Epilogue

Abstract

In one of my favorites I Love Lucy episodes, Lucy hires a language tutor to help her Cuban husband improve his English pronunciation. The stuffy, bow-tied Mr. Livermore, delightfully played by Hans Conreid, speaks English with an outrageously affected British accent. During the first lesson, Mr. Livermore instructs his class (which also includes Lucy, Fred, and Ethel) on the correct pronunciation of the English vowels. Lucy, Fred, and Ethel imitate Livermore’s fastidious enunciation well enough, but Ricky pronounces the vowels in Spanish. Livermore cannot believe his ears. He goes through the vowels again, accompanying himself with hand gestures to emphasize their open or closed sounds, and asks Ricky to repeat after him. Ricky does no better the second time—“ah,” “eh,” “ee,” “oh,” “oo.” Stunned, Livermore asks, “Mr. Ricardo, wherever did you acquire that odd pronunciation?” Ricky replies, “I’m Cuban, what’s your excuse?”