Boo-boos, goofs, gaffs, blunders
Wed 07 October 2009
, Alberta Opoku, LEAP
Naming an oil company Nigaz; selling Ghettopoly: and interviewing the wrong ‘expert’. At some point in our career everybody makes a bloomer. Tell us yours, so we can learn from your mistakes; have a great laugh; or do both.
Priceless Bushisms
In the past eight years former US president George W. Bush topped all political goofs lists, making the term Bushism a household name. "One of the very difficult parts of the decision I made on the financial crisis was to use hardworking people's money to help prevent there to be a crisis," is a clear Bushism. And this goof is simply priceless: ‘It’s clearly a budget. It’s got lots of numbers in it.’
Expensive beads
Legend has it that the Canarsee, one of the native American tribes on Long Island, in 1626 sold Manhattan – then called New Amsterdam - to a Dutch governor for less than 25 dollars worth of beads and trinkets. The Dutch traded New Amsterdam for Dutch Guyana, presently Surinam. Today Surinam has a $ 2.9 billion GDP, while Manhattan’s value is estimated at $ 1 trillion.
Branding Nigaz
In early 2009 Russia’s energy giant Gazprom and Nigeria’s national oil company NNPC form a multi-billion dollar joint venture. They name the new firm Nigaz and accidentally cause an enormous controversy, thanks to online forums and especially Twitter. Nigaz, it was suggested, could be offensive to black people. But Nigaz isn’t the only international branding gaff. The Chevrolet Nova failed to make it in South America. It was dubbed ‘no va’ which translates as ‘doesn’t go.’ And in Brazil the Fiat Pinto, ‘small penis,’ never made it either.
Playing Ghettopoly
In 2003 American retailer Urban Outfitters sells a Monopoly parody called Ghettopoly. Classic Monopoly game pieces such as the top hat and car are replaced with machine guns and rocks of crack cocaine. The game causes a massive outrage and protests, and the retailer is soon forced to discontinue Ghettopoly.
Sorry, wrong ‘Guy’
One of the best media gaffs is without doubt the BBC’s live interview with Guy Goma, in 2006. The Congolese accountant is at the Beeb for a job interview. Minutes after he’s called from the waiting room he finds himself facing cameras on the set of a live TV broadcast. Mr Goma thinks this is part of some initiation stunt. But the interviewer introduces him as Guy Kewney, a technology expert, who’s invited to comment on a legal matter about downloading music from the net. After pulling a priceless horror face, Mr Goma does the live ‘interview’. By the way, he didn’t get the accounting position.
Don’t forget to share your gaffs and goofs with LEAP in category 'Career'.
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