A southern accent doesn't mean you're slow, ignorant, or stupid:
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Where were you born and raised Strum? I have a heavy southern mountain accent, can't help it it's just who I am but I'm not ashamed of it in the least.
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Born near Knoxville, TN, but we weren't there very long after I was born. Most of my immediate family is just south of Richmond, VA. They have a unique accent, but it's not a very thick southern drawl. They don't add syllables to words by dragging them out. But, I was raised in eastern, NC- Nash County, tobacco land. It was much more rural than where we were in Virginia. I noticed accents more when we lived in NC. And, funny dialects, too. My maternal grandparents were from Stuart, VA, and Eden, NC... very rural. Andy Griffith-ish.
After my short stint at Chapel Hill, I went to Myrtle Beach and Charleston. Then up to Charlotte. Now in the upstate of SC. The native accents here are thick, to me. I don't have much of an accent of any kind. I can mimic many accents, however. I have a friend who is from Pennsylvania and has NO southern accent, but she lived in Richmond for a few years. She says I sound like I'm from Richmond. But, I grew up in rural NC.
My brother and his family moved up to Minneapolis back in 2010 or 11. I've been up there about a dozen times. You talk about accents! Sheezus! They don't have bags up there. They have "begs." I dunno how they talk at all. It's frickin' freezing up there!
Can't watch the video right this second but I would beg to differ with the premise/title of the thread (again, haven't seen the video so I'm working on the assumption that the title is in seriousness, not in jest).
You cannot work in big business and be taken seriously if you have a heavy southern accent. You just can't. There are a few exceptions, of course, but it would be insustry-driven or location-driven.
My dad is from Eastern N.C. but "made it out" (i.e. went to college and moved away) and became an investment banker for a major national bank. He absolutely had to learn to curb his southern accent as much as possible. You can still tell he has one today, but it's very muted compared to how the rest of his family talked.
Similarly, my mom, also from N.C. worked in big business (unsure of industry) in Florida in the 1980s. After giving a presentation to a potential client company, her supervisor (a man) lit in to her and told her to "stop the southern hick act" and to lose the accent or else she couldn't continue to work under him.
Granted, these examples are 20-30 years outdated now, but there is absolutely a stigma to southern accents. Watch ANY movie or TV show. It could be set in Washington state, California, Chicago, or wherever. If a character makes fun of someone else's intelligence, what accent does that character automatically adopt? A Southern drawl. Same thing with comedians. There's 100% a stereotype that a thick southern drawl = stupid. This stereotype is present in the South as well, not just other regions of the country.
You cannot work in big business and be taken seriously if you have a heavy southern accent. You just can't. There are a few exceptions, of course, but it would be insustry-driven or location-driven.
My dad is from Eastern N.C. but "made it out" (i.e. went to college and moved away) and became an investment banker for a major national bank. He absolutely had to learn to curb his southern accent as much as possible. You can still tell he has one today, but it's very muted compared to how the rest of his family talked.
Similarly, my mom, also from N.C. worked in big business (unsure of industry) in Florida in the 1980s. After giving a presentation to a potential client company, her supervisor (a man) lit in to her and told her to "stop the southern hick act" and to lose the accent or else she couldn't continue to work under him.
Granted, these examples are 20-30 years outdated now, but there is absolutely a stigma to southern accents. Watch ANY movie or TV show. It could be set in Washington state, California, Chicago, or wherever. If a character makes fun of someone else's intelligence, what accent does that character automatically adopt? A Southern drawl. Same thing with comedians. There's 100% a stereotype that a thick southern drawl = stupid. This stereotype is present in the South as well, not just other regions of the country.
Yup. I think that's pretty much the same for all accents. My dad has a fairly heavy Boston accent, and my mom a moderate Boston accent. For their lines of work - it's not really an issue. I think I had a moderate accent growing up, but made sure to curb the accent by the time I got to high school and realized the negative connotation of "townies" and those that spoke with heavy Boston accents. I can still throw on the accent if desired, but I have no accent normally.
The first time I was in Boston, I was around 22 years old and I was talking to a girl and she was talking about her recent visit to a "Harley Bar" and the whole time I thought she was saying "Holly Bahhhh" and I had NO idea what she was talking about... it took me a while to figure it out. LOL
I'll go along with this (but still maintain a southern drawl is even more disadvantageous for business). But yeah you're right; it's no different than people all dressing a certain style for work.
Look at the stereotypical newscaster voice and accent they all do. It's a neutral, no-accent tone of voice. I'd say the only "accepted" noticable accent in business would be the Midwestern accent. Not the super strong Wisconsin one, but the Gary Danielson-type one.
Example: ESPN's Marty Smith. He can sport his heavy Appalachian twang because he covers NASCAR and SEC/ACC football.
But if he went into a Fortune 500 company for an interview talking like that, I bet they wouldn't even give him the time of day.
But if he went into a Fortune 500 company for an interview talking like that, I bet they wouldn't even give him the time of day.
I would imagine that if you had an accent like Karl Childers in Sling Blade, it might impede your dream to be Hollywood tour guide.
I just thought it was cool how easily the narrator could slide back and forth between the different accents in the video.
As far as perceptions and stereotypes, I'm well aware that I have an Eastern NC accent. It was especially pronounced as a kid, to the great amusement of my mom's family in Iowa. But for anybody now that would judge me by a bit of a drawl rather than the value of what I have to say, that's their loss. Not much different from judging someone by their clothes or skin color, IMNSHO (you like that one? I got it from an esteemed poster on Rader). Book/cover and all that.
As far as perceptions and stereotypes, I'm well aware that I have an Eastern NC accent. It was especially pronounced as a kid, to the great amusement of my mom's family in Iowa. But for anybody now that would judge me by a bit of a drawl rather than the value of what I have to say, that's their loss. Not much different from judging someone by their clothes or skin color, IMNSHO (you like that one? I got it from an esteemed poster on Rader). Book/cover and all that.
I mean yeah, but you're delving into "in a perfect world" stuff, and ignoring reality. The reality is people judge people who have particularly pronounced Southern drawls. That's just how it is. It's the same way people judge someone who wears a shitty, wrinkled, ill-fitting suit to an important business meeting.
This reminds me of my senior year at UNC. I was walking down by the Dean Dome, and an older (very southern) couple walked up to me. They asked me for directions to the "Whale". I told them I didn't know what they were referring to, as I had no idea where a whale was. The guy asked me if I was a student, and I told him yes, and he seemed dumbfounded that I couldn't give him directions - and he even got me to start doubting myself too "How could I have been a student here for years and never known there was a whale around here?". It wasn't until he finally referred to it as the "Ol' Whale" that I realized he was talking about the Old Well.
You are a Tar Hee-ull or ain'tcha, boy? Ehbody knows the Ol' Wale is up 'ar in North Campus.
(I just mixed about three dialects together, but I couldn't pass up an opportunity to use the "Up 'ar / Up 'air" phrase because it's a particular favorite of mine.)
The two acceptable pronunciations of "Tar Heel" :
Tar 'Hill'
Tar 'Hee-ull' (Heeyull)
(I personally say it "Tar Hill" most of the time in normal sentences. If I'm yelling it though, or in a situation where I really need to enunciate to clarify what I'm saying, or if I'm doing the "TARRRR HEEEEELS" chant, I use the "Tar Heeyull" pronunciation)
Tar 'Hill'
Tar 'Hee-ull' (Heeyull)
(I personally say it "Tar Hill" most of the time in normal sentences. If I'm yelling it though, or in a situation where I really need to enunciate to clarify what I'm saying, or if I'm doing the "TARRRR HEEEEELS" chant, I use the "Tar Heeyull" pronunciation)
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If I correctly recall, I think you said your mom was from Gaston County. Here's another person that grew up in and went to Gaston County schools. Her accent is toned down some but it still comes through loud and clear periodically
Haha yeah my mom is from Gastonia. The Gaston County accent is unmistakable. I love listening to Sylvia Hatchell talk. My mom's isn't is pronounced as hers, mostly because her mom isn't a Gastonia native. She's from South Carolina and speaks with a very proper Old South accent. So my mom's is a hybrid of that and Gaston County. For example, my mom pronounces Virginia "Vuh-ginya"
Acceptable Southern pronunciations of "Carolina,"
1). The syllable eliminator version: "Care-lina"
2). The syllable inclusion version: "Care-uh-lina"
Then, within each of those two versions, there's a specific focus on how you pronounce the "i." Either way, it's the "ah" sound. You can either use the "ah" sound in the word "lawn," or you can use the "ah" sound in the word .................... can't think of a word to illustrate this because it's pronunciation based. I wish I knew the IPA alphabet as that would make it much easier. All the words that are coming to mind, I realize I'm just pronouncing them with a Southern accent in my head, which Hark might not do. Closest think I can come up with, is you use the "ah" sound in "lad" or "fad" but that's not an 100% match. Oh well, you'd know it if you heard it. I'm not a linguist.
But don't worry, these lessons are free of charge for you either way, @Hark_The_Sound_2010
And whatever you do, please do not pronounce it with the harsh long "i" found in the generic pronunciation of the word "eye" or "hi"
1). The syllable eliminator version: "Care-lina"
2). The syllable inclusion version: "Care-uh-lina"
Then, within each of those two versions, there's a specific focus on how you pronounce the "i." Either way, it's the "ah" sound. You can either use the "ah" sound in the word "lawn," or you can use the "ah" sound in the word .................... can't think of a word to illustrate this because it's pronunciation based. I wish I knew the IPA alphabet as that would make it much easier. All the words that are coming to mind, I realize I'm just pronouncing them with a Southern accent in my head, which Hark might not do. Closest think I can come up with, is you use the "ah" sound in "lad" or "fad" but that's not an 100% match. Oh well, you'd know it if you heard it. I'm not a linguist.
But don't worry, these lessons are free of charge for you either way, @Hark_The_Sound_2010
And whatever you do, please do not pronounce it with the harsh long "i" found in the generic pronunciation of the word "eye" or "hi"
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A couple of other Gaston Countyisms:
It's not Coca-Cola, it's co-cola
If you're a resident of Gastonia, you say you live in Gas-TONE-ee
If you're a resident of Cherryville, you say you're from Churrvull
And like myself, I don't live in Bessemer City, I live in Bessmur City.
It's not Coca-Cola, it's co-cola
If you're a resident of Gastonia, you say you live in Gas-TONE-ee
If you're a resident of Cherryville, you say you're from Churrvull
And like myself, I don't live in Bessemer City, I live in Bessmur City.
I do all of these, except I've never heard "Gas-TONE-ee." Now what I DO hate is when folks get uppity and start saying it "Ga-STONE-EE-uh." No no no. You pronounce it like a tilde n, like a "ya." "Ga-STONE-ya."
Well, okay, I only do the Co-Cola one when I'm trying to be funny. But my Gastonia family definitely does it.
While we are talking about accents, does anyone here regularly watch Ancient Aliens on History Channel? If so, can you tell what on earth type of accent this guy has when he talks...?
He's a regular on the show and it bugs me that I have no clue what type of accent he has. My guess is like extreme North New England like Maine? But I have no friggin clue. Here's a YouTube clip for those who are unfamiliar:
He's a regular on the show and it bugs me that I have no clue what type of accent he has. My guess is like extreme North New England like Maine? But I have no friggin clue. Here's a YouTube clip for those who are unfamiliar:
While we are talking about accents, does anyone here regularly watch Ancient Aliens on History Channel? If so, can you tell what on earth type of accent this guy has when he talks...?
He's a regular on the show and it bugs me that I have no clue what type of accent he has. My guess is like extreme North New England like Maine? But I have no friggin clue. Here's a YouTube clip for those who are unfamiliar:
Definitely not a New England accent. His wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hatcher_Childress says he was born in France and essentially raised in the rockies. Must be some mountain accent.
Hmm okay, that explains it I guess. If you learn multiple languages later in life (i.e. after your developmental child stage), you develop a really strange blend of accents that make you sound like you're from nowhere.
Example: U.S. soccer player Michael Bradley. He was born and raised in Central Jersey, and then due to his various club teams, he's learned Dutch, German, and Italian, and has played in England. So when he talks, he sounds like a weirdo because he's got hints of all type of stuff in his default accent.
But seriously, Hark, if you don't watch the show (you don't strike me as one who would) you should check out a couple episodes purely for that dude. It cracks me up how he talks.
ETA: Ah and he lived in Montana, too. Montana folks have weird accents.
I'll take that as a compliment that I don't seem like someone who would watch the show - and you're right... I don't. But maybe I'll check out a couple episodes. The way he says "koind" reminds me of the way Steve Irwin would say "Croikey".
LOL well......I watch the show a lot, so I don't really know what that says about me. I'm also just a nerd and watch a ton of History Channel shit.
I would take an eastern NC accent any day over having to live in Iowa.
Oh y'all got jokes.
But yeah you're right. My family up there are great people, but visiting is enough for me.
But yeah you're right. My family up there are great people, but visiting is enough for me.
I took a girl from Ohio to see Sling Blade in the theater in '96. I had to literally interpret 90% of the film. Same thing with O Brother, Where Art Thou? You'd think the actors were speaking German to her.
O Brother, Where Art Thou is one of the most well-done "believable Southern accents" movies that I've ever seen. It helped that they did have a few Southern actors, or at least actors originally from Southern locales, to mix in (Holly Hunter, George Clooney [he grew up in Kentucky], Tim Blake Nelson [from Oklahoma], Chris Thomas King, Ray McKinnon, etc)
It was mostly the dialects that she had the most difficulty. She'd never heard of "poe-made", for example. And, "Some of yer foldin' money has come unstowed." Or, even a "bureau" was a mystery. And, Wash said "in yon Byer-uh..." Practically the entire film was like a foreign movie that needed subtitles. And, even then, the references were lost.
I don't even know if that's "dialect" stuff, strictly-speaking. It's more colloquialisms or just outdated terms for things that aren't nearly as prevalent nowadays. Like calling hair gel "pomade" isn't really a thing anymore. Calling it a "bureau" is also pretty old school. But yeah, referring to things "over there" as "yon" or "yonder" is dialect thing, I reckon.
I could definitely see how a non-Southerner may completely miss some things in that movie though haha.
I always thought "bureau" was a New England term. But ya - I'm guessing I would completely miss things in that movie if I ever tried to watch it.
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