Language repertoire reconfigured for profit in the case of Joel Santana

Abstract

Studies of comic media performances (JAFFE, 2000; DA SILVA, 2015; KOVEN; SIMÕES MARQUES, 2015) have pointed out that, in the new globalized economy, previously erased repertoires and linguistic identities are now objects of celebration and commodification. This paper shows how even contradictions in the attribution of value to items of linguistic repertoire for the commodification of language in contemporary times can be mobilized to impel the sale of services using comic media performances. To this end, I examine developments resulting from an interview given by Joel Santana, in 2009, as coach of the South African national soccer team, which received a great deal of media attention at the time because of the coach's allegedly poor command of English, in particular the pieces of comic advertising campaigns in which the coach participated as a commercial actor. These advertising pieces explored marked linguistic forms for comic effect in stage performances by Joel himself. The notions of linguistic repertoires (BLOMMAERT, 2016) and language ideologies (IRVINE; GAL, 2000), and the discussion of language in late capitalism (HELLER, 2010; HELLER; DUCHÊNE, 2012, 2016) make up the theoretical core of this work. The set of data analyzed corresponds to the 2009 interview, the advertising pieces and the coach's comments on his financial gain, and statements in sports websites by the brand manager about the increase in the sales cycle of the target product. Excerpts from the articles are discussed in light of the content of the videos to reveal evidence of language commodification. I argue that the case emphasizes normative language ideologies and shows how even marked linguistic repertoires can gain market value for commodification in contemporary times, even if contrasted with more prestigious language repertoires, thus exposing an example of the commodification of contradictions in value attributions to linguistic repertoire items.