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Original poster

Taking the p*ss out of someones accent

29 replies

NadineBaggott · 04/04/2007 10:15

Watching Matthew Wright this morning, one of his callers had what I would describe as a plummy accent. At the end of call Matthew mimicked his caller's voice with a big grin on his face and the audience fell about laughting.

I thought 'how rude!' (Mind you MW is often quite rude to his callers) and then I thought would he have done that to a West Indian or Chinese caller - probably not.

Is it ok to take the p*ss out of your countrymens accents but not other nationalities or is everyone fair game?

OP posts:
KathyMCMLXXII · 04/04/2007 10:22

Well of course plenty of people with West Indian or Chinese accents are our countrymen.
I don't think he would take the piss out of regional accents either, though OTOH he is getting ruder and ruder so maybe he would! I think it's just more acceptable to take the piss out of posh accents, which is probably related to issues of power - ie broadly speaking (though not in this particular case necessarily) you are likely to be mocking someone more powerful than you, which makes it less bullying than mocking someone weaker would be.

I do think MW is getting a bit nasty these days - starting to remind me of Kilroy

Saturn74 · 04/04/2007 10:25

Not OK with anyone, really.
It's fine if everyone is mimicking everyone else's accents in a jokey way (my Brummy friend and I sometimes try and speak in each other's accents when have had a glass of wine or two), but to do it in a mocking way or behind someone's back is just ignorant.

expatinscotland · 04/04/2007 10:29

I think it's rude as hell and not fair game.

tasja · 04/04/2007 10:33

I think it's rude! I'm South African and don't always pronounce the words as the poeple does in this country - simply because we pronounce it differently in SA. My surname is Van Niekerk. Can anyone pronounce it correctly - don't think so (only if your south african) I don't make fun of poeple saying it incorrect or with a funny accent. I just take it as it comes.

ScottishThistle · 04/04/2007 10:36

It's rude but it doesn't bother me as a Scot who lives in London!

expatinscotland · 04/04/2007 10:38

I agree, tasja.

Whenever I see a name I cannot pronounce, I ask the person how they say their name.

Not take the piss out of it.

That's just not on.

americantrish · 04/04/2007 10:39

i don't think it's funny or kind. i didn't see the show, but i don't really like him anyway..

tiredemma · 04/04/2007 10:40

I cant bear it when people take the piss out of my accent. I want to punch them on the nose.

americantrish · 04/04/2007 10:43

what's your accent, tiredemma?

(i agree... nothing irks me more than dh or anyone in his family 'mocking' my accent.)

tiredemma · 04/04/2007 10:47

dare I say it........ Brummie.

Put people put on a ridiculous Black country accent ( like how they speak in Dudley/Wolverhapton)

it infuriates me. Especially when Dps friend who is from Dorset and talks like Wurzel Gummidge tries to speak like it.

Gobbledigook · 04/04/2007 13:36

My MIL and SIL always take the p*ss out of my accent (I live in South Manchester/Cheshire so it's a northern accent but not like on Corrie!!). It's drives me nuts, especially if they imitate the way the boys speak.

They speak much nicer than they or my niece do anyway - SIL and niece have a real London drawl - it's really broad and imo it's horrible. I never imitate them when they are there though (only to dh, is that bad?!).

flack · 04/04/2007 13:41

Taking p out of accents is one of the nastiest British traits. Obviously most people feel 100% justified in judging other people solely on basis of accent. Sad.

custy · 04/04/2007 13:42

as northerners down siouth we come accross this a lot

my kids teachers take the piss.

a collegue smack in the middle of a meeting once took the piss. i said quite calmly " God gave me this accent, who gave you yours?"

not becuase i mind people taking the piss - we all do it - just that the time he chose to do it was inappropriate

i take the pss out of southerners acccents almost daily.

my kids accents are morphing into some hybrid i muchly dislike

they tookd the "northern bastard or southern Fairy" test wshoch someone posted on here and were genuinley overjoyed they were northern bastards - which i though was nice.

TinyGang · 04/04/2007 13:42

It is very rude; I surprised he did that.

(I love accents.. tasja - SA is such a great accent. I love love it. Def one of my favourites)

custy · 04/04/2007 13:44

oh yes judging - this is a igie

obviously becuase of my huge use of colloquial northern english will familiar people inc. collegues, and becuase they have what they consider to be a ';better accent' more like what english should be - i think there thinking must be - they load on all their predudices onto my very northernness.

the northern monkey thick as shit stuff - is a real barrier down here.

Socci · 04/04/2007 13:44

Message withdrawn

northerner · 04/04/2007 13:45

I'm from Teesside and live in Harrogate (which is North Yourkshire but no one has a yorkshire accent strangely enough. Everyone speaks proper ere) My dh, bil and collegaues laugh at the things I say and the way I say them. People instantly spot I have a teesside accent. But funnily enough when I go up home my family all think I speak dead posh

RedLorryYellowLorry · 04/04/2007 13:46

I just laugh when dh's relatives try to do my London accent - poor scottish clowns However if they ever mimic dd and ds I'll not find it so funny.

northerner · 04/04/2007 13:46

Meant to add I don't mind one bit.

expatinscotland · 04/04/2007 13:53

'Taking p out of accents is one of the nastiest British traits. Obviously most people feel 100% justified in judging other people solely on basis of accent. Sad. '

Tell me about it!

People who do this are pathetic. They really are.

It's a bigoted thing to do.

Ivor · 04/04/2007 13:57

Never really thought about it until we moved to the States, but the Americans on the whole love different accents, always getting people saying what a lovely accent I have.
DH always asks them if they can guess where he's from, he got very upset when an older lady at the supermarket accused him of being French! No insult intended to any French people out there, just one of DH's pet peeves due to the French beating Eangland at Rugby

I think it's very sad to take the p*ss out of anyone for something they have no control of.

PeachyChocolateEClair · 04/04/2007 14:09

Its rude and having an accent which is often considered to mark one out as a bit thick, I hate it (Somerset).

Seems to fair game to most people though- I've said it before but DS2's lines in the play this year (he was a Shepherd) were 'oo-ar oo-ar oo-ar'

kittywaitsfornumber6 · 04/04/2007 14:30

No, I think it's a bad thing to do too. Mind you i think taking the piss out of anything to do with someone is a bad thing to do.

booge · 04/04/2007 14:40

I get the opposite PeachyClair, lived in Somerset all my life and always been teased for sounding posh, I've lost count of the number of times people have said "you're not from round here" Water off a ducks back now but hated it as a kid.

OrmIrian · 04/04/2007 14:46

Me too booge! They always ask where I come from and seem satisfied when I tell them I was born in Glos - obviously accept that 'posh' is the natural accent there.. .

My kids have a wonderful mixture of Somerset/East Ham/posh.