OT: Let me ask our British posters a strange question

[pmulcahy11b]

Maybe it's not politically correct, but --

Why is it that British people seem to find it very easy to speak with an American accent (of any kind), but from what I've heard, very few Americans can pull off any sort of British accent?:confused:

[StainlessSteelCynic]

And why can't any of you (British or American) do an Australian accent? :p

[Targan]

Maybe it's not politically correct, but --

Why is it that British people seem to find it very easy to speak with an American accent (of any kind), but from what I've heard, very few Americans can pull off any sort of British accent?:confused:

That is a really easy question to answer from an Australian perspective - our TV and cinemas are completely swamped and dominated by American content so we hear American accents every single day of our lives. I can mimic a variety of American (and British) accents with ease. As far as other Anglophone countries go, America has no need to conquer them militarily - it is doing an excellent job of conquering them culturally. It all comes down to volumes of scale - the American media market is so vast that the prices charged by US networks for their programs are very low compared to local content, because local content (here in Australia anyway) is vastly more expensive to produce.

Please don't take this personally but I avoid most commercial TV network programming here in Australia because I am absolutely sick and tired of hearing American accents punctuated with canned laughter. It makes my skin crawl. I do regularly watch some American programs but they have a particular flavour that I like - NCIS, NCIS Los Angeles and The Unit to name a few. And some American sci fi series are top notch too.

[weswood]

That is a really easy question to answer from an Australian perspective - our TV and cinemas are completely swamped and dominated by American content so we hear American accents every single day of our lives.


And you have my most sincere apolgy for that.

[WallShadow]

I, too, have always wondered what the several American regional accents sound like to a non-native ear, and just what changes are required by the non-native speaker to torture English into 'Merkan?

I do remember a very old version of Dracula produced in England back in the '70s that had someone trying very hard (and failing) to produce a Texan accent as one of the characters. Now we have Hugh Laurie (as "House") and Damian Lewis (Capt. Dick Winters in "Band of Brothers" and Charlie Crews in the series "Life") who have quite aptly mastered the art of phonically fooling the Colonial ear.

[TiggerCCW UK]

We have secret classes on it in school so that we can blend in when we come over to re colonise the Americas :D

Honestly though, I've no idea, although I know that in England my Belfast accent is regularly taken for Scottish or American. I also pick up and lose accents very quickly.

[Rainbow Six]

Whilst I personally don't think that I can mimic any accent (with the possible exception of South African), I think Targan hit the nail on the head - it's probably got a lot to do with the influence that American TV shows and cinema have. Especially the TV shows...I get around 30 different TV channels, and honestly have no clue how many different episodes of the various CSI and Law and Order franchises it would be possible to watch in a week, but it's a lot!

[jester]

I agree, I used to have an ear, especialy when I had roommates from the sotuh or new england, or dated a girl from Oz, I would be able to mimic and pass somewhat, often just to mess with them. Exposure and developuing the ear and of course to mimic what you hear.

[pmulcahy11b]

I, too, have always wondered what the several American regional accents sound like to a non-native ear, and just what changes are required by the non-native speaker to torture English into 'Merkan?

After the concentration camp she was in was liberated, my mother got to hear her first person speaking English. He was American -- my said she thought at the time he sounded like he was trying to talk with a mouth filled with bubblegum. I'm guessing he was from the Deep South -- or maybe Brooklyn.

My mother speaks seven languages -- and she says that English was by far the hardest to learn.

[pmulcahy11b]

Honestly though, I've no idea, although I know that in England my Belfast accent is regularly taken for Scottish or American. I also pick up and lose accents very quickly.

I have a weird accent to most people -- they can't place it. It's because I grew up as a military dependent and then had a career in the Army -- my accent is a composite of all the places I lived, plus bunches of expressions and phrases from all over the place.

[Webstral]

We have secret classes on it in school so that we can blend in when we come over to re colonise the Americas.

I knew it! South Park was right all along! So was Burke Breathed (Bloom County) when he protrayed Prince Charles ordering the Royal Navy to "retake Massachusetts".

Truth be told, I'd be happy to have a million or more English-speaking immigrants arrive. The English learner (EL) situation in California's schools is becoming a real crisis. I don't have a problem with (legal) immigrants per se, but the system isn't set up to handle the sheer weight of EL in the public schools. California has a population of about 38 million in a nation of approximately 300 million. We'll round this to 10% of the nation's population. One third of the EL in the nation's public schools are in California. In some school districts, EL are 90% or more of the school body. Again, it is what it is. It would be nice to be able to mix in a few more native English speakers--even if their English is a bit dodgy.

Webstral

[pmulcahy11b]

Web, you should try coming here to Texas -- not only is our state the king of "teaching to the test," the Texas legislature is currently considering replacing all the history books in our schools with ones that remove whole swaths of history, putting in sections that are essentially complete bullshit, distorting other sections (did you know that McCarthy was actually right about communists in the US and that he was run out of office without justification? These clowns think so...), and in some cases, just making stuff up. This is because Texas is the state where the Tea Party runs riot and Texas is the headquarters of Right-Wing Wackos Central. Texas kids are already some of the most poorly educated in the country -- and it looks like it's just going to get worse. It's not like our kids aren't going to school -- it's that poor education methods are institutionalized in Texas.

[Webstral]

I've been following the developments in Texas education. It does not seem like a pretty picture.

The Tea Party confuses me. If the electorate doesn't like what their elected officials are doing, why not put more pressure on those officials? With the number of people flocking to the Tea Party, they easily could bury the incumbents with letters demanding a particular policy. Special interests can provide funding, but they can't provide votes. How a legislator votes on given issues is public record. Wouldn't it be simpler to hold a legislator accountable for how s/he votes than create a whole new party? If the numbers involved in the Tea Party were to sign documents representing a unified position, neither Democrat nor Republican incumbent could ignore them. "We'll vote you out" is the one message to which our elected officials really give their attention.

I understand that most republics have the same problem. We're too busy with our everyday lives to get involved in politics until things go south. Ounces of prevention...

Webstral

[pmulcahy11b]

I've been following the developments in Texas education. It does not seem like a pretty picture.

The Tea Party confuses me. If the electorate doesn't like what their elected officials are doing, why not put more pressure on those officials? With the number of people flocking to the Tea Party, they easily could bury the incumbents with letters demanding a particular policy. Special interests can provide funding, but they can't provide votes. How a legislator votes on given issues is public record. Wouldn't it be simpler to hold a legislator accountable for how s/he votes than create a whole new party? If the numbers involved in the Tea Party were to sign documents representing a unified position, neither Democrat nor Republican incumbent could ignore them. "We'll vote you out" is the one message to which our elected officials really give their attention.

I understand that most republics have the same problem. We're too busy with our everyday lives to get involved in politics until things go south. Ounces of prevention...

Webstral

Two words: "voter apathy." It's a disgrace how little of the eligible population in this country actually votes, and its a disgrace how ignorant the electorate in general is of voting issues. It's why most of those who do vote can so easily be led around by the nose by special interests and the political parties.

In his parting address to the country, George Washington warned of the danger of forming political parties. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were already forming the ancestors of the current Democratic and Republican parties. I really wish that the country had listened to him.

[pmulcahy11b]

The Tea Party confuses me. If the electorate doesn't like what their elected officials are doing, why not put more pressure on those officials?

Like any other extremist group, the Tea Party wants to dictate what everyone's view of the world and how they live will be. Extremist groups are by definition anti-democratic (and I don't mean the party), regardless of what they say. They do not want people to form their own opinions, and a public that knows the issues is a serious threat to an extremist group.

[Adm.Lee]

Just to defend one of my heroes

In his parting address to the country, George Washington warned of the danger of forming political parties. Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton were already forming the ancestors of the current Democratic and Republican parties. I really wish that the country had listened to him.

And another reason people are Tea Partying is that they are in a minority, they have griped to their Congressmen and Senators, and the stuff they don't want is happening anyway. Look at the two who were upset in their primaries this month-- Sen. Bennett was a reliable Republican, but he is being "held accountable" for being outvoted.

FWIW, political stupidity is all over, I think the GOP candidate for governor in Ohio is going to run on repealing the income tax so he can attract businesses to the state. I don't think businesses will come to a state with no schools....

[pmulcahy11b]

...and The Unit to name a few.

Strangely enough, Sayaret Maktal is also referred to as "The Unit" in the Israeli Army. The Unit -- Israel anyone? Hollywood, are you listening?

[pmulcahy11b]

Just a weird thought that popped into my head: do you think Alexander Hamilton's friends called him "Ham" as a nickname?

Actually, Alexander Hamilton's Federalist party died out after the War of 1812. For that matter, John Adams was a Federalist, so I did screw up there.

[weswood]

The Tea Party confuses me. If the electorate doesn't like what their elected officials are doing, why not put more pressure on those officials? With the number of people flocking to the Tea Party, they easily could bury the incumbents with letters demanding a particular policy. Special interests can provide funding, but they can't provide votes. How a legislator votes on given issues is public record. Wouldn't it be simpler to hold a legislator accountable for how s/he votes than create a whole new party? If the numbers involved in the Tea Party were to sign documents representing a unified position, neither Democrat nor Republican incumbent could ignore them. "We'll vote you out" is the one message to which our elected officials really give their attention.

I understand that most republics have the same problem. We're too busy with our everyday lives to get involved in politics until things go south. Ounces of prevention...

Webstral

I think the TEA Partyis trying to let our elected reps know what they are against and for. Such as a smaller government, less taxes, etc. Yes, we can let the elected officials know by voting them in or out of office, but when the elections are held every four years, that's four years elected offials can run amok doing what they themselves want.

[pmulcahy11b]

Yes, we can let the elected officials know by voting them in or out of office, but when the elections are held every four years, that's four years elected offials can run amok doing what they themselves want.

Isn't that always true? The politicians aren't really interested in the voters until the campaign gets well underway -- and then they are largely interested in mollifying them without really doing anything to hurt the special interests that give them money. That's what the BP hearings in the Senate really are right now -- they're a show for the voters. The politicians aren't really willing to bite the hand that feeds them.

[headquarters]

Just a weird thought that popped into my head: do you think Alexander Hamilton's friends called him "Ham" as a nickname?

Actually, Alexander Hamilton's Federalist party died out after the War of 1812. For that matter, John Adams was a Federalist, so I did screw up there.

Couldnt he have been an AL ?

[Webstral]

I think the TEA Partyis trying to let our elected reps know what they are against and for. Such as a smaller government, less taxes, etc. Yes, we can let the elected officials know by voting them in or out of office, but when the elections are held every four years, that's four years elected offials can run amok doing what they themselves want.

I agree completely that the Tea Party want their message to be heard, although they seem to have trouble deciding what that message is. (What organization with more than handful of people doesn't face this problem?) We should bear in mind that the entire House of Reps is re-elected every two years. The drawback of this system is that a Rep is on the campaign trail from the moment he is sworn in until the moment the election results come in. A lot of energy is diverted to the endless campaigning. On the other hand, the feeling of vulnerability that arises from the biennial campaign cycle is something the Tea Party is hoping to exploit. Heck, everybody wants to exploit it.

Governors, of course, are elected every four years. I ought to know what the legislative cycle is in every state, but I don't. I suppose it's easy enough to look up, what with the Internet and all.

I'm guilty of encouraging a thread that is becoming political. I may not be the best moderator to moderate or make a decision about where the line is drawn. Perhaps one of the other moderators might make an assessment?

Webstral

[headquarters]

Yeah - I will give it a try :

The thread was about accents ,somehow politics got in .It seems civil enough .Anyways .The assessment :

Try to say your pieces with a New Zeeland accent .

;)

It is WEIRD but beautiful.

They change the E with an I or some such so that the word EXIT will sound like IXIT etc .

No try to do this with the legislative measures towards which the tea party is currently protesting

Anyone from down under that feels I have misrepresented their wonderous English ,please I will take no blindfold .Just let me finish my last fag and get on with it .

;)

( yes ,it is a joke -and Yanks ,fag is slang for a cigarette in case some of you raised an eyebrow )

[pmulcahy11b]

For some reason, I've always had this idea that Headquarters and General Pain are actually the same person. Hmmm...maybe this post belongs in the Conspiracy Theories thread...

[headquarters]

For some reason, I've always had this idea that Headquarters and General Pain are actually the same person. Hmmm...maybe this post belongs in the Conspiracy Theories thread...

thank GOD ALmighty thats not the case .

( have you seen his picture ?!?!?!? )

But we have been gaming for 18 years and our brains "absurd recepteors "are finely tuned in sync .

Other than that - I would love to be at the heart of a conspiracy theory .

As for GP -he already thinks he is in one....

:D

[headquarters]

thank GOD ALmighty thats not the case .

( have you seen his picture ?!?!?!? )

But we have been gaming for 18 years and our brains "absurd recepteors "are finely tuned in sync .

Other than that - I would love to be at the heart of a conspiracy theory .

As for GP -he already thinks he is in one....

:D

Also -please take a look at our subforums and tell me : did the same man write these ?

I would have to strive to attain the same mastery of grammar and misspellings that the good General has . Really put an effort in to work my way down to that level.

;)

[avantman42]

That is a really easy question to answer from an Australian perspective - our TV and cinemas are completely swamped and dominated by American content so we hear American accents every single day of our lives.

Same here in the UK, and I suspect that's the answer. I'd never realised that Brits were better at American accents than Americans were at British accents, though.

Americans trying to do British accents seem to choose one of two accents - very upper-class, or cockney. This annoys a lot of Brits, since there are plenty more accents to choose from. I do wonder, though, is the opposite true? Do Americans get annoyed that Brits always choose the same American accent?

Russ

[waiting4something]

I always caught a lot of flack in the military, because my strong northern accent. They used to call me a Canadian. When I was in Thailand a Australian guy in a Mc Donalds there thought I was a Canadian too. He said I can always tell the Americans from the Canadians. I was going to tell him that I wasn't a Canadian, but decided to forget about it.:p:D

[pmulcahy11b]

Also -please take a look at our subforums and tell me : did the same man write these ?

I would have to strive to attain the same mastery of grammar and misspellings that the good General has . Really put an effort in to work my way down to that level.

;)

OK, maybe you're both Higgins? Or Robin Masters?

Never mind, that's an old reference -- put "Magnum PI" into Google or Wikipedia and you'll understand...:rolleyes:

[Caradhras]

Slightly OT

What annoys me about US shows is that the British/English bloke is always the bad guy - and usually talks like the Royal family!

A mate from my neck of the woods (NW England) was on holiday in the US and another tourist from the US (he was @ grand canyon or something) asked my mate 'what part of the US are you from?' - obviously he couldnt have been English because he didnt talk like the Queen or the dodgy chimney-sweep in Mary Poppins :)

And finally - what amazes me is the Dutch and Scandanavians, they speak English better than us English! Many with perfect, if neutral, accents.

[pmulcahy11b]

Speaking with an "American" accent should be difficult for British or Australians (or other non-native speakers) but it doesn't seem to be. The US is a big country, and there are a LOT of regional and even in some cases community accents -- in some cases, even Americans don't understand each other's accents. Then you throw in ethnic accents, and you have a bigger problem. Then throw in colloquial phrases and words, which again can vary greatly from place to place, and you have a bigger mess. American also love to borrow words from other languages (usually mispronouncing them, again in different ways from place to place), and you have an even BIGGER mess. My mother told me that learning what she still considers weird grammar, weird spelling, and even weirder colloquial phrases and sayings was the hardest part of learning American English -- and she still, 50 years after becoming an American citizen, has problems sometimes with idioms and spelling some words.

An yet, British and Australians still manage to pull off American accents better than Americans can pull off British and Australian accents!:mad:

[perardua]

Well, for British people at least, the American accent is just a matter of getting English wrong. Americans have to learn to speak the language properly in order to do our accent! :p

Joking aside, it probably is because we hear American accents via TV and films far more often than the average American hears an English or Australian accent. In fact, I knew a couple of people at school who (whilst brought up in the UK) had spent most of their younger years watching American TV rather than socialising, and thus had a tendency to use American slang and words, such as faucet.

[Raellus]

I agree that it's a matter of exposure. Most Americans only hear a British accent in movies, and often it's an American actor's version of a British accent they're hearing (think Johnny Depp in Pirates...)

I went to a British high school for three years so I can fake it pretty well. I also like watching shows on BBC America. I can also tell when a Brit or Scott or Irishman or Welshman or Australian or New Zealander or South African is doing an American accent. Band of Brothers is a good example. I knew that most of those actors were British before I watched or read any of the "making of" stuff.

It's all a matter of exposure.

[headquarters]

Slightly OT

What annoys me about US shows is that the British/English bloke is always the bad guy - and usually talks like the Royal family!

A mate from my neck of the woods (NW England) was on holiday in the US and another tourist from the US (he was @ grand canyon or something) asked my mate 'what part of the US are you from?' - obviously he couldnt have been English because he didnt talk like the Queen or the dodgy chimney-sweep in Mary Poppins :)

And finally - what amazes me is the Dutch and Scandanavians, they speak English better than us English! Many with perfect, if neutral, accents.

Cheers.There are strong accents in many of our compatriots English , but as for knowledge ,our NorseGov has really strived to tie us to UK and US for the last 70 years .

( Choice between USSR and NAZI Germany and US/UK axis -not to hard to choose. )

Compulsory English as a second language for at least 6 years in school ( I had 9 ) ,and add to that media and cultural influence .

Funny thing -although most Norwegians have some accent ( we hear it at least ) when they speak English ,we all SING with good pronounciation....

( If not really in tune ;) )

My own English weirdly adapts to whomever I am speaking with . If BBC broadcaster type English I will try to approximate . If Third world taxi driver I wil lsay " we go -yes ? "..

[headquarters]

Speaking with an "American" accent should be difficult for British or Australians (or other non-native speakers) but it doesn't seem to be. The US is a big country, and there are a LOT of regional and even in some cases community accents -- in some cases, even Americans don't understand each other's accents. Then you throw in ethnic accents, and you have a bigger problem. Then throw in colloquial phrases and words, which again can vary greatly from place to place, and you have a bigger mess. American also love to borrow words from other languages (usually mispronouncing them, again in different ways from place to place), and you have an even BIGGER mess. My mother told me that learning what she still considers weird grammar, weird spelling, and even weirder colloquial phrases and sayings was the hardest part of learning American English -- and she still, 50 years after becoming an American citizen, has problems sometimes with idioms and spelling some words.

An yet, British and Australians still manage to pull off American accents better than Americans can pull off British and Australian accents!:mad:

I was always wondering about the Sgt Major in "Generation Kill" - Boston ?

[headquarters]

OK, maybe you're both Higgins? Or Robin Masters?

Never mind, that's an old reference -- put "Magnum PI" into Google or Wikipedia and you'll understand...:rolleyes:

God,I wish I had a moustache like that..the women ..the admiration of my peers..

Caught Magnum PI as a boy on Norwegian telly too.Much better than "Hunter" ( SF,Ca show -alot of jumping cars over the hills downtown SF)

That aside - what make you of the new Tom Selleck series ,Jesse Stone ?
I kinda enjoy the slight quirky ambience to it .

[pmulcahy11b]

Much better than "Hunter" ( SF,Ca show -alot of jumping cars over the hills downtown SF)

I have to differ with you on that -- Stefanie Kramer as Dee Dee McCall was not only smokin' hot, she kicked ass and was a crack shot, and was still very feminine. What guy could want anything more? To me, a woman who can take care of herself is a turn-on.

[waiting4something]

Works for me.:cool: Both shows were great. The 80's had the best shows ever.

[headquarters]

I have to differ with you on that -- Stefanie Kramer as Dee Dee McCall was not only smokin' hot, she kicked ass and was a crack shot, and was still very feminine. What guy could want anything more? To me, a woman who can take care of herself is a turn-on.

she was hot - but I just feel Magnum PI had more of a cool feel to it .
For what thats worth when considering its a 80s cop show....

Hunter tended to be more brutish than Magnum as far as I recall .

I think this side of the millenia shows are the best say for instance the wire -awesome imho.

Now - its been nigh on 25 years since I have seen an episode of either show ..I might not remember correctly .

[pmulcahy11b]

Hunter tended to be more brutish than Magnum as far as I recall .

Hunter was, but then again, he's not my type...

[Adm.Lee]

Hunter was, but then again, he's not my type...

I'm with the "Hunter" > "Magnum PI" crowd, but I mostly watched "Hunter" because it was on Friday nights, right before "Miami Vice." My gang and I spent a lot of Friday nights gaming with those on the TV.

Until we got cable in the game room, and could watch MTV....

[WallShadow]

Slightly OT

What annoys me about US shows is that the British/English bloke is always the bad guy - and usually talks like the Royal family!

<SNIP>

And finally - what amazes me is the Dutch and Scandanavians, they speak English better than us English! Many with perfect, if neutral, accents.

Caradhras:
The villain speaks the Queen's English because he is so cool and sophisticated compared to the slobbish 'Merican half-arsed do-gooders. But then the underdog Colonials turn the tables on the uppity ne'er-do-well by some quaint home-spun backwoods (or urban streetwise) trick!
("Why, that's just not cricket! It simply isn't _done_!")

One other factor of Americans speaking English is that they in general have lazy ears. English is a pleasant amble through communication while other languages tend to be a roller coaster ride on steroids comparatively. I work for a computer help desk and when we get clients who are not native English speakers, some of my co-workers are stymied by the accent and unfamiliar rhythms of non-native speakers. :confused: In fact they call me over to try to figure out what is being said. Sad to say, many if not most Americans don't _listen_ very attentively--they expect their language to be spoon-fed to them. JMHO.

[weswood]

When I was on active duty, the question I was asked wasn't "Are you from Texas?" it was "What part of Texas are you from?".

And I freely admit to being language stupid. I've always had a hard time trying to learn other languages. Three phrases I always made a point of learning in whateve country I was in was "Can I have a beer, please", "Where is the restroom", and my favorite "I like the way your butt wiggles when you walk."

I understand a little bit of Spanish, and speak less. A major function of my job is disconnecting people's electricity when they don't pay the bill. A lot of times I knock on a door, tell the customer what's going on, and get a blank look. "No english" is the phrase. I just smile and say "Adios le luce"- spellings' probably wrong, but literally translates into "goodby lights". I won't get into a rant about non english speakers

[jester]

Magnum was just cool! He had style.

Hunter, that was filmed near my house, it was filmed in Los Angeles mostly around the port and harbor in San Pedro, lots of hills for their A-Team type jumps.

Another one is Air Wolf!

[RN7]

I think its down to the fact that Americans generally speak better English than most English people do. More Americans tend to speak a good standard form of English which is widespread throughout America despite some regional accents. On the other hand most English people tend to speak dialects of English which can be very hard to mimic unless you have actually lived in England for some time.

Proper English English is called Recieved Pronunciation (the 1950's BBC or RAF Spitfire pilot accent), but only a minority of English people now have this accent which has upper class associations. The rest of England speak dialects which vary greatly throughout England. Speakers of Northern English sound like there from a different country to Southern English speakers, and even in the north and midlands there are huge variations between cities and regions. Geordies from the north-east speak a form of English which was heavily influenced by Norse settlement in England during Viking times. Many Southerners cant seem to pronounce the letter R, and working class southerners tend to drop the letter H in words. The southern accent is a bit similar to an Australian accent, and some of its characteristcis are also found in Australia, NZ and South Africa, probably due to the fact that the first English people to go to these countries were largely from the southern counties and the accent stuck. Also a lot of people from the west country sound like stereotypical pirates of old, which is no coincidence as most of the English pirates actually came form the western towns and counties of England during the age of sail.

[Caradhras]

[QUOTE=WallShadow;22854]Caradhras:
The villain speaks the Queen's English because he is so cool and sophisticated compared to the slobbish 'Merican half-arsed do-gooders. But then the underdog Colonials turn the tables on the uppity ne'er-do-well by some quaint home-spun backwoods (or urban streetwise) trick!
("Why, that's just not cricket! It simply isn't _done_!")

QUOTE]


Hmm - I should really have thought about that theory - kind of a revisit to the War of Independence in Die Hard etc etc :p

[Targan]

I can mimic accents pretty well and I have less trouble than many of my friends and co-workers when trying to understand people with heavy accents or who are not native English speakers.

I consider myself to be quite well spoken (I have much better diction, pronunciation and a better vocabulary than most Australians) but I deliberately alter the way I talk depending on who I'm talking to. For instance I would naturally usually say to someone on the phone "to whom am I speaking please" but at work I usually dumb it down to "who am I talking to please" because it causes less confusion. Also, Australians (and especially working class Australians) tend to have "tall poppy syndrome" and don't react well to people if they think they are trying to put on airs and graces.

In any case I always try to be polite. Good manners are one of the tools we have to assist us in not having people wanting to kill each other all the time IMHO.

[WallShadow]

Hmm - I should really have thought about that theory - kind of a revisit to the War of Independence in Die Hard etc etc :p

You were reading my mind: I had John McLain firmly planted in my thoughts at that moment! Or the Dukes of Hazzard, or Sheriff Andy Taylor (Mayberry, North Carolina, police department, Andy Griffith Show). Just another way of reassuring the American viewing public that the average American Joe can outsmart or outfight any overeducated pretentious megavillain anyday!
Or, perhaps, from a BBC point of view, one gets a similar feeling from some of the later Blackadder series (Blackadder the Third, Blackadder goes Forth), where he, a lower-class character, constantly undermines the fatally flawed plans of his superiors, the Upperclass Twits-in-Command and their coat-tails-riding sycophantic toadies.

[headquarters]

You were reading my mind: I had John McLain firmly planted in my thoughts at that moment! Or the Dukes of Hazzard, or Sheriff Andy Taylor (Mayberry, North Carolina, police department, Andy Griffith Show). Just another way of reassuring the American viewing public that the average American Joe can outsmart or outfight any overeducated pretentious megavillain anyday!
Or, perhaps, from a BBC point of view, one gets a similar feeling from some of the later Blackadder series (Blackadder the Third, Blackadder goes Forth), where he, a lower-class character, constantly undermines the fatally flawed plans of his superiors, the Upperclass Twits-in-Command and their coat-tails-riding sycophantic toadies.

Dont know if anyone has seen it , the follow up from 2008 and 2009 is pretty good post apoc imho .
Anyways - the original has a lot of subtle class distinctions where the main characters are all :

"Good Lord!look at all these supplies ! I wonder from whence they came.."

and the "NPCs" are more "OI! Bluidy`ell!! those are our supplies those are ,innit!"

( A show where the proper pronounciation guys are constantly threatend by those who speak a local dialect or a more working class tone )

Just saying ,diction and proper English CAN mean that whomever you are speaking to might actually be a good guy.
:rolleyes:

[Raellus]

I tried watching Daybreakers last night and the first thing I noticed was that all of the supporting actors were trying to speak with an American accent. I believe that most of them were Australian. I wonder why they didn't just set the movie in Australia. It was really obvious to me and really distracting. Most of the actors gave a really stilted delivery. I wonder if they were trying so hard to mimic an American accent that they forgot about the meaning of and emotion behind their lines.

Anyway, I couldn't finish it. It had nothing to do with the accent thing. It was just a really poorly written, acted, and directed movie, IMO. The premise is interesting, but the execution was very poor.

I can fool most Americans into thinking I'm from somewhere in the Commonwealth. I wonder if my accent could fool a native, though. Probably not.

[Nowhere Man 1966]

Works for me.:cool: Both shows were great. The 80's had the best shows ever.

True, also a tribute to NBC's success then was Brandon Tartikoff with hits like A-Team, Cosby Show and so on.

Chuck

P.S. - All three networks had good shows though, I think NBC's star was the brightest then.

[Nowhere Man 1966]

I'm with the "Hunter" > "Magnum PI" crowd, but I mostly watched "Hunter" because it was on Friday nights, right before "Miami Vice." My gang and I spent a lot of Friday nights gaming with those on the TV.

Until we got cable in the game room, and could watch MTV....

I also remember back then where NBC had "Friday Night Videos" (if your affiliate did not sign off for the night, remember that?) and USA Network had "Night Flight" that showed videos and cartoon shorts from aspiring animators. I remember watching "Jack Mac and Radboy" on "Night Flight," they were sort of like a 1980's version of "Beavis and Butt-Head."

Chuck

[pmulcahy11b]

I also remember back then where NBC had "Friday Night Videos" (if your affiliate did not sign off for the night, remember that?) and USA Network had "Night Flight" that showed videos and cartoon shorts from aspiring animators. I remember watching "Jack Mac and Radboy" on "Night Flight," they were sort of like a 1980's version of "Beavis and Butt-Head."

Chuck

I remember a show from way back when which, at the time, was better than Saturday Night Live -- it was called something like "Laff Tracks," or something like that.

[jester]

I remember all those shows.... what can I say, I was a late night junkie then. And of course SBC TV where I got my first glimpse of John Candy and a few other up and comming comics before they hit the mainstream, alas, they were still the red headed step child compared to it won't end ever Saturday Night Live....and how long has the audience said "Let them die already?" About 20 years now!

[Abbott Shaull]

One of the strange things about living in University town and I will not use the word City (it would be over statement for Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan). Yeah, depending where you go in the US, each region may have it own dialect and their own accent. Yet, I have seen it while in the Army based at Fort Bragg and here in the UP of Michigan. Many people who move can and do adapt the local accent/dialect fairly easy, to the point where others who have transplanted too wouldn't be able to tell you were from else where originally.

Then again there is something in the New England accent, various New York ones, Mississippi, and Texans twang that are dead give aways, or certain open hospitality phrases that reminds one of the South. I know one person who I go to school who lived in New Mexico, you can barely tell he moved up here only 5 years ago, again his wife still has that Texan twang you pick up on.

One has to remember in the US lot of the local accent/dialect reflect the people who moved into the various regions once they came to the US and they added their accent to the local flavor as they and their following generations mingled with those already living in the area.

Just some thoughts.

[pmulcahy11b]

Also, depending upon your profession, you will build up jargon that will often stay with you the rest of your life. And depending upon what era you grew up in, you'll have slang from your childhood and teenage years that may stay with you as well. I actually like to confuse today's kids with some of my jargon from when I was their age; the look on their faces is precious!

[Nowhere Man 1966]

I remember a show from way back when which, at the time, was better than Saturday Night Live -- it was called something like "Laff Tracks," or something like that.

I think I remember that too, vaguely.

Chuck

[Nowhere Man 1966]

I remember all those shows.... what can I say, I was a late night junkie then. And of course SBC TV where I got my first glimpse of John Candy and a few other up and comming comics before they hit the mainstream, alas, they were still the red headed step child compared to it won't end ever Saturday Night Live....and how long has the audience said "Let them die already?" About 20 years now!

I also remember when the networks would run late night movies, CBS comes to mind. During the summer, I sometimes watched them, they would run movies that were several years old like "Citizen's Band" (1977) and "Damnation Alley" (1977) and so on.

"Saturday Night Live," I miss the classic times, especially "The Coneheads" and "Mr. Bill."

Chuck

[Nowhere Man 1966]

Also, depending upon your profession, you will build up jargon that will often stay with you the rest of your life. And depending upon what era you grew up in, you'll have slang from your childhood and teenage years that may stay with you as well. I actually like to confuse today's kids with some of my jargon from when I was their age; the look on their faces is precious!

Yeah, I get funny looks when I would say "holy moly" a lot, I think I picked that up from the old kid's show "Shazam" that ran from 1974/77. :D

Chuck

[pmulcahy11b]

Does anyone remember "Creature Feature" from the early 1970s, or was that just a San Francisco thing? They showed a double feature of monster movies, with weird intermissions that had short films like "The Happy Barbecue" -- a psychopathic barbecue roaming through the streets killing everyone by inflicting severe burns.