Pepsi CEO Middle Finger Speach

[Sew Lining]

Here's the prepared text of the speach. Personally, I believe my fellow righties made waaaaaay too much of this. It seems to me, from the context, that she was just saying - "be careful so that folks don't misinterpret your actions."

I think the whole analogy is kind of goofy - most people on the RO could give a better commencement address. But, I don't think it a ghastly exercise in America bashing.

Akin to what one might hear at Wednesday night prayer meeting where I grew up, "Please pray for Blackadder - he's forgotten how to start threads."

[Malik Shabazz]

Originally Posted by Sew Lining

Akin to what one might hear at Wednesday night prayer meeting where I grew up, "Please pray for Blackadder - he's forgotten how to start threads."

[Griffin 1]

Originally Posted by Sew Lining

It seems to me, from the context, that she was just saying - "be careful so that folks don't misinterpret your actions."

If that is really the message she was trying to convey, would her speech qualify as an example of irony?

[Force Majeure]

Doesn't seem so bad in context. She made very clear that the analogy isn't perfect, and her point is quite valid in terms of what much of the rest of the world thinks of us.

[E. Blackadder]

If the rest of the world is that stewpid, then so be it. And were she that smart, she'd be having a Coca-Cola.

[Jack]

The bigger question do Chinese bathrooms really have just a hole in the floor instead of a toilet? Was this some kind of joke? Is there some plumbing attached to the hole or does it just drop down to the ground?

[Actuary321]

Originally Posted by Jack

The bigger question do Chinese bathrooms really have just a hole in the floor instead of a toilet? Was this some kind of joke? Is there some plumbing attached to the hole or does it just drop down to the ground?

I will follow this tangent.

While living in Taiwan I did see and use those kind of toilets. They reminded me of a urinal mounted on the floor. You squat over them and do your business. Not exactly the one you want to see when you had the Rocky Mountian quickstep, if you know what I mean. (And yes I did have that experience.

Of course we were told they were remnents from the Japanese occupation of Taiwan.

But they were not real common especially where foriegners were likely to go.

[whisper]

Originally Posted by Sew Lining

Here's the prepared text of the speach. Personally, I believe my fellow righties made waaaaaay too much of this.

Do you have any links to the reaction to this story? I've missed the reaction to the speech.

[Loner]

I'm not reading a four page speech and all I've seen of this is a one sentence description form EB that doesn;t make at all clear to me what, in fact, happened. Can someone give me the Reader's Digest version of what was said/done?

[Westley]

It's worth reading, but if you refuse:

He uses the analogy of different fingers - Africa is comparable to the little finger - the weakest, etc. The US is compared to the middle finger - the middle finger holds everything together and is a source of strength, but sometimes can be offensive, and needs to be careful not to be seen as offensive.