... I wonder if I am the only woman in America who is bothered by the Tampax box saying "absorbentes internos" and "applicateur" along with those same words in English?
I wonder why it bothers me.
But it does.
Yet not all the time.
But today, yes.
Perhaps I should be pleased. It may serve me well to one day to know the meaning of such phrases as "para la mejor proteccion y mayor comodidad, elija la combinacion de absorbencias adecuada a su flujo" or "fibres qui absorbent naturellement pour aider a bien retenir le fluide".
Good lord I'm arrogant.
UPDATE TO RESPOND TO COMMENTS
When I wrote that, I was in the zone where I'm bothered because I don't think any other language than English is necessary for products used here in America.
See? I told you. Arrogant. Over the top arrogant.
It's not just the language on the tampon box that bothers me. I just happened to notice it on my tampon box the day I wrote about it. That's what brought it to the forefront of my mind and from there to here.
Another instance the need to print in multiple languages bothers me is in instruction manuals. It makes those manuals four or five times as long as they really need to be. It's not always easy to find the English. Wah.
That's how one part of me feels. Sometimes.
Then there's the other part of me. The part that feels it's necessary, important and encouraging for America be more internationally accessible.
That's how the other part of me feels. Sometimes.
9 comments:
Okay...you can't tell us you are bothered and not tell us specifically why? Com'on... I'd truly like to know and I don't want to argue or pick a fight. I'm just curious :)
By the way, you write I am a tough one. At first, I was like, yeah, I am ...and then I'm like, huh? Me, tough (envisioning a biker dude)...and I'm like oh lordie, no. Yes, I am tough from enduring a lot of stuff in my life (that is only one story) but I am very sensitive and compassionate person as well :) I don't know why I had to say that but I did. I'll blame the biker dude LOL...
Do the languages on all packages bother you? Or just the tampon box?
Thanks for explaining. : )
So, on this principal alone, do you think other countries--Europe, etc.--should never print their stuff in English, too, for the convenience of the English-speaking population?
Mel, of course not. I'm arrogant remember? Therefore all other countries should print things in English for my convenience.
I don't really believe that. I think it is embarrassing that such a low ratio of Americans speak more than one language. We come across as such elitists. My way or the highway. Then I find myself reacting negatively to language on a tampon box and realize I'm not doing anything to break that cycle. I know I need to do better.
What are your thoughts on the subject?
If anyone cares, the two removed comments were duplicates of the one above it. :)
Trish, it does seem as if you are equating speaking Spanish with low-income and crack houses. Unfortunately it's a valid equation to some extent. At least it is where I live. Yet we feel bad to actually verbalize it. At least I do. But keeping quiet doesn't change anything.
And maybe that's part of my problem with the whole language thing. I'm getting it fixed in my head that other languages equate to low-income and the need for increased social services and so many other issues American society is facing in our inner cities and our suburbs.
It is so much more than language and down deep we all know that. Language is just a easy target on which to pin blame.
And oh how we love to blame.
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