Women with fake little girl voices

[HennyPennyHorror]

Is it me or are they becoming more prevalent? I moved to Australia 4 years ago and they are RIFE here. I was constantly confused by the high-pitched voices and thought "Is this part of the accent?" But I've realised it isn't. It's a forced, high-pitched squeak which some women do.

I know some women naturally have high, young sounding voices but I can tell the fake ones a mile away.

I HATE THEM so MUCH! Speak properly for God's sake!

Justilou I HAVE noticed it among a lot of older women. DH's Aunt does it actually and she's about 65.

It must be bloody exhausting!

I have spotted it in London. Both New Zealanders, and not that old. Weird.

I’m in Sydney and have never heard women doing this. I have noticed that English women’s voices sound very high pitched to my ears, though.

This article seems to suggest Australia women’s voices are actually getting deeper:

www.bbc.com/capital/story/20180612-the-reasons-why-womens-voices-are-deeper-today

Some men's voices are really annoying too, the ones who seem to have cultivated a silly voice, like Keith Lemon or Alan Carr. I'm general though, I guess men don't have any 'need' to alter their voices to get on in life, so there are fewer to get irritated by.

Love that fast show sketch.

Also fascinating comment about Marilyn Monroe (her voice was the first one I thought of when I saw the thread title. I don't actually find her voice annoying, though, I think she was a brilliant comedian who was screwed over by all the men around her.)

It's interesting because in the last few years I've realised I've done the opposite. Since adulthood (lots of time giving seminars and lectures and having to project authority) I've spoken with what I suspect is an artificially deep voice (I sing soprano, so I suspect my speaking voice should be higher pitched than it actually is).

I have to say I don’t think Alan Carr’s voice is put on at all. It’s just the ways he speaks. And he’s got quite a deep voice in comparison to a woman’s.

I'm sorry, but a feminist chat thread policing women's voices?

It's analysis,Wishing, not criticism

There is precious little "analysis" on here , but carry on patting yourselves on the back about how superior you are compared to these mainly older women.

Can't say this is a phenomenon I've ever noticed.

Lass are you seriously suggesting that women aren't affected by society's pressure on them to appear young and helpless?? This is part of that! It's a feminist issue.

My mum does this when she's nervous, or trying to assert herself. It's an audible signal that she's gone into 'child'. It used to irritate me until I grew up myself and realised that it a consequence of her shit childhood. Now I try to be tolerant.

I worked with a woman who did it, would be talking in a normal voice and then switch to a childlike high pitches voice if talking to a man, it was fascinating and cringeworthy. Can only presume it was meant to be appeasing/sexy?

@snitzelvoncrumb that was rude and completely unnecessary.

Lassare you seriously suggesting that women aren't affected by society's pressure on them to appear young and helpless?? This is part of that! It's a feminist issue

No I don't agree. Frankly bollocks.

And that isn't what your OP was about anyway. That's a bit of backtracking to try to make your OP less unpleasant.

Lass if you have not come across it, perhaps you wont realise how disconcerting it is. You meet someone who you expect to talk to adult to adult, and instead they are using a strange girly flirty voice.

It has only happened to me twice, once a decade or so ago with another mum. The message given out was a sort of "poor little me". I found it puzzling and my instinct was to keep my distance.

So actually interesting for me to discover it is a thing and that others are similarly disconcerted.

I think there’s an important distinction here.

Women (indeed anyone!) can not help their natural tone of voice - hence the comments re radio and women having “irritating voices” is misogynistic.

I think what OP is referring to here is women who artificially alter the tone / pitch of their voice to “baby speak” / “vulnerable princess” when in certain situations (typically around men) or even more frequently. I think we are debating why they switch that on and what they are looking to achieve. I find it very irritating too, especially in the workplace.

Agree with lass, nasty thread dressed up as feminism.
The only time I’ve encountered this phenomenon it was a man putting on a child’s voice, wouldn’t say it’s gender specific, more person specific.

Also called vocal fry , becoming 'the thing' with some teenagers

I wouldn’t say it’s common.

Woman with naturally high-pitched voice: not annoying.

Woman with naturally lower-pitched voice, adopting a high-pitched baby voice in certain situations: very damn annoying. Especially when it comes with associated baby-speak.

The only example I can think of is my SIL speaking to her parents, and is a sign of their seriously fucked up family dynamic.

It’s not common. But it is very irritating. There is a difference between a naturally high voice an an effected girly voice.
Women refusing to talk to me as an adult is just as irritating as men talking to my husband rather than me, about my car for example.

I lived in Wiltshire for a time (in Posie country) and it was something I really noticed about the women I worked with. Not baby voices, but very high voices compared to me or other women I know. I thought it was just a way of speaking they grew up with.

Didn't bother me TBH

I live in Australia and have never noticed this?! I do know what you mean though and have an irritating person I used to know (from the UK) in mind!

I have a very high pitched voice and can sound quite childlike, especially on the phone but it is not put on at all. In fact i find it embarrassing and I wish I had a lower voice and have tried to change in the past unsuccessfully. I a man now wondering whether people assume I am putting it on

"Also called vocal fry , becoming 'the thing' with some teenagers"

My understanding is that vocal fry is something else entirely

Vocal fry is a vocal technique that can improve singing technique, it has a pleasant, gravelly sound that it the opposite to the little girl voice

OK just had a look at some youtube videos and realised that Naomi Wolf has claimed that vocal fry is unhelpful for women. I checked out the videos and the fry that women are using is a high pitched version of what I was taught in my singing classes.

What I find fascinating about this is that the deeper end of vocal fry (which can be vocalised by both men and women) can have a reassuring, almost hypnotic quality that can be found in some of the AMSR/ whispering videos

It is no secret that how people talk can be as important re influencing people than what they actually say. This is why politicians and influencers take lessons in how to change their tone of voice.

I think that by suggesting that vocal fry is impeding women's progress we may be throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Naomi Wolf's involvement in this debate strengthens my opinion in this respect.

Re the little girl voice the character Miss Trixie from the film Paper Moon comes to mind

Trixie's little girl voice influences the adult male in the film but the little girl knows what's going on and it doesn't wash with her.

I have a naturally high voice but I've noticed it goes higher when I'm asking for things or speaking to people in a position of authority.

It's not on purpose but since noticing it, I'm trying hard to counter it and force myself not to only be audible to dolphins.

I know the voice you mean - some US youtubers talk like it. But I don't hear it in Australia. Maybe some people are a bit nasal (I'm in the country) but I don't hear any squeaky ones.

I agree with Lass and Deux. And like Ewe, I naturally have a very ‘young’ voice, as does my mum. It’s not put on, I have to work hard to deepen and raise my voice teaching and it is unpleasant to think other women are judging me for it, I thought I only had to worry about men judging my young/girly voice. Sigh.