Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez launches affordable “Penis” phone

[JonLP24]

Venezuela’s president Hugo Chavez has just done what no other cellphone company in the world would dare do. Chavez has launched the first ever “penis” phone. Wait, what?

unprecedented product launch, Hugo Chavez became the first sitting national leader to launch a cellphone. Hugo took the time during his weekly TV show, “Hello President,” to unveil to the world the new “Vergatorio” cellphone. He proclaimed to the world that “This telephone will be the biggest seller not only in Venezuela but the world.” Chavez went on to add that “whoever doesn’t have a Vergatario is nothing.” For those not too versed in Venezuelan slang, the name “vergatorio” is derived from the local slang for “penis.” You can imagine the look on Chavez’s PR team when he uttered those fateful words.

Chavez started down the road to his historic “penis” cellphone launch when he nationalized the cellphone manufacturer that made the Vergatorio. The President-turned-cellphone-pitchman wanted to make a cellphone that was “light, beautiful, good and cheap.” The end result is the unfortunately named Vergatorio.

Horribly inappropriate model name notwithstanding, Chavez’s vision for the Vergatorio is noble. The Venezuelan President wanted to put “science and technology” to work for “the service of the people not the elites.” But, we have a feeling that Hugo’s pitch isn’t going to win over too many hearts and minds. People just don’t like being told they’re nothing without a “penis” phone
http://www.intomobile.com/2009/05/12/venezuelas-hugo-chavez-launches-affordable-penis-phone.html

[MADem]

1. That's HYSTERICAL!! Sexist.....and hysterical.

He seems to be enjoying having his vergatorio en la mano, doesn't he? He's rather like a QVC pitchman!

I found a video link -- this is pretty strange, IMO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V1Bhs3_IO4

[Occam Bandage]

2. I'm waiting for the Hugo Brigade to explain how this is yet another evil MSM mistranslation.

Mostly because this time I actually cannot believe he really said this.

[MADem]

3. You can hear his audience screaming with glee as he waves his

vergatorio about....!

Unless, of course, the video is "faked by enemies," too!

Of course, if that's the case, then the Kinder and Gentler Guardian (that usually finds a way to find even the offensive palatable) has swallowed the penis ... story, as it were.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/11/chavez-venezuela-mobile-phone-vergatorio

Their Headline: Chavez launches $15 mobile phone with a name to make his mother blush
Venezuelan president predicts the Vergatario will be a bestseller worldwide

[SpiralHawk]

4. This is the model Republicon Homelanders prefer

WARNING: Do not click on link if you are under 18, if you have wide-stance Republicon Family Values, or lack a sense of humor.

?v=0

[MADem]

5. OMG!! I'm sure Hugo wasn't thinking that when he said "Mamá, te felicito con mi vergatorio”

http://www.cronica.com.mx/nota.php?id_nota=431566

:rofl:

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

6. Oh look. The ass has a penis. Phone. N/t

[NoPasaran]

7. I guess when people complain they're being screwed by the phone company

It won't be a metaphor!

[TahitiNut]

8. Ballsy move.

:dunce:

It's set on vibrate and comes in a size that's VERY popular with women.

[struggle4progress]

9. "... vergatario is a newly minted word which signifies excellent ... "

http://consumerist.com/5252386/if-you-visit-venezuela-please-bring-us-back-a-penisphone

So it seems there is a slang word "vergatorio" -- which might have etymological connotations something like "fan-frickin-tastic" -- and somebody or other decided that it would be cool to give the phone an edgy slang name. As long as we're all snorting and choking ("ha-ha! he said penis!"), here's a similar outrage:

Sofia Vergara to star in American comedy
Colombian actress Sofia Vergara will star in an American comedy called "Modern Family" .. in the second half of 2009 by TV station ABC.
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news-lite/115-people/3962-sofia-vergara-to-star-in-american-comedy.html

What the hell was ABC thinking?!

[Bacchus39]

10. verga is penis but vulgar, exactly like Hugo n/t

s

[struggle4progress]

11. Or "rigging yard" or "bowstring"

[rabs]

12. Too bad the reporters did not check out the real meaning of the word

In the ultimate authority, the Diccionario de la lengua española de la Real Academia Española (Dictionary of the Spanish Language of the Royal Spanish Academy). The Royal Academy clarifies and establishes the significance of ALL the words in Spanish.

The name of the cell phone is El Vergatario, NOT “vergatorio.” Some reporters did not even get the spelling correct. :shrug:

The reporters would have discovered "vergatario" to the Royal Academy is a Venezuelan adjective that means "something of very good quality."

"Said of a person: one who stands out for some quality, especially for his valor and strength. Said of an object: "very good."

---------------
De hecho, el Diccionario de la Real Academia Española clasifica vergatario como un adjetivo venezolano que significa algo de muy buena calidad.

“Dicho de una persona: Que se destaca o sobresale por alguna cualidad, sobre todo por su valor o su fuerza. Dicho de una cosa: óptima”, resalta el diccionario que rige el buen hablar del español.

Por tanto, la misma entidad que esclarece el significado de todas las palabras en español descarta algún otro tipo de significado para vergatario, y lo clasifica como sinónimo de óptimo.

--------------

The president of the company that makes the cellphones on Wednesday said the privately-owned Venezuelan media (opposition) had "distorted" the name of the phone to give it a "sexual connotation" and to try to slow the great success of the phone.

Caracas, 13 May. ABN.- Los medios privados de comunicación venezolanos han tergiversado el nombre del teléfono celular fabricado en Venezuela, El Vergatario, para darle una connotación sexual y tratar de frenar el gran éxito que ha tenido el aparato en el país, enfatizó este miércoles el presidente de la empresa Venezolana de Telecomunicaciones (Vetelca), Carlos Audrines