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.

Swinson!

I do a lot of speaking - 1700 presentations/.talks many 6 hours long since about 1991 and did a fair bit of speech and drama at school. I think it is just inherent in some people and not in others. I am also a singer with a fairly big range- I can sing most tenor parts, all altos and am a first sorprano so can use the voice as a tool - high low, very deep ( I can sing some bass parts even) and it's just the luck of the draw probably coupled with all the public speaking and the singing that helps.

I don't think I have ever heard Jo S as I read ratehr than watch the news which is probably extremely unusual so no idea what her voice is like but I do know the Conservatives are best for Britain - so vote Conservative.

I can absolutely see the Mary Beard argument-I agree with it and I think it’s wrong that women are in this position. But politicians have to be a bit pragmatic about public appearances, and for Swinson that might mean adapting her speech. And though yes I’m this case it’s gendered it’s not all one way is it-Ed Milliband got an absolute roasting for his voice.

but I do know the Conservatives are best for Britain - so vote Conservative.

I'm afraid that I haven't gone completely insane, so no I won't be doing that. They've fucked up the country badly enough so no I won't be giving them a second chance(Not that I ever gave them a first).

One of the many many things I hated about Thatcher was her utterly ridiculous voice.

It’s not her voice that bothers but rather her total lack of principles!

Actually OP, Jo already speaks like a man. Because she believes there is no such thing as differences between men and women.

I opened this thinking, "could benefit from...... please don't say a makeover.... please don't say a makeover". At least it didn't say that!

It's not her voice that bothers me. Jo Swinson voted in favour of austerity bills more often than many Tories. I don't trust her or think she has any consistent principles. Then there's the "socially liberal" claim, laughable.

Interesting thread though. I'm going to read that book that @WoollyFoolly recommends above. We're definitely conditioned to think of women's voices as less authoritative. You mention Thatcher's voice training. Also, the fuss that is made about a woman with a lower speaking voice - Elizabeth Holmes for example. Be quite hilarious if Jo Swinson returned after the Summer speaking like that. There'll be a Lib Dem worker somewhere stumbling across this thread and feeding back so here's hoping!

I think she comes across brilliantly and will be voting for her 100%. She has more principles than the Tories and Labour put together. She is genuine and focused. Thank god - it’s about time someone spoke sense. Who cares about her voice! She’s like breath of fresh air, as far as I’m concerned. I think they will take this seat from the Tories as we’re a strong Remain Borough (Richmond). Who else is there to vote for, frankly? The Conservatives have alienated a large proportion of their votes in areas like ours. I think (hope) their days are numbered.

I agree, OP.

If Swinson wants to get her message across as effectively as possible she will need to work on her voice. A good, strong voice is essential for a senior politician. When Ian Duncan Smith was Tory leader he was criticised for his voice cracking at times.

Actually having listened to her in the Commons I’m pretty sure she’s having some. But there’s nothing like nerves (and that was a high stakes interview) to tighten your vocal chords and with all the stuff she had to keep in her head, newly acquired skills would have gone out the window.

Men suffer from this too of course but as they start from a lower range it’s not as obvious or remarked upon. Which takes us back to Mary Beard...

I agree her voice is really off putting. And shrill. I am not 'conditioned' to think that way. There are plenty of female politicians with great speaking voices. I could listen to Jess Phillips all day.

And I don't particularly like Mary Beard's voice either, something very smug about it.

it’s about time someone spoke sense
I appreciate that if you’re a staunch remainer, then the idea of revoking A50 without a second referendum would appeal to you personally - but do you really think that it is ‘sense’ and would lead to the divisions in our country being healed? Do you really think shes ‘talking sense’ if she thinks she will get over 300 MPs at the next election?

I heard people saying she wasn't Glaswegian enough to be from Greater Glasgow. She'd get criticised if she had a broader accent. She'd get criticised if she had been to private school.

She can't win. Any younger women in the public eye get criticised no matter what.

She's down well for someone relatively young. Whether you believe in her politics or not as a woman I think criticising for trivial things is not helpful to other women looking to be taken seriously.

Done well, not down well.

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

Whether we're conditioned to think of women's voices as less authoratitive is neither here nor there really. Unless you can persuade the whole population to ready the book and retrain their brains (unlikely), the best option for politicians (and anyone else who wants to persuade people to listen) is to adapt their voices.

Like I said in the intro, my parenting is definitely more authoritive when my voice is low, slow and calm. And that applies to men as well as women - I used to stop listening to my Dad when his voice went shrill and shouty too.

I do a lot of speaking - 1700 presentations/.talks many 6 hours long since about 1991 and did a fair bit of speech and drama at school. I think it is just inherent in some people and not in others. I am also a singer with a fairly big range- I can sing most tenor parts, all altos and am a first sorprano so can use the voice as a tool - high low, very deep ( I can sing some bass parts even) and it's just the luck of the draw probably coupled with all the public speaking and the singing that helps.

I don't think I have ever heard Jo S as I read rather than watch the news which is probably extremely unusual so no idea what her voice is like but I do know the Conservatives are best for Britain - so vote Conservative.

So much vocal range, so little ability to think.

OP I agree. People say it's misogynistic, but sadly, some women do have quite high pitched voices and it is less charismatic.

Jo Swinson doesn't sound babyish, but I went to school with a couple of girls who had really babyish voices and I wondered what happened to them in the workplace. It's hard enough trying to make a point as a woman without sounding like a little girl.

I also think people need to slow down their delivery. I once read that important people speak slowly because they know people will listen to them. But most people speak quickly because they know people will only give them a few seconds before they move on. I do it myself but it really makes a difference if you have the confidence to slow down.

So Jo - slow down and let your voice drop a few notes.

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

Really? I went to a rally she spoke at in Boston last summer and thought she had a great speaking voice. It certainly didn’t seem weak to me.

She’s definitely trying to lose her Scottish accent.

But it’s misogynistic to even be discussing this when no one would start a thread like this about a male politician

So much vocal range, so little ability to think

People say it's misogynistic, but sadly, some women do have quite high pitched voices and it is less charismatic.

Or, you know, you could work on dismantling your own internalised misogyny? Boris Johnson has a booming, deep male voice, freighted with privilege and the expectation, on class, gender and educational grounds, that he will be listened to, and frankly, that didn't stop him sounding like a clown flailing desperately to stay on a tightrope at that police college speech.

Quite apart from the rank stupidity and mendacity of what he is saying, obviously..

I think Mrs Thatcher had an awful speaking voice in spite of, or more likely because of, the elocution lessons. It always seemed that she was desperate not to revert to her original accent, so every word was very carefully articulated, and sounded so artificial.

Verily
Someone might start a thread about bozo being a bumbling fool.

This is a thread discussing how a specific woman can be more effective and appeal to the masses. And op says in the title JS is one of many, who could probably do with this.