A question for Americans...

I've never been out of the US, actualy I've never been out of the state where I was born, I don't watch alot of tv and I don't pay enough attention to, or care enough about how people talk to notice.

 

Many Americans live very isolated lives and never even get to Canada or Mexico. They think thier culture is the best because they don't know jack shit about the rest of the world outside their little town.

 

my grandmother was british to her tea and biscuit eating toes. though i truly truly love booshnoogs response to this. it's always been really funny to me that when american movies are casting a film that's supposed to be set anywhere else in europe, a southerm upper middle class british accent is used. hehe.

 

in addition, i have to ask why anyone should care? whether or not british people have a variety of accents is entirely irrelevent to the standard american life.

 

If you don't care, don't read the post! It's just something I wanted to know the answer to ... which I seem to have now. Probably because I saw a brief bit of Mary Poppins earlier and Dick Van Dyke's accent was absolutely dreadful ... but amusing at the same time! lol

 

You're right; nobody in America should HAVE to care or know who speaks what and where. Knowing the difference in a northern Brit and southern Brit accent is not relevant in the day to day life of the average American. I can only speak for myself when I say that I'm interested in learning about the ways of other cultures. Mostly because I'm a Communications major, so it's kind of a given. But also, I've never been against learning about other places. The last thing I want to be is ignorant.

 

I'm not saying that anyone should have to learn regional dialects or whatever ... it just seems to me that the US media paints such an inaccurate picture in general of the UK and British society and the accents is one thing I noticed. I think that most Americans have some idea that we all love the queen ... you only need to check out one of my polls to find out that's definately not true!

http://www.hipforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3633

 

that was a serious question to an interesting post, not a full frontal attack. i know the difference between different accents, but it occurs to me that that is only so because i have an english grandmother who would point it out to me. quit being so defensive, unless you think any question is an attack by an american. can you honestly answer my question as to why any standard 9 to 5 american should give a shit about the different accents in another country altogether? most here have to ask someone where in the USA they're from when we hear a new accent. seems to me no one should waste their time giving a shit until they're confronted with the issue the honestly ask where someone is from.

 

I am very interested in geography and different cultures, always have been.


Some people not curious about the world and are just concerned with their part of it, a phenomena not exclusive to America, but maybe more common here.

 

Oh I KNOW a good portion of you don't like the queen. LOL! I think that's funny. Dominic Monaghan (from Lord of the Rings) was on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (late night talk show, for those who haven't heard of it), and he's from Manchester. It was right after New Year's and he was talking about how he hates the "stupid speech" the queen does every Christmas (I think he said every Christmas; I can't remember). Anyway, as soon as he said that, everyone in the audience, being all (if not mostly) American, gasped in shock. As if to say, 'You don't like the QUEEN?? Can't she, like, BEHEAD you for that??' Dom was just like, "What..? What's all the gasping about? She's BORING!" lol

 

Or lord, the Queen's speech!! It's something I NEVER watch because she just goes on about bullshit. It's a British christmas tradition that no-one in this day and age really cares about.

I think I remember watching that Jay Leno interview some time ... I was probably drunk at the time if it was around new year! lol

 

I wouldn't mind seeing the queen's speech, just so I can see for myself what all the fuss is about. Every Brit I know hates it, so I'm just curious as to why. lol

 

well, shit, you're media isn't permiating america, man. that's all there is to it. were the roles reversed, you'd be having the same problem. sure, you know the difference between several different accents, but even american accents are increasingly generalized for the media. it's exactly the same here as it is there, in reference to accents. as for knowing about them, once again, it really doesn't matter until you meet someone where they're from, now does it?

 

Perhaps I used the accent thing as a bad example ... I guess my point is that US media does paint the UK as a bowler-hat, tea-drinking, stuck-up, what-what tally-ho nation. I know that some UK media paints a poor image of the US but because the majority of films, for example, are American anyway, it seems like it's a one-sided thing.

 

this is true, but at the same time, it's not the doing of the american media except that we put out SO MUCH STUFF that other countries buy. we've got bbc america and other outlets for foreign films and programs, but it doesn't appeal to most of the american mindset. i love it, but just because my husband doesn't it doesn't mean he's a drooling idiot. most people coming here from europe can't tell the difference between an indian (yes, the DO prefer to be called that around here) vs. a mexican (yes, from mexico). much less tell the difference between a ute, a navajo, an apache or a pueblo. you know why? because it really doesn't matter in their day to day life. learning the difference is purely a matter of exposure, and whether or not they're curious about it. they may very well be curious about other things. i never knew the difference between an elk track or a mule deer track, much less the difference between the male and females of the respective species. because it wasn't important.

 

yeah... um... why would americans care about the british accent(s)

anyone wanna fill me in on why that dude thinks we care??

 

well maybe its our fault as well, after all if anyone from the usa ever watches our news programmes those people on it are trained to speak the queens english, in theory we all clearly understand each word.

i can't stand any member of the royal family espeically the queen she looks like a glorified cleaning woman

s

 

i always thought the queen was cute in her frumpy little dresses and silly hats.


as for the average american listening to brit accents, hey man, if the average american can't understand an accent in a movie, have no idea what someone is saying, they tend to walk out of the theater and get their money back. it's all about money.

 

This is very true as well. I've noticed that on regional news, such as Granada Tonight, they still speak the 'queen's english', despite broadcasting to an audience that all have northern accents. I can still understand what they're saying but it kind of takes away regional identity.

 

yeah man.. Brighton rocks!! i use to go up there each summer and i have to say it's damn cool!i love it!
i look forward to come back this july as soon as im finishing my damn exams!