Starting out with “Who likes white people?” seemed a little out there, even for Michele Bachmann.
Language Log has done a convincing job of demonstrating that she really said, “Who likes wet people?”, which you can prove to yourself by closing your eyes and listening. You know what it is — it’s those damn subtitles (or are they supertitles?). When you see the words up there, it sure sounds like “white”, even when you know it’s “wet”.
I like this as an example of the suggestibility of perception. Could this be the Benny Lava of American politics?
No, maybe not.
1 September 2011 at 10:36 am
I start all my church talks with, "Who likes wet people?". "Good morning brothers and sisters" is so 2010. And by the way, my loony bun is also fine… Benny Lava. That was GOLD!