Cultural imperialism

[threemonkeys]

There is a long running ad on tv about host responsibility. A bloke stops his mate from drinking and driving. The thing is, way back this ad used the phrase "you're a bit pissed" to convey intoxication. But I notice that the ad had been changed so now the bloke says "you're tanked". Why the change? I know the American usage of "pissed" is different to the one we use locally. But this is a local ad, so I don't see the need to change the wording. Unless, this is another piece of language which is being colonised by american english. Unlike some, this type of language drift does not annoy me all that much in principle - languages change - but I would like it to be other than one way traffic. In this case I did think that is was a usage that was going in the other direction. You hardly ever hear "pissed" used to mean "annoyed" on american tv any more. In fact I think you are more likely to hear "pissed off". So, I wonder what is going on here with this change to the ad - am I wrong about this word?

Comments

[editormum.livejournal.com]

Possibly it's more of a censorship issue? Tanked is less offensive than pissed. Yes, tanked is Americanism, but it conveys the same message with less offense. Possibly.

[catsluvdmb.livejournal.com]

No, people say pissed to mean angry all the time in the States.

"Man I'm pissed at that asshole!"

"You wanna make me pissed?"

etc etc etc

Some British slang has found its way over to the States as well.

[threemonkeys.livejournal.com]

Oh well, so much for that hope. Still I'm glad the flow is two way.

[threemonkeys.livejournal.com]

Perhaps. Maybe somebody complained. I didn't even consider that because the usage in the ad seemed pretty inoffensive to me and appropriate in the context of a few blokes drinking beer at a barbecue. If Toyota can say "bugger" a dozen times in an ad then I don't see the problem with this.

[cat-i-th-adage.livejournal.com]

There is a linguistic theory that the habit of ending sentences on a high pitch, even when they aren't a question (So we went over to the shop? The one with the yellow awning? And it was cute?), began in New Zealand.

What have we done to the world?

[littenz.livejournal.com]

The good old high rising terminal.
That is not an NZ original exported to the world. Socio-linguistically it's a deference thing, which has been carried across to normal speech patterns. Says add things about some parts of NZ psyche.

[threemonkeys.livejournal.com]

The rising terminal has become more common in the english speaking world in recent times though. So, while we didn't originate it, there is an argument that we have increased its usage. By "we" of course I mean Peter Jackson et al.

[cat-i-th-adage.livejournal.com]

Out of curiosity, what research are you two basing your flat negatives on?

I heard the theory in a phonetics class, from the professor.

[threemonkeys.livejournal.com]

Research ha! Like so much of my knowledge these days, I got what information I have from an interview on Kim Hill's programme on saturday mornings.