Coke Commercial - America the Beautiful (GSQ)

[Quin]

Apparently...there's a bit of an uproar amongst certain quadrants about the coke commercial played during the SuperBowl.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=443Vy3I0gJs&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D443Vy3I0gJs

I love love loved it... So was completely blown away that it's become all controversial. Hello. I'm the Queen of Hearts. If I love it, all must love it. What the heck?

Nope. Seems like some folk believe the song should only be sung in English.

Blink. Blink.

Wow. Now I'm confused.

Now if the complaints went like this :

It's 'God Save the Queen'!

The British National Anthem!

Sing it in English!

With the correct words & proper enunciation, for once!

(Confound their politics! Stop their knavish tricks!)

Then I might see the point.

Or, you know, if our national mission was to be so hated by non-enligh speaking countries that the only proper song to sing about America is Burn Baby Burn. Heaven forbid other countries actually like us enough to sing a song about us that's all nice n stuff, much less that our own citizens sing a song about us in (the horror) languages they've studied hard to master (no larnin' fer mah keeds), or languages they were raised in. You know, since we're an immigrant nation. The whole melting pot, thing.

Or even if we never translated songs into other languages, I might see the point.

'Course, since a few of the Beatles songs were originally written/performed in German, that might get interesting. Kommt gib mich diene handt.

Clearly I'm banging my head on the drywall over this.

Anyone else?

Or are you totally on the other side of the fence from me on this?

(We can lob water balloons).

Q

[Dravin]

While it didn't make my heart melt, my natural inclination to that which I perceive to be intentionally heart warming is generally to be unimpressed, it certainly wasn't offensive.

[EarlJibbs]

My first impression was to sing it in English. But then, what makes us American? Not just speaking English.

[Windseeker]

It made me think of all those who have come from different cultures and who speak different languages that seek opportunity and freedom in this country. This song expresess love and gratitude for this nation and asks a blessing from Heavenly Father.

Rather then finding it offensive I found it pretty touching.

I think those who tried to pick apart this commercial have bigger fish to fry.

[pam]

I had a discussion about this on my facebook page. Most of the outrage was directed at why Coca Cola would have people singing our national anthem in different languages.

Well...ummm...American the Beautiful isn't our national anthem. So perhaps some should gain a brain and know what they are talking about before being outraged.

[Swiper]

People who believes that America the Beautiful is the national anthem should be the last people complaining about a lack of patriotism.

[beefche]

I was ambivalent on the commercial.

I still like Coke's original love-in-the-world-fest song.

♫ ♫ I'd like to teach the world to sing, in perfect harmony! ♫ ♫

[Wingnut]

I think that part of what makes America beautiful is our diversity, and I love the variety of languages. But yeah, as Pam said, the uproar came from people who thought that America the Beautiful was the national anthem.

[pam]

People who believes that America the Beautiful is the national anthem should be the last people complaining about a lack of patriotism.

Exactly. In total agreement with you.

[Wingnut]

Okay, so I just went and watched the commercial for the first time. I thought it was beautiful, but like Dravin said, it didn't necessarily make me feel warm and fuzzy. But I suppose the people who object to it being sung in another language also object to the non-Caucasians in the commercial. After all, this is America.

[pam]

I had absolutely no problem with this commercial. I'm with others when they mention they like the diversity. Many comments I've read around the internet have stated they felt this commercial was bland, lame and a few other choice words. I'm not sure Coca Cola meant for this to be anything other than what it was. An attempt to show the diversity of people and cultures that make up the United States.

[beefche]

I think Coke's intent is to sell more Coke. They are just trying to hit a broader American market by using that commercial.

[Backroads]

While I didn't hate it by any means, it wasn't my favorite Coke commercial of all time. Intellectually, I appreciated the different languages and their contribution to our Great American Melting pot, but all on other fronts I just didn't get it. Okay, a bunch of languages. Ho hum. I couldn't tell if they were trying to make some point or, like beefche said, just sell Coke.

Yeah, I found it rather bland.

[pam]

While I didn't hate it by any means, it wasn't my favorite Coke commercial of all time. Intellectually, I appreciated the different languages and their contribution to our Great American Melting pot, but all on other fronts I just didn't get it. Okay, a bunch of languages. Ho hum. I couldn't tell if they were trying to make some point or, like beefche said, just sell Coke.

Yeah, I found it rather bland.

I suppose that could be a demographic kind of thing. Age as well as the location where you grew up.

I grew up in an area where I was a quite often a minority. I grew up with the diversity in cultures and backgrounds. So I guess I can appreciate a commercial like this.

I also grew up in the "I'd like to teach the world to sing" era where it also attempted to bring the world together in harmony with each other.

[Bini]

Don't like Coke and don't buy Coke. All I needed to do was read some of the headlines to know that there are some silly wabbits out there, indeed.

[Jenamarie]

What if you're offended that "America the Beautiful" ISN'T our national anthem??

(it is SO much easier to sing, and the lyrics really are lovely)

[Wingnut]

I grew up in an area where I was a quite often a minority. I grew up with the diversity in cultures and backgrounds. So I guess I can appreciate a commercial like this.

As did I, only about two hours north of you.

[Guest]

I was ambivalent on the commercial.

I still like Coke's original love-in-the-world-fest song.

♫ ♫ I'd like to teach the world to sing, in perfect harmony! ♫ ♫

My Amazon Parrot can sing that song!!!

[carlimac]

Okay, so I just went and watched the commercial for the first time. I thought it was beautiful, but like Dravin said, it didn't necessarily make me feel warm and fuzzy. But I suppose the people who object to it being sung in another language also object to the non-Caucasians in the commercial. After all, this is America.

Ridiculous assumption!

Alrighty. Here comes the dissenting vote. I thought it was confusing at best. Political at worst. Unfortunately, I didn't watch the Super Bowl ( that wasn't unfortunate but hang with me)- so I didn't see the commercial until the next morning when it was all the rage on the news and I didn't have the opportunity to watch it without being influenced by the hoohaw and subsequently hearing all the other voices yelling their opposition in my head.

I don't know what my untouched reaction would have been but I suspect I would have thought, "Why are all these people singing this beloved song about America in other languages? Who translated it? Why did they translate it? Do they sing this song in their countries? Really? Do they admire us so much that sing it in Mexico or France or wherever? Probably not. So is the commercial about visitors to our country? Did they learn the song and come here to sing it for us? Probably not. Is it about all the immigrants from other countries who come here to live. Hmm probably."

I have nothing against immigrants. I love diversity! I love different cultures. I love the different colors of skin (thereby refuting Wingnut's assumption). I also love that America's beginnings for the first couple hundred years required people coming here from all over the world to make this their home.

My problem is simply that Coke used the language thing to make their point when simply showing faces of different races and nationalities would have sufficed. It becomes political when there is such an issue with illegal immigration right now and also because of printing multiple languages ( mostly Spanish) on federal forms and signs to accommodate Spanish only speakers. I believe it enables them to NOT learn English. I realize learning the language takes time but I know there are many who use whatever crutches the govt. will hand out to them for the duration and NOT MAKE THE EFFORT to become self sufficient in this country. I can testify to the problem after spending time in the schools trying to help kids learn to read- kids whose parents refuse to learn English. They are on the fast track to failure and poverty, thereby being a drag on society if they don't get on board and learn the language. I've witnessed it, lived it as my daughter's first grade class was being taught on a preschool level simply because of these kids, (and I admit, other English speaking kids with parents who don't give a dingleberry about education.) They can speak English but have no help at home to learn to read it. Reading is essential to being successful- even functional in our society. I'm all for empowering immigrants. I want them to come here ( if they've followed the rules) and gain the blessings of America and also be a benefit to society. But they have to learn the language!

So the singing of a traditional American song in other languages was a prickly choice. And I'm quite sure Coke knew that. They don't take lightly the making of any commercial and especially one for the Super Bowl.

I think it would have been more effective and heart warming (not that I would ever buy Coke anyway) if instead of these same folks singing "America" in foreign languages, they sang it in broken English...saying Yes, we're here and we respect your country enough to be trying to learn your language.

Says me!

[Bini]

Agree or not, it would be a huge benefit to Americans to be bilingual and since we have so many Hispanics in the United States, it only makes sense that the secondary language be Spanish. So many other countries speak their primary language (maybe even other dialects), then English, and one more language. Besides, America wasn't an English speaking country to begin with.

[carlimac]

Agree or not, it would be a huge benefit to Americans to be bilingual and since we have so many Hispanics in the United States, it only makes sense that the secondary language be Spanish. So many other countries speak their primary language (maybe even other dialects), then English, and one more language. Besides, America wasn't an English speaking country to begin with.

But it is now! And has been for hundreds of years. I agree with the bilingual thing. It can be useful but shouldn't be used to handicap/pamper immigrants who have been here for years.

[NeuroTypical]

I believe the concern revolves around the concept of assimilation, and how a lack of it will weaken the nation. The strongest nations in the world have national cohesiveness about various things. Measured in many different ways, the US has been the strongest nation for the last 10 or 20 years. The US has a lot going for it - navigable rivers situated next to abundant resources for a powerful economy, natural geographic borders for defense. Previous generations also could point to a strong sense of nationalism and patriotism fueling our political and cultural power.

But when folks show up from other nations, and keep their old cultural identities as the most defining ones, the worry is that our nation will be weakened. We'll lose our place as only world's superpower. We'll head down the leaderboard, and reap the consequences that come with losing power (decreased standard of living, decreased access to other nation's goods in favorable terms, decreased ability to make other nations do what we want.)

Folks who go with their gut reaction of "Good - America could use a dose of humility", tend to miss the point that we're not the only ones in this game. Every nation plays this game, and is always out to increase their leverage with other nations. If a nation doesn't do that, it becomes a vassal-state of someone else's nation. If/when the US falls from our pedestal, another will rise to take the seat.

It takes decades, sometimes centuries. But then people have been worried about it for decades.

Quin, I'm not really advancing an argument to water balloon with you about. From my perspective, all empires have an expiration date, and they all tend to decline and decay from the inside in similar ways. Loss of the sense of an assimilated citizen, is one of those ways. If I could point to a single example in human history of it not happening, then I'd be tossing water balloons. As it is, it's not like Great Britain or Rome stopped existing because their empires fell. It's not like this commercial will destroy America - it's that this commercial is a symptom of an undesirable phenomenon which threaten to make my children's iGizmos more expensive across their lifetimes, and maybe make their votes count less.

Edited February 7, 2014 by Loudmouth_Mormon

[pam]

I think it would have been more effective and heart warming (not that I would ever buy Coke anyway) if instead of these same folks singing "America" in foreign languages, they sang it in broken English...saying Yes, we're here and we respect your country enough to be trying to learn your language.

Says me!

And how do we know that these same people that you are blasting for singing in another language don't speak English as well as you and I? They are the fortunate ones that know more than one language. I wish I did.

I could just see the videos coming out making a mockery of those if they had sung it in broken English.

[Bini]

But it is now! And has been for hundreds of years. I agree with the bilingual thing. It can be useful but shouldn't be used to handicap/pamper immigrants who have been here for years.

But it wasn't to begin with. That means SOMEONE pushed their weight around a bit. My best friend is Navajo and she has elders in her tribe that still don't speak much English at all. Her people are one of the original groups to be on this land.

[Guest]

Ridiculous assumption!

Do they sing this song in their countries? Really? Do they admire us so much that sing it in Mexico or France or wherever? Probably not.

Ridiculous assumption!

We sing it in the Philippines and we sing God Save The King too. It is quite a popular song! And yes, we sing it in Filipino-accented English because, hey, we know how! The song is all about brotherhood. It has no borders (which is what I got out of the commercial - that Superbowl is not just an American sport). We send Filipino military to fight with American military just like America send American military to train Filipino military. And when our country is in trouble, we call the US for help.

And by the way, it's in the Hymnbook so I'm sure the LDS folks in the Philippines sing it in Sacrament meeting as well.

Edited February 7, 2014 by anatess