Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Accents Galore.



I was just sent this a few minutes ago. I sat through it and felt I ought to share. This might be another one for the universe to solve.

Dear Universe, why oh why would ANYONE inflict those sorts of Oirish accents on the world? And also where is Malcom supposed to be from? Scotland? Liverpool? Tir na n´Og? De end o de rainbow? Why is it whenever ANYONE does an Irish accent they immediately go up a couple of octaves? Ta te ta ta. Burn dem all.

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30 Comments:

Blogger Twenty Major said...

You see, to the people making the fillum those accents must sound acceptable, laughable as they are to us.

I wonder do Irish/English people doing American accents that sound ok to us sound ridiculous to Americans.

1:31 p.m.  
Blogger fatmammycat said...

I don't know, but all I do know is NOBODY has every had to suffer Far and Awayism as much as us.

1:36 p.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes.

We had a Dublin friend over not too long ago and he gave us his attempt at a Southern accent. I believe my husband said, "I've heard Chinese people do a better Southern accent."

1:38 p.m.  
Blogger Kim Ayres said...

Well apparently everyone from England sounds like Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins, or the burglar/thug in the Simpsons.

Of course where I live now, everyone wears a kilt, has haggis for breakfast, whisky for lunch and bagpipes for supper.

1:42 p.m.  
Blogger fatmammycat said...

hah, I'd well believe that. You should hear the paramour trying to do a country accent, he sounds like Tom Cruise with a stroke. Some people should not DO accents. Like me, so I don't.

1:44 p.m.  
Blogger fatmammycat said...

Kim, but that's true, right? Don't shatter my illusions.

1:45 p.m.  
Blogger Unknown said...

Ah yes, that timeless classic... Red Roses and Pethroleum Jelly.

An' shure faith an' 'twouldn't be a proper Oirish fillum if'n there wasn' any dincing, an' dhrinking, an' fighting... an' sons and Da's hating each other right up to the schmaltzy dyin' bit with treacley diddley-eye music to dab your Oirish eyes to at the ind of it all.

1:51 p.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ah, t'be sure, t'be sure!

Brad Pitt in The Devil's Own has an even more hilarious Belfast accent.

2:01 p.m.  
Blogger fatmammycat said...

ah whisht now, next you'll be tinking of dat toime Richard Gear was a Norn Irom terrorist dat had to foight agin de Jackal. Laugh? Clare t'God, shure I near doied.

2:07 p.m.  
Blogger Unknown said...

Mike Myers, Shrek himself it was, doin' a Dubbalin gouger in Pether's Meteorite or whatever the feck 'twas called. An' that fella Molina was in it wit him. Jayz I never hear'd de like.

2:14 p.m.  
Blogger fatmammycat said...

I haven't see it, but dear Lord, can anything top whatever accent Pierce Brosnan-who is actually Irish- was sporting for Evelyn? I mean What the F?

2:18 p.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Didn't see that one, but I feel sure that Julia Roberts in Mary Reilly would do it. All I remember of it is "Flahrs in the carners."

2:23 p.m.  
Blogger Andraste said...

In general Brits do better American accents than the other way around. However, that first episode of MI-5, the one with the anti-abortion terrorist - yer wan (see what I did there?) who tried to do an American southern accent made me weep with pity.

2:23 p.m.  
Blogger Megan McGurk said...

Eeek.
That's a big serving of stereotypes first thing in the morning.
McDowell had a good story arc in "Entourage." He should stick to playing the cut throat types.

2:23 p.m.  
Blogger fatmammycat said...

I admit to guffawing regularly at Hugh Laurie's accent in House, but then I immediately want to smother him in marmalade and lick him clean. Go figure. ( see what I did there, nyah nyah at Andraste, two can play at that!)

Actually Medbh recently-and so kindly- introduced me to Vincent d'Onofrio playing a Scottish fisherman, I still haven't recovered from the stitch I got watching that.

2:28 p.m.  
Blogger fatmammycat said...

ahaahhah Grims!! I remember that, ta tee ta ta!

2:29 p.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Right, im away off to pick some spuds (if the blight hasn't struck again) for my 15 children who are all off fighting the black and tans, and then we'll all have a guinness and listen to the wolfe tones in the shebeen.

2:37 p.m.  
Blogger fatmammycat said...

Okay, but for God's sake don't go pulling turnips on cliff tops. I couldn't cope with that again, in any language.

2:43 p.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

God almighty, that was terrible! Do they ever listen to the native Irish speaking before they try and learn the accent? I don't think so! In all my 38 years I have never heard any Irish person speak like that!!

2:56 p.m.  
Blogger fatmammycat said...

I'm reminded of Homer's 'potato man' in the Simpsons.

3:05 p.m.  
Blogger Twenty Major said...

Yes, they all study a native Irish person.

Sadly that person is the Lucky Charms leprechaun.

3:05 p.m.  
Blogger James McInerney said...

The only thing that's worse is when a film gets made that depicts the Irish as teachers and doctors and software engineers and so on. Sure, who'd believe that kind of nonsense.

3:17 p.m.  
Blogger fatmammycat said...

Part time Docky, only part time, when we're not farming and fishing and drinking.

3:18 p.m.  
Blogger Megan McGurk said...

I saw Michael Caine interviewed once a few years back and he was complaining about all the bad Cockney accents bandied about. He pointed to Forrest Whitaker in The Crying Game as the only example he could think of that didn't make him cringe.

One of the worst Irish accents onscreen is Kevin Spacey in "Ordinary Decent Criminal." It's funny because he can do a million impersonations and voices but not an Irish one.

4:53 p.m.  
Blogger fatmammycat said...

Cate Blachett did a very good accent when she played Veronica Geurin, very good I thought. And her English accent is excellent too, and her I thought her Southern American accent in The Gift was terrific, better than Katie Holmes and she is American-although I doubt I'm the right person to ask what makes up a good Southern accent, that would be Savannah.

5:00 p.m.  
Blogger Twenty Major said...

Spacey impressions

Spacey does Star Wars auditions

He's brilliant.

5:30 p.m.  
Blogger fatmammycat said...

That was awesome. On top of the voices I don't know how he can manipulate his features to almost look like them.

5:45 p.m.  
Blogger Ramon Insertnamehere said...

Pfft.

You people don't know what suffering is until you hear somebody trying to do an Australian accent.

They sound either Irish, Cockney or drunk.

1:02 a.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I can just about cope with Hollywood making an a**e of accents, It must be difficult for them. If they took a Glaswegian, an Aberdonian and someone from the Western Isles as a sample the differences are enormous. The same has to be said in Ireland, where accents vary from county to county.

What gives me the raging hump, is when everyone I meet outside of Scotland has to try an "do" my accent, and do it badly.

Och Aye the Noo!! Off to toss my Caber.

9:19 a.m.  
Blogger fatmammycat said...

I've only every heard one person do an australian accent, basically they just say G'day and Sheila a lot, but in a curious mid atlantic drawl.

KIng Bob, I completely understand. MY advice to you is to immediately imitate them, but adding grunts and gibbers. And when they express surprise, say, 'well that's what you sound like to me.'
That ought to soften their cough.

9:35 a.m.  

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