You Talk Funny
I am unusually thick skinned when it comes to things deemed offensive. I don’t get upset over terrorist jokes or slurpie innuendo. If the joke is funny, I have no problem laughing.
That said, non-Indian people of the world, you need to know that merely mimicking an Indian accent is not funny.
Furthermore, IF what you’re actually saying or doing is not stand alone funny, it’s just stupid.
“Apu” from The Simpson’s is funny because what he says is highlighted by the accent.
“Hello, how are you?” in an Indian accent and then laughing, though? Is neither clever nor as remotely hilarious as you might think.
And mimicking an Indian accent to someone whose parents or husband has a similar accent is both ignorant and rude. Oh my goodness, I cannot even begin to count the number of times this has happened to me.
Disagree?
Let’s drive this point home in an unexpected way.
A few years ago, I was at a restaurant with a bunch of Indian friends. Unlike me, none of them were born here, so they spoke accented English, although most of their accents were very slight. One of the women at the table was relating a conversation with one of her American co-workers. When this Indian woman repeated her co-worker’s words, she slipped into an attempt to speak English like an American.
Only, she’s not American, so it played as a bad impression of American accented English. Apparently, we Americans obnoxiously drop “g’s” all over the place and our “a’s” are said with our mouths open entirely too wide.
Being the only person at the table who spoke American accented English, frankly, I was embarrassed by it. I listened quietly to her do this accent which by virtue of subtext was a mockery of the way I spoke and realized if the tables were turned, I would have offended everyone at that table. Worse, there was no joke. The accent was supposed to be the joke.
The way I talk was the butt of her joke.
Nice.
Why don’t you just make fun of the fact that I wore glasses in the second grade while you’re at it, lady?
So, let me repeat, the accent is not the joke. The words actually have to be funny, or one runs the risk of looking like an ignorant and slightly racist jerk.
And, apparently, the folks who run the marketing department over at Metro PCS are ignorant and slightly racist jerks.
Seriously, the only way this could be more insulting to my heritage is if it were two white guys with brown shoe polish smeared on their faces.
(Facebook readers will have to click through to my blog to see this ridiculous commercial).
93 Responses to You Talk Funny
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I have no idea why people think any accent all by itself is something to make fun of. It’s ridiculous!
I’ll laugh at a black comedian making fun of a white person but only *if* there is a joke there, not just because they do that Bob Whiteyface accent.
@Hilly, Bob Whiteyface. Husband to Jane Whiteyface and father to Bob, Jr. and Debbie Whiteyface? I love that guy.
I get to see my accent made fun of whenever a movie or a TV show includes a character from Long Island (Lawn Guylin).
We don’t really tawk that way. OK, maybe a little.
@B.E. Earl, It is really difficult for me to imagine you have a Long Island accent. I’m going to go over to your blog and read the entries aloud in that accent to get a feel for it. So, I’m acclimated to the idea by the time I meet you.
@Faiqa, You’re coming to NYC this summer for BlogHer, right? I can impress you with my shitty accent then.
@B.E. Earl, Sure am! You need to work on getting Slyde to come along for a possible meet up. You’re nothing without him.
@Faiqa, That’s it. Lose my number. Your dead to me.
@B.E. Earl, Hehe. YOU’RE dead to me, not…um, the other thing. Yeah.
What really kills me is that most of the people I see doing the mocking haven’t bothered to study a foreign language themselves. If they DID, they would understand how incredibly difficult it is to pronounce words without mangling them in a tongue that’s not your native one. The fact that anybody takes the time to even attempt speaking in a foreign language is cause for admiration, not ridicule.
@Dave2, This is an incredibly good point.
But, but… you’re AMERICAN. American’s do talk funny.
@SciFi Dad, well, yes, but we know the difference between a possessive and a plural, too. Eh?
@Avitable, Doh! Foiled by a man who has chosen a “team” on Twilight. I have now reached a new low.
@SciFi Dad, But you have to choose a team – how else will you know who to root for?!?
@Avitable, if you have a penis, you root for the deus ex machina aliens that come and destroy all the vampires, werewolves, ferrets and whatever the fuck else.
@SciFi Dad, Um. By this definition, I am actually a man. I suspected this, anyway.
@Faiqa, Is this where I say “Woah” with a Keanu Reeves accent?
@RebTurtle, Now, there’s an accent I find seriously offensive. But not the face. The face is nice.
@RebTurtle, Keannu Reeves is a Canadian citizen…eh…y’all
@Avitable, Maybe he meant that our “do”‘s talk funny. He could have been talking about hair or poo. You don’t know. In that case, he would be crazy, but his grannar would be okay.
@Avitable, SOME Americans may know the difference between a possessive and a plural,-providing they can spell. Not all of us say “eh”, or for thqt matter, “oot and aboot”.
Actually, come to think of it, (I shudder) Sarah Palin has a Canadian accent!!!! along with most North Dakota and Minnesota residents. While travelling on the Amtrak I was asked “What part of Mass. are you from?”
Maybe Sarah acquired her Canadian accent while getting her health care in Canada. She admitted at a lecture in Calgary Alberta, Canada, that her family used to zip accross the border to Whitehorse, YT, Canada for health care.
What is the meaning of hypocrisy?
@Momma, And I bet she used that exact phrase, too, “zip across.”
“You betchya, I used to zip right across the border for health care on my way home from Russia after running over a few f— retards.”
Sigh.
That commercial was just….wow. Might as well been another blackface minstrel show.
I feel the same way when people mock a west-indian accent and/or consider everyone in that region of the world “Jamaican.” Dude – HOW MANY COUNTRIES are in the Caribbean/East Indies/Latin America?? You mean to tell me Jamaica holds/gave birth to ALL of them?
The thing is, people don’t want to learn history…that’s why society is so doomed to repeat it.
@Robin, Oh, yeah, I think we’re in the same boat here. In college, a very close friend of mine was from Jamaica. In four years, I never *ONCE* heard her say, “Hey, mon.” And yet… sigh.
I’m glad you wrote about this, because this commercial has been driving me insane! It’s like a bad minstrel show
@nancy, It’s on the radio, too. Like I said, it’s not even funny!! If their going to be horrible, they should at least try to go for the funny.
Its the same with the Irish accent on telly, it really annoys me, although if you do a proper Irish accent it can be funny IF the joke is funny. And as for us Irish always being drunk….well its kinda true, na not really just on Paddy’s Day!!
@J from Ireland, Did you ever see that Saturday Night Live bit by Mike Meyers about the difference between Scotland and Ireland? I always like that one. People kept walking into an “All Things Scottish” store and asking about leprechauns. It was hilarious.
So what you’re saying is that my attempt to speak Spanish by adding “-o” to the end of every word is offensive?
Shit-o.
@Avitable, Si, this-o is-o exactamente what-o yo mean-o.
@Avitable, I’m just mad that you beat me to correct SciFi Dad’s apostrophe blunder. Damn.
I can’t imagine dealing with that kind of crap. I’m sure I would snap hard core, I dislike when accents are made fun of. I *love* funny jokes (although I can’t tell them to save my life) but I dislike it when an accent is made fun of just for how it sounds. I also dislike it when people mimic another person’s accent.
And truthfully, I find the Indian accent very soothing. I love hearing different accents because they are all unique and it’s interesting to me, but I would never make fun of an accent.
Besides, people make fun of ME for my pronunciation on things (like turquois…don’t ask, can’t say it to save my life – or spell it for that matter).
@Sarcastica, (apparently there are a lot of things that I couldn’t do to save my life. Heh)
@Sarcastica, Soothing, huh? Cool. I’m curious, how do you pronounce turquoise? Can you just not say it, or do you say it incorrectly? You know what word I have trouble with? Advertisement. I keep saying it the British way and then I realize that since I’m not British, that’s obnoxious, so I start to correct myself and end up stuttering.
@Faiqa, I say/think Laboratory the British way!
@Sarcastica, I can’t say “specific” or “Catholicism” I am so bad, i can’t even say it slowly. heh. I avoid those two words
I also love accents – no matter where from. working in a motel, i get to meet ppl from all over! I love it!
So you are saying vee are not amused?
@RW, Yes, sir, vee are not having the amusement over such things.
@Faiqa, Not that there’s anything wrong with that…
I find the commercial offensive, too, and I’m as good at mangling the English language as every other United States citizen.
@Karl, Mangling the English language! Traitor! In my humble opinion, the way we speak English is a reflection of our love of freedom and democracy. Obviously, it follows that if you don’t speak American, you hate freedom.
Heh. That was sarcasm, people.
I’m going to use your blog as a confessional to clear my conscious.
About 10 years ago, I worked w/ a woman whose mother was Japanese, so when she’d talk about her mom, she’d use her accent. I thought it was adorable b/c it was so spot on.
Being the stupid-ass that I was, I thought it was OK to use her interpretation of her mother’s accent when I talked about eating Chinese food.
Yeah, totally stupid.
I still feel embarrassed for myself.
@Angie [A Whole Lot of Nothing], Hahahahaha…omg, that was too funny.
Hey look at this! I am at your blog at work, somehow its no longer blocked!
I remember seeing these commercials for the first time and feeling uncomfortable. I wondered how it ever got through the legal teams as well. Regardless, its context is supposed to be a joke and unfortunately they aren’t funny. Whenever you use stereotypes to make a joke, you better be sure its funny, or else you get stuck with offensive garbage.
There are loads of commercials that offend me as well. Usually aired during daytime TV when they show men being nothing but “work work work, then I better have my dinner ready when I get home” image. Seeing men fumbling through household chores and especially child-rearing activities drives me nuts.
@Hockeymandad, Ohhhh, I hate those “hapless husband” commercials, too. They’re all kinds of wrong.
Thank you for this. People are ignorant. I’m glad you can be an ambassador for sensitive issues. And I’d like to think that I’m *always* sensitive to this but we’re all human and we all need a reminder. (Although my accent mockery only extends to African American, because it cracks Jay up. And I’ll do almost anything to make him laugh these days).
@Bre, Like I said, as long as the content is funny…
OK, confession for me too – because I want to be just like Angie when I grow up.
At FIRST I was all “YEAH! Right on! Total bullshit!”
And then I remembered all of the times I’ve laughed and laughed at friends of mine who are WAYYY better at mimicking accents than I am do just that. They weren’t telling jokes. The accent was the joke.
I’ve laughed at people doing Irish accents and Indian accents and Jewish accents and Long Island accents and Jersey accents and the accents of their Thai mothers. And if I’m being 100% honest? It was the ACCENT that was the joke – it was the ACCENT we were laughing at.
Hm.
Shit.
Now I’m not sure what to think or say or feel. I’M CONFUSED!
@Miss Britt, you know what maybe it is for me?
When making fun of the accent is meant to somehow suggest that the person talking is stupid.
Hm.
Maybe.
THIS IS SERIOUSLY BOGGLING MY MIND NOW!
@Miss Britt, I know, right? You know what’s super wrong? When three non Jewish people sit around in a living room imitating Long Island Jews. People need to stop with da’ racism, and with da’ intolerance and da’ hypocrisy.
@Faiqa, you are not making me less confused!!!!!!!
@Miss Britt, Ok, ok, ok. Here’s what I had in mind when I wrote the post: there is a very fine line between being funny and downright mockery. I feel like this commercial makes a mockery of the accent and the heritage. Furthermore, unless someone is very clear on the distinction between mockery and funny/sarcasm, etc. they should be wary of employing this type of humor. And truth be told, I really can’t tell you where that line is. Sometimes, I laugh and sometimes it upsets me. I think you said it well about the implication of someone being stupid or silly as a result of their foreign-ess residing at the heart of the matter.
@Faiqa, Thank you. See? This is why we are friends. Because you do all the heavy thinking FOR ME.
@Miss Britt, I was thinking about this, and I think the accents don’t bother me as much as all of the stereotypes in that commercial, all put together. Doing a funny accent can actually be kind of funny on its own if it’s not done in a hateful way.
@Avitable, I think her point about the accent implying that the holder of the accent is somehow stupid or silly is a good one. For example, I suppose if you do a British accent while in the context of speaking about evil geniuses, it’s okay, then.
@Faiqa, that’s true. Although “I love you long time” is always going to be funny.
@Avitable, Agreed. And, actually, I believe the phrase is “Me long you long time.”
@Faiqa, I meant “Me *love* you long time.”
Hahahahahaha! You had glasses!!1!11eleven!!one
Seriously, listening to Mew do a movie critique in her grandmother’s accent (at the post Avitaween clean-up party) was the funniest thing ever. I like funny accents as a joke enhancer and when it’s not really meant to be mean.
Plus, you know: “funny accent, what is that aboot?”
@LeSombre, Dude, that was seriously funny. But, as you said, what she was *saying* was funny, too. And, plus, this might sound hypocritical, but I think it’s OK to make fun of your OWN heritage. It’s just different.
faiqa, do you read my mind? Its such a conincidence that this article totally rerlated to the situation I am facing right now.
For past 2 weeks, Rishi (my son) was coming home from school saying that his teacher gets angry at him whenever he say the word ‘Eraser’. I guess he was saying it in his Indian accent which he obviosly gets from us. He felt humiliated and sad when the kids were laughing at him.
Personally, I never got made fun of my accent by my friends or strangers (at least not on my face). But I have noticed that Rishi gets made fun of his accent by his friends at school and even by kids he meets at park. I have heard them saying “Oh! this boy talks so funny” and then they laugh at him. It brings tears to both mine and rishi’s eyes. Their parents don’t even teach them that its not appropriate to make fun of accents. I have noticed that Rishi is getting self concious of his accent now and hesitate to approach other kids, especially when he doesn’t know them.
Its disgusting and i am worried about him.
@Deepa Agrawal, as if Americans are so great at English…
http://www.picketfail.com/images/69cda4bf4f033b0c312896e3d0bdce3eexcetions.jpg
When I was a kid people with accents were thought of as kind of cool and we liked the way they pronounced words and admired them for trying if it wasn’t their first language. I think in the last few years for some reason we’ve gotten to the point where it’s just another way to separate and polarize. We seem to be looking for those kind of things lately.
It’s like we’ve all reverted back to the junior high lunch room.
@Deepa Agrawal, argggghhhh, this makes me so angry on your behalf! It is so dang mean what kids do to each other.
@Deepa Agrawal, I agree with RW’s and Britt’s comments. And you are absolutely right, this sort of behavior is a parenting fail of epic proportions, in my opinion. Kindness and compassion are so underrated when it comes to the lessons people choose to pass on to their children, yet they are the MOST critical to our survival as a species. Sad. My heart breaks for Rishi. Luckily, he has a mom (and I assume dad) who cares enough to notice and recognize his pain. I think that will mean a lot to him at some point.
@Deepa Agrawal, oh, i’m so sorry
Those kids are mean, hopefully someone can teach them not everyone talks the same.
What gets me is – the teacher, she/he’s a grown up, and should know better.
I was blessed to go to a school in a town that has a University that attracts a lot of foreign students..so from a early age I was around kids from all over, some who didn’t even speak that much English. Our teachers took the time to learn about the culture and then have…for example India day, where the Indian students and their parents would share a bit about where they were from and some food.
It’s one of the reasons I could finish watching the movie “Fargo”: the over-the-top Minnesota accent ruined it for me.
That’s right. Minn-e-SOH-da.
Pearl
@Pearl, Never saw it. Just looking at all that snow made me cold.
And I forgot to mention that my son Rishi is only 7 years old and in First Grade. This generation is getting more rude when it comes to making fun of an accent. The only reason is that the kids are not being taught by their parents that its not an appropriate behavior. It makes me worried a lot
. Who will teach these non-Indian kids that its rude and not nice to make fun of accents???? The kids are so innocent. They don’t even know that they are doing something wrong when they aremaking fun of accents. I am not angry at the kids but at their parents who are not teaching them the right values.
i’ve always wanted an accent. back in elementary school we had two sisters come from china and i was fascinated with their shiny black hair and their unique way of speaking. loved how exotic they were. i will totally admit to praying that god would gift me with an accent. and that stunning hair.
god sometimes answers no. did you know that?
@hello haha narf, Hehe. As we’ve discussed before, this was how I felt about looking what is regarded as typically “Irish”, red hair and green eyes. Not going to happen. Have to make do with what we’ve got, don’t we? Personally, I don’t think either of us made out too badly.
@hello haha narf,is it in an accent?!?
Here in Aus we all laugh when people do our accent because it truly sounds stupid (and half of us have no idea we really sound like that). However we do get offended when people use the accent to indicate they’re actually stupid. Everyone knows that’s a New Zealand accent!
@Dee, OMG, hahaha… I am so going to use that, but replace Australian with “Pakistani” and New Zealand with “Indian” when I see my husband tonight. Now, to cook up context…
@Faiqa, I wish you luck getting _that_ in context
Might need to update my facebook status! *heh*
I have a southern Texas drawl, but now live in Washington state…needless to say, I get it all the time.
@The Urban Cowboy, I suppose it’s particularly annoying when instead of actually sounding like someone from Texas, the impersonator sounds like a cartoon character.
That commercial is stupid in any language. It just wasn’t funny at ALL.
When I lived in Boston, people thought I had a VERY southern accent, which is bizarre, because I really don’t. Well, maybe after a few drinks. Come to think of it, I was drunk 6 days out of the week in Boston, so maybe they had a point.
Hmmm.
@Sybil Law, There’s a fine line between an inebriated slur and a southern accent, huh? A very fine line. Almost non-existent.
@Faiqa, Hahaha! Um, yeah – I guess. At least for me!
@Sybil Law, And wait – you’ve seen me drunk! Did I sounds southern? Or just… drunk?
@Sybil Law, YOU WERE DRUNK?
That is one of our favoritest commercials in the Poppy Dawg household because… um, who knew Metro PCS could be funny?
I think a lot of people are stupid sheep who are told that something is funny so they repeat the cycle of doing exactly what they were told is funny. Nobody bothers to share with them the part that is actually funny because you just can’t teach comedy, it comes naturally.
@Poppy, You’re right about people just repeating stuff. But, I don’t think this commercial is funny at all. Not necessarily because it’s slightly offensive, but because it’s weird and random and I just… well, I don’t get it. It’s really one of your favorites?
@Faiqa, I find it really really really dull and sheepy and then there’s that one moment of absolute genius (second 26 out of 32) that just makes the dull and stupid sheepy parts dissolve away.
I can’t help it. I’m a sheep. And I love dance.
@Poppy, OK, I went back and watched it. I get the funny on seconds 26-32. Guy dancing badly. I can see how that would be good for a laugh. The rest is crap, though.
@Faiqa, you will receive no disagreement here. I had the “this is fucking stupid” face on the whole time I saw it the first time… until second 26 and then I burst out laughing.
The clip isn’t funny; it’s dumb. That’s about all there is to it.
But in “Airplane!” when the two black passengers start speaking in jive with subtitles? That’s comic genius.
@muskrat, Hey home’, I can dig it. Know ain’t gonna lay no mo’ big rap up on you, man!
[I concur and have nothing to add].
I grew up in San Diego. During the 5 years I spent in Kentucky, I was told many times that I had a “California accent.” Nobody ever told me that until after I had let them know where I was from, though. At least the education system in Cali taught me the difference between an “accent” and “local slang.”
@RebTurtle, Did you see the commercial about the Cali. bulls admiring the holstein cow, very “exotic” from Canada doncha know with a Canuck accent? Though I find people making fun of Canada sorta grating, this, I found pretty funny.
I am with you 100%. I am also very thick-skinned but stuff like accents is just off-limits. It is ignorant and close-minded.
Luckily, there is no West Virginia accent. It’s just a hodge-podge of a Kentucky twang with a smooth Southern Virginia, mixed in with Northern Pennsylvania and Midwestern Ohio. Seriously. For me, it’s assuming all West Virginians are inbred idiots who drink moonshine and screw their sisters.
And THAT pisses me off.
Thanks for this post, hon. I will never again attempt to copy an accent at the expense of the people who speak in said accent.
You know what else is offensive? Calling Apple support, knowing the person on the other end of the line is in India, is pissed about being on the phone with me because it’s 3AM in India, and said person tells me his name is “Steve.” Seriously? I call bullshit. Just tell me your real name and I’ll be much happier. Don’t try to Americanize yourself on my account.
This was a very good post.
I work in a position where I deal with people with different accents from all ends of the globe. Some of them are great at what they do; others are not. Some of them are respectful of the business culture of the people with whom they do business; some are not.
I think foreign accents have become the new visual prejudice nowadays. While it isn’t acceptable to simply assume that the African-American guy walking down the street is going to mug you (a ridiculous notion), it apparently is acceptable to assume that the technical support representative you’ve called in Bangalore is obviously inferior to you because of his/her accent (which is also a ridiculous notion). I will admit — my issues with SOME folks I deal with in southern Asia have nothing to do with them, their work ethic or their technical expertise; it has to do (at times) with a less reliable and more distorted phone line where the communication becomes an obstacle. Yes — there are those who don’t have wonderful English skills. Yes, there are some who don’t have people skills. And yes, there are those who don’t have the drive to do their work. But I’ve found that in my country as well.
Another thing which builds on what CMD wrote: I feel that there often is a pass given to those who will poke fun at stereotypical “white trash” due to the nature of their manner of speech. It has the very same effect as does the person who pokes fun at a foreign accent. Come to think of it — it’s prodded because it _is_ a foreign accent.
Making fun of Stephen Hawking and Roger Ebert’s computerized voices, however? Pure comedy.
Dammit, I’m at work and have no sound. I’ll have to try to get my pea brain to remember to come back later tonight.
Do we really drop g’s all over the place? Now I’m never going to be able to talk without listening carefully to my g’s.
Thanks for sharing with us!
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