When Is Code-Switching Inappropriate?

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  From Booksmart Studios, this is Lexicon Valley, a podcast about language.

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  I'm John McWhorter, and this week I want to do one of these very special episodes with a capital V,

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  capital S. Very special episodes.

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  There's something that's been gnawing at me,

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  and I think it's something that I ought to share here with you.

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  And I mean it constructively,

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  but as is always the case when I call an episode a very special episode,

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  it's one where I am going to be calling attention to some delicate issues having to do with race.

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  I want to discuss something about one of my favorite things in the world,

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  and that is the NPR affiliate in New York City, WNYC.

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  I love me some WNYC, but over the past year or two,

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  there has been an announcer who announces their sponsors.

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  And so you get these bumpers about once every half hour, sometimes every 15 minutes.

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  And there is something going on with this person's recordings that I want to call attention to.

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  Now, I should make it clear that I don't know this announcer.

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  I don't know who it is.

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  Just like any radio station,

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  NPR is not given to saying who the people who do the bumpers and sponsorship announcements are.

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  I don't know who is responsible for these segments.

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  I don't know the staffers at WNYC.

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