Maddog wants me to be "british"

[UberScout]

Believe it or not this isn't one of his outlandish punishments, he and I were just talking this morning about my temperament and things that could help me be more content with life, and the conversation moved to the topic of the origin of my own name, which happens to be England. After a few humorous impersonations, he then expanded on the idea and told me I should start speaking in a british voice all the time. At first I thought he was joking, but no, he actually wants me to portray myself as British.

Now I know what ye might be thinking; this is him getting me to pretend to be something I'm not, and I don't blame you for thinking that, but I actually like this idea, because I love acting, and I've always wondered what it would be like for me to have another persona that I revealed to people to be my true self. And I actually considered trying to appear british all the time back when I was in Raleigh, as part of a phase of acceptance that nobody in person would accept the fact that I'm autistic, so if I hid it behind something that obscured it so well that nobody could tell the difference, I wouldn't have to feel ashamed that a grown 25-year old young man is doing childish things because there is a figurative spider living in his head that likes to jump all over my skull like a crazed nanny.

But I actually like the idea of appearing to be British! It's fun and it's something new to try, not to mention it might be good for me, somehow.

 

[SDRSpark]

It might be fun, but I don't think it's a good idea at all. What happens when people inevitably find out you're making it up? Also, people who know you now aren't going to be fooled, they're just going to wonder what the heck you're doing.

 

[AGXStarseed]

This whole scenario reminds me of an episode of the anime Squid Girl - an anime about a young girl from the sea who comes to invade the land and conquer humanity because she's sick of the sea getting polluted; albeit arriving without a plan and getting in trouble after her tentacles put a massive hole in the wall of a beachside restaurant while trying to swat a mosquito.
As a result, she ends up living with the restaurant's owners - Chizuru, Eiko and Takeru Aizawa - and working a job at the restaurant to pay off the damages, all the while continuing with her plans of conquest.

In one of the English Dub episodes (Isn't That English!?), Squid Girl and the Aizawa siblings enlist the help of Cindy Campbell (one of the supporting characters who thinks Squid Girl is an alien) to start learning British Accents/Sayings after Takeru got asked directions by a British Tourist and couldn't understand him - although Squid Girl wants to learn because she intends to invade Great Britain one day.
For me as a British guy, the episode just had me bent over laughing for some of it - especially with Eiko been unable to get her head around the accent and making mistakes (like accidentally calling Cindy a 'minger') and just hearing the characters saying stuff with mock 'posh' British Accents, like Squid Girl saying "Rats, you're been such a plonker!".

In regards to yourself, hope you have fun with the British Accent.

 

[Streetwise]

Believe it or not this isn't one of his outlandish punishments, he and I were just talking this morning about my temperament and things that could help me be more content with life, and the conversation moved to the topic of the origin of my own name, which happens to be England. After a few humorous impersonations, he then expanded on the idea and told me I should start speaking in a british voice all the time. At first I thought he was joking, but no, he actually wants me to portray myself as British.

Now I know what ye might be thinking; this is him getting me to pretend to be something I'm not, and I don't blame you for thinking that, but I actually like this idea, because I love acting, and I've always wondered what it would be like for me to have another persona that I revealed to people to be my true self. And I actually considered trying to appear british all the time back when I was in Raleigh, as part of a phase of acceptance that nobody in person would accept the fact that I'm autistic, so if I hid it behind something that obscured it so well that nobody could tell the difference, I wouldn't have to feel ashamed that a grown 25-year old young man is doing childish things because there is a figurative spider living in his head that likes to jump all over my skull like a crazed nanny.

But I actually like the idea of appearing to be British! It's fun and it's something new to try, not to mention it might be good for me, somehow.

There's an English actor called Lesley Howard dead now but has the very stifling English voice you'd like, if you want to seem like you're from the UK, don't !say Brits !say! English ,Scottish,Welsh or Northern Irish, I never! say British, that's just for government forms .

 

[Aspychata]

Hey why not? Maybe listen to some YouTube vids. I think some of their english descriptions are hilarious like gobsmacked. I love PBS Victorian stories. I love Charles Dickinson. I actually went to England. You really can't understand some British people. Hey old chap, put a spot of tea on, and turn off the telly, and blimey- get on it.

 

[unperson]

I get asked if I'm English, probably not much local accent in the voice.

 

[VictorR]

Off topic, but I am reminded of a visit to a local "British" restaurant/pub:

Me looking at menu: Does the fish and chips come with mushy peas, or is that available as an add-on?
Server: I'm sorry, we don't have mushy peas. That's not very British of us, is it?
Me (thinking to myself): Bloody hell. There's two chain grocery stores and a half dozen independent grocers in the area that stock Batchelor's mushy peas, if you couldn't be bothered to make your own, notwithstanding that we're more than 4000 miles away.

One thing I do find interesting in the North American context is how we consider "British" to be a single language and accent when in Britain many can tell at ease a Cornwall accent from a Cockney accent to name an example.

 

[Streetwise]

Off topic, but I am reminded of a visit to a local "British" restaurant/pub:

Me looking at menu: Does the fish and chips come with mushy peas, or is that available as an add-on?
Server: I'm sorry, we don't have mushy peas. That's not very British of us, is it?
Me (thinking to myself): Bloody hell. There's two chain grocery stores and a half dozen independent grocers in the area that stock Batchelor's mushy peas, if you couldn't be bothered to make your own, notwithstanding that we're more than 4000 miles away.

One thing I do find interesting in the North American context is how we consider "British" to be a single language and accent when in Britain many can tell at ease a Cornwall accent from a Cockney accent to name an example.

as reguarding Americans knowing what people from the UK sound like the phrase 'doesn't look further than the end of their nose' comes to mind

 

[unperson]

I get asked if I'm English, don't have a strong accent in the voice, cos I don't perceive my voice terribly well, so I just try and speak clearly. Neutral "English" sounding was the standard here in media voices until post-colonialism.

 

[Streetwise]

I get asked if I'm English, don't have a strong accent in the voice, cos I don't perceive my voice terribly well, so I just try and speak clearly. Neutral "English" sounding was the standard here in media voices until post-colonialism.

It's called received pronunciation! and it's not a UK accent ,and Australians have never had a UK accent, you can always hear it , it's(the Australian accent) very nasal ,like an irritating whining child.

 

[Streetwise]

Believe it or not this isn't one of his outlandish punishments, he and I were just talking this morning about my temperament and things that could help me be more content with life, and the conversation moved to the topic of the origin of my own name, which happens to be England. After a few humorous impersonations, he then expanded on the idea and told me I should start speaking in a british voice all the time. At first I thought he was joking, but no, he actually wants me to portray myself as British.

Now I know what ye might be thinking; this is him getting me to pretend to be something I'm not, and I don't blame you for thinking that, but I actually like this idea, because I love acting, and I've always wondered what it would be like for me to have another persona that I revealed to people to be my true self. And I actually considered trying to appear british all the time back when I was in Raleigh, as part of a phase of acceptance that nobody in person would accept the fact that I'm autistic, so if I hid it behind something that obscured it so well that nobody could tell the difference, I wouldn't have to feel ashamed that a grown 25-year old young man is doing childish things because there is a figurative spider living in his head that likes to jump all over my skull like a crazed nanny.

But I actually like the idea of appearing to be British! It's fun and it's something new to try, not to mention it might be good for me, somehow.

did he say what accent?Scottish ?English ?Welsh?

 

[Judge]

Acquiring any accent you didn't obtain naturally over time just invites more ridicule. Something most anyone on the spectrum fundamentally doesn't need. Whether you're Thurston Howell III or Carrie Fisher....don't do it.

Then again if you attain stature unrelated to how you enunciate, you might just be able to pull it off, such as personalities like William F. Buckley. Though he had his detractors too.

Why did William F. Buckley Jr. talk like that?