The American Accent

[Phaser Two]

Thanks! So he said it properly in TOS, which is why I never had a problem with it. And this was at a point in the series when he had way more power on set than the director. But when a TAS director wants the same correct pronounciation, he refused. That's so odd.

Wait, what? He says "sabotaaage" in Wink of an Eye, but on the outtake from TAS, he is asked to say it in the French manner.

Also, ah, a video with Deela, Queen of Scalos. I'm sure I must protest, or something . . . or not . . . .

 

[urbandefault]

I don't say 'sabotage'. You say 'sabotage', I say 'sabbataage'.

Shatner said it the same way in both clips. He was just telling the TAS director that he wasn't going to change his pronunciation.

By the way, here's a good explanation of Shatner's speech patterns:

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[johnnybear]

Thanks! So he said it properly in TOS, which is why I never had a problem with it. And this was at a point in the series when he had way more power on set than the director. But when a TAS director wants the same correct pronounciation, he refused. That's so odd.

Same with Orion! In TOS it's Orion and in TAS Shatner says Orry-on! Maybe it's a particular planet in the Orion sector?
JB

 

[Albertese]

Shatner's Canadian accent came out in the words civilizations (narration), docile (Wink of an Eye), and futile (Spock's Brain).

Most U.S. speakers put the long i sound in "percentile", but not the three words above.

Jeri Ryan wanted Seven of Nine to say "Resistance is futile" with the long i, to match what had come before (British Patrick Stewart as Locutus), but Voyager producers wouldn't let her. Then later productions had various Borg saying futile with the long i sound, which Ryan found maddening.

Those are Canadian? I've always said those sample words like Shatner does and I'm an American. I've lived within an hour of Portland, Oregon my entire life. Lots of people around here say it like I do.

--Alex

 

[flandry84]

Man that vid is just too funny.
I would love to be able to mimic people like that.We have a guy at work who can out-Nicholson anybody.
I will mention Colm Meaney’s Dublin accent which is nothing like my west coast Irish accent.
I would never have pegged Shatner as a Canadian if I hadn’t known.To me the Canadian accent is that lovely soft,rounded accent of Donald Sutherland.

 

[Marsden]

When people say Canadian accent, I think of Bob and Doug Mckenzie, eh?

 

[ZapBrannigan]

I used to watch a lot of Canadian TV, and once saw a commercial for frozen fish entrees where the actor said "fillet" to sound like "FILL it", rather than the typical U.S. pronunciation "fill-AY".

I think the point was for English-speaking Canadians to make words sound as un-French as possible. And that would fit with a Canadian saying sabotage to sound un-French, and even be defiant about it ("YOU say sabotage..."). This is not Quebec, you hoser, and I'm not speaking French.

 

[Joanna McCoy-Kirk]

But Shatner is from Quebec and (I think) can speak French, even though English is his first language.

 

[Lance]

I used to watch a lot of Canadian TV, and once saw a commercial for frozen fish entrees where the actor said "fillet" to sound like "FILL it", rather than the typical U.S. pronunciation "fill-AY".

That could just be a British Commonwealth thing. We here in Australia say it as Fill It as well

 

[Lance]

Those are Canadian? I've always said those sample words like Shatner does and I'm an American. I've lived within an hour of Portland, Oregon my entire life. Lots of people around here say it like I do.

--Alex

I think the reality is that there are no hard and fast pronunciation "rules" when it comes to accents, because although they are linked, there's no 'generic' accent and everybody pronounces things differently anyway. Someone could say, 'the majority of Americans pronounce Chance with a soft A sound', but even then there are regions where I've heard it (and similar words) said with a hard A. It's not a blanket statement that there's an American accent, each individual accent will differ. Even here in Australia, our accents are less diverse than America or Britain, but someone from South Australia sounds tangibly different to someone from New South Wales, who will sound tangibly different to someone from Tasmania. Even here, pronunciation differs also. We're all products of our environment, and our environment dictates our method of speech

 

[TorontoTrekker]

Also, Peter Capaldi is a real chore to try to understand.

I don't know about that. When I met him a few months ago, I understood him perfectly. Mind you, it was at Dragoncon in Atlanta, so he may have been toning down his natural accent in order to be understood.

When people say Canadian accent, I think of Bob and Doug Mckenzie, eh?

I've never known anyone who actually talked like that. I think that was a Maritime accent that they were doing. (Not Newfoundland, though. Newfoundland accents are different from anything else I've ever heard.)

 

[Phaser Two]

I disagree that Capaldi is hard to understand as well.

 

[johnnybear]

Scots has got to be the best accent ever! The twang is very formal and has a variety depending on social circumstances! It's always been one of my favourites along with the Geordies!
JB

 

[Albertese]

..... It's not a blanket statement that there's an American accent, each individual accent will differ. Even here in Australia, our accents are less diverse than America or Britain, but someone from South Australia sounds tangibly different to someone from New South Wales, who will sound tangibly different to someone from Tasmania. Even here, pronunciation differs also. We're all products of our environment, and our environment dictates our method of speech

You know, I've found something interesting in my travels in America: pretty much every American I've met who was born after, say, 1977 does have about the same accent--specifically the basic Western American accent. I've been to three of the four corners of my country (16 states) and met people from most of the other states, and people older than their 40s do exhibit regional accents, (especially Midwestern, a number of different Northeastern, Mid-Atlantic, Southern, Texan and Oklahoman) but nearly everyone 40 years old and younger seems to speak with broadly the same accent. If you watch movies and television made in California (and I'm sure you do, no matter where on Earth you live) the basic standard American accent you hear in movies is what is used by (I'd guess) 85+% of all Americans under the age of 40.

....
I've never known anyone who actually talked like that. I think that was a Maritime accent that they were doing. (Not Newfoundland, though. Newfoundland accents are different from anything else I've ever heard.)

Regarding Doug and Bob McKenzie, of all the many Canadians I've met, I have only met one solitary Canadian who actually did speak that way and he was from one of the central plains provinces (Saskatchewan, if I recall.)

--Alex

 

[FormerLurker]

You're making me think of the Arkansas Valley accent here in Colorado. It's mostly the regional Midwestern/Western accent, but they say bYEW-na Vista and pYEB-lo for Buena Vista and Pueblo. Both of my parents talk that way.

 

[1001001]

I disagree that Capaldi is hard to understand as well.

We watch Doctor Who with the closed captioning on.



I don't think we're the only Americans to do so.

 

[mb22]

Don't watch Doctor Who, but I wish they had it at theaters showing the Harry Pottter films.

 

[Phaser Two]

We watch Doctor Who with the closed captioning on.



I don't think we're the only Americans to do so.

You're not. I do too - actually I watch everything with the captions on, because I love dialogue so much and don't want to miss any. I just never needed it with Capaldi for some reason. Now Matt Smith frequently got all manic as The Doctor and sometimes I needed to read the captions to make sure I got what he said. I don't need the captions for Jodie (who's been fantastic) at all, but still keep 'em on.

 

[johnnybear]

Matt Smith, the Magnus Pyke of Doctor Who! How great he could have been in the role if he'd been given some intelligible scripts! As for Capaldi, his time on the show was even worse what with that gender swapping rubbish, terrible storylines and a horrible companion that used to slap him about! Terrible! I gave up on the show after that! Good riddance!
I had no trouble with his accent though!
JB

 

[plynch]

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan has an accent where we get asked in other parts of US if we're Canadian. Less dipthongy and we say eh or hey at the end of sentences. As in, Breezy's got a pretty good fish fry, hey?