Judges on "American Idol" Amusing Audience with Incorrect Pronunciation of Contestant's Hometown in Alabama
Cracking Up Southerners with a Twist on Tongue-Tying Town Names
Got that Southern charm down to a tee? Even mastered some of our more challenging town names like Cadiz and Natchitoches? Well, hang on tight, 'cause there's always one that'll trip ya up! Just ask the judges of American Idol when they whiffed on one little Alabama town: Oneonta.
This week, the judges – Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Ritchie – all hailing from the South, found themselves stumped on the pronunciation of their fellow Southerner's hometown. Before one contestant stepped on stage, Underwood asked, "What is that Alabama? Is it On-eonta or One-onta?" Bryan laughed and tried, "Not One-onta! Oh-knee, Oh-knee-onta?" Ritchie, a native of Tuskegee, Alabama, kept quiet for the exchange, possibly knowing the answer.
As the contestant, Isaiah Moore, from Oneonta, took the stage, he made it known that he showed them all with his hometown pronunciation: Ahn-ee-ahn-uh. The judges were seemingly satisfied with the correct pronunciation, just like the mural in Oneonta that welcomes visitors, saying, "Welcome to Oneonta. A great place, no matter how you pronounce it!"
Southern commenters couldn't resist piling on, with one commenting, "The mural in Oneonta on the wall literally says "no matter how you say it!" Another imagination running wild, "Yeah, it's pretty much spoken as ON-ee-ON-uh or OWN-ee-ON-uh in Oneonta-might put the 'T' in there on formal occasions."
It looks like Oneonta is finally getting it's well-deserved recognition for its unique, local pronunciation. If you're ever in the neighborhood, consider taking a day trip to this charming city, home to the Covered Bridge Festival-one heck of a Southern experience!
- Southern Living magazine could feature an article about the unique culture and lifestyle of Oneonta, Alabama, after its memorable appearance on American Idol.
- The TV show America's News could cover the mispronunciation of Oneonta by Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Ritchie on American Idol, highlighting the city's distinct regional dialect.
- Taking a cue from Oneonta, southerners might start a tradition of mispronouncing the name of their hometowns for entertainment purposes, similar to the Tchoutacabouffa festival in Louisiana.
- In response to the American Idol fiasco, a local Oneonta news outlet could run a feature story about the city's culture and activities and entertainment options, including the Covered Bridge Festival.
- To show solidarity with Oneonta, other Southern towns could consider renaming themselves with tongue-twisting variations, say, transforming Caddo into Cad-doodle or Natchitoches into Natty-toe-shays, adding a fun twist to Southern living.
