This is a picture of one of my favorite actors. He is brilliant. He is talented. And on one night he made a verbal error that has captured the attention of the entire online community. But I, as usual, had an interesting and different thought; at least I thought it was.
Idina Menzel was being introduced at the Academy Awards to sing her song from the animated Oscar Winner, Frozen. For some reason, being guilty of only being human, John Travolta mis-pronounced Ms. Menzel’s name incorrectly. In fact, it wasn’t even close. The best that people could come up with is that Mr. Travolta said Adele Dazeem.
Now Ms. Menzel is known in many circles from the many roles she has played and is probably most known for her Tony Award winning performance in Wicked where she stopped the show with her first act ending Defying Gravity. (you can click the link to see her performance the night she won a Tony Award). She too is about as brilliant a performer you will ever see. Many also may know her from the movie/play Rent as well.
Now here’s the thing. There is a huge population out there that does not know the name Idina Menzel. Or I should say that there was a huge population that did not know the name Idina Menzel but surely do now all because of Mr. Travolta being human and making an error.
The Online world lit up like a Christmas Tree and someone even created a way that you could have your name Travoltified by going to the Adele Dazeem Name Generator and punching in a name and learn the new name as Mr. Travolta would say it. If you click the picture above it will take you to the site where you can punch in a name and also see the clip from the Academy Awards where Ms. Menzel was introduced incorrectly.
Now this has all become very silly and it surely is the hope that everyone sees the humor in it all but I was struck with the fact that by one man, on a grand stage I admit, making a small error would result in so much being said and done.
And it hit me.
Perhaps we could have a few really big stars mispronounce the name type one diabetes. Just say the name incorrectly and perhaps the online community would begin a ‘tizzy’ of tens of thousands of tweets, posts and even a site that would tell what type one diabetes actually is all about……..what do you think? You may get something different, but I punched in ‘type one diabetes’ at the site and it came out “Troy Orteez”.
Really. Troy Orteez?
We have stated for so long how much work needs to be done to educate the world about the so many aspects, facts, types, and other information about diabetes. And yet, I was dumbfounded that a simple phrase, a name pronounced incorrectly, would bring so much attention to Idina Menzel. Headlines in newspapers, spoofs, comments, and so much more……..silly isn’t it?
So perhaps we can find the right stage or venue where someone could totally screw up the name and perhaps more attention and media could be given to……Troy Orteez!
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