A CNN host assumed an Indian American spelling bee champion could read Sanskrit

WaPo ^ | 6/5/17 | By Kristine Phillips

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

A CNN host assumed an Indian American spelling bee champion could read Sanskrit

A CNN anchor became the target of rebuke for assuming that the 2017 national spelling champion, a California resident who’s of South Asian descent, is “used to using” Sanskrit.

Alisyn Camerota and Chris Cuomo were talking to 12-year-old Ananya Vinay on “New Day” after Ananya’s Thursday victory at the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Toward the end of the interview — and after several awkward seconds of asking the sixth-grader to spell “covfefe” — Camerota joked about the origin of the gibberish that President Trump conjured on Twitter last week.

“It’s a nonsense word. So, we’re not sure that its root is actually in Sanskrit, which is what you’re probably, uh, used to using, so, I don’t know. Anyway,” Camerota said.

Vinay, an Indian American, is from Fresno, Calif.

[By correctly spelling ‘marocain,’ California girl becomes bee queen]

Hosts Alisyn Camerota, who made the comment, and Chris Cuomo jokingly asked her to spell 'covfefe,' what Ms Camerota called a "nonsense word."

[moovova]

Alisyn can’t even spell her own name correctly.

[hecticskeptic]

Why is “covfefe” still a thing?

Covfefe - (noun) The ongoing tactics and actions by media institutions to discredit an elected government through continued fallacious speculation of crimes and malfeasance with the objective of facilitating regime change or diminished stature and authority. Related words: fraudulent, coup d'état, perfidiousness, conspiracy, deception, prevarication.

[KarlInOhio]

Potato

57 states.

[HotHunt]

Well, it's too late now. The use of the term, covfefe, that Trump tweeted either as a typo or on purpose, is all over the internet now, mostly in memes and in political fare.

It's become somewhat iconic now.

Breitbart is even selling Covfefe mugs now on their website.

[Vehmgericht]

Does she speak Austrian? Spelling champion of all 57 states.

[Loyalist]

Considering that Sanskrit is used only as a liturgical language in Hindu, she might as well have said an Italian-Americsn kid must speak Latin at home.

[Loyalist]

Considering that Sanskrit is used only as a liturgical language in Hindu, she might as well have said an Italian-Americsn kid must speak Latin at home.

[xrmusn]

Macaca almost up there with potato but the (mis)use of macaca was deliberate and meant to draw attention or at least let Allen show how ‘smart and learned’ he was.

57 states doesn’t count because whenever BO walks into the room or on stage it doesn’t get mentioned as a point of ridicule.

Best ‘Quayleism’ I liked was

While visiting Latin America DQ said he wished he had paid better attention to the Nuns so he could speak the native language...

(Those that ‘understood’ ridiculed him as being stupid)

I thought/think it was a pretty good joke but I do have a weird sense of humor....<: <: <:

[wardaddy]

+1