Sure. And there are obviously quite a lot of “American” accents, but when you see a foreign actor on a talk show asked to “do your American accent,” they normally break out into the vanilla version of “American” local to the Midwest…an area ranging from around Indiana, probably west as far as Colorado…where the accent has no noticeable identifying traits other than variations in vocabulary. I’d imagine that’s also what most Americans consider to be the “standard” accent…even those of use living in areas where there’s a pronounced, identifiable accent. Bahstonians, New Yawkers and us Suth’rn fellahs are self-aware enough to realize we all speak with an accent that’s different from “the norm.”
It’s a semantics thing, obviously, and maybe I should’ve been more precise and used “English” instead of “British,” but it’s essentially the same thing. Someone says “British accent” (or “English” and I neglect to make the distinction in my head) and I’m going to assume they mean the vanilla Queen’s English, even though I realize a Scottish brogue is a completely different animal. And let’s not even discuss whatever that is the Welsh are doing in the back of their throats. :) Doug Fields Tampa, FL From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Tom Wolper Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2016 12:17 PM To: TV or not TV <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [TV orNotTV] AMC would rather just pick up series directly from Britain... There are quite a lot of English accents. And I am using English instead of British because Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish accents tend to the difficult-to-understand with easy comprehension being a sign of higher learning or time spent away from home. In English accents, there is the BBC, RADA, Oxford/Cambridge accent of Masterpiece Theater, and then there are dialects and accents from places like Cornwall, Newcastle, and Yorkshire which are very tough for people not from those areas to pick up. It's those accents I'm referring to. On Tue, Apr 19, 2016 at 7:40 PM, <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > wrote: "For American viewers English accents are like black and white movies. It isn't that viewers can't understand what is going on in B&W movies, it's just that they tune in, see B&W, and tune out. I think it is the same when they hear regional English accents." Ummmmm...let's say your mileage may vary and color me skeptical. I've never before in my life heard anybody propose this theory. It certainly doesn't apply to the way I or any of my circle of friends view British TV/movies. I'm as okay with a British accent as I'm a mild French or German one, and probably prefer them to the Southern American redneck drawl. Doug Fields Tampa, FL -------- Original Message -------- Subject: Re: [TV orNotTV] AMC would rather just pick up series directly from Britain... From: Tom Wolper <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Date: Tue, April 19, 2016 6:19 pm To: TV or not TV <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > On Tue, Apr 19, 2016 at 3:46 PM, Adam Bowie <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > wrote: Well you've understood British villains' accents for years! C.f. that Jaguar ad from a year or so ago featuring Hiddlestone amongst others - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7gR7EYjcP8 Happy Valley is set in a Yorkshire town and the accent may be unfamiliar. However, the dialogue is so smart and the characters so well drawn, I'd urge you to check it out. But you know, over this side of the pond we cope just fine with southern drawls, New Yawk accents and pretty much anything you throw at us. Plus we've watched Aussie soaps for years. So I think complaining about accents is an easy get-out. You just have to concentrate a bit harder sometimes. For American viewers English accents are like black and white movies. It isn't that viewers can't understand what is going on in B&W movies, it's just that they tune in, see B&W, and tune out. I think it is the same when they hear regional English accents. FWIW, I have the DVD set of The Singing Detective and I would have been lost without the closed captions. -- -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. 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