The movie “Get Rich or Die Trying” has been in the news a lot recently, mainly because of fights and shootings that have taken place at theaters.
When television and radio news anchors reporters mention the movie, they pronounce the star’s name, “Fifty Cent,” as “Fiddycent.” On the 11:00 news here in Cleveland, the white blonde female anchor said “Fiddycent” as if she was a Compton native. It all reminds me of the trend in the 1980s and 1990s when reporters pronounced Spanish-based words and names as if they were native Spanish speakers, for instance the infamous “Nee-cah-LAH-goo-wah” on NPR.
So, is there a style guide that states that “Fifty Cent” must be pronounced as “Fiddycent”, in an AAVE accent, even when the speaker is whiter than a sheet of polar ice?
Hell, that’s nothing. Remember the initial coverage of the Iraq war?
Blond newsbabe: In other news, we’ve had a report today that Sa-DDAM Hussein has been sighted near Kirkuk. Secretary Rumsfeld refused to corroborate this report, saying that he cannot comments on efforts to capture Sa-DDAM Hussein.
If they broadcast the news in HDTV, you probably would’ve been able to see the spittle flying out of their mouths.
How does this rapper himself pronounce his name? Standard journalist style is to pronounce as the person themself does? And most blacks I have known, even those who grew up in black neighborhoods, would prounounce fifty the standard English way.
I was going to say it’s because they’re giving legitamacy to Ebonics, but really, I guess, it’s just because that’s his name as he chooses to pronounce it.
It would be insulting not too, if you know how he pronounces it.
I’m sure we all ran into this, for example people who spell their name Stephan, might prenounce it as it’s spelled or as Steven. If you don’t know then it would be OK to use either, but once you know, you use the one he uses.
Isn’t “fiddy” just “fifty” in an AAVE accent? If you’re all right, and I should be pronouncing people’s names in the accent that they use, would that mean I should pronounce EVERY black person’s name in in AAVE accent? Has Fifty Cent ever said “Man, you crackers are gettin’ it wrong! It’s fiddy, not fifty!”
Would this apply to non-AAVE accents, too? Would Bob from Long Island be called “Bo-awb?” Would Fran from Rochester be called “Free-hann?”
[QUOTE=elmwood]
Isn’t “fiddy” just “fifty” in an AAVE accent? If you’re all right, and I should be pronouncing people’s names in the accent that they use, would that mean I should pronounce EVERY black person’s name in in AAVE accent?
[QUOTE]
Not all African-Americans speak AAVE. Most I know speak colloquial Midwest American English. And, not all blacks are African-Americans. I know multiple blacks that are Afrricans that are resident aliens living in the US. One Zambian woman I know has an accent closer to that of London, England than the folks who live in the hood downtown.
It may be worth noting that Eminem (who, I believe, “discovered” 50 Cent and brought him to the attention of producer Dr. Dre) pretty clearly refers to him as “Fifty” in his song “Like Toy Soldiers.” I don’t know how he refers to him in everyday speech.
But does anybody call him fifty cents? I probably would if I ever had any reason to speak his name out loud. But then, I also mentally correct Simon & Garfunkel in the song where they sing “I wish I was homeward bound” instead of “I wish I were homeward bound.”
I thought it had something to do with a South Park episode where something cost tree fiddy? and it so fifty became fiddy, whenever referenced in the media?
Not only not insulting, but customary amongst journalists. Particularly since standard English would pronounce his name “fifty cent”, if you are going to say it “fiddy”, you’d better have a good explanation why.