I overheard a group of teenage lads the other day in a shop (two black & one white). The white kid was talking like a black kid and the other two were taking the piss out of him and calling him a 'wigger'.
These white people might just be friends with black people that talk a certain way and they have slowly picked up the accent.
That's a plausible theory, we're social animals after all.
I guess the negative comments are about people affecting an accent - I can see why - but it's unfair on people who've just absorbed an accent by osmosis as it were.
PS After about one hour in Japan you absorb politeness.
Some of you seem to be saying that Jamaica does not have its own accent.
Are you suggesting that all foreigners are like the anglicised familes from the skit in 'Goodness Gracious Me'?
On the other hand, the lad could have been a white Jamaican, they do exist.
5 teenage girls in the teeny tiny village we live in speak like they come from the Bronx out wid ma mates in da hood etc etc, made even funnier when you realise there isnt a black person for miles around here for them to have picked this up from.
Some of you seem to be saying that Jamaica does not have its own accent.
Are you suggesting that all foreigners are like the anglicised familes from the skit in 'Goodness Gracious Me'?
On the other hand, the lad could have been a white Jamaican, they do exist.
That's right, I've seen a few people on tv who are white and have carribbean accents. I thought the cricket commentator Tony Crozier was black for 20 years until I saw him on tv.
I overheard a group of teenage lads the other day in a shop (two black & one white). The white kid was talking like a black kid and the other two were taking the piss out of him and calling him a 'wigger'.
I overheard a few words from some guy in tesco today. He sounded exactly like Ali G or any of the black guys that Ross Kemp interviewed in south london gangs. But this guy was 100% white! What's that all about? He sounded like he was from the west indies or the mixed up london version of it. That's the second time in two weeks I've heard someone speak like this. It just seems ridiculous and completely laughable. If he was speaking to me, I would most likely say to him "why on earth are you talking like that?". It would be like me putting on an indian accent or speaking like a chinese man and changing my 'r's to 'l's.
We all pick up a few phrases but something like this is losing your whole identity and taking on someone elses.
I should imagine that black people laugh at these white people copying them, and rightly so.
5 teenage girls in the teeny tiny village we live in speak like they come from the Bronx out wid ma mates in da hood etc etc, made even funnier when you realise there isnt a black person for miles around here for them to have picked this up from.
What, they don't have TV, radio or music from which to pick up accents either? While you still have the internet? People in your teeny tiny village must think you are a wizard to have such amazing technology!
Everyone's accent changes depending on the people they're around, and it happens more noticeably in young people, usually. I talked much broader Glaswegian when I was working in a corner shop than I do now I work in an office, just because I was exposed more to the Glaswegian accent. Even my Cornish flatmate occasionally came home from her job in the East End sounding totally Glasgow.
It's just that it only gets commented on when the accent they're moving towards is a "black accent" - not that there's any such thing, of course, since accents are geographical/ class-related, rather than race-related.
I've worked with Albanian/Cockney, which sounds very odd and Ukrainian/Cockney who sounds completely native
apart from the odd grammatical error and the fact that the chaps call him the crazy Russian.
There's also the middle classed girls around my area who talk Valley girl, can't remember what my daughters
call their tribe now, but I know they don't like them.
In any case the current 'jafakan' or whatever people want to call it has got very little to do with Jamaica.
I'd lay money on most of those who speak this way not seeing any connection with Jamaica either.
Just the latest youth speak/slang.
Hang on, haven't we done this subject before, it's DS, most subjects have been done before.
That's a plausible theory, we're social animals after all.
I guess the negative comments are about people affecting an accent - I can see why - but it's unfair on people who've just absorbed an accent by osmosis as it were.
PS After about one hour in Japan you absorb politeness.
Today a young hooded white boy walk past me and the old lady beside me doing the cool gangster walk and by mistake he knock her shopping bags over as he walk past her but he did pick her bags up for her and he said to the poor old lady ........Me bad ....Peace.
She was not sure what he was saying but she knew in some way he was saying sorry.:D
Today a young hooded white boy walk past me and the old lady beside me doing the cool gangster walk and by mistake he knock her shopping bags over as he walk past her but he did pick her bags up for her and he said to the poor old lady ........Me bad ....Peace.
She was not sure what he was saying but she knew in some way he was saying sorry.:D
It's YOUR Assumption that MY assumption is that all black people speak the same. Jump to conclusions much? MY meaning, right or wrong, was more on the lines that black people might laugh at some white guy trying to sound cool and mimicking A black person's accent and speaking style, because it's OBVIOUSLY part of black culture.
If it's any consolation, Bandola, I read and understood your first post, and without reading further, knew that you would be jumped on, accused of generalising, stereotyping, being racist - all of that stuff. And you were.
Some (please note, I said some!) people are only too happy to storm in and create chaos where there wasn't any.
I overheard a few words from some guy in tesco today. He sounded exactly like Ali G or any of the black guys that Ross Kemp interviewed in south london gangs. But this guy was 100% white! What's that all about? He sounded like he was from the west indies or the mixed up london version of it. That's the second time in two weeks I've heard someone speak like this. It just seems ridiculous and completely laughable. If he was speaking to me, I would most likely say to him "why on earth are you talking like that?". It would be like me putting on an indian accent or speaking like a chinese man and changing my 'r's to 'l's.
We all pick up a few phrases but something like this is losing your whole identity and taking on someone elses.
I should imagine that black people laugh at these white people copying them, and rightly so.
It annoys the hell out of me! It's a fashion thing though, so I guess we'll have to put up with it until the next craze comes in.
If it's any consolation, Bandola, I read and understood your first post, and without reading further, knew that you would be jumped on, accused of generalising, stereotyping, being racist - all of that stuff. And you were.
Some (please note, I said some!) people are only too happy to storm in and create chaos where there wasn't any.
I've only read the first post (and responded to it) but can just imagine what you're talking about. Christ, but some people have nothing better to do than cry 'racism' eh.
Comments
I overheard a group of teenage lads the other day in a shop (two black & one white). The white kid was talking like a black kid and the other two were taking the piss out of him and calling him a 'wigger'.
That's a plausible theory, we're social animals after all.
I guess the negative comments are about people affecting an accent - I can see why - but it's unfair on people who've just absorbed an accent by osmosis as it were.
PS After about one hour in Japan you absorb politeness.
Are you suggesting that all foreigners are like the anglicised familes from the skit in 'Goodness Gracious Me'?
On the other hand, the lad could have been a white Jamaican, they do exist.
See? I rest my case.
what you talkin' about Willis?
What, they don't have TV, radio or music from which to pick up accents either? While you still have the internet? People in your teeny tiny village must think you are a wizard to have such amazing technology!
I agree. Just some of black people would be laughing. The rest would probably be annoyed. None of them would be impressed.
They are a very musical people.
I've worked with Albanian/Cockney, which sounds very odd and Ukrainian/Cockney who sounds completely native
apart from the odd grammatical error and the fact that the chaps call him the crazy Russian.
There's also the middle classed girls around my area who talk Valley girl, can't remember what my daughters
call their tribe now, but I know they don't like them.
In any case the current 'jafakan' or whatever people want to call it has got very little to do with Jamaica.
I'd lay money on most of those who speak this way not seeing any connection with Jamaica either.
Just the latest youth speak/slang.
Hang on, haven't we done this subject before, it's DS, most subjects have been done before.
An interesting take on osmosis there...
She was not sure what he was saying but she knew in some way he was saying sorry.:D
WORD ..........:cool:
If it's any consolation, Bandola, I read and understood your first post, and without reading further, knew that you would be jumped on, accused of generalising, stereotyping, being racist - all of that stuff. And you were.
Some (please note, I said some!) people are only too happy to storm in and create chaos where there wasn't any.
It annoys the hell out of me! It's a fashion thing though, so I guess we'll have to put up with it until the next craze comes in.
I've only read the first post (and responded to it) but can just imagine what you're talking about. Christ, but some people have nothing better to do than cry 'racism' eh.
Osmosis: A gradual, often unconscious process of assimilation or absorption:
be jeebers is dat not the truth now .
just trying to kick start something here :cool:
Ah to be sure now
I really hope the whole irish ting takes off, I love an irish accent.
top o the morning to ye , to b sure its a grand ting now .