When I was in Madison in mid-July, I noticed that the metro bus stops around the Capitol Concourse were each decorated with a different theme . One was whitewashed, with the words, “It’s you’re [sic] stop” painted on it. So of the three words, two are commonly misused. The artist got one hard one right, but wasn’t quite up to writing a three-word English sentence correctly. Someone had scratched at the paint and corrected “you’re” to “your” using proofreader’s marks.
The following week, I was listening to Wisconsin Public Radio as is my wont when driving (no, “wont” is not supposed to have an apostrophe since it is the word meaning “habit,” not the contraction), I heard a wonderful interview with the Grammar Vandal. The Vandal is a young woman who takes the step most of us are too timid to, and perches on ladders, paint brush in hand, to correct the despicable grammar she sees on billboards, ads, signs, and even graffiti. Check the radio web site at http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=5 and look for the July 23, 2007 show titled “Grammar Vandal Goes on Vigilante Comma Crusade” in the archives. The Vandal, Kate McCulley, also blogs. Check her out at http://www.thegrammarvandal.com/
Register with blogspot first (see instructions on the right side of this blog), then enter a comment in response to this question: After visiting McCulley's blog site, what is your reaction to what she does?
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"Here is a lesson in creative writing. First rule: Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you've been to college."
Kurt Vonnegut (1922 - 2007)
"Here is a lesson in creative writing. First rule: Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you've been to college."
Kurt Vonnegut (1922 - 2007)
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16 comments:
I hope she's using sherwin williams.
I can't believe she notices all of those grammatical errors. Most people read the signs and don't think a single thing of it. She is a smart lady, and a vandal that will not go to jail!
I really appreciated the title of your blog, the name Kate Somerville chose for herself. I found it humorous as I find the title an oxymoron. Those who are vandals naturally wouldn’t seem to care about correct grammar. It is funny that a young woman would be more concerned with grammar than the vandalism itself, somewhat a mix-up of priorities, but which gives her the audience for correct grammar that she seeks.
I think the founders of English would turn in their graves to see what our language has become. That is why I am glad the grammar vandal is doing what she is doing.
I wonder has she ever gotten in trouble for revandalizing things?. Just because there's already something up on the wall doesn't necessarily make it ok for her to add to it. Not that I care that much, I proofread my graffiti ;)
I think it is a really neat idea even though illegal I'm sure.
I had a class last year and we discussed about how people don't use the correct grammer anymore. I concidered it incorrect and people should get back into writting correctly even if it takes more time. It just shows how people are getting even more lazy.
That is cool. But not every one will think the same thing. Not every one will want to be corrected by some one that they do not know. I think that I would want to be corrected by other to get more out of the writing that I am doing.
I think she is a very smart lady. When she is fixing the grammatical errors, she is also helping people become a better reader and a better writer without them knowing it.
Even though what she does is interesting, I think that it's kind of pointless. Although it is nice that she is making people recognize what horrible grammar everyone has, at the same time what she's doing probably isn't legal. It reminds me of the saying, "two wrongs don't make a right".
That was a very unique story. I enjoyed how this women took it into her own hands and changed the miss spelled grammer.I also can't believe that she notices all those grammatical errors.
I think that it is great thing that someone would take the time to fix all of those mistakes. It is making it better for everyone else.
This is very interesting to know. Don't we as Americans embarrass ourselves enough? I thank Kate for making us all look a little smarter. The question I have is she leaving the mistakes visible for all of us to learn from?
Does Kate carry the ladder and other supplies she uses to fix these grammatical errors with her everyday? If so, does she stop traffic to fix it?
That seems all fine and dandy, but I wonder if she has stopped and thought to herself "I’m defacing a work of art, or an advertisement someone paid money for”. I do not commend her; if she wants to get the word out on grammatical errors, there are more productive and less destructive was about it.
I think she has too much time on her hands.
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