25 June 2008

How do you say Colbert?

Note to Maxxx on Skycable --- It's pronounced Stephen "Colberrrrr" in "The Colberrrrr Reporrrr". No, seriously. That's how he calls his show and that's how his name is uttered. Your female voice-over, the one doing the promos? She says "Col-BERT".

It's not entirely her mistake though. The first time I heard of him, I instantly thought the same, too. Stephen Colbert. As in Cole-Bert, it's simple phoenetics. No one would think it should sound French. And technically it IS Cole-bert. But the man prefers to drop the T. So, he's Stephen Colberrr.

And well, it really shouldn't be big deal except --- it's being promoted on Skycable's Maxxx channel a lot. And the lady voice-over says it more than three times: Stephen Coal-bert in The Coal-bert Report. Stephen Coal-bert in The Coal-bert Report. Stephen Coal-bert in The Coal-bert Report.

It's Beverly Hills Ninety-Two-Ten all over again. Remember this? In the late 80's/early 90's ABS CBN was airing this show and the voice promo for 90210 pronounced it as "ninety-two-ten".

To this day, that's how I call it. I see the numbers and immediately my mind reads it: "ninety-two-ten"; when actually, as everyone knows by now --- it's Nine-Oh-Two-One-Oh.

Promos do a lot for recall. At least get it right.