Re: [Epic] Chat line mailing list

From: DAVID C LADO, DEPT OF NEUROSCIENCE <LADO_at_...>
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 17:11:28 -0500 (EST)

>> I want to know is how Australians react to american accents.
>>
>Hmm, well we tend to make fun of American tourists, eg (with real sorta
>nasal accent) "Gee Martha, look at the koalas" etc etc

People making fun of american tourists! No! What a rarity ;). Sad
truth is, even american make fun of american tourists. Could be worse
theough, in Florida they like to shoot the tourists...

>>Aside from that, well, lets face it, the American accent is so prevalent
>>on TV that it doesnt get fussed over (sorry to disappoint you!)

Damn, damn, damn! I was always jealous of how brit accents work on
americans.

>>But we all love Swedish and Scottish accents, comes from watching the
>>muppet show and the movie Braveheart!

My personal favorite has to be the Irish accent, followed by the Jamacan.
Accents can be an interesting thing. I was sitting in a Pizza Hut in
Madrid (not my choice, I think eating american food in Spain is a mistake)
with some ferners (a brit, a Finn, a Thai, a Hollander and some Iranians)
and a couple of normal people (you know, americans ;). Beside us was
a mother and her child speaking in what I, and the other americans,
thought was very clearly a british accent. The brit, however, insisted
the accent was american. Finally, we got up and asked her where whe
was from. Turns out she was from the Bahamas. I would swear to this
day she was English if we hadn't asked. The non-english speakers
seemed unable to tell the difference in any case.

>Dont confuse the pseudo-Oz with the real thing, even the guys in the
>outback who've never been to 'the big smoke' (the city) dont sound like
>what the Americans think we do!

But, but, what about the commercials! I saw them myself! You're not
trying to tell me that the TV is anything less than absolutely
correct? ;)

You would probobly get a kick out of the stereotypes about australians
that pervade the US (if you don't know them already). Case in point is
the "How to speak Australian" series of commercials made for Foster's
Lager. It starts with a man dressed in typical "outback" fashion (tan
shorts, boot, hat, unshaven) standing at the base of a desert cliff with
his dingo (of course). A giant boulder falls on him so that only his
hands and feet stick out. The australian says (with heavy accent),
"Owwww" and the translation reads "Cry baby".

If you believed the TV you'd think that their wasn't a city in australia
with more than 10 buildings and their aren't any paved roads, and
everybody lives in the ruggid outback herding kangaroos.

David
Received on Tue Apr 22 1997 - 22:11:28 UTC