Accents Impersonated

PM_Mama00 · #1 07-05-2003, 04:08 PM

Ok this has been bothering me for a while now, but for those who are close to their ethnic background, or Southerners/New Yorks/Boston/whatever.... does it bother you when people try to impersonate your accent?

I CANNOT stand it when someone tries to do an Italian accent cuz usually they end up sounding like an idiot. My dad speaks mainly Italian and has a thick Italian/Brooklyn accent, so I guess it maybe bothers me more when people do it. But like... I'm sick of hearing people doin the Joey "How YOU doin". Ya sound like a jackass!

It bothers me too when I hear people tryin to do a Brooklyn accent or a Southern accent. Does it bother anyone else?

KillarneyRose · #2 07-05-2003, 04:59 PM

What really annoys/amuses me is whenever a commercial features someone who is supposed to be of Italian descent, the person always sounds like they're straight off the set of The Sopranos!

The Olive Garden commercials, a few of the spaghetti sauce commercials (THIS Italian turns up her nose at canned spaghetti sauce), one for some kind of tortellini and 4C Parmesan cheese come immediately to mind.

Not every Italian person lives in New York or New Jersey for Pete's sake!!!

Optimist Prime · #3 07-05-2003, 05:07 PM

Impersonating dialects (Accents mean something else) is perfectly fine. I practice it a lot. It comes in handy.

Also, when ever I hang out with a group of people, I end up sounding like them, even if just hang out for a little bit. I can't really help it.

carnation · #4 07-05-2003, 05:38 PM

Since I work with languages, bad accents drive me insane--especially bad Southern ones. Vivien Leigh was a great actress but her "Scarlett" accent was the kind that Southerners abhor.

About 20 years ago, Disney made a super movie set in Louisiana called "Child Of Glass". LOVED the movie. HATED the fake accents.

DolphinChicaDDD · #5 07-05-2003, 06:20 PM

it bothers me not when someone tries to do the accent, but when someone makes fun of the accent.

ie- I'm from New Jersey. Everyone thinks is is hysterical to say "ahh, Joisey." DAMN IT-NO!!!!!!!

Everyone here says Jersey (JERZEE) the only people who ever say joisey are people from out of the tri-state area who think that is the way people talk. its not. kinda along the same lines when i say things like 'coffee, water, dog, etc' and people feel the need to try and correct my accent. its my accent, leave it alone. *yours* is not the right way to say it; in fact there is no way to say it. just leave it alone.

KSigkid · #6 07-05-2003, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by KillarneyRose
What really annoys/amuses me is whenever a commercial features someone who is supposed to be of Italian descent, the person always sounds like they're straight off the set of The Sopranos!

The Olive Garden commercials, a few of the spaghetti sauce commercials (THIS Italian turns up her nose at canned spaghetti sauce), one for some kind of tortellini and 4C Parmesan cheese come immediately to mind.

Not every Italian person lives in New York or New Jersey for Pete's sake!!!

Yeah, that really bothers me - I'm half Italian, but a big part of my Dad's family is 100% (including my Nonnie), and it does bother me a bit when I see those commercials.

I am guilty of impersonating the Boston accent a bit though...I've even picked up a bit of it when I say some words. Could be a New England thing though.

straightBOS · #7 07-05-2003, 09:13 PM

I seriously hate impersonations of the Boston accent.
It is probably the most annoying thing that continues to happen to me. It is an instant conversation killer.

Or, when I tell people that I am from Boston and they use a horrible Boston "accent" to ask me where my accent is? Geesh...

Munchkin03 · #8 07-05-2003, 10:54 PM

The fake Southern and fake New York accents just sound STOOPID.

I always thought the "Olive Garden Italian" accents sucked. After all, how many first generation Italian-American families would celebrate a special event by going to Olive Garden? Or use Ragu?

After living in Italy, I was convinced that they are the stupidest fake accents I've ever heard.

KSigkid · #9 07-05-2003, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Munchkin03
The fake Southern and fake New York accents just sound STOOPID.

I always thought the "Olive Garden Italian" accents sucked. After all, how many first generation Italian-American families would celebrate a special event by going to Olive Garden? Or use Ragu? After living in Italy, I was convinced that they are the stupidest fake accents I've ever heard.

Haha....I say the same thing. A REAL Italian family wouldn't celebrate by going to get some fake Italian food at Olive Garden. I don't mind the restaurant, but it's not real Italian.

Tom Earp · #10 07-05-2003, 11:06 PM

This is to fun!!

Unfortunatally, I seem to have the abilitatly to go somewhere and pick up the inflection of the area of which I am in.

While I cannot speak fluently, I can get to certan frazes(sic) and speak like a native! Good or bad

Or is it just human nature?????

By The Way KS,

Whar Do Yaa Paaak Yaaa Caaar???

LuaBlanca · #11 07-05-2003, 11:34 PM

I have a THICK (and by that I mean "wicked thick") New England/Boston accent. It's crazy...but because I'm an actress I can and do know how to drop it. I can also pick up/mimic accents (dialects) for stage purposes pretty well. (I make a MEAN swede! lol)
The only thing that annoys me is the phrase "Park the car in Harvard Yard." First of all, you can't park a car there. Second of all, when people say it to tease they say "Paaaaaak tha caaaaaa in Haaaaaavid Yaaaaaaad," when in all actuality, we say "Pahk the cah in Hahvid Yahd." That is... if we're not saying "Shut the f-up mother f-er. I care more about the price of butter in Russia than I do about where you park your car."

PM_Mama00 · #12 07-06-2003, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Munchkin03
The fake Southern and fake New York accents just sound STOOPID.

I always thought the "Olive Garden Italian" accents sucked. After all, how many first generation Italian-American families would celebrate a special event by going to Olive Garden? Or use Ragu? After living in Italy, I was convinced that they are the stupidest fake accents I've ever heard.

Olive Garden definately is NOT real Italian and that commercial pisses me off. My family would NEVER go there or to any other Italian chain restaurant, unless it's family owned. We have a few restaurants we go to and they are owned by family friends.

And Ragu? Ok... I can't eat the sauce that my mom cans every year because of the acid so yeah I eat Ragu. But you better believe that I get yelled at for buying it. But really... everyone knows that a person of true Italian heritage cans their own tomatoes every year! Or knows someone who does.

Lady Pi Phi · #13 07-06-2003, 12:30 AM

I hate fake British accents. I'm not British but my mother is, and I can spot and fake accent a mile a way, and usually they are so awful that it's like nails on a chalk board. I love English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh accents, so when some one butchers it I am so put off.
I also hate when people try to fake a Canadian accent. We don't all sound the same, and we certainly don't all have a Newfoundland accent. I love a Newfoundland accent, but that's not a Canadian accent.

dzsaigirl · #14 07-06-2003, 12:52 AM

I think people mock other accents because most people think that they don't have one. Most people can't hear their own.

I work with a school full of people who say "bubblah" and "Yogit" (that's bubbler - aka a water fountain and yogurt...those are probably my two least favorite words up here).

Nobody in the entire building can say my name right either...except for this lady from PA.

My question is this: If someone's accent keeps them from being able to pronounce certain letters or sound combos correctly, then how are kids ever diagnosed with speech problems? I am not a speech pathologist, so I do not have a clue.

Dionysus · #15 07-06-2003, 01:06 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dzsaigirl
My question is this: If someone's accent keeps them from being able to pronounce certain letters or sound combos correctly, then how are kids ever diagnosed with speech problems? I am not a speech pathologist, so I do not have a clue.

Good question. I don't think you can tell in this case and similar cases.

I could've sworn that I was MISdiagnosed with speech problems when I was little. I was raised in the midwest, partially by my grandparents, who had an extremely strong southern accent. So, I talked like them. I think the school mistaked my acccent and dialect as a speech defect. As soon as I adjusted my speaking to the majority, I was told that I no longer needed speech therapy.