Sam’s bunch of Cretans
One day, Dr Mumbo will tire of reading complaints to the Ad Standards Board, but not just yet.
It would seem that even Sam Kekovich isn’t beyond the public’s reproach.
Some people feel it’s unfair to poke fun at the people of Crete, or Cretans, as some would know them.
The complainant’s problem:
“My son who was born with hypothyroidism could easily have become a “cretin” and we both cringe every time we hear the term used in a manner such as the advertisement featuring Sam Kekovich. I turn the channel every time I hear his voice just so I cannot listen to him use the word “cretin”.
I am sure other sufferers would feel the same. Sam Kekovich may as well have said ‘spastic’.”
The ASB ruled: “The Board noted that in the advertisement, Sam refers to, and comments on, many different European nationalities and in one scene refers to people from Crete as ‘Cretans’. The Board considered the complaint that the word used was ‘cretins’ and that this was an offensive remark to those with a particular disability. The Board noted the similarity of ‘cretin’ and ‘Cretan’ and considered that in this instance, the complainant had misheard the word.
The real problem is that ignorant Americans wrongly pronounce the word cretin with emhasis on the ‘e’ as in eel not as in egg as it should be. Americans don’t seem to know or care that they use an incorrect pronunciation for many words. Sam has obviously used the American pronunciation coming out as ‘cretan’ and while it has not been used that way in Australia very much it can be heard on some American TV programs.
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Peter – that’s a long bow there. nothing about americans even mentioned. the real problem is with the ad. it’s not funny and does more for Sam than it does for lamb. a pale imitation of previoius attempts.
But since you made a lazy accusation, please, indulge us with examples of American shows mispronouncing cretin.
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every year an ad about eating lamb on Aus day yet no actual reason as to why we should
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