To those from the UK: Your thoughts on American accents...

[poc301]

Wow this thread has blown up..  Several things I want to respond to:

Calin: The evolution thing, and the "American Denial" is just ridiculous.  It is not the nationality, it isn't even a majority of our nation that believes that.  It is the super-religious zealots who are so caught up in their religion that they have no conception of science.  I seriously hope you don't believe that 50% of Americans believe this.

Stupot / Others: Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammar) is just well spoken.  Like Ponch mentioned, his accent is learned/acted, it isn't natural.  It is the 1950s/1960s high-society accent that used to be spoken here (think of the Millionaire character on the TV show Gilligan's Island).  If you hear him talk in real life, he sounds like an average Joe.  I live in the mid/north-atlantic (right outside Washington, D.C.), and we don't speak like that   I would think most Americans think that type of speaking sounds old-timey and out dated, maybe even weird.

Stupot: Canadians do sound differently than Americans.  They tend to draw out their OO sounds.  The word "About" is perfect as an example.  Americans pronounce it "Abowt", but canadians generally pronounce it "Aboot".  See the South Park movie for further examples

Bedminster: The New York accent isn't all of New York.  There are separate, extremely "thick" or "strong" accents in several regions of New York.  There is the Long Island accent, the Manhattan accent, and a few others.  Then there is New Jersey... Don't even get me started on New Jersey

Most of America (Florida and California for example) have the same accent.  In my personal opinion, the majority of places where the accent is non-standard are those which were rural for many many years before seeing migrants, and those which were the settling points for colonists from England back in the 1700s.  Places like Boston and New York have very distinct and very pronounced accents as compared to other eastern coast states here.  Places like Alabama and Georgia have southern accents, but those were more isolated for a longer period of time.  Again, just my opinion.

-Bill

[Calin Leafshade]

Calin: The evolution thing, and the "American Denial" is just ridiculous.  It is not the nationality, it isn't even a majority of our nation that believes that.  It is the super-religious zealots who are so caught up in their religion that they have no conception of science.  I seriously hope you don't believe that 50% of Americans believe this.

http://richarddawkins.net/articles/706

Only 40% of americans believe Evolution to be true, 40% believe it to be false and 20% are not sure.

Well perhaps it was a misleading poll?

Compare that will Denmarks 80% acceptance...

[Bulbapuck]

http://richarddawkins.net/articles/706

Only 40% of americans believe Evolution to be true, 40% believe it to be false and 20% are not sure.

Well perhaps it was a misleading poll?

Compare that will Denmarks 80% acceptance...

Wow, just wow... This scares me.

[poc301]

That is not true, not at all.  There are many differnet TYPES of beliefs regarding evolution vs creationism.  Hell, I found 3 different poll/studies from 3 different (news) sources within 10 minutes which go against the numbers you are stating:

CBS News : http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/10/22/opinion/polls/main965223.shtml

51% say we Evolved, but God guided the process
30% say we Evolved, but God did NOT guide the process
15% say it was Creationism, and NOT evolution.

81% belief in Evolution,  that is a far cry from the numbers you listed.


Here is another one..

Gallup Poll for Darwin's birthday : http://www.usnews.com/blogs/god-and-country/2009/02/11/gallup-darwins-birthday-poll-fewer-than-four-in-ten-believe-in-evolution.html

Basically saying education plays a big role in this.  Idiots with lots of religion play into the belief system, while 70+% with college graduate degrees believe in evolution.   This one says 39 percent of Americans believe in the theory of evolution.  25% say they don't believe in evolution, and 36% say they have no opinion.



And the third one:

National Geographic : http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/08/060810-evolution.html

Basically saying Americans are less likely than other Western nations to believe in evolution.  The numbers given though are 25% of Americans rejecting evolution, versis 7% in GBR and 15% in the Netherlands.  


So the numbers here are higher than Europe, but by no means 50%.  I think it again goes into the theory that many Europeans have a negative stereotype of Americans being bumbling, bible thumping idiots.  Sure, some are, but that is the way in every country (as was established earlier).


**EDIT:  And I am allowed to hijack this thread, since I started it lol**

-Bill

[Intense Degree]

Also, what do I have to do to get on the sexy list?

- Ponch

You, my friend, are firmly on the sexy list!

I have to agree with those who have said that it is some and some. It seems to me that when people (maybe mostly Americans) talk about the "British" accent they are talking about the "Oxford" or "London & Home Counties" posh English accent, i.e. Joanna Lumley and I can well understand why people think that is sexy! However there are plenty of other accents in Britain which range from lovely to listen to to grating on the ears.

I suppose it's the same for America, some accents sound fine to me and others are horrible! (personal preference of course) and just as you cannot judge everyone in a nation as stupid you can't really say they all have sexy or pleasing accents.

[Matti]

I basically like the british accent though I can't differentiate between british accents. But one thing's for sure: When I watched Trainspotting in English I only understood approximately 2/3 of what has been said in the movie. At least I could follow the plot.

[Calin Leafshade]

That is not true, not at all.  There are many differnet TYPES of beliefs regarding evolution vs creationism.  Hell, I found 3 different poll/studies from 3 different (news) sources within 10 minutes which go against the numbers you are stating:

CBS News : http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/10/22/opinion/polls/main965223.shtml

51% say we Evolved, but God guided the process
30% say we Evolved, but God did NOT guide the process
15% say it was Creationism, and NOT evolution.

81% belief in Evolution,  that is a far cry from the numbers you listed.


Here is another one..

Gallup Poll for Darwin's birthday : http://www.usnews.com/blogs/god-and-country/2009/02/11/gallup-darwins-birthday-poll-fewer-than-four-in-ten-believe-in-evolution.html

Basically saying education plays a big role in this.  Idiots with lots of religion play into the belief system, while 70+% with college graduate degrees believe in evolution.   This one says 39 percent of Americans believe in the theory of evolution.  25% say they don't believe in evolution, and 36% say they have no opinion.



And the third one:

National Geographic : http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/08/060810-evolution.html

Basically saying Americans are less likely than other Western nations to believe in evolution.  The numbers given though are 25% of Americans rejecting evolution, versis 7% in GBR and 15% in the Netherlands.  


So the numbers here are higher than Europe, but by no means 50%.  I think it again goes into the theory that many Europeans have a negative stereotype of Americans being bumbling, bible thumping idiots.  Sure, some are, but that is the way in every country (as was established earlier).


**EDIT:  And I am allowed to hijack this thread, since I started it lol**

-Bill

You've read the first poll wrong due to bad page formatting..

read above... 51% believe god created man in his present form..

sorry to break that to you..

your second poll puts the number at around 41%... still stupidly high

and your last source says only 14% believe evolution to be definately true!

your sources dont support your conclusion

[poc301]

Screw it.  I'm moving.  Any room in Europe?

I guess it is a good thing that nobody I know believes in that trash.  That is just way to freaking high of a percentage.

-Bill

[Calin Leafshade]

It fairly vital that i link this at this stage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNACBKwi-As

[Scarab]

36% say they have no opinion.

I don't get how people can have no opinion on a topic like this... like such a big question that one of the main benefits of religion is that it answers it (whether true or false, it gives answers).

Are there really so many people who are saying "well it happened a long time ago and the answer changes nothing today..."?

Is there anyone here who feels this way and is willing to enlighten me?

p.s. I think I read somewhere that the sexiest accent right now is the Irish accent, which recently took over from French

[Darth Mandarb]

My personal favorite accent is German... but only on women.  I think it is so sexy. I don't think it sounds stupid or silly on guys, it's just not sexy (to me).

As for the evolution/creationism topic; I think, on some level, most of that 50% probably do believe in evolution.  They just can't, for whatever reason, go against the views [religion] they were raised under. 

I was forced to go to sunday school as a child ... I would always ask the teacher(s), "How was Noah was 600 years old?  People don't live that long now?" or "If our God made ALL of mankind ... why are there different religions?"

I wasn't very popular with those teachers.

I didn't rebel too much though ... 'cause I got tons of swag every December and in March I got a lot of candy.  Seemed a fair trade to me.

[The Bedminster Incident]

But one thing's for sure: When I watched Trainspotting in English I only understood approximately 2/3 of what has been said in the movie. At least I could follow the plot.

Uh... wasn't that Scots? Anyways, if you want to clearly hear the differences between British accents, listen to a Manchester Radio Station and then continue with a, say, Bristolian one? Or listen to any song by The Futureheads (especially "First Day") and then continue with a song from, say, Hard-Fi.

/tbi

[Stupot]

When I watched Trainspotting in English I only understood approximately 2/3 of what has been said in the movie.

Try reading the book then!  I did, and gave up...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/reader/0099465892/ref=sib_fs_top?ie=UTF8&p=S00H&checkSum=7aPv4be2hcnfV4PHrGw8x7%2BQmqwohFoLjZaVCmv3AjY%3D#reader-link

[Matti]

But one thing's for sure: When I watched Trainspotting in English I only understood approximately 2/3 of what has been said in the movie. At least I could follow the plot.

Uh... wasn't that Scots?

Ah, stupid me! Of course it was scottish. It's been a long time so I didn't remember.

Edit: But I remember having some problems with the Guy Ritchie movies (Snatch & Lock, stock...)

[BlueCupCritic]

It's hard to do any sort of study on Americans believing in evolution because the likelihood of completely equal numbers from each state and region taking part isn't very high, and attitudes are so different. Yes, if you go to the bible belt or parts of the Midwest, you're going to find people refusing to accept any theories over than creationism. But the rest of America, forget it. The northeast, northwest and mostly everywhere in between have a majority with science as their main factor.

And as for the original point about accents...I love American accents, even those from Texas. But even if I didn't, I'd still prefer it ten times out of ten to the English scouse.

[Snake]

Also, what do I have to do to get on the sexy list?

- Ponch

Show us your teats!

On topic:
I'm an American who likes British accents.

I have no idea what the differences are, though. I know there are different variations depending on where you are from, but it does not make me ignorant, I just do not know. I never acquired that knowledge. I've never been outside the USA. Would I like to be? Yes. Will I ever? There's more of a chance of me strapping cardboard wings on my arms and making it safely to the ground from the roof.

I agree that we as individuals shouldn't judge each other based on where we are from. It's just as bad as basing our outlook on someone because of their religion, race, size or disabilities. It'll never end though, that's the sad part. People, no matter where they're from, will remain to be this way.

It would have bothered me so much to be Darth sitting in that resturaunt and having the waiter ignore me because I'm an American. Do you know me, asshole? No, you don't. Laugh and shrug it off?, shit, if I had gum in my mouth I'd spit it at the guy's head and walk out.
Would I really? No, but I'd like to. Would I even have gum in my mouth at a resturaunt? No. Do I even chew gum? Only for a quick breath freshener. I was thinking of the quote that has stuck with me for years, by Las Naranjas:
Americans are fat, lazy, bubble-gum chewing couch potatoes.

[BlueCupCritic]

I think there's a reason Americans (on average, that is; I've seen quite a few in the UK) don't tend to travel beyond their own borders and it has nothing to do with ignorance. Take me, for example. I live in England. My choice of holidays is very restricted if I stay domestic, because I don't go much in for country walks or angling. Our two most popular resorts are probably Southend and Blackpool, both of which are...well, let's not mince words, awful. We're not going to experience a massive cultural experience even north of the border, as the UK isn't big enough to be distinct. If we want culture we have to go to Prague or Berlin. If we want a good sun holiday (you know, where there's actual sun) we have to go to Benidorm, Ibiza, Tenerife etc. We have to go abroad.

Whereas Americans, they have everything a tourist could possibly need in their own back yard. If they want a cultural city break, they can go to Seattle or Chicago. If they want a sun holiday they can go to Palm Springs or Florida. Each of the 50 states has something unique to offer the tourist. I don't know if I'd bother crossing the Atlantic (and spending loads of money) when you can get a cheap internal flight to somewhere you've never experienced.

[Calin Leafshade]

I think a PERSON cant be judged by their nationality but PEOPLE can.

It would be ridiculous to say that an American is superstitious but you can say America is a superstitious country simply based on statistics. These things are not really based on nationality but on the culture of that nation. America is one of the most god fearing nations on earth. They rival the middle east in terms of adherence to religion. The only difference is that America benefits from western capitalism. You can't let god get in the way of cold hard cash.

But electorally America is hugely conservative when compared with Europe. It makes my head spin when a country like America, which is built upon possibly one of the greatest and most humanitarian documents ever written, is voting against whether or not gays should be allowed to marry. and that was in New York remember which is one of the more progressive states.

American is one of the few countries in the world to have a legislated separation of church and state and yet they still have "In God We Trust" on their currency. How is that not unconstitutional?

and don't get me wrong I love America and everything it stands for. The ideals laid out by the founding fathers are verging on perfect but they seem to have been lost a little somewhere.

[BlueCupCritic]

But you still can't apply the American tag when talking about the religious question. Statistically, alot of the country does base their life around religion, because it's centralised in an area where the bible is everything. 'American' defines a large section of completely secular states and cities, towns, suburbs etc as well as the Gawd Fearin' ones.

And as for the gay debate in New York, think about Britain. If we hadn't had Harry Wilson as a Prime Minister homosexuality could have been decriminalised far later than the 1960s. Gays have been a tricky issue for most western countries.

As for being on parr with the Middle East...that's a little harsh to say the least.

[Snake]

I think a PERSON cant be judged by their nationality but PEOPLE can.

So if you honestly think that way, then you must think that same way for race? You must. You can't really say what you just said, mean it, and not think the same way towards race. So you won't judge one black or chinese guy (whatever ethnic background), but you'll judge the whole lot of them? Am I right? Probably not, eh? And stop with statistics, I'm asking YOU.

You know, statistics are what they are, but, none of the people I've ever known through my entire life (which is quite a lot - not to mention all the people THEY knew), nobody was ever involved in any of these serveys. No matter what you do, statistics aren't going to be 100% correct unless you get everyone to do it.

If you get 10 people to do a servey (ten is just an example) and 6 of them are bible thumpers and 4 are not, no matter what you do, the servey will always be 60% for the bible thumpers. These 10 people do NOT represent the entire human population. It's rediculous sometimes.
Let's grab another 10 people randomly. Now there's 6 people who do not believe in God but the other 4 do. Now this servey says that 60% do not believe. Can you see what I'm getting at here? It all relies on the people you get at the time.

I've gone off a bit I think. Sorry if the above doesn't make much sense, I had a hard time trying to explain what I was thinking.