Does your accent... Page 3

Anyway, back on topic.

Quote: Otterfox @ January 19 2011, 11:35 AM GMT

Now I'm intrigued Zooo. What English accent do I have

A proper one. ;)

To be honest, I've not exactly studied your accent closely, but it's always come across to me as a semi posh, public school-boy type.

It must have come about after Mumsie and Father packed me off to Eton and I spent my time playing cricket and playing tricks on the other chaps and generally having a jolly good time don't you know ;)

Quote: Tom G @ January 19 2011, 12:19 AM GMT

I live in the Westcountry and only wish I spoke like a farmer instead of my nondescript voice.

I'm in the same boat but I use my nondescript voice to my advance by doing voices I couldn't do stand up in my own voice. If you have a nondescript voice it's a great blank canvas for voices though it has it's disadvantages too.

James, most of the accents I've heard you doing have a West Country twang to them. You sound very West Country on your podcasts too. I know you think you're a man of a thousand voices though, so...

Quote: Ben @ January 19 2011, 6:35 PM GMT

James, most of the accents I've heard you doing have a West Country twang to them. You sound very West Country on your podcasts too. I know you think you're a man of a thousand voices though, so...

:O Really? I have the funny feeling you don't like me Ben.

Accents add to the flavour but I don't think they have any real influence on whether someone comes across as funny or not, mine is southern Irish( but I don't do live comedy so doesn't really matter!) but I love listening to accents from all over the place, Stephen Frys voice is very nice to listen to but I like the sound of Paul O Gradys voice too for example ,from the other end of the country.

Quote: James Cotter @ January 19 2011, 7:52 PM GMT

:O Really? I have the funny feeling you don't like me Ben.

Ben doesn't like anyone

if he was a girl he'd be miss Anne Thrope

Quote: Shandonbelle @ January 19 2011, 8:28 PM GMT

Accents add to the flavour but I don't think they have any real influence on whether someone comes across as funny or not, mine is southern Irish( but I don't do live comedy so doesn't really matter!) but I love listening to accents from all over the place, Stephen Frys voice is very nice to listen to but I like the sound of Paul O Gradys voice too for example ,from the other end of the country.

Accents accentuate (no pun intended) certain styles of comedy, for instance Ross Noble's brand of whimsical surrealism wouldn't work anywhere near as well if he has a harsh cockney accent, likewise Sarah Millican wouldn't get away with as much filth as she does if she had a harsher, less sing songy (that's a technical linguistic term), accent. Bill Bailey is another good example, would he be quite as funny with a stern Yorkshire accent?

An accent won't make an unfunny comedian funny but the correct accent can add a huge amount to a comedian's material.

Interesting comments.

It works like that in Romance too. "Se the, I love tha".

I wonder if it worked that way for that well known Brummie stand up William Shakespere?

"Alas poor Yorik, I knew him well. Well, when I say knew him. I bumped in to him a few times at the Fish and Green Pop Shop near the Island. He seemed like such a nice man, no one would have thought it. What do you think Mavis?"

Hmmm. I guess we will never know.

I'm a brummie myself and I don't think it would hinder me, the only brummie comic I can think of is frank skinner ao I'd probably be the second :D

Wasn't there a survey done recently which said that the majority of people in England would not want to listen to someone with a Brummie accent speak? I might be making that up.

OH! No I'm thinking of some comedy thing where they said you are less likely to feel safe if you heard that your airoplane pilot was a Brum.

Ha ha yeah I think there was but what about liverpool or geordie accents, it's funny really because people often get the birmingham accent mixed up with the dudley or wolverhampton accent which is much stronger. I don't think my accent is bad at all, very soft. well I hope so :)

I remember a comedian who once said he went into a gents outfitters in Birmingham to buy a suit and all the accoutrements.

When he asked if they had a kipper tie

They said yes and brought him a cup of tea

Quote: Stephen Goodlad @ March 2 2011, 9:09 AM BST

I remember a comedian who once said he went into a gents outfitters in Birmingham to buy a suit and all the accoutrements.

When he asked if they had a kipper tie

They said yes and brought him a cup of tea

Kipper tie! I've always loved that one and, no, I'm not a Brummie being sarcastic - it's really one of my favourites...anyway

...back on topic...

what's wrong wi' a Yorkshire accent lad? 'old yer 'ead up 'igh an' be flippin' prouder vit.