Sk not Sh

If you are reporting on a news story or any story for that matter, isn't it incumbent upon the newsreaders to ask how to pronounce foreign words?  With the tragic cruise ship disaster this past weekend, there has been a plethora of mispronounced words.  Wouldn't you think with the much maligned and mocked Jennifer Lopez movie that the newsreaders could pronounce Giglio correctly?  No, that is too much too ask.  I heard the anchor on WABC say off the shore of Geelio. (Should be Jeelio) Come on, really?  Couldn't you ask if you weren't certain?  Couldn't you use your Google translator?  And then horrors upon horrors....Ann Curry co-host of the Today Show began the broadcast today with the English translation between the ship's Captain and the coast guard.  The Captain's name is Schettino which in Italian is pronounced Skettino not Shettino.  It's like bruschetta which is wildly mispronounced by order takers and orderers alike in America.  That, too, is pronounced brewsketta not brewshetta. So, producers everywhere help your "talent" get it right. Help them pronounce proper nouns correctly.  There are no excuses anymore with the world just a keypad away.

And while I am on the subject...Ann Curry.  Ann Curry replaced Meredith Vieira as Matt Lauer's co-host on the Today Show.  She was the newsreader and substitute host for years.  I like Ann Curry, but she is out of her element.  Being both a serious news person and a funny, spontaneous ad libber is not her strength.  There is a definite level of discomfort and sometimes phoniness.  I don't know what the ratings are for the new CBS Early Show with Charlie Rose and Gayle King, but I would be worried if I were NBC and the Today Show producers.  My finger is itching to switch and it may just happen.  

Sidebars:  Big surprise that Paula Deen has diabetes.  Lots of criticism about her holding the news for three years and still making her cheese and bacon burger between krispy kreme doughnuts and the like.  I love Paula, but no one could be surprised that if you eat what she makes on any regular basis that your health would suffer. Glee was much better than the Christmas episode.  A little bit moving even. Royal Pains begins again tonight, as does American Idol. Enjoy the snow Washington State. 

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