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Wednesday, November 21, 2024
By Dr. Steven Taylor

Via the AP: ‘Shut up’ is hit ringtone in Spain

Many Spaniards were so amused when their king told Venezuela’s president to “shut up” they want to hear the words every time their phone rings.

About half a million people have downloaded a mobile phone ringtone featuring the phrase “Por que no te callas?” or “Why don’t you shut up?” leading Madrid daily El Pais reported on its Web site Monday.

[…]

The ringtone is thought to have generated around $2.2 million for the companies selling it, El Pais said.

T-shirts and mugs featuring the words are also becoming a profitable business, and videos of the confrontation have been a hit on the YouTube Web site.

I had basically ignored this story when it first hit the wires, but the ringtone angle caught my attention. Part of the story that I was unaware of was that Chávez had called former Spanish PM José María Aznar a “fascist” before Juan Carlos told him to be quiet.

Via The Australian:

Mr Chavez, who called US President George W. Bush a “devil” at the UN last year, triggered the exchange with harsh words for former Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar, who has criticised Mr Chavez and his socialist policies.

Mr Aznar, who as prime minister was a close ally of Mr Bush, was “a fascist”, Mr Chavez said in a speech at the Ibero-American summit in Santiago. “Fascists are not human - a snake is more human,” he said.

Spain’s socialist Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, urged Mr Chavez to be more diplomatic in his words and to respect other leaders. “Former premier Aznar was democratically elected by the Spanish people and was a legitimate representative of the Spanish people,” he said, eliciting applause from the gathered heads of state.

“President Hugo Chavez, I think there is an essential principle to dialogue, and that to respect and be respected, we should be careful not to fall into insults.”

Mr Chavez repeatedly tried to respond, but his microphone was off. King Juan Carlos, seated next to Mr Zapatero, angrily turned to Mr Chavez and said: “Why don’t you just shut up?”

Speaking of YouTube, here are two examples, the first much of the actual interchange (as translated above), and the second an amusing remix (both in Spanish, but you’ll get the drift even if you don’t understand the language–the remix, at a minimum, is worth a looksee):



At a minimum, Spain’s PM (Rodríguez) looks reasonable, Chávez looks petulant and Juan Carlos like a grumpy old man.

Sphere: Related Content

Filed under: Latin America, Europe | |

6 Comments

  • el
  • pt
    1. Another great economic opportunity from Hugo! He has been a great bonanza for journalists, cartoonists, now for entrepreurs selling ringtones or rap artists creating new works using por que no te callas. Or even t-shirt companies like www.neighborhoodlems.com - Thanks Hugo! Keep it up!

      Comment by matsonian — Thursday, November 22, 2024 @ 3:25 am

    2. Around The Sphere Thanksgiving Blogging Roundup Nov. 22, 2024

      It’s Thanksgiving Day…a day when we should take stock and make a list of at least some of the many things for which we are thankful. And one of the things is the Internet as an increasingly popular Internet tool. Will it continue to wreak…

      Trackback by The Moderate Voice — Thursday, November 22, 2024 @ 10:17 am

    3. Around The Sphere Thanksgiving Blogging Roundup Nov. 22, 2024

      It’s Thanksgiving Day…a day when we should take stock and make a list of at least some of the many things for which we are thankful. And one of the things is the Internet as an increasingly popular Internet tool. Will it continue to wreak…

      Trackback by The Moderate Voice — Thursday, November 22, 2024 @ 10:17 am

    4. Around The Sphere Thanksgiving Blogging Roundup Nov. 22, 2024

      It’s Thanksgiving Day…a day when we should take stock and make a list of at least some of the many things for which we are thankful. And one of the things is the Internet as an increasingly popular Internet tool. Will it continue to wreak…

      Trackback by The Moderate Voice — Thursday, November 22, 2024 @ 10:17 am

    5. I came to your blog after seeing your remakrs on this, which were picked up by Reuters. The Aristotle quote at the head of the blog supporting the assertion that “Politics is the Master Science” reminds me of a conversation I once had with a sociologist, when I was teaching psychology at a small college. (By the way, my bachelor’s is in political science - Hayward Alker and Suzanne Berger were my most prominent professors - I was an undergraduate during the Vietnam era - ‘time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana’). My colleague said, “When you think about it, everything is sociology.” So I thought about it, briefly, and then replied, “Yes - but remember that sociology is a branch of psychology.”

      Comment by mistah charley, ph.d. — Friday, November 23, 2024 @ 9:33 am

    6. Thanks for stopping by.

      And, or course, all of our disciplines are the most important!

      Comment by Dr. Steven Taylor — Friday, November 23, 2024 @ 9:44 am

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