"Babel" boner

Those damn gringos in the Paramount Home Video art department have made an error -- culturally insensitive, clueless -- on the cover for the Babel two-disc special edition that comes out on 9.25.07. DVD Beaver's Eddie Feng pointed this out in a 7.19 e-mail to Paramount Home Video's Deborah Peters, to wit:


They couldn't fit Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's full name on the DVD cover art, so they simply shortened it up a bit. Yo...got a problem wit dat? The all-inclusive art on the Babel DVD

"Hey, Deborah -- You should talk to someone who puts together artwork for your DVD covers, " Feng began. The new Babel 2-disc cover states that the movie is directed by 'Alejandro G. Inarritu." This is a serious misprint.

"Spanish speakers use two last names; the first one is their father's last name, and the second is their mother's last name. If they use only one last name, then it's just the father's last name. Thus, Alejandro's legal short name is Alejandro Gonzalez, not Alejandro Inarritu. Gonzalez is not his middle name, so it shouldn't be abbreviated to an initial. If you want to use an initial, then the custom would be "Alejandro Gonzalez I."

"Please look into making this change before Paramount is ridiculed by the millions of Spanish-speaking customers that you have here in the United States and abroad. -- Eddie Feng, DVDBeaver.com."

As Cheech Marin once said to me in an interview about ten years ago, "This city is called Los Angeles" -- pronoucing it "Los-angeleeze" -- and not "Los Anglos."

Helmeted state trooper (points to Marin): "Hey, where are you from?"
Marin: "Where am I from?"
Trooper: "Yeah, where are you from?"
Marin (singing): "Born in East L.A. Man I was....born in East El-laahayaay."

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on July 20, 2007 at 5:06 PM

comment #1

erniesouchak Author Profile Page says ...

I find it hard to believe Paramount Home Video wouldn't have run this by the director. I also have to note that a publication I write for has covered all of Innaritu's films, and we have always referred to him as Innaritu on second reference. No one has ever written in to correct us, and I think if he minded, he would have.

Posted by erniesouchak Author Profile Page at July 20, 2007 6:01 PM

comment #2

starryeyedcapricorn Author Profile Page says ...

Before you get so self-righteous, Wells, why don't you take the time to spell his name right in your caption? Who's the gringo now?

Posted by starryeyedcapricorn Author Profile Page at July 20, 2007 6:05 PM

comment #3

Noah Author Profile Page says ...

A rant about culturally sensitivity from the guy who drones bi-weekly about fat hispanics. Nice.

Posted by Noah Author Profile Page at July 20, 2007 6:11 PM

comment #4

Mr. Muckle Author Profile Page says ...

Cripes, is it one n or two?

Posted by Mr. Muckle Author Profile Page at July 20, 2007 7:07 PM

comment #5

JD Author Profile Page says ...

Serves him right. Gonzalez Inarritu's films are as much Guillermo Arriaga's as they are Gonzalez Inarritu's. By requesting/accepting a "film by" credit, he is both inviting and deserving of this kind of insensitivty. Karma's a bitch, Alejandro.

Posted by JD Author Profile Page at July 20, 2007 10:16 PM

comment #6

Moneypenny Author Profile Page says ...

Is it just me and my computer or have two articles vanished in the last hour? 1) The Fox summit 2)Wells' rant about the big girl in Hairspray

Posted by Moneypenny Author Profile Page at July 21, 2007 12:14 AM

comment #7

BurmaShave Author Profile Page says ...

No it's happened to me too. It happened the other night for awhile with the Bob Franklin article and one of the Payne/Taylor things. Serves me right for being such a vampire.

Either way, Nikki Blonsky is a fatty beyond all appropriate levels and she is going to die.

Posted by BurmaShave Author Profile Page at July 21, 2007 12:22 AM

comment #8

Moneypenny Author Profile Page says ...

Here's your vampire for ya...

I think Wells is actually showing signs of remorse.

Posted by Moneypenny Author Profile Page at July 21, 2007 3:28 AM

comment #9

Moneypenny Author Profile Page says ...

Here's your vampire for ya...

Burma, play nice. She doesn't know your situation and you don't know hers...

Does anyone think Wells is maybe showing signs of remorse by deleting these posts?

Wells = Radiohead's "Fitter Better" played 24/7 in das noggin.

Posted by Moneypenny Author Profile Page at July 21, 2007 3:32 AM

comment #10

BurmaShave Author Profile Page says ...

As I said in the deleted one, I think it's actually "Macho Man".

Posted by BurmaShave Author Profile Page at July 21, 2007 3:52 AM

comment #11

BurmaShave Author Profile Page says ...

And to be clear, Wells has nothing to be remorseful for. Blonsky is in terrible shape, and taking years off her life. She has nothing to be proud of physically. Furthermore, she's setting a horrible example for girls of her type who are either completely in denial (as she seems to be) or just too set in their ways and depressed to take that first step towards health. If she'd done that interview talking about how she was happy to be a crack addict, none of you would be defending her. All Fatties Go to Heaven, blah blah blah...

Posted by BurmaShave Author Profile Page at July 21, 2007 4:04 AM

comment #12

Moneypenny Author Profile Page says ...

Sure, she's not in shape... hell, she's most likely considered "obese". But how does that equal pride?

I love how the whole conversation has changed over the years from... "are these models too thin?" to "are these actresses too fat?"

Sure, you've got a point with crack... but with fat you have to take in genes. I fight on a daily basis to be fit due to the fact that my family has a history of guts. One slip and I'm pounching it out.

I'm not saying she's not depressed and such... there are just a lot of factors you have to bring into the equation. And that, my friend, we do not know...

So, until you do, leave her alone, please.

Posted by Moneypenny Author Profile Page at July 21, 2007 4:39 AM

comment #13

Ogami Itto Author Profile Page says ...

"And to be clear, Wells has nothing to be remorseful for. Blonsky is in terrible shape, and taking years off her life. She has nothing to be proud of physically."


Could be worse -- at least she's not Hispanic.

Also, I thought it was common knowledge that people from Spanish cultures traditionally used both their father's and mother's surnames? Who the hell would think that "Gonzalez" is someone's middle name?

Posted by Ogami Itto Author Profile Page at July 21, 2007 6:54 AM

comment #14

George Prager Author Profile Page says ...

Guys, guys, this is the point. Did you hear what Moneypenny said? He said: "Hey, you fat, gross hog. My face is leaving town in five minutes. Be on it!"

Posted by George Prager Author Profile Page at July 21, 2007 9:23 AM

comment #15

AlexandroAldrete Author Profile Page says ...

I don't know...Gonzales is one of the four of five most common last names in mexico...Iñarritu, on the other hand, I don't think I've ever listened to it before hearing about this guy...so if his option was to be just alejandro gonzales (which we surely have by the millions here)maybe he preferred to keep the most idionsincratic and identifiable last name there...let's not forget iñarritu is a marketing expert.

Posted by AlexandroAldrete Author Profile Page at July 21, 2007 10:22 AM

comment #16

Jay T. Author Profile Page says ...

Oh no... move us to Defcon 5, a director's name was messed with.

Posted by Jay T. Author Profile Page at July 21, 2007 12:38 PM

comment #17

jimjonesiii Author Profile Page says ...

"Also, I thought it was common knowledge that people from Spanish cultures traditionally used both their father's and mother's surnames? Who the hell would think that "Gonzalez" is someone's middle name?"

this is a generalization.

examples:
edward james olmos
maria conchita alonso

Posted by jimjonesiii Author Profile Page at July 22, 2007 2:42 PM

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