I am embarrassed to say that my own daughter who is an actress can fool any Brit with her British accents but has lost her own Virginia accent and now a hard tiime doing a southern accent. She was born and raised in Richmond (with a Scottish dad) but-- like many of her generation-- has a more indistinguishable accent. She once asked me to send a tape of my mother when she had an audition for a part that required a southern voice. I couldn't believe that she was having such a hard time getting it back. On another note, when working with performers I have noticed that British actors can often do a southern accent better than non-southern American actors; and, conversely, southern actors have an easier time with British accents. Interesting. -- Melinda C. P. Skinner Writer and Wonderer -------------- Original message ---------------------- From: Diane Ethridge <[log in to unmask]> > I think that's wonderful! Can't wait to pass that along to my friend who > was very insulted at the remark from her speech instructor, lo those many > years ago. She did get a few acting jobs, in commercials playing a > Southerner, & on stage, off-Broadway, as "Truvy" in "Steel Magnolias" but > then came on back to TX to teach school. That's okay though...she had fun! > > Diane in TX > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Sunshine49" <[log in to unmask]> > To: <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2007 9:19 AM > Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] Speech Patterns > > > > That explanation is the most ridiculous thing I've [almost] ever > > heard, and I detect a whiff of that old anti-southern bias. Not one > > mention of the ethnic or cultural background of southerners as being > > roots for the way we speak. No, it's hot and we're lazy. Geesh. Do > > people in the hotter latitudes of, say, India speak slowly? Hawaii? > > Cairo? My husband once worked with a guy who had worked in Chicago > > for a time. His boss there really didn't like him, and one day told > > the guy he spoke slowly because he was southern and all southerners > > were stupid. The friend said no, southerners speak slowly because > > they like to think first before they open their mouths, so as not to > > put their foot in it. The next DAY the boss came in and told the guy > > he just realized that that statement had been an insult directed at him. > > > > Talk about slow. > > > > Nancy > > > > ------- > > I was never lost, but I was bewildered once for three days. > > > > --Daniel Boone > > > > > > > > On Jan 11, 2007, at 8:44 AM, Diane Ethridge wrote: > > > >> I have a good friend, here in TX, who decided to become an > >> actress, so after college, she left to try her luck in New York > >> City. After being turned down several times from some small > >> acting parts, she finally asked her agent what the problem could > >> be & the agent mentioned not being as "marketable" because of her > >> Southern accent. Friend enrolled in speech class to try to rid > >> herself of the regional sound in her speech pattern. The > >> instructor told her that one can never completely lose a Southern > >> accent & that it was brought about originally by the warmer climate > >> making folks less energetic & causing them to adopt a slower pace. > >> This translated into a habit of speaking more slowly & "chewing" on > >> their words. That, along with the added habit of also chewing > >> tobacco brought about the "drawl" & the different "slower" speech > >> patterns of today's Southern folks. > >> > >> Since there are some famous newscasters from TX, such as Walter > >> Cronkite, Dan Rather & Bob Schieffer to name a few, it apparently > >> isn't completely impossible to lose the accent but then maybe they > >> do still have traces of it & I just don't notice it as readily as > >> someone from other areas of the country might do. Recently I > >> heard someone on the news pronouncing the word "out" as "oot" & I > >> immediately thought, "They must be from Virginia." Turns out, > >> they were from Canada. > >> > >> Diane in TX > >> > >> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the > >> instructions > >> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html > > > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions > > at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions > at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html