That was in poor taste, Mark Wignall!

Desmond Henry

I SUSPECT that I know a good writer, and Observer columnist, Mark Wignall is one. But good grief! What happened to Mark in his column of June 1 titled "In praise of younger women"?

I expect a columnist of the calibre of Mark Wignall to be reasoned, balanced and in good taste. That column was an example of "not everything good fi eat good fi talk".

A young, nubile and beautiful woman is always going to be more attractive than the older woman who has aged, has children and struggles with fat, all of which are natural. But so too will a young, virile and handsome man be more attractive than an older man with a 'beer belly' and bald head. Of what use is it to a reader for a columnist to be advocating that it's okay for a man to leave the older woman for a younger woman, merely because she is more attractive? I'm putting this one down to Mark feeling a bit mischievous on the day and nothing more.

Futile struggle to keep out American spelling

A headline in the May 30 Observer, "IMF to establish C'bbean Regional Technical Assistance Center", page 14, reminds me of something I have been meaning to discuss with you, that is the seemingly unstoppable march of the American spelling. I have been asking myself if it makes any sense 'fighting against' its increasing usage by the print media. I suspect the schools might be having the same dilemma. I'd love to hear from the teachers.

Almost every local newspaper and magazine that I read has some American spelling included among the English spelling. They come in especially through the wire service articles which are rarely ever edited. Some of the more common words spelt the American way are: programme (program); centre (center); fibre (fiber); honour (honor); labour (labor); favourite (favorite) and colour (color). I am sure you can name a few others. And the spell check on the computer will gladly provide them for the lazy reporter or editor.

If the truth be told, there is often a logic to the American spelling. The English Language has all sorts of weird twists and turns. But we can't be arbitrary about language. And there has to be a standard. Perhaps we should begin to debate how we as media should treat with this issue. But in the meantime, let's at least be consistent: we are either using English English or American English. We shouldn't mix the two. My advice is, drop the American spelling for now.

Spike readers'
comments

Dear Desmond, I read your commentary (Spike May 28/29) with interest, but was perplexed by your use of the term 'don't it'. Reminds me of the scripture verse: "Judge not that ye be not judged". My point is, I fully agree with your policing of some of what gets by the editor, but we all make mistakes. Keep up the good work. - Nevel Jones janancy@go-jamaica.com.

Hi Desmond, I notice that you are still doing your critique of the papers and still making interesting reading. The one that grabbed my attention (Spike May 28/29) was of the Dinthill Pass students. Boy Oh Boy! I want to think it's the typesetters. I am sure you have heard by now that I have migrated to the U.S. and working out of The Gleaner New York office. Give my regards to the colleagues - Lolita Tracey-Long, journalist gleanereditor@aol.com.

Dear Mr. Allen, this is my first letter to you. It criticises what I consider bad writing, but I promise to praise anything outstanding that I read in the newspapers. I won't praise what is good, as good should be the norm. In The Sunday Gleaner of May 28, page 8c, in an article headlined "Children carry burden of violence", the sentence appears: "He said he used to have diarrhoea when the guns started firing at nights." Surely, guns can't "start firing". Perhaps the writer was so pleased at spelling 'diarrhoea' correctly that he/she abandoned the rest of the sentence!

In the Sunday Herald of May 28-June 3, Entertainment Section, page 2c, in the column "Out and about town with Norma", the first paragraph contains the statement:The groom looked sartorial in his cream-coloured suit." Can a groom look sartorial? I don't think so. For a good laugh/cry, please glance at the foolishness written in thearticle under the heading "Oliver Mair hits the funny bone...again!" on page 5c of the same section. That writer needs to go back to school. I hope the people who write for the newspapers read your columns and learn something from them. But am I being too optimistic? - Trevor C Anderson treva@cwjamaica.com.

Seen and Heard

"The gunmen then reportedly robbed the other teacher of cash and items of jewellery, and he was left unarmed" - story titled "Gunmen kill school teacher", Sunday Herald, May 21-27, page 3a. They left the teacher 'unharmed', since it wasn't a gun that they stole.

"The chariots ride again...An exciting historically adventure!!" - Palace amusement ad in The Gleaner, May 10, page D5.

"Most of the criticisms surrounded a clause which proposes to jail journalists or publishers for up to three months..." - Observer story "Resist muzzle attempts, Gordon tells J'can media", May 4, page 4. The proposed jail term was up to three years, subsequently revised to two years, not three months.

Star headline, May 30, page one, "Penis shot". Considering that several people were shot and injured in the incident reported, this is trivialising a really serious matter.

"Up on going to press, the Boyz were scheduled to tackle World number 10, Romania, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida", story entitled "Boyz taste home defeat", SportsGlobe, May 19-25, page 3. Remember what I told you about the misrelated participle? As written, this is saying that the Reggae Boyz were going to press! But we know it's the newspaper. And can't they just say 'at press time'?

Did you read that devastating treatise, all five and a half pages of it, on Wilmot 'Mutty' Perkins by 'Macko' and Cecil Gutzmore in the latest issue of the Jamaica Beat newspaper? If not, you really missed something! Even 'Mutty' would cry after reading it!

Send your spikeables to spike@jol.com.jm; desal@cwjamaica.com or fax to 926-0295

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