Man For Sale!
I was rewatching S1 of OFMD earlier this week before S2 dropped, and I had a rather chilling realization. When Stede's walking his captive through the public venue of the Republic of Pirates and doing his 'Man for sa-ale!' cry, it's played for laughs, but he's getting that singsong cadence from somewhere very specific. Growing up in Barbados in the 1700s, he's a product of a slaveowning culture, and he's mimicking the auctioneer's call to the block, using both a slightly higher pitch and a cadence designed to cut through the noise of the marketplace and draw buyers. Then if you listen, right after the first few 'man for sale' calls, he lists off 'healthy, sturdy, obedient', all traits that were frequently mentioned by auctioneers selling slaves.
So... yeah, Stede really does 'know a thing or two about salesmanship'. And now I'm never gonna look at that scene the same way again.




















