To think Jo Swinson would benefit from voice training...? (... like so many of us)

[simpletruth]

I've just watched Jo Swinson on the Andrew Marr show. I'm a potential Lib Dem voter, so I'm sympathetic to many of her views, but I do find her voice very shrill and therefore off-putting. It gets more shrill as she becomes more indignant, and it sounds less authoritative than calmer deeper voices (of either gender). I think Margaret Thatcher famously went to a voice coach to teach her to talk lower and slower. I certainly find that when I talk slowly and calmly to my kids they're much more likely to do as I say.

I realise there will be many of you who would never consider voting LD, and more of you who will flame me for suggesting a tone of voice has nothing to do with whether you vote one way or another, but this is someone who is talking like she wants to take over the world, and she's going to need to use every weapon in her arsenal.

I'd highly recommend reading Women & Power by Mary Beard. First chapter deals with why we are conditioned to think of women's voices as less authoritative and 'shrill'.

I agree and nothing wrong with mentioning it

Most speakers thrown into the spot light have some sort of coaching.

I get what you mean, I was also watching an American event where the Democrat candidates were speechifying, Elizabeth Warren was attempting a rousing speech bit she has a very weak voice unfortunately, it shouldn't matter but it does.

I have voted LD in the past, but would not even consider them an option now post-coalition, tuition fees, more recently LD activists saying that we’re not welcome to vote LD if we don’t believe transwomen are women, let alone that I now personally disagree with them on Brexit.

Just watched her on Marr as well and she does seem frankly delusional if she thinks the UK will vote in a majority LD government at the next election.

However having said all that, I’d rather female politicians of all stripes not capitulate to patriarchal ideals of power by presenting themselves in a less feminine manner to be taken seriously, rather that commentators, the media and we as the general public listen to their arguments and policies, what they are saying rather than how they are saying it, and judge them on substance rather than superficial presentation. Jo changing her voice would be submitting to the patriarchy, let’s smash it instead.

I did like her dress on Marr btw. Wonder where it was from!

YABU.

I was about to leap in and recommend Mary Beard, but I see someone has beaten me to it. It’s the double standard at work. I have never heard a male politician’s voice being a potential vote influencer despite certain high profile men having quite bizarre accents / tones. I am also a potential LD voter and Jo Swinson’s vocal pitch is not on the list of deciding factors.

I think Jo Swinson might benefit from having a set of principles and sticking to them. She comes across as very silly. You should see the interview when she tries to distance herself from her own voting record in the coalition government. Yes to bedroom tax. Yes to a cap on benefits. Yes to student loans. They only managed gay marriage and free school dinners.

I think Jo Swinson might benefit from having a set of principles and sticking to them.

^^ This.

Imagine saying this about a man.

YABU

Yes, Margaret Thatcher had voice coaching to deepen her voice. Think about it - this is colluding with the notion that authority is somehow aligned with masculinity. Which clearly has to be undermined at every turn. In this day and age no woman needs to be told to deepen her voice.

Yes it is her voting record that grates not her voice. And the likelihood that they would jump into bed with the Tories if it served their ambitions.

Yes, she really should learn to speak like a man if she wants to be taken seriously.

I’m sure she already has had voice coaching and extensive media training etc. I’d be amazed if most high profile MPs hadn’t. I had voice coaching at work and it was incredibly helpful. Unfortunately having a small quiet voice is a big disadvantage. It shouldn’t be the case but it is sadly.

I give papers and lectures and deepen my voice. It is an issue, sadly.

Yes, she really should learn to speak like a man if she wants to be taken seriously.

There are many men who take voice training too for similar reasons.

(Dh is a voice coach)

I think it's a shame she has so many interesting things to say and people are discussing her voice.

The problem is her lack of substance, and the lack of control in her voice shows her out when she doesn't believe in what she's saying.

She takes money from people involved in tax avoidance and fracking, and that is in recent years. Any defence of her earlier voting record is bollocks, when she continues to have a non existent ethical code.

Some women do speak very well, Caroline Lucas is a good example. The difference between them is conviction, Lucas is passionate about her policies and she believes in what she is saying. Swinson has just picked up on "something the people might want to hear", without properly understanding it, and without much thought if it's what she actually believes.

If she has so many interesting things to say then she does need to learn how to say them in an interesting way and engage her listeners. Vital for a PM. It is very easy to switch off when listening to someone if they’re voice is not easy to listen to, or the delivery is wrong.

It may be a shame, but unfortunately a fact.

Her voice doesn't bother me but her views on women do. No way could I vote for the LibDems.

I agree with you op. She is up against the likes of bozo, who had one of the best educations in the country - totally squandered on him I may add. He naturally has a booming voice coupled with the advantage of having had plenty of opportunities to learn to speak publicly, copy family members etc.

I haven’t read the book referred to. People as they age find it more difficult to hear higher sounds and the range men can hear is lower than women. We have an ageing population so for this reason alone a deeper pitch is preferable.

My first thought was also that you need to read Women and Power.

I watched the same show and I thought she came off as aggressively defensive- I said to DH that if she was a man speaking with the same tone I’d find him very intimidating.

I think she comes across as really anxious and constantly on edge, and very worried about getting tripped up which ultimately doesn’t come across well regardless of sex.

Jo Swindon would benefit from knowing what the definition of a woman is.

Her voice is neither here nor there when you consider that.