Can't Pronounce Porsche!

[der Geist]

I think most Americans pronounce it this way. It's just the way they were taught. Do you say Bur-lin or Bear-lin? Myoonik or Moon-chun? Most Europeans pronounce it as it is in German but we have our own way of doing things here apparently. I've seen some people really get their panties in a bunch over this. No need to in my opinion. I don't think people need to speak proper German here. I don't think either is right or wrong. Just 2 different ways of saying it. I'm sure I will get plenty of disagreement over this though.

Maybe we can get Dr. W to start doing some public service commercials-
"You vill say "PORSH-A" unt you vill like it!!!! hmmm wonder if Colonel Hockschtetter is still around....

It would be cool if there was someone from the sales departments at Pelican or Performance who reads this board could respond with what the percentage of Porsche people calling in use for their pronunciation.

Remember the "Jag-U-are" commercials a while back? Anybody notice that in the subsequent commercials they have gone over to the much more Americanized "Jag-War"

Besides-we are talking about Pontiac here. Who really listens to them anyway other than a bunch of Solstice buyers who are upset that they couldn't buy a Porsche? I think they are sharp little cars but they are no Boxsters.

[donv]

I think these are just more examples of the evolving homogenizing and globalizing forces in a shrinking world. Regional diversity and truth of place are losing out.

For instance, I've noted local place names starting to be slaughtered in local commercials on TV. OK, so New England is famous for names that are pronounced "difficultly" for visitors (or sometimes even locals*) - "Leominster" is pronounced "Lemminsta" not "Leo-minster", "Worcester" is "Wustir" not "Worchester", etc. But locals should have it down.

But when local car ads start using obviously non-local voice overs, it is a bit much -- a long time local-family-owned Toyota dealership has been recently running ads for their place in Woburn with a slick "midwest" voice-over exhorting folks to visit them in "Whoah-burn" -- I'm sure the locals cringe to hear what should be pronounced "Wooooburn" said like that. Sure, the Toyota production crew probably recorded 200 local-customized variants on the ads that day ("what's the next one on the list?"), but how did the owners let the mistake get past their review?


*The really tough one for locals: "Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg" - most just give up and call it Webster lake.

[djomlas]

yeah its funny how they pronounce it.
i am from europe so when i came here it was funny for me to hear word porsche, mercedes, volkswagen especially, i was like wtf is that? (couse i grew up saying/pronouncing it Folkswagen instead of Volkswagen couse of german prononciation), but yeah same with munich and other mentioned words.