This commercial for Vonage has been driving people nuts because nobody knows what the hell the woman is talking about. But, in the interest of helping non Spanish people feel at home while dining with Dora The Explorer the answer is —
Pernil. It’s a Caribbean dish of roasted pork shoulder that’s popular in Puerto Rico.
A good spice rub transforms the plain-sounding pork shoulder into pernil, a tender Puerto Rican roast that cooks for a whole afternoon. When it’s done the rich and spicy skin crackles, the smoky meat falls off the bone, and the fat and juices mix with the excess spices to make a sinfully delicious gravy. And your house will smell like heaven all day while it cooks but your neighbors will puke because it stinks like rotted pigs.
The big PERNIL!!!! Who cares!
Sorry. I’ve watched that commercial several times. The word spoken has 3 syllables, it starts with an “f” and ends with an “i” (the sound “ee”). There is no “p” or “r” or “l” in the word she says. “Pernil” simply doesn’t fit what she says. I think she is saying “febnini”, which apparently means nothing.
Saw the transcript of the commercial from Verizon and the word is — Pernil — there is a nee-ya sound to the NIL — Trust me, she said “pernil.”
I’m puerto rican and speak spanish. She does say Pernil in the commercial.
Thank you, NUYORICAN for clearing that up — you will be my Spanish language expert from here on in. It doesn’t pay anything — hehehe!
thank you
Damien
The r is rolled which is what sounds like another syllable. Pronunciation here: http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dict_en_es/spanish/pernil
God, I’m cracking up!
I just now watched that ad again after seeing it many times. It drives me nuts and makes me want to thrash the TV! No amount of careful listening would solve that for me – thanks!! It sounded like “pagnini” to me. I’m so relieved!
Tony
I am so glad that I’m not the only person struggling to understand the commercial!
Sarah — that commercial annoyed the s**t out of me so I I figured I would do the research and save another person the annoyance. Thank you for reading TheDamienZone.com.
🙂 Damien
“the big peril” that lady needs to die
LOL — Easy there.
God… that commercial bugs the crap out of me… what a stupid random thing to put on a Vonage commercial… there’s gotta be more ways than ‘the big Pernil’ to entice other cultures to invest in vonage.
Thought she said the “big technee”. Very annoying. And she started out really normal and turned “ghetto” in the last part where she mentions the word. Nothing bad about that but I just thought it was funny.
The Latina in the commercial is pretty spastic, isn’t she?
🙂
Look at those hands flap!
Frankly, I’m sick of these companies pandering to minorities. I mean, how many more can they squeeze into a commercial? What — no Asian?
Vonage would be the very last company I would seek out, because their pandering makes me sick.
@Travis @USAMaid @Jose — love those comments. Very insightful.
“All ghetto” haha — thank you for reading my blog — tell your friends — that was funny — still laughing Jose.
Damien.
I can’t stand it – I just can’t stand it If you don’t “switch to Vonage” the first 1000 times they torture us with the commercial do they really think that on 1001st time you see it you will suddenly think “gee, I think I will get Vonage”? I am not sure what it is but I don’t think I have ever had a commercial get on my nerves to this extent. It’s certainly not the fact that the girl is Spanish – I don’t even notice Nationalities of actors in commercials. it’s “that word” somehow – the way she says it … whatever. Anyway – I’m over it and pleased to know I’m not the only one irritated by it. Thanks – The Damien Zone – for being there!
Laurie, the word annoyed me enough to write a whole thing about it. Seems like she gets on a lotta people’s nerves.
personally i hate the way she say turkey…she’s all lile TOURkey! ugh
Wow — so nice to see so many others who are irritated, confused, and puzzled by what this woman is saying on that commercial! It’s bugged me since the first time I saw/heard it and I still don’t get pernil out of it!?! WTF? Is this the best they can do?
That is the word. PERNIL. I asked a hundred Puerto Ricans and they all told me the same thing and pronounced it just like the woman on the commercial.
Damien
Yeah, this commercial has been driving us nuts since the first time we saw it. I think its ok to use foreign words in english television commercials but they should probably be words like dankashaine, mafia, or taco for instance. Maybe she was talking about Parnell Roberts? The Big Fat Knee?
It’s funny Beth, but I actually even went so far as to ask a Professor of Puerto Rican and Caribbean Culture. The actress does say “pernil”. Perrrrrrr (rolled r) Nilllllllya.
Ha Ha — BUT — Danke Shoen is pronounced Dankeshaine (the way you spelled it) — see how it works?
I thought it was a crude reference for her to be talking to her mom about the big $#%%^^. Shame shame Judy Comprez.. aggggh why didn’y Laurea Pruden say this?
Yes, it was rather crude, but Puerto Ricans have big Pernils and it gets to be a habit.
Hispanic overreachand pandering, just too f’n PC. Good grief, speak English you idiot!
Hmmm. My TV makes it sound like she’s saying “pegNEE”.
yeah i totally wish it was Laura Pruden and my ‘big pernil’ and im so happy that when i typed ‘the big turkey and the big pernil’ this was the first thing that popped on google… what i was actually looking for… which was? what the fuck is a big pernil?!?! Judy Comprez should have hit the cutting room floor, and someone up there said no asian? Laura Pruden seems to be of Pacific Islander desent or some other eastern culture, anyways thanks Damien for throwin up a blog about the big pernil and easing all our minds… pz
LOL I LOVE that I found this answer! I have become a little crazy lately with google and commercials. I HATE the Mr. Clean commercial when he says “can we clean a leather shoe” and the other voice says “What’s a sheee-owww-ooo”. So stupid. I also hate the M&M commercial when that chick says “babe… I could really go for a snack” only she says “Snack-uh”. Makes me nuts.
Shew. Glad I got that off my chest.
Oh… and I’m with USA… I’m sick of all the minority pandering. When was the last time you saw a ‘stereotypical’ white person in a McDonalds commercial?
Alright I’m not the only person who has seen this comercial and wonder what the f*ck this lady was talking about. In my head I heard ” The big bent knee” whitch is retarded. Its almost february and they are still playing this holiday ad. I can’t wait until it is cancelled
NOTHINGCLEVER– You are more clever than you think. I agree and I think that Vonage should throw her in the shredder along with her bill that she probably doesn’t pay on time anyway.
Damien
Sassy, it sounds like you and I have the same amount of tolerance so I am glad my website ws able to offer you some closure. I think that Gibourey Sidibe, or however the hell you spell it, should be the spokesman.
LOL “throw her in the shredder along with the bill that she probably doesn’t pay on time anyway” BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Yeah… my commercial tolerance is increasingly low. How about those commercials when kids spill stuff the and mom gives a big smile? I would beat my kids @ss if he was a brat like that.
I can’t stand that noise the white woman makes. It sounds like “scuuuu”.
To the point when that commercial comes on I hit mute. Every time.
So glad I’m not alone in my irritation. We should start a petition to pull this darn ad.
We think its the big panini that she’s talking about and die laughing every time we see paninis on a menu. This blog made my day. We can’t stand this commercial either. Also filed under the drives us nuts category, the blue rainbow from the Jimmy Dean commercial for the way she says “yummy.” The leprechaun that comes out of the little door is pretty great though. Makes up for the annoying rainbow. Why is everyone sp excited by Laura Pruden?
It’s amazing how annoying her Pernil is, and when I chose to make that commercial a subject of TheDamienZone.com. I had an idea in the back of my mind that I had a legion of people who were in agreement with me. I am thinking of making a “We Hate Judy Comprez” website and with any luck we can get Judy herself to come and accept the award. I’ll make a big perrrrrrrrrneeeeeya and we can have a block party.
In the northeast we do not get the Jimmy Dean commercials but it sounds sickening just the same. Thank you for reading TheDamienZone.com
Damien
Vonage has a habit of using fake actors who can’t speak clear English. It’s yet another attempt at glamorizing and bowing to the latino “culture”. It sounds like she’s saying “the big feblini”. If Vonage wanted to talk about Thanksgiving, which is uniquely American, why would they use a foreigner who can’t speak clear English and says a word that no one can understand? And just how many Americans do you think know about a feblini in regards to Thanksgiving? I think she’s actually saying she wants a dirty sanchez.
“Fake actors” implies that they are not actors. I think you mean that they use actors who are pretending to be real cistomers. Of course that’s what they do — where do you think Judy Comprez got that Little Red Riding In Puerto Rico Hood suit? the wardrobe department of course. Perrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr – nilllllllllllllllll —–eeeeeeeeeee — YUK!
damien
Hot damn, I’m not alone going nut trying to figure out what the hell that chick says! I always thought it was something like fednee but what the hell would that mean?
Thanks for this thread! Love the comments!
Thank you, Snorch. Seems like the Vonage chick is getting famous thanks to me. I want 15%.
hehe Damien
Yeah sounds like panini in her accent LOL!
Why dont we all call the 800 number and ask the person who answers the phone, “Hi, I’m just curious, whats a “big panil?” Maybe if we could get a few thousand people to do this, they will stop showing this commercial from friggin Thanksgiving. Ahh, but where would I put all this hatred then?
The hatred is good for you, David. Just watch the commercial and look at her cheap hooker boots the next time you’re feeling sentimental and non hateful. LOL — Judy Comprez must be deported! LOL
May the Pernil be with you
Damien
I just want to hurt that lady, no excuses she needs to keep quiet it drives me INSANEEEEE with RAGE!!!!!! Sorry that’s a douche thing to say but they keep playing it!
she is a horrible wretch for assuming anyone would know what that is .
for that alone .. global boycott of vonage
Enjoyed reading comments, as this commericial is stone cold annoying. My only conclusion that I was not in the demographic they are going after….cheap phone service for new immigrants (legal or illegal). Pernil, paninini, whatever, its the most aggravating commericial on TV, and guarantee’d that I certainly will go out of my way to avoid purchasing any Vonage services. Go get a Magic Jack, its even cheaper than a big Pernil. Multiculturalism, phooey.
Whoo who my arse.
The cape she wears is also a “fashion emergency”. Geez, what were they thinking?
It’s the Big Fetnini. That woman is hideous.
IT’S PERNIL!!! And yes,, she is rather sickening — especially her boots and cape.