A Letter to Pepsi
After I sent out an email to my friends encouraging them to email Pepsi and thank them, a friend shared with me what she wrote to Pepsi. I asked her if I could share it on my blog, and she granted me permission. Her letter is quite eloquent and perfectly states how I feel about AG Bell’s response to the Pepsi SuperBowl commercial.
Thank you, to my dear friend for writing this and allowing me to share it with the world!
——
Dear Ms. Hamp,
When I first heard of the Pepsico commercial using Deaf individuals to be aired during the Super Bowl, I immediately sent the link to those in my address book. I thought how wonderful it was to provide education with humor. As an interpreting instructor in a Community College (and former Commissioner on the Michigan Commission on Disabilities Concerns), I use humor quite often to get important points across to my students. Using a joke directly related to Deaf Culture was an excellent way of providing education to people who can hear and who may or may not have had exposure to those using sign language.
When I read the letter you received from the A.G. Bell Association, I was concerned by this negative reaction to your efforts to encourage diversity. I have always supported people making informed decisions related to their mode of communication, whether it is through American Sign Language (ASL) or Speech Reading and spoken English with technology or both. The letter written to Pepsico by A.G. Bell’s, Karen Youdelman, (posted on the A.G. Bell website) addresses myths being perpetuated. My experience is that many deaf and hard of hearing individuals find later in life the advantages to knowing ASL. The myth that learning ASL prevents a child’s cognitive development and the ability to use residual hearing and speech is one of the biggest myths presented to parents of deaf or hard of hearing children. The irony is that hearing children are being taught Baby Signs because of the advantages of communication at an early age related to their development. If ASL has such benefits for hearing children, how much more beneficial can it be when used with deaf and hard of hearing children?
The Modern Language Association recognizes ASL as a language. Colleges and universities recognize it as a language. The Community College where I teach has continual growing enrollment in classes teaching ASL. Your commercial will not only be appreciated by Deaf and Hard of Hearing persons themselves, but also family members, friends, interpreters, and others working with members of the Deaf Community; and also — the many thousands of students learning ASL.
As a former Coke drinker, I now buy Diet Pepsi along with my husband, children and other family members.
Thank you.
(Name Withheld)
17 Comments
Comments are closed.
Misha said,
February 2, 2008 at 9:25 pm
*hands wave* to your friend’s wonderful letter to Pepsi! I couldn’t have said it better she had said.
LOL, she was a former Coke drinker, now she’s getting Pepsi from now on? That’s great! Even though I couldn’t drink Pepsi but my hubby drinks Diet Pepsi. So that’s a bit plus.
Misha
IamMine said,
February 2, 2008 at 9:51 pm
Beautiful letter!!!
I’m jealous of some people getting responses back from Pepsi folks after emailing them… I didn’t!
Ah well!
Thank your friend for sharing with us and the world!!!
You know what?
This was a blessing in disguise… I’m glad AG Bell complained for the world to take notice of them and going, “WTF?”
I guess I should “thank” AG Bell for coming out! :p
Anyway, thank you so much!
\m/ \m/
ridor9th said,
February 2, 2008 at 9:58 pm
I cant give up coca-cola!
R-
ASL Risen said,
February 2, 2008 at 10:11 pm
LOL Ridor!
Oh come on! You need to start drinking water (Aquifina) from now on so you will look so even far much better than Deaf Piano Man or Batoeven (mispelled his last name)! Coca cola is not so good for our health! Water cleans our body for better health! Geez my lunch break is almost done! Warm hugs, S
michele said,
February 2, 2008 at 10:12 pm
Coca Cola may take action if they see that Pepsi gets a lot of exposure and high sales so it wouldn’t hurt to contact Coca Cola if they can do the same thing for next Super Bowl.
Just Me said,
February 2, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Well said! We need more people like you. I know that we have been canned by AGBELL for many years and yet they are doing this again and again…what more they want??
Jean Boutcher said,
February 3, 2008 at 12:25 am
Jeannette,
That is a very good letter.
Ater receiving your off-list email, I immediately dashed off an email message to Pepisco with a copy of Agatha Hanson’s poem about the value of sign language (in 1800s).
Off on a tangent, why not form an organisation as suggested per Drolz (see
his nice comment to Elizaneth)?
Fingers aka BlueFlamesHD said,
February 3, 2008 at 1:00 am
AGBELL complain about pespi commerical?? Too bad for AGBELL is loser. AGBELL have no right. Our deaf community can have the right about need more ASL. ::::drinking my soda::: here is my diet pespi soda.
Terri Watts said,
February 3, 2008 at 1:44 am
Beautiful written the letter!! *wave my hands up* Bravo!
Actually I do support Pepsi Deaf Commercial but not drink pepsi and only like drink Diet coke or Canada Dry.
A Deaf Pundit said,
February 3, 2008 at 1:53 am
Jean,
Some people are working on an organization. Hopefully it’ll be within a few months when it goes public.
W. David Samuelsen said,
February 3, 2008 at 3:18 am
Dasani got me in hospital – and you won’t believe what it was! kidney stone.
I buy Aquafina for emergency water storage and am rotating out the oldest ones from 4 years ago to water plants and plants are thriving. And naturally I recycle the empty bottles.
A Deaf Pundit said,
February 3, 2008 at 9:32 am
Folks, please stay on topic and no bashing.
Dumb at ASL said,
February 3, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Though I don’t know ASL — I am disappointed at A.G. Bell’s response to the commercial. I respect every person’s communication preference… whether it’s ASL, speech or both.
Sorry, not gonna switch because of commercial. Simply put, Coca Cola tastes a lot better than Pepsi. Sometimes taste matters.
Mishkazena said,
February 3, 2008 at 10:39 pm
Great letter, Deaf Pundit. The fact that one of the Deaf actor actually grew up exclusively oral and wears a cochlear implant shows the ignorance AGBell Association has against Deaf people using sign language
Abbie said,
February 4, 2008 at 3:19 pm
I do support the Pepsi for using deaf charactors in their commercial however it was aired prior to the Superbowl game which not a lot of people saw it but it was explicitly stated in the press release. I feel that they could have aired the commercial any darn time and it would have received more coverage. Just my two cents.
I am upset that AGB feels the need to put their hand in the pot and tip it over just because the commercial featured two men using ASL. It wouldn’t have been nowhere near as funny if they put two lipreaders there. You can only satisify some people some of the time, can’t make everyone happy. I’m still shaking my head at AGB letter and your response to them is perfect!
A Deaf Pundit said,
February 4, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Abbie, thanks for your comment. I’m glad we agree on this! It’s nice to know that two very different people like us can find common ground to agree upon.
By the way, I did not write this letter. My friend did. (And she’s hearing btw)
Lindsey said,
February 5, 2008 at 9:48 pm
Definitely a wonderful letter. Thanks for sharking! I also commend Pepsi for creating such great awareness to the Deaf Community and for creating such a funny commercial. I believe that awareness is key and Pepsi did a wonderful job. Has anyone seen the Pepsi Deaf Comedy Smack Talk webisodes? They are quite hilarious. Check them out here if you have not seen them. Enjoy! http://my.break.com/content/view.aspx?ContentID=442998