested in watching how Letterman would 'treat' Perry in the end when he comes to shake hands with the list reader (and he does not do that with lesser mortals). I sensed a bit of disdain in Letterman's manners. Perry as usual was giggling (Brittney Spears' giggle?) with his tail between his legs.

Chip S. said...

Aside from the well-taken points on regionalism, I think that the two pronunciations have different intents. As I hear them used by people w/o strong regional accents, the "moo" pronunciation is a way to signal that the speaker realizes that he has screwed up badly. The "foot" pronunciation is a way of dismissing the alleged screw-up as no big deal. IOW, exactly the way Perry used the two options.

As for this comment...

That's why we shouldn't feel sorry for him...

this ain't your classroom. Reasonable people can reasonably differ on this point.

And @Pastafarian--oh, snap!

MayBee said...

I had trouble understanding this post. I grew up in Michigan and I know I'll say both the long and short version of "oops". I heard it both ways my whole life, and sometimes it comes out one way and sometimes another.
As others have mentioned, it's much like roof. Other words with different pronunciations were "creek" vs "crick", "milk" vs "melk", and Memorial Day vs. Mermorial Day.
When you hear it both ways, you say it both ways.

Luckily, I never fell pray to the dreaded "warsh" your clothes.

Toad Trend said...

Self-deprecation indicates a willingness to be humble.

Humility is a good trait in general. Ask any salesperson. But like any good trait, there is a time and a place.

This was refreshing.

Do liberals ever do this kind of thing? Be self-deprecating, that is?

I think its rare. No surprise that I believe liberals to be the least humble among us. Humility also indicates the ability for self-restraint.

Nothing restrained at all about liberalism.

Humble, restrained, deliberative. All things politics is not.

madAsHell said...

I think we misunderestimate him.

sakredkow said...
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Ann Althouse said...

"It's Wisconsinites that sound a bit off, to us."

If you think I sound like a Wisconsinite, then you are a lot off.

I took one of those accent tests once and was diagnosed with a Philadelphia accent. I've never lived in Philadelphia, but I grew up in Newark, Delaware and Wilmington, Delaware. I've lived in and with New Yorkers enough to have picked up some of that. Though I've been in Wisconsin since 1984, I'm in Madison working with people who are not necessarily from Wisconsin. I don't think I have anything like a Wisconsin accent. I can't even do a plausible imitation of a Wisconsin accent.

Professor Chaos said...

I'm from the South, and I've said oops like moo all my life, certainly before Britney Spears. Oops like foot sounds strange to me -- as strange as saying roof like foot. Neither is more feminine.

Damon said...

Not sure I am tracking the logic on a few of these recent posts. Oo versus oo versus...

Really who gives a damn. I am not particularly find of Perry, but the topping is the conclusion - "But if he doesn't know what he's doing... !!!" Oh geez, a mind blank does not connote that. I really hate to say this, but pathetic analysis.

homo Å“conomicus said...

Just a linguistic point, from a Texan: it's "git in there" not "git it in there." Better yet, "git 'er done."

J said...
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MayBee said...

I've never lived in Philadelphia, but I grew up in Newark, Delaware and Wilmington, Delaware. I've lived in and with New Yorkers enough to have picked up some of that.

So are you saying your accent has changed over time, and you haven't always pronounced words in the same way?

Ann Althouse said...

"Just a linguistic point, from a Texan: it's "git in there" not "git it in there.""

But no one here said "git it in there."

Ann Althouse said...

"I'm not a big Perry fan, but there are a few things that bother me about this post, Althouse. First, you frequently deride men as feminine; you use this as a cudgel. I don't understand how you square this with your classically liberal philosophy..."

I think you are misreading/misremembering. Quote something that exemplifies your charge. I discuss masculinity, and I'm giving Perry a hard time because his usual self-presentation is very masculine, and people seem to like that about him. It's the loss of the basic image that is embarrassing.

As for feminine men, I think you'll find many examples over the years of my writing this blog of my being enthusiastic about males with a feminine presentation, for example, Adam Lambert on "American Idol" and Austan on "Project Runway." I love Pee-Wee Herman and Tiny Tim. Those pop into my head, but I am just positive you can't pin that charge on me. I dare you to come up with real material to support your attack. I love all locations on the gender continuum. What I choose to mock/criticize is something quite different.

My men in shorts problem is all about men looking like overgrown children, and I will make exceptions for characters like Mondo who do some interesting commentary on masculinity through short-wearing.

"Finally: What makes "oops" with the moo-sound feminine, and "oops" with the foot-sound masculine?"

It's a schoolgirl affectation to say "oops" the way he did at the debate. It's dumb however you say it, but it's especially evocative of the schoolgirl when said the Britney way.

What I'm calling the old-fashioned way to say it is possibly not well expressed with the comparison to "foot." Someone linked to Bill Cosby saying "oops" in the 1960s. I appreciate that. I find that consistent with the old style. The Britney way of saying it is more exaggerating in the "ooh" department.

sakredkow said...
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J said...

Guilty of unmanly pronunciation, according to Judge Galthouse. Wow.

Anyway it was probably due to the mormon-scientologist gremlins flying around Mittler the Magician's head. Perry's got issues (his ...lame economic policies) but he or...someone should ask something like...are members of masonic-occult organizations (ie, the LDS) even allowed to run for office in the USA?

JQ Adams would have said "No".

ricpic said...

Well, it's nice that Perry has charm; it would be nicer still if he was committed to a fence. But he ain't.

Matt said...

I actually appreciate Perry taking the comedy route because that is his only way out. At least he seems like he can own up to his gaffe and not take himself too seriously. That's a plus - even if his politics are not to my liking.

But I'm not so sure about the 'oops' being said like Britney therefore he is not so masculine - or shows a girly side. That's a stretch.

Having seen Perry in a couple speeches he seems to have an awkwardly playful demeanor that maybe undermines the kind of image a Texas Governor is supposed to have. Or an image you think he is supposed to have.

Shanna said...

I loved Paul in the debate, leaning over to help Perry.

I kind of loved that too. It's like, hey, we're all on the same side here right? They had a good raport.

I thought the Cain one was funny and also the one about not being able to concentrate with Romney smiling at him. Heh!

I still like Perry but he doesn't seem to be able to really get his shit together in this campaign.

ken in tx said...

How do you pronounce PUSH? The dictionary says it is supposed to be pronounced POOSH. I have lived all over the US and in three foreign countries and never heard anyone pronounce it that way.

I thought Thai was the only language that had different pronunciations for men and women.

BTW, if I hang around someone, I will start talking like them unintentionally. I have been accused of mocking people because of this.

ricpic said...

Which is correct: if he was or if he were?

Peter Hoh said...

There's nothing recent about "oops" pronounced so that it rhymes with "dupes."

I grew up with "oops" pronounced that way. It's short for "oopsidaisy," isn't it?

LordSomber said...

Is there any overlap between the Texas and Midwest accents?

Do y'all say "ruff" for "roof"?

Curious.

bagoh20 said...

Does anyone discuss the policy or ideology of candidates anymore. Is this just another American Idol show, besides this stuff is boring and stupid. Week after week of it, like it's written by a reality show producer.

As people like to say: Up your game.

Paddy O said...

Shouldn't we factor poo into this discussion somehow?

Poop and pup aren't pronounced the same. If something is poopy, it doesn't sound like it is relating to a young dog.

Which brings us to Scooby Doo, who said usually said "ruh-roh", but had he ever said oops would have said it in Britney fashion.

Though, as we all know, Scooby (rhymes with moo) was a coward always running away from ghosts and such, and since cowardice is a weakness, it must be a feminine trait.

J said...
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traditionalguy said...

The dual nature Rick Perry shows in the debates leads you to wonder how genuine his Tough Texan Reformer persona will be when he is given a new gig selling influence in DC instead of selling it in Texas.

It's a trust issue. Should we trust the cute and sweet Ricky Cheerleader to do what is real reform or will he do what he sees as the more compassionate way the Federal Government should be doing things?

So far he seems not to be interested in reform because he can't remember it.

J said...

slang---the grunt of the human hog (Bierce)

Northerners generally win the rhetoric battles now. That wasn't always the case--however un PC --or reckless-- RE Lee, J.Davis, Breckinridge were, they were powerful orators as were many southern politicians (indeed Breck. won the West from Dishonest Abe and Douglas)


Not that the average Attorneyette knows f**k about history, like B.A. ("Before Allred")

Nora said...

I don't think that being imperfect harts candidates as much as all kind of analysts would want us to think.

I don't understand how come you point Perry's easy fun making skills and do not allow that his girly "oops" was attempt at making fun of himself.

edutcher said...

Pasta, tg is a Ronulan.

ricpic said...

Well, it's nice that Perry has charm; it would be nicer still if he was committed to a fence. But he ain't.

Perry's right. A 2000 mile fence is a joke.

Astro said...

Where I grew up near Y-town Ohio, you could hear both pronunciations depending on which part of town the speaker was from. Likewise for words like roof; for some the oo was sounded like foot (almost like ruff), for others (i.e, those of us from the more intelligent side of town) it was sounded like the oo in moo.
And believe me, there is no part of Y-town that could be described as 'girly'.

Jose_K said...

Hey that guy in the space helmet looks like Rick Perry!)

And Britney is republican

Peano said...

How do you explain Perry's use of 2 different pronunciations?

Why do you think it requires an explanation? (Especially since your criticism of his pronunciation is demonstrably incorrect.)

We might as well ask why you called him "girlish" three times in one post.

I think the entire post is explained by this.

Peano said...

It's a schoolgirl affectation to say "oops" the way he did at the debate.

Nice try, Althorse, but unfortunately the dictionary doesn't support your point of view.

Peano said...

I can't even do a plausible imitation of a Wisconsin accent.

Can you do a plausible imitation of a law professor?

traditionalguy said...

Edutcher...I am not a Ron Paul believer.

In fact, I have stated here for years that Paul is a slimy, lying cult leader selling mind destroying John Birch Society Doctrines. I even got Crack to do a double take on that.

But I sincerely do not trust Perry, because a man who sells out to the highest bidder will always sell me out sooner or later.

Perry is a talented heart string player, which has always been a liberal tactic, but Perry is no John Wayne.

We need a very smart man with conservative principles and a leadership skill set necessary for the days of chaos up ahead.

Ann Althouse said...

"There's nothing recent about "oops" pronounced so that it rhymes with "dupes.""

I agree, but the Britney pronunciation goes beyond that.

Imagine "dupes" written as "doops." It's the difference people are trying to depict when they respell "stupid" as "stoopid." You hear the difference I'm trying to point out?

Peter Hoh said...

You mean the elongation of the vowel sound? That's how I pronounce "stoopid" when I read it.

Paul Kirchner said...

It's a schoolgirl affectation to say "oops" the way he did at the debate.

I agree. That was my reaction when I heard it live. He reminded me of one of my daughters putting on her cute act when she screwed up.

Perry's right. A 2000 mile fence is a joke.

I don't know, it could be that "shovel ready" project Obama was looking for and couldn't find. It would make more economic sense than high-speed rail boondoggles. We'd probably farm it out to the Chinese, like the San Francisco-Oakland Bridge, though.

Unknown said...

Althouse --

"It's a schoolgirl affectation to say "oops" the way he did at the debate."

No, it is not. You're pulling this out of your ass.

AllenS said...

I don't think I have anything like a Wisconsin accent. I can't even do a plausible imitation of a Wisconsin accent.

Yah, vell, checkin my Sven & Ole's Dictionery of Wisconsin's Pronunciations, under oops, I see dat day say "say it anyvay dat ya vant to."

You need to get out of Madison more often, Professor. Try going up nort.

AllenS said...

Deer hunting is coming up shortly. I'm hoping to shoot da turty-point buck dis year.

AllenS said...

Checking again on my Sven & Ole's Dictionery of Wisconsin's Pronunciations, I see that "thirty-point" is pronounced two different ways. Around here it's turty-point, but north of Highway 8 it's pronounced turdy-point. So there's that.