Have you ever met anyone with a faux upper class "accent"?

What the hell is with these people? I've met/know of a few of these people lately. I don't understand it at all. They actively force out a different speech pattern, as if they grew up in a different area or something. Two of these people are from NYC, but another is from California and yet another from Canada. They all happen to speak in the same completely fake, obnoxious, "upper crust" dialect. Ever met anyone like this? I just want to slap their face.

 

Even being in NYC, with the large portion of "upper Crusters", I do not hear an accent from them other than the standard american midwest, newscaster accent.

However I do hear an accent from the different ethnic people. The dominicans, euro immigrants, and working class NYers, and asians each have their own accents.

Only other differences is topic of conversation, humor, manners. But I hear any accent they can lay claim to as their own here in NYC.

 

Obviously someone who is "ethnic" is going to have an accent. I'm talking about this phony, douchebag, elitist patrician type of accent. It's not very common, but if you meet anyone like this you'll be blown away.

 

I do recall hearing an exaggerated type of this upper cruster speak in the movies. I believe it is called the Lockjaw Accent. Is this similar to what you are talking about?

 

What's it sound like? Pseudo-Brit? What characteristics does the accent/phraseology contain?

 

My Mother magically transforms herself into the Queen of England immediately upon lifting her home phone receiver.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwvONJXJUO4

The guy on the right has it...he's from Boston apparently, so it just makes no sense at all.

 

I think it sounds cool.

 

That must be annoying. Doesn't even sound cool. Even when old people do it it sounds cloyingly pretentious, probably because most of them, even, are faking.




edit: buckley sounds cool


-----


The part I don't like is when they make it sound like their lips are curling over their teeth to the extent it mutes their voices, sounds very forced

 

probably me i go to quite a posh university and i can feel my accent going all upper middle class its the only way people seem to understand me.

 

Think of the asshole hotel manager from Ghostbusters, haha.

 

How do you know it's fake? Some people pick up accents and mannerisms very quickly.

Also, in terms of career have an upper-class accent can get you some serious social capitol. Hate the game not the player etc etc.

 

In those vids it sounds slightly british. Do people do this on purpose?

 

If you kinda remove yourself from everyday life and stop and think about people around you, I bet you'll notice that lots of people intentionally talk a certain way. My ex girlfriend used to throw an Indian accent when she hung out with her Indian friends....she was born in New Jersey.

 

This.

My sister has a fake NJ accent that she gave herself in college. I try my best to avoid picking up the Boston/RI accent so I have no idea what I sound like, I get asked if I am from NY quite a bit, but I do not know any NYers for comparison.

 

Unless you're born into an old money New England/Connecticut wealthy family, it's undoubtedly an affectation. Whether they do it deliberately or are subconciously mimicking others is another question.

Buckley pulls it off because his accent is legitimate, that's the kind of family he is part of.

 

Cant stand that type of accent. Does my head in when i meet people from a certain area,alot of times when i'm over in Ireland,and they "tweak" up their accent to sound more proper'ish like. Fucking load of shite.

Now there's nothing wrong with proper pronunciation and the use of certain terms,but its like these people try to avoid speaking in their regular "accent" at times. Suiting the time and place that they're at. Which again i can understand. Example: Speaking formally at a wedding or some type of function etc. But to try and do it off and on or on a regular when it so obviious its fake in presentation,i loathe that shit man...

 

Even if it's legitimate, it still doesn't make much sense. Geographic location doesn't seem to play any sort of role in it.

 

LOL, was she Indian herself? I ask because a guy I know from work is from India, he laughs at this. He told me "i see an Indian with an accent and I ask were they from, and they say Detroit." He tells me they born in the us how do you have an India accent?

 

An Indian accent? What a total loser.