Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Toto, we’re not in L.A. anymore.

You know when you really know you’re in a different place? When you turn on a local talk-radio station... and you hear a caller who talks like this.

That’s a “John Osterlind Show” clip from early last week... when the news was all about a backwoods Louisiana justice of the peace who wouldn’t marry interracial couples.

Interesting show, actually. A black woman named Jalinda called and lumped Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson in with the redneck justice of the peace... because “they’re reversing racism on people!”

Click here and listen to Jalinda for a few minutes. She uses one turn of phrase that’s so tasty, I’m gonna steal it and put it in a “Treme” script. Can you guess which phrase I mean?

14 comments:

Alan Stamm said...

Rev. Al's not interested in going down there to River Parishes "'cause that won't earn him no national face or nothin'."

That's my pick for your tasty script nugget, David.

. . . Or did my dialect-impaired ears miss an even juicier tidbit from Jalinda?

Undercover Black Man said...

^ I think she said "no national stage" there...

Thanks for playing though, Alan.

Anonymous said...

I grew in a "river parish" in louisiana and still have family there. I don't mean to sound nasty but when I left there, I believe that my IQ jumped 100 points. Talk about a place stuck in time.

-Boudreux

9thWardChick said...

There are so many to choose from but I would guess
1. "Unfortunately I can bet your dollar money" - that's my official guess but
my personal favorite is
2. "They don't even understand the Constitution, if it was a religious thing.... and the Bible clearly tells you no that's different"
But other than that I'm out of guesses, and if you do use it please put it in context, we do have a way of speaking down here that is unique.
As for as Boudreaux, ya know I love ya even though I don't know ya because you are from La, but I have a PhD and there is some intellectual stimulation still in the La., yes some are stuck in time but you will have that EVERYWHERE, no place is immune to stupidity!

Undercover Black Man said...

1. "Unfortunately I can bet your dollar money" - that's my official guess...

You got it, 9thWardChick! I'm gonna try my best to have somebody say "I'll betcha dollar money..."

uglyblackjohn said...

Fid Puten! What's wrong with the way they speak?

Undercover Black Man said...

I can find only one example on the whole wide Web of the phrase in question. And it's from somebody in Indiana, who wrote:

"I would be happy to say I am wrong and wave a flag in his parade if it comes to fruition. But I will bet you dollar money I won't be."

I like that turn of phrase!

quirkychick said...

It is a tasty phrase indeed, but these days "your dollar money" ain't worth a whole lot, must be from back in the day of the gold standard.

D W JazzLover said...

My Vote is either, Dollar Money or Common Money....
I agree with Jalinda, Louisiana still have some ugly ways...

Russell said...

Oh man. I need to check in more often. I guessed "dollar money" right off, but was late to the party to begin with.

Obie Joe Media said...

Yah, but be careful to not mix New Orleans with the rest of its State. The city and state have always done things away from one another. Part of that comes from New Orleans being occupied by a variety of empires (French, Spanish, Central America, America), giving its a cosmopolitan flair unfound elsewhere. Look, it was one of the few places in the South with its own economic center (Storyville) not to be burned to the ground in the early 20th century.

Obie Joe Media said...

And congratulations on the first script done? Is the series set to premiere in 2010 on HBO?

Undercover Black Man said...

^ Thanks, OJM. I think "Treme" will premiere on HBO in March. Won't be long now.

Anonymous said...

March? Cool, now I have more time to save up for cable - I'm on a budget. Or someone could record it on VHS (budget people) and mail it to me. Times is hard...

Congrats on the show!