Does anyone besides me find this horrifying?

[LisaPeace]

I noticed today that at the TCC library, there was a big poster from the Oklahoma Library Assn. Literacy Initiative. that had a picture of Toby Keith on it and the slogan "Read Y'all!".  I thought it was so freakish that our state is using this slogan to promote LITERACY that I took a photo of it on my phone and showed it to my 6th grade son.  His response?  "Oh yeah, they have posters like that in our library at school".  

Here's the website: Read Y'All!

[RecycleMichael]

Completely embarrassing.

[CoffeeBean]

I had the same reaction.

[kylieosu]

Wow...That's just sad.

[bucuo]

Y'all need to lighten up........[]

[sgrizzle]

Scott Carter, former PR director at Oklahoma County's Metropolitan Library System came up with the Read Y'all slogan. "The theme works on a number of levels," Carter said. "It's an inclusive slogan and it's in a Southern slang that is comfortable to Oklahomans. It dispels the myth that reading is only for the elite. Some people see it as tongue-in-cheek. However they see it, most people have a good feeling about the project."

[dsjeffries]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

Scott Carter, former PR director at Oklahoma County's Metropolitan Library System came up with the Read Y'all slogan. "The theme works on a number of levels," Carter said. "It's an inclusive slogan and it's in a Southern slang that is comfortable to Oklahomans. It dispels the myth that reading is only for the elite. Some people see it as tongue-in-cheek. However they see it, most people have a good feeling about the project."

Oh wrighte, I forgott, only them-thar elites kin reed. [xx(][B)][xx(][B)][] God save us.

[waterboy]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

Scott Carter, former PR director at Oklahoma County's Metropolitan Library System came up with the Read Y'all slogan. "The theme works on a number of levels," Carter said. "It's an inclusive slogan and it's in a Southern slang that is comfortable to Oklahomans. It dispels the myth that reading is only for the elite. Some people see it as tongue-in-cheek. However they see it, most people have a good feeling about the project."

I agree with Carter. Its harmless.

[Ed W]

Where I grew up, it would be, "Hey! Yunz need readin'!"

The juxtaposition of an imperative message with a homey colloquial expression is meant to convey humor, creating as it does a kind of homespun cognitive dissonance that ordinarily results in laughter as the intended audience reacts to that implied inner conflict.

Of course, when you have to esplain it, it's not funny anymore.

[tulsasignnazi]

Oh, the horror!  Whatever.  Forget it.[][]

[TheArtist]

I actually find it repugnant. One can only hope they have done their homework. I would like to see the marketing studies that came up with this idea and showed it would work.

Hmm... and the Chair of the committee setting this up is named Buffy? We are doomed. She probably thought that WAS proper english.

[Daniel Wright]

Most 6th graders would have gone with
I can haz Reazingz!!@!!1111 LOL!!!11111

Consider ourselves lucky Toby Keith was all we ended up with.

[TulsaSooner]

I was equally horrified by the 'Say No to Drugs' campaign of the 80's.

I mean, I'm nearly 40 years old now and drugs have never asked me anything!

[patric]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

Scott Carter, former PR director at Oklahoma County's Metropolitan Library System came up with the Read Y'all slogan. "The theme works on a number of levels," Carter said. "It's an inclusive slogan and it's in a Southern slang that is comfortable to Oklahomans. It dispels the myth that reading is only for the elite.

I wonder how Carter would assess the "Read a Book" video's inclusiveness of popular black culture these days?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rN2VqFPNS8w&feature=related

(turn the volume down if you are at work or have youngsters nearby)

[cannon_fodder]

Horrible.

Slang has a place in the world.  But generally one would wish a child or other illiterate would learn to use proper English and maybe even grammar before endeavoring to supplant slang into their vernacular.  Why would you want to start out speaking poorly and later try to correct it?

Why not:  "Yo you be readin" or any other improper slang that part of our society would be comfortable with?  Is redneck or souther drawl now the official language of Oklahoma?

Clearly it is not the end of the world, but to promote literacy with poor English is just a bad decision.  If that is the level of literacy we're shooting for it's no wonder our education continues to lag.  

Of course, if I thought for a second that the posters would get even a small percentage of people to read I'd be OK with it - but they wont.  No one is going to enter a literacy program because Toby Keith says "Ya'll" on a poster.