itsnotallover said:

The one thing I really, really hate though, is Hollywood movies with an American actor playing a British person and having that God awful "Jeeves" accent. We do not talk like that, well except maybe Alfred out of Batman, I will let Hollywood off with that one

We get that a lot in the South, too.

Everyone thinks that we all talk like "hillbilly, pig fucking" hicks.

Well - I guess I do talk like a hick, but I've never fucked a pig - so there!

I imagine the Aussies get fed up with folks trying to sound like Crocodile Dundee, mate!

itsnotallover said:

Dave1992 said:

Why actors do it on-stage is logical.

Why singers do it while they sing is logical, too.

Why people do it outside their jobs may not be logical, but understandable. I simply like playing around with people, talking in different accents and see whether they'd believe I'm from Germany, Holland, the dirty north of London, Prince William's cousin, a Scottish alcoholic or an Irish settler. It's something I do out of boredom, really.

lmao...

I once rang my Brothers Ex Wife (while they where married) and pretended to be an Irish Double Glazing salesman, I kept her on the phone for a whole 20 Minutes, pleading with her to buy some windows cuz I had a Wife and 4 kids to feed and it was a bad month for me.

Needless to say, when she found out it was me, she wasn't very happy

luv4u said:

namepeace said:

In fairness to performers, accents are often changed or "lost" when people change regions or countries. But the most famous example of an "affected" accent IMO is Madonna.

How so?? Meaning she picked up an accent??

This is not a celebrity thing.

My father is Scottish, he moved to Canada and lost his accent over time...it just happens. It's not like he did it on purpose or was trying to hide it.

My Grandmother has an Indian/Scottish/Canadian accent...from living in India for most of her life, then Scotland and then Canada.

And all the people you listed still have an accent that is indigenous (at least partly at this point) to where they are originally from.

The three male leads on "True Blood" have heavy non-american accents (Australian, Swedish, English). But they act with good old southern accents.

Wait doesn't the female lead also have a strong non-american accent in real life? New Zealand I think.

CallMeCarrie said:

itsnotallover said:

The one thing I really, really hate though, is Hollywood movies with an American actor playing a British person and having that God awful "Jeeves" accent. We do not talk like that, well except maybe Alfred out of Batman, I will let Hollywood off with that one

We get that a lot in the South, too.

Everyone thinks that we all talk like "hillbilly, pig fucking" hicks.

Well - I guess I do talk like a hick, but I've never fucked a pig - so there!

I imagine the Aussies get fed up with folks trying to sound like Crocodile Dundee, mate!

When I was little people thought I was from New York or something because I didn't "talk South".

Timmy84 said:

CallMeCarrie said:

We get that a lot in the South, too.

Everyone thinks that we all talk like "hillbilly, pig fucking" hicks.

Well - I guess I do talk like a hick, but I've never fucked a pig - so there!

I imagine the Aussies get fed up with folks trying to sound like Crocodile Dundee, mate!

When I was little people thought I was from New York or something because I didn't "talk South".

Did you pick up the accent as you got older or do you still sound like a yankee??

I moved to Texas from Cali when I was 10. I got teased for not saying ya'll!

But the drawl grew on me. Now when I go visit my relatives in Montana, I

get teased for my Texas accent! I don't care - I tease them for their use of the word

"pop" when they are talking about coke!

CallMeCarrie said:

Timmy84 said:

When I was little people thought I was from New York or something because I didn't "talk South".

Did you pick up the accent as you got older or do you still sound like a yankee??

I moved to Texas from Cali when I was 10. I got teased for not saying ya'll!

But the drawl grew on me. Now when I go visit my relatives in Montana, I

get teased for my Texas accent! I don't care - I tease them for their use of the word

"pop" when they are talking about coke!

In between. I do sound like some of my relatives now (Virginia/NC) but every now and then that other "accent" is still there.

namepeace said:

In fairness to performers, accents are often changed or "lost" when people change regions or countries. But the most famous example of an "affected" accent IMO is Madonna.

I dont know why loads of people rag on Madonna and her off and on Brit accent

Considering she married a Brit and lived there for a while..is it really that strange?

I lived in Britain for a while as a teen and I got a Brit accent too that lasted for about a year. I'm not really sure if I truly got it subconsiously or I just faked it..but I had it and loved it while it lasted.

lavender1983 said:

namepeace said:

In fairness to performers, accents are often changed or "lost" when people change regions or countries. But the most famous example of an "affected" accent IMO is Madonna.

I dont know why loads of people rag on Madonna and her off and on Brit accent

Considering she married a Brit and lived there for a while..is it really that strange?

I lived in Britain for a while as a teen and I got a Brit accent too that lasted for about a year. I'm not really sure if I truly got it subconsiously or I just faked it..but I had it and loved it while it lasted.

Like I said, it's "affected," for the reasons stated above. I'd never say she was "faking it" because I don't know and as a matter of fact I haven't heard her speak in years, but people have complained about it a whole lot.

namepeace said:

lavender1983 said:

I dont know why loads of people rag on Madonna and her off and on Brit accent

Considering she married a Brit and lived there for a while..is it really that strange?

I lived in Britain for a while as a teen and I got a Brit accent too that lasted for about a year. I'm not really sure if I truly got it subconsiously or I just faked it..but I had it and loved it while it lasted.

Like I said, it's "affected," for the reasons stated above. I'd never say she was "faking it" because I don't know and as a matter of fact I haven't heard her speak in years, but people have complained about it a whole lot.

That is what I meant....people...see where I said "loads of people"...I did not say you in particular. Maybe I should have been clearer. When you brought it up it just reminded me of the people who do claim she fakes it and make fun of her for it.

lavender1983 said:

namepeace said:

Like I said, it's "affected," for the reasons stated above. I'd never say she was "faking it" because I don't know and as a matter of fact I haven't heard her speak in years, but people have complained about it a whole lot.

That is what I meant....people...see where I said "loads of people"...I did not say you in particular. Maybe I should have been clearer. When you brought it up it just reminded me of the people who do claim she fakes it and make fun of her for it.

I know, just clarifying that I can't accuse Madge of fakery because I don't have proof.

On this issue anyway!

namepeace said:

lavender1983 said:

That is what I meant....people...see where I said "loads of people"...I did not say you in particular. Maybe I should have been clearer. When you brought it up it just reminded me of the people who do claim she fakes it and make fun of her for it.

I know, just clarifying that I can't accuse Madge of fakery because I don't have proof.

On this issue anyway!

Yea I'm with you on that.

Genesia said:

What don't you get? Hugh Laurie is an actor playing a part - the part of an American doctor in New Jersey. It'd be stupid if he had a British accent.

I did two parts this season where I played people who lived in England. I used a standard British accent for both roles. It would have been stupid for me to play them sounding the way I do just walking around in America.

It's common sense, really.

There is no such thing as a standard British accent.

It's either English,Irish,Scottish or Welsh.

muirdo said:

Genesia said:

What don't you get? Hugh Laurie is an actor playing a part - the part of an American doctor in New Jersey. It'd be stupid if he had a British accent.

I did two parts this season where I played people who lived in England. I used a standard British accent for both roles. It would have been stupid for me to play them sounding the way I do just walking around in America.

It's common sense, really.

There is no such thing as a standard British accent.

It's either English,Irish,Scottish or Welsh.

Wrong. There are many, many English accents. Cockney, Estuary, Midlands, etc. And many "sub-accents" within those.

"Standard British" is a euphemism for Received Pronunciation. Look it up.

Saying there's one English accent is like saying there's one American accent.

Genesia said:

muirdo said:

There is no such thing as a standard British accent.

It's either English,Irish,Scottish or Welsh.

Wrong. There are many, many English accents. Cockney, Estuary, Midlands, etc. And many "sub-accents" within those.

"Standard British" is a euphemism for Received Pronunciation. Look it up.

Saying there's one English accent is like saying there's one American accent.

In Britain we call those different accents "dialects"

Obviously.

No such thing as a British accent where i'm from period.

muirdo said:

Genesia said:

Wrong. There are many, many English accents. Cockney, Estuary, Midlands, etc. And many "sub-accents" within those.

"Standard British" is a euphemism for Received Pronunciation. Look it up.

Saying there's one English accent is like saying there's one American accent.

In Britain we call those different accents "dialects"

Obviously.

No such thing as a British accent where i'm from period.

I used "accent" instead of "dialect" purposefully.

Dialect has as much to do with word usage as the way words are pronounced. This thread started as one about acting. Acting concerns itself with accent rather than dialect because, when doing a play, actors do not choose their own words - the playwright does that.

So actors are using an accent - not a dialect. Unless, of course, they're doing improv. Which is a horse of a different color.

american, is an accent to other people...

go figure

JustErin said:

luv4u said:

How so?? Meaning she picked up an accent??

This is not a celebrity thing.

My father is Scottish, he moved to Canada and lost his accent over time...it just happens. It's not like he did it on purpose or was trying to hide it.

My Grandmother has an Indian/Scottish/Canadian accent...from living in India for most of her life, then Scotland and then Canada.

And all the people you listed still have an accent that is indigenous (at least partly at this point) to where they are originally from.

I have to totally agree with you here

I grew up in the North of England and obviously have a heavy "Northern" Accent, then I lived in Somerset for a short time, lived also in Yorkshire and now in teh Midlands - My "Dialect" is a complete mish mash of these places.

People here in the Midlands, know immediatley I am a "Northerner" yet when I go back home to visit Family, they say I sound more and more like a Midlander.

Accents are picked up without our knowledge and it is basically impossible to avoid.

[Edited 5/28/11 12:50pm]

Genesia said:

muirdo said:

In Britain we call those different accents "dialects"

Obviously.

No such thing as a British accent where i'm from period.

I used "accent" instead of "dialect" purposefully.

Dialect has as much to do with word usage as the way words are pronounced. This thread started as one about acting. Acting concerns itself with accent rather than dialect because, when doing a play, actors do not choose their own words - the playwright does that.

So actors are using an accent - not a dialect. Unless, of course, they're doing improv. Which is a horse of a different color.

I'm Scottish and proud of it too.

I think I'm a wee bit more qualified than you'll ever be to suggest what kind of accent I speak with.

itsnotallover said:

Because if they didn't it would be stupid

Take the following:

Hunt for Red October..... A submarine captained by a Russian with a Scottish accent? Sean Connery

Enemy at the Gates...... Bob Hoskins with his delightful (cough) Cockney accent, although he was a supposed to be a Russian General? Jude Law and Rachel Weitz both playing Russians, with "Southern England" accents?

Just to name two of the Movies spoiled mostly by poor accents.

The one thing I really, really hate though, is Hollywood movies with an American actor playing a British person and having that God awful "Jeeves" accent. We do not talk like that, well except maybe Alfred out of Batman, I will let Hollywood off with that one

I was speaking to this myself with my roommate. I know ther people with non-american accents can,to my ears, sound very american. Not indisputably, but they do it VERY well. But it seems american actors performance are laughable when attempting foreign accents.

I think, but i'm not sure, that's it's due to a generalied american accent practicaly everyone in the states can use vs. the one accent they have while hanging with friends. Work-speak vs. friend-speak. Is that phenomenon heavily present in the U.K. or Australia?

muirdo said:

Genesia said:

I used "accent" instead of "dialect" purposefully.

Dialect has as much to do with word usage as the way words are pronounced. This thread started as one about acting. Acting concerns itself with accent rather than dialect because, when doing a play, actors do not choose their own words - the playwright does that.

So actors are using an accent - not a dialect. Unless, of course, they're doing improv. Which is a horse of a different color.

I'm Scottish and proud of it too.

I think I'm a wee bit more qualified than you'll ever be to suggest what kind of accent I speak with.

Who cares? Nobody was talking about you, anyway.

Genesia said:

muirdo said:

I'm Scottish and proud of it too.

I think I'm a wee bit more qualified than you'll ever be to suggest what kind of accent I speak with.

Who cares? Nobody was talking about you, anyway.

BobGeorge909 said:

itsnotallover said:

Because if they didn't it would be stupid

Take the following:

Hunt for Red October..... A submarine captained by a Russian with a Scottish accent? Sean Connery

Enemy at the Gates...... Bob Hoskins with his delightful (cough) Cockney accent, although he was a supposed to be a Russian General? Jude Law and Rachel Weitz both playing Russians, with "Southern England" accents?

Just to name two of the Movies spoiled mostly by poor accents.

The one thing I really, really hate though, is Hollywood movies with an American actor playing a British person and having that God awful "Jeeves" accent. We do not talk like that, well except maybe Alfred out of Batman, I will let Hollywood off with that one

I was speaking to this myself with my roommate. I know ther people with non-american accents can,to my ears, sound very american. Not indisputably, but they do it VERY well. But it seems american actors performance are laughable when attempting foreign accents.

I think, but i'm not sure, that's it's due to a generalied american accent practicaly everyone in the states can use vs. the one accent they have while hanging with friends. Work-speak vs. friend-speak. Is that phenomenon heavily present in the U.K. or Australia?

renee zelweger was fantastic as bridget jones!!...i'm not sure i completely understand what u are asking but i know kids in uk overdose on american programmes, bloody glee & disney shite.. oh american top model then they're using american terminology!! it's true & i find myself doing it sometimes after being here 4 little

while

who remembers 'neighbours' in the 80's?.. kids developed australian twang!

Genesia said:

muirdo said:

I'm Scottish and proud of it too.

I think I'm a wee bit more qualified than you'll ever be to suggest what kind of accent I speak with.

Who cares? Nobody was talking about you, anyway.

i'd love to hear your standard british accent, i'm sure it would give us a good laugh

I've lived all over the place.... DEFINITELY don't have an accent of where I was born and raised... which is Birmingham, UK.... soooo glad I don't have that accent lol. Mine's kinda "transatlantic". Partially english, partially US.... some people have thought I'm Australian or Canadian.... fuck knows. I just talk how I talk dammit.

I'm clearly English (I think) I just don't have any one specific dialect.

Militant said:

I've lived all over the place.... DEFINITELY don't have an accent of where I was born and raised... which is Birmingham, UK.... soooo glad I don't have that accent lol. Mine's kinda "transatlantic". Partially english, partially US.... some people have thought I'm Australian or Canadian.... fuck knows. I just talk how I talk dammit.

I'm clearly English (I think) I just don't have any one specific dialect.

Do U feel americans sound foolish when attempting UK accents? Or do they pull it off well?

DoffieParker said:

BobGeorge909 said:

I was speaking to this myself with my roommate. I know ther people with non-american accents can,to my ears, sound very american. Not indisputably, but they do it VERY well. But it seems american actors performance are laughable when attempting foreign accents.

I think, but i'm not sure, that's it's due to a generalied american accent practicaly everyone in the states can use vs. the one accent they have while hanging with friends. Work-speak vs. friend-speak. Is that phenomenon heavily present in the U.K. or Australia?

renee zelweger was fantastic as bridget jones!!...i'm not sure i completely understand what u are asking but i know kids in uk overdose on american programmes, bloody glee & disney shite.. oh american top model then they're using american terminology!! it's true & i find myself doing it sometimes after being here 4 little

while

who remembers 'neighbours' in the 80's?.. kids developed australian twang!

It was way to wordy and incoherent. My bad

Do americans typicaly sound foolish when attempting british accents or do we usually pull it off well? Was Renee Z. Atypical or typical?

BobGeorge909 said:

Militant said:

I've lived all over the place.... DEFINITELY don't have an accent of where I was born and raised... which is Birmingham, UK.... soooo glad I don't have that accent lol. Mine's kinda "transatlantic". Partially english, partially US.... some people have thought I'm Australian or Canadian.... fuck knows. I just talk how I talk dammit.

I'm clearly English (I think) I just don't have any one specific dialect.

Do U feel americans sound foolish when attempting UK accents? Or do they pull it off well?

Like normal people trying to do an accent, or professional actors? Normal people can't do it, actors pull it off.