Optimum makes me happy honey
’cause I’m savin’ lots of money.
Let’s all get the triple play.

That’s the last line of the latest Optimum Triple Play commercial inundating the airwaves. I think it’s pure genius. Not just this commercial, but the one before it, which starts out:

Mi gente.
Optimum Triple Play,
is in the house.

At which point the house is blown up by pirates’ canon fire. If you’re on the east coast, you’ve probably seen one or both of these commercials. Especially the second one I quoted. I was eventually able to track down the company that was responsible for making these ads for Optimum (which is a subsidiary [I think] of Cablevision).

Now before I go any further, let me make clear that I am in no way affiliated with Cablevision or GlobalWorks. In fact, I receive Time Warner Cable service.

Before I get into showing you the commercials, you have to see the opening page for GlobalWorks. I’d suggest you use headphones, but speakers turned up will do just as well.

GlobalWorks Group/Brands Without Borders.™

I think these commercials are pure genius. People have complained about the pirates commercial, but I’m convinced it’s because of how often it was played. I mean, this commercial has:

• A house being blown up by pirates
• Mermaids singing the phone number on rocks
• Pirates stealing a TV on the beach
• Lifeguards saving someone* (a la Baywatch) and singing the phone number
• Women sunbathing next to a guy* buried in sand
• While a sea monster tells us about call options and a pirate battles his tail

*William Omar Landrón, is known as Don Omar. His cross over success in the U.S. has given him more exposure to English-speaking reggaetón fans, making him one of the more recognizable faces of reggaeton.

I’m sorry, but I don’t see what some complain about as racist in these commercials or any stereotypical characters. I think they (the people that complain) mostly just don’t like the music. Want to see the commercial? Follow this link and click on Cablevision and then on TV number 2. To see the Spanish version, click on number 3. While the English version was flooding the English channels, there was another (different) commercial running on the Spanish channels. Click on number 6 to see that one (I like that one too).

But, the commercial that I love right now, is the suburban one. Now, this suburban theme is not based on real life, with mom(?) in high heels, baking cupcakes and passing them around, but once again GlobalWorks has succeeded in getting us to remember not only their client, but the phone number with singers pounding it into out heads. Some people hate this commercial too. Read the comments on YouTube. If you want to see a high quality version with good stereo, then click on number 1 at the GlobalWorks site. Otherwise, here’s the blurry YouTube version:

I’m still trying to find out who the lead singer and backups are. I’ve read one name, but have not been able to confirm it. If anyone has any ideas as to who they are, please let me know. Oh, did I mention that it’s great to see people of color in everyday situations (even if it’s make believe).

Optimum makes me happy honey
’cause I’m savin’ lots of money.
Let’s all get the triple play.

As racism becomes less overt and more hidden, our examination of the language (along with the society) must become more stringent in detecting its remnants. Mr. Shipler examines the recent flurry of charges against Barack Obama for being elitist. From the Shipler article:

Whether by calculation or coincidence, Hillary Clinton and Republicans who have attacked Barack Obama for elitism have struck a chord in a long-standing symphony of racial codes.

Shipler has written numerous articles and books. Here is an audio interview with Mr. Shipler from 2005 by the New York Times about his book, The Working Poor: Invisible in America.