January 16, 2002

6:24 AM

Oops! A plaque intended to honor James Earl Jones at a Martin Luther King Jr. celebration said: "Thank you James Earl Ray for keeping the dream alive.''
posted by quirked (9 comments total)

I'm going to go out on a limb here.... That ain't no typo. .... someone needs a real hard slap on the head, after they are fired.
posted by tomplus2 at 6:29 AM on January 16, 2002

There's no way that someone who doesn't speak English accidentally typed in "Ray" instead of "Jones." What a lame excuse. At best, it was an honest mistake by someone familiar with both names. At worst, it was intentional. My guess is that it was the former, but the problem is only compounded by the pathetic excuse.
posted by gimli at 6:54 AM on January 16, 2002

There's no way that someone who doesn't speak English accidentally typed in "Ray" instead of "Jones." What a lame excuse.

Exactly. Someone who knows both names just got them confused... it's like when you decorate a cake and spell it "Birtday" - you are so close to it, doing it slowly, and you aren't paying attention to the big picture.
posted by hotdoughnutsnow at 7:09 AM on January 16, 2002

I have a friend who gets Bob Marley and Jacob Marley (from a Christmas Carol) mixed up about 50% of the time. By your logic, Gimli Gloin's son, he must be doing it intentionally, because no one could mistake the word "Bob" for the word "Jacob".

Anyway, it's more interesting to think of it as intentional..
posted by Hildago at 7:48 AM on January 16, 2002

"Thank you James Earl Ray for keeping the dream alive," reads the plague, which has prompted outrage among civil leaders.

Reads the plague? What is this, copyeditor appreciation day?
posted by feckless at 8:08 AM on January 16, 2002

I don't understand what all this has to do with Robert E. Lee's birthday.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 11:01 AM on January 16, 2002

Suddenly I'm reminded of the time Dexys Midnight Runners appeared on 'Top of the Pops' and the BBC slide department misheard the name of the song. Dexys founds themselves performing 'Jackie Wilson Says' in front of a giant multi-screen picture of Jockie Wilson, the Darts player.
posted by feelinglistless at 1:50 PM on January 16, 2002

BitterOldPunk, are you also from Virginia?
posted by hotdoughnutsnow at 8:15 AM on January 17, 2002

Alabama, actually. :)

(DISCLAIMER: My comment referencing Lee was intended as a (poor) joke -- please do not use it to further stereotype Alabama, most of whose residents DO actually celebrate MLK Day)
posted by BitterOldPunk at 9:26 AM on January 17, 2002