My favorite commercial these days is this one by Englishtown.com for English classes. It is titled “Overcome your Gringophobia” and begins with: “GUYS–THE GRINGO IS COMING!!!” The rest explains itself.
Sometimes the line between satire and reality is very blurry. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this exact expression on the face of more than one shop clerk. If I looked behind the counter would I have found four more in hiding?
I think that used to be me with Portuguese.
Also, they couldn’t find an actual gringo to play the gringo?
I know, right??? I think the same thing every time I see it! testimony to how little English Brazilians know–no one even realizes that the “Gringo” isn’t a native speaker.