From Persian Insults to a Foreign Language Films

The first part of Patrick Cox's radio show was a disturbing Persian insult by a high ranking official, the Iranian President. He used a crude expression while welcoming high ranking people from Tehran.  This type of language is not  used in public and created a public uproar. He said that "the bogeyman snatched the boob." This is something the Iranians say when they have missed out on business opportunities or when nursing moms stop breast feeding. The reason he used such crude language was so he could seem more down-to-earth so that the crowd could relate better to him. In order to do so, he was trying to speak in a more casual manner.

The next part of the radio show discussed a remote community whose lifestyle is being threatened by global warming.These people live an ancient lifestyle. They hunt in kayaks, use harpoons, and travel by dog sleds. The poeple of Inuit are the last hunter-gatherers left. The population ranges from 70-1,000 people. Herbert, an anthropologist, is going to study their culture and live their way of life for a year. He will eat what they eat, things such as sea mammals and Arctic cod. He is not the first one to observe the oral culture of these people. The difference is that he will record their culture in their own language, not Danish. This is to help preserve their way of life as a result of global warming. If an iceburg lands on the Greenland coast, they will have to alter their lifestyle.

Another part of the show was a discussion about foreign language films in the U.S. They used to be huge hits but not anymore. In order for a foreign film to be considered a gold standard, it must clear 1million dollars. The last film shown in the U.S was a drama about a Palestinian community and that only made $600,000. The reason for this is that there is too much competion in the movie industry. You have to give people a reason to watch these films. Typically if a film is released in New York and gets a good review, it will be shown elsewhere. To be successful, it must be a good movie.

To end the radio show, Patrick talked to a language nerd. Hindu people use words with very different meanings to say the same thing. For example, depending upon the verbs used, yesterday and tomorrow can mean the same thing. Apparently it is very easy to get lost because "go straight" and "turn right" are the same word.