Saturday, February 2, 2008

Why Sign Pepsi That Way?

Out of curiousity, why the deaf people sign 'Pepsi" in resemblance of old ASL sign for Italy so far?

Was the Pepsi Cola, Inc. ran by the Italian-Americans or what? Look at the surname of Nancy Pelosi, another Italian-American as the current House of Speaker, native Baltimorean herself? Pelosi ~ Pepsi

My deaf mother and other deaf Marylanders signed Pepsi in much different way like "Y" hitting on the lower lip in repeated moves. They usually made facial expression with arched eyebrows like "Wanna a Pepsi?" with the handshaped of Y on the lip.

Handful of deaf people illogically sign "Coke drink" in resemblance of vaccine shot on the interior part between forearm and bicep.

I have seen the current Pepsi ASL sign for very first time when I enrolled at Gallaudet. I really never bothered to ask the logical meaning behind the present-day Pepsi sign.

What about any of you, deaf people out there?

My family heartily drink Pepsi glass bottles for treats until my deaf mother turned to the Canadian Ginger Ale drinks from time to time. My family lost real interests in drinking Pespi after all the carbonated drink manfacturers turned to the composition of plastic liter drinks. Yeech!

There are still carbonated drinks served in glass bottles in some ethnic restuarants. I gulped Coke from the glass bottle which reminded me much of my childhood how delicious carbonated drinks could be.

I want to know the origin of Pepsi sign. Could anyone deaf out there help me with this one? Thanks.

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog *Please check out my latest blog posting - Open Message to Jamie Berke in regard to Pepsi ad in
the DeafRead Extras. Thanks! *