Show 712 Thursday 24 April

Watch today’s show at YouTube or BlipTV.

Hi, I’m Sarah, welcome to The Daily English Show.

The video I recommend today is a video made by the New Zealand government that I found on YouTube. It’s called: Campaign Against Family Violence Ad.

I’m really impressed by this ad. Often government ads can be pretty cheesy or naff ... but this is really well done.

And I think it’s really powerful – although I know it’s more powerful for me as a New Zealander because all the people in it are New Zealanders speaking with a New Zealand accent – so it has more impact than if they were speaking with another accent, because they seem more like real people.

The ad does make me want to cry though when I watch it, because everything they’re saying, the reason they are saying it’s not OK is because that’s what people do. And I totally agree with the message too:

It’s not OK to say, “It only happens in certain parts of society”,
because it happens everywhere.
And it’s not OK to look the other way and say, “It’s not our problem”,
because it is our problem.

STICK NEWS

Kia Ora, this is Stick News. Today the New Zealand Herald reported that tourists in New Zealand have been attacked because of their accents.

A group of English and Danish tourists were attacked in central Christchurch, New Zealand.
A few days later an Irish tourist was assaulted.
Police say in both cases the attacks appear to have been sparked by people simply taking offence at their foreign accents.
A Tourism New Zealand spokesperson said the attacks on tourists were worrying and could damage the country's reputation.
She said despite this New Zealand is still seen as a safe place, which is sometimes a problem because people go to New Zealand and let their guard down.
And the Irish man who was attacked said New Zealand shouldn’t get a bad reputation for such incidents.
He said: "No matter where you go in the world, you are going to meet a few arseholes.”

And that was Stick News for Thursday 24th of April.
Kia Ora.

Word Of The Day

Today’s word is cheesy.
It’s an informal adjective which means: of low quality and without style.
It has a similar meaning to the words corny and tacky.

conversations with sarah
#437 More than in other countries?

Step 1: Repeat Tim’s lines.
Step 2: Read Tim’s lines and talk to Sarah.

Tim Is family violence a big problem in New Zealand?

Sarah Yeah.

Tim More than in other countries?

Sarah Oh, I don’t know, probably more than in some, less than others ... but anyway who cares where we are in the rankings, it doesn’t really matter. In any case, it’s a serious problem that we need to do what we can to stop.

Tim You think a TV ad saying, “It’s not OK” is effective?

Sarah Yeah, I do, definitely. I mean, that alone won’t stop all violence – but I think it definitely helps.

It’s Not OK – New Zealand Family Violence Ad 2007 - Transcript

It’s not OK to say, “She was asking for it.”
It’s not OK to be cruel to your boy, just because it never did me any harm,
or scream abuse at your children, just because you’re unhappy.
It’s not OK to control your family with threats,
to bully them,
to intimidate them,
or ever think that you can demand their love and respect.
It’s not OK to punch a whole in the wall to show your wife who’s boss
or force her to have sex.
It’s not OK to teach your kids that violence is the way to get what you want.
It’s not OK to make them feel worthless, just because you’re having a bad day.
It’s not OK to destroy their confidence with hurtful words
or make them feel scared in their own home.
It’s not OK to blame the drink,
or use your culture as an excuse for what you know is wrong.
It’s not OK that in this country the police respond to a family violence incident every seven and a half minutes.
That every year an average of 14 New Zealand woman
six men
and ten children
are killed by a member of their own family.
It’s not OK to say, “It only happens in certain parts of society”,
because it happens everywhere.
And it’s not OK to look the other way and say, “It’s not our problem”,
because it is our problem.
And it’s not OK, ever.
But it is OK to ask for help.

links

today's news
today's STICK NEWS pictures

music

show start
artist: BrunoXe
album: aprendiendo desde 2004
track: Mandrake
from: Jerez, Spain
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

WOD start
artist: DJ iPep's
album: Home Mix 2007
track: Game Toy
from: EVREUX, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

cws start
artist: San Sebastian
track: Happy Sad
artist site

qa start
artist: ioeo
album: Groovetracks
track: groovetracks ending
from: Saint Raphael, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

qa bgm
artist: Antony Raijekov
album: Jazz U
track: Moment of Green 2005
from: Sofia, Bulgaria
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

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