If there is one thing I can’t stand is for someone to pretend to be someone they are not. Lately I have been seeing a commercial on TV about a cookbook and cooking show. The woman running the show and doing all the advertising for it is trying her best to be someone she is not. She proclaims to be from the south. Her show is based on southern recipes. The only problem is she is so obviously not from the south. That wouldn’t normally be a problem but she is pretending to be southern by using southern slang. It’s just that the only word she seems to know is “y’all” and she uses it way to much with way to much emphasis on the word in her sentences. All of the rest of the words in her statements sound to me like somebody from Boston or Wisconsin. Anybody that has traveled in country can hear different dialects in the voices of people from different parts of the country. I think that is kind of what makes us all unique.
I have to admit, this is the first time I have heard someone try to be southern and I actually think it is kind of funny listening to her talk. I guarantee one thing, she is fooling no one in the south. Maybe she should spend some time in Georgia and learn how to talk like a southern girl before she tries to sell herself as southern. Or better yet, she can just be herself and have the knowledge of southern cooking. There is nothing wrong with that. But to try and sound southern just to make her product more authentic, well…
That’s just stupid.
July 23rd, 2007 at 4:37 pm
I’m from Michigan and have a midwestern accent. I also, however, sing and have a really good ear for tones and dialects. Put me around someone who is Southern for a few hours and I’ll pick up their accent. It’s the same for any accent. Put me around someone who’s British and, after a few hours, I’ll sound like I was born in London.
It’s an odd little quirk, but I’ve always had it.
As to someone trying to sound like something they’re not, I’m with you. If you’re a Northerner, or someone who was transplanted to the South from somewhere else, just be who you are. People will buy the book because they like the recipes, not because the person who wrote it says Y’all.
July 23rd, 2007 at 5:19 pm
I’m like that too, picking up on other dialects I mean. Not quite as fast as you but I spent some time in Ohio and on returning to West Virginia everyone commented on my new northern accent.
I’ve noticed as well that I am bound and determined to punctuate ya’ll incorrectly when it should be y’all.
July 24th, 2007 at 2:36 am
Welcome to the world of Idiots :)We got em in every size, shape and color. They are EVERYWHERE….
that’s a joke..don’t get mad!!!!
July 24th, 2007 at 3:06 am
Morgan… it is hard to get mad from behind an earnest smile. I take joking very well. Being a hillbilly with as much travel time as I have, there is no doubt I have heard them all plus 2