Americans are deaf to accents, and Russell Crowe is a d***: A new blog entry

A true story involving the Yorkshire Ripper, Russell Crowe being a d**k, and Americans (mostly me) being unable to differentiate one UK accent from another.

http://expatclaptrap.com/russell-crowe-is-a-dick/

Hope you enjoy it- I really can't tell most British accents from each other. And the story about Russell Crowe is 100% true.

I enjoyed this a lot, and living in Cheshire I am very, very aware of the importance of accent to Brits...I like you put no importance, in fact it drives my DH insane as we will be out and about and he will hear an American Accent (He is English) and can't believe I (the American) didn't pick up on a fellow American being nearby -- I don't even tune into the accent at all!

Another great one!  Your careful scientific analysis is particularly impressive - and so true!  I'm constantly amazed that my Brit can distinguish between accents.  Watching the news, I'll often comment that a particular accent sounds like one from around here (Geordie).  He, in turn, will give me a rather disgusted look and correct me that they are no where near here - they are from Sunderland/Durham/Carlisle, you name it.  I'm always so impressed with this skill, because I can't hear the differences at all. 

Just amazing.....

.... and I always suspected that about Russell Crowe. 

Lol!  Loved the Russell Crowe bit.

Having been here several years now, I am picking up on accents.  But only the biggies.

My mother (born and raised just north of Boston with Northern Irish antecedents) claimed she could tell if someone was from western Massachusetts just from the accent.
But back then American accents were more regional; people didn't move around so much and there was no television exposure.  Then too accents were more class-based (as in the UK).

I'll just leave this here...

http://the-australasian.com/2015/01/12/crowe-shocks-fans-by-coming-out/

I'll just leave this here...

http://the-australasian.com/2015/01/12/crowe-shocks-fans-by-coming-out/

 

My mother (born and raised just north of Boston with Northern Irish antecedents) claimed she could tell if someone was from western Massachusetts just from the accent.
But back then American accents were more regional; people didn't move around so much and there was no television exposure.  Then too accents were more class-based (as in the UK).

I think this is probably still true in MA-- at least, you can tell Boston-area from non-Boston. 

I'll just leave this here...

http://the-australasian.com/2015/01/12/crowe-shocks-fans-by-coming-out/

To be fair, I think Russell suffers here from a lack of understanding of causality. He is saying that the reality he sees is that actors must adapt expectations for roles as they age. He clearly states that men, himself included, can't be the young stud forever.

He doesn't quite see that there is a nice niche for rugged "mid-age crisis man" available for people like himself -  bombastic capers and silly adventures where death is always magically avoided and young ladies swoon. All of which are backed up by huge budgets and massive marketing campaigns.

I can't tell where most accents come from. Brit accents, no idea. Irish and Scottish accents I can't tell them apart unless they are really stereotypically Irish or Scottish that you'd see in a movie. I'm pretty terrible at this. 

Now for the worst of all - I can't recognize most American accents either!  DH will tell me after we've passed someone that they were American. I'll be like - What?? I guess I've heard random American accents my entire life that they are more like background noise. 

I have the same issue when I hear American accents. They're the accent  I'm used to hearing so they don't stick out among the British Accents I'm no used to hearing after a year! hahaha.

Though that could be because I work with a Scot, a lady from Ireland, someone from South Africa and a few Brits. hahaha.

I think I'm getting worse at distinguishing accents, not better.  Unless its a very unusual accent I don't tend to notice them anymore.  Not sure if that's good or bad, but I feel a bit sad about it... I love accents and dialects!!