Geo's Galling Gol

Geo tried once-again to be hip today. The results were predictably funny. (I was alerted to this by a forwarded text, so thanks to the writer!)

They ran a feature in their normal bulletin about the Asterix and Obelix comics turning 50. Of course, this being Geo, neither their scripters, editors or newsreaders had a clue about what they were talking about. Obviously getting a news feed from Reuters or AP is no guarantee of comprehension. So, even as Salman Hasan, the newsreader struggled to pronounce "Asterix", he announced that "Asterix comics ka markazi kirdar Gol aaj pachas baras ka ho gaya" [Gol, the central character in the Asterix comics has turned 50 today]. Gol, in case you're wondering, was obviously Gaul, as in ancient France.

I kept wondering what the original line in the English wire feed must have been for them to interpret the setting for the comics as the central character, which the series is named after. Then I came across this in the Guardian and it all made sense. The opening lines read:

"Asterix fever is hitting the French capital this week. As the doughty little Gaul and his man-mountain of a friend Obelix mark their 50th birthday, the whole of Paris seems to be celebrating with them."

Trust Geo to have the gall to report a story they don't even understand.

We really should start a bloopers update about our media. We'd never run out of material!