Worst depiction of Britain in a US series

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  • MoreTearsMoreTears Posts: 7,025
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    Leanna1989 wrote: »
    Even Americans who are cast usually don't have very strong accents unless the role calls for it.

    A perfect illustration of that has just come out. The trailer for the HBO movie Game Change has been released and it shows Julianne Moore playing Sarah Palin. Moore doesn't even make an attempt to duplicate Palin's weird, sing-songy accent. She just speaks like an average American. In the US this will not be a big deal, and in fact few will even notice. In accent-obsessed Britain, a film about a British politician that did a similar thing would be hugely controversial.
  • jude007jude007 Posts: 2,227
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    puffin1962 wrote: »
    There was a dodgy episode of McGyver set in the British museum

    Not to mention that on JAG Brits were always the villains and there was that stereotype episode set in Northern Ireland

    I remember seeing that Jag episode that was set in Belfast. I know that we were still in the middle of the troubles, but if I remember it right they made Belfast seem like it was in the middle of the Blitz, with sandbags everywhere. I also remember that there was a lot of red double decker buses which we don't even have
  • Jaycee DoveJaycee Dove Posts: 18,762
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    MoreTears wrote: »
    A perfect illustration of that has just come out. The trailer for the HBO movie Game Change has been released and it shows Julianne Moore playing Sarah Palin. Moore doesn't even make an attempt to duplicate Palin's weird, sing-songy accent. She just speaks like an average American. In the US this will not be a big deal, and in fact few will even notice. In accent-obsessed Britain, a film about a British politician that did a similar thing would be hugely controversial.

    At least we can congratulate Meryl Streep on her exceptional reproduction of Margaret Thatcher's voice. No British actor could have done it better.

    I can imagine what it might have been like if, say, Friends had included her character in an episode. Probably sound like Cheryl Cole. :)
  • Partly CloudyPartly Cloudy Posts: 591
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    MoreTears wrote: »
    A perfect illustration of that has just come out. The trailer for the HBO movie Game Change has been released and it shows Julianne Moore playing Sarah Palin. Moore doesn't even make an attempt to duplicate Palin's weird, sing-songy accent. She just speaks like an average American. In the US this will not be a big deal, and in fact few will even notice. In accent-obsessed Britain, a film about a British politician that did a similar thing would be hugely controversial.

    I saw that trailer the other day while watching Morning Joe on MSNBC and I immediately noticed that Moore wasn't using Palin's distinctive way of speaking -- at least that I could tell -- and was disappointed. Palin's speaking voice is part and parcel of her unique "manner of communicating," so that will detract a bit from the production, in my opinion.

    As for Canadians and Americans, normally I really can't tell the difference until someone says the word, "about." Many Canadians basically say "aboot," instead. However, I'm sure there are regional Canadian accents -- just as there are regional American accents -- that I just don't hear via American TV. So, there are possibly big distinctions that I haven't been exposed to -- other than French Canadians who definitely don't sound like Americans.

    I never have any trouble distinguishing between Australians and British/New Zealand accents. Australian accents are very distinctive to me.

    I do have some trouble with New Zealand and British accents at times. I get the impression New Zealand speech patterns are closer to British than the Australians.
  • MoreTearsMoreTears Posts: 7,025
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    As for Canadians and Americans, normally I really can't tell the difference until someone says the word, "about." Many Canadians basically say "aboot," instead.

    Okay, what you just said is a big pet peeve of mine.:) I'm a 42-year-old Canadian and have lived in Canada my whole life. I have watched a lot of Canadian TV and movies featuring people from all different regions of Canada, and I have never heard any Canadian pronounce "about" as "aboot." That is actually a SCOTTISH pronunciation.
  • Partly CloudyPartly Cloudy Posts: 591
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    MoreTears wrote: »
    Okay, what you just said is a big pet peeve of mine.:) I'm a 42-year-old Canadian and have lived in Canada my whole life. I have watched a lot of Canadian TV and movies featuring people from all different regions of Canada, and I have never heard any Canadian pronounce "about" as "aboot." That is actually a SCOTTISH pronunciation.

    I hear that distinctive "oo" sound often on HGTV on the Canadian home decorating/repair shows, like Candice Olson's show. Pet peeve of yours or not, I hear it.
  • MoreTearsMoreTears Posts: 7,025
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    Pet peeve of yours or not, I hear it.

    The South Park movie put it in Americans' heads. It is the power of suggestion.:)
  • AnachronyAnachrony Posts: 2,757
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    I met a Canadian who pronounced "about" that way in university, before the South Park movie. Not all Canadians have that different vowel sound, but some do.

    The thing that Canadians object to is that it's not precisely the same as "aboot", that's a slightly exaggerated way Americans have of trying to characterize and/or mock the small difference in that vowel sound. It's not precisely "aboot", but some Canadians do say words like "about" in a way that is different than Americans and can be a distinctive marker for the accent of certain regions of Canada. It's more noticeable than other more subtle differences in accent, which is why people latch on to that difference, even if they aren't entirely accurate in how they describe the difference.
  • pocatellopocatello Posts: 8,813
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    MoreTears wrote: »
    Okay, what you just said is a big pet peeve of mine.:) I'm a 42-year-old Canadian and have lived in Canada my whole life. I have watched a lot of Canadian TV and movies featuring people from all different regions of Canada, and I have never heard any Canadian pronounce "about" as "aboot." That is actually a SCOTTISH pronunciation.

    You are just close to it to hear it;)
  • I, CandyI, Candy Posts: 3,710
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    There's a scene in The Day After Tomorrow where these British guys are working at some kind of remote weather station off the Scottish coast. One of them apparently is a fan of Man United and is watching a match on TV, and shouting "kick it...kick it..." when a Man U player has the ball. Clearly the scriptwriter had never even seen a football game in his life - if he had, he would have realised that nobody ever says "kick it".
  • Paradise_LostParadise_Lost Posts: 6,454
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    Anachrony wrote: »
    The thing that Canadians object to is that it's not precisely the same as "aboot", that's a slightly exaggerated way Americans have of trying to characterize and/or mock the small difference in that vowel sound. It's not precisely "aboot", but some Canadians do say words like "about" in a way that is different than Americans and can be a distinctive marker for the accent of certain regions of Canada. I

    I believe it's more of an "aboat" sound, mainly from rural Ontarians and some maritime areas.
  • madeleymademadeleymade Posts: 218
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    Ah, talking about the day after tomorrow, that reminds me of a japense film called virus, apparently the most expensive japanese film of its day. Mainly because it had a cast of people like robert vaughn olivia hussey and as a british submarine captain, the quintessential american chuck connors of tin pan alley laser gun toy ad fame.

    I remember reading the reason why ray harryhausen moved to europe was because he felt america and especially la did not have enough variance of locations that europe had. He did not want to use malibu as the lost island or magic english kingdom+as+rival+films+like+the+magic+sword+and+jack+the+giant+killer.

    Another+odd+viewing+of+britain+is+in+a+film+called+horror+at+37000+feet+which+also+stars+chuck+connors+as+a+us+airlines+captain,+butl+the+real+star+is+william+shatner.+
  • nuttytiggernuttytigger Posts: 14,051
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    I, Candy wrote: »
    There's a scene in The Day After Tomorrow where these British guys are working at some kind of remote weather station off the Scottish coast. One of them apparently is a fan of Man United and is watching a match on TV, and shouting "kick it...kick it..." when a Man U player has the ball. Clearly the scriptwriter had never even seen a football game in his life - if he had, he would have realised that nobody ever says "kick it".

    I say "kick it" when watching football, well more "boot it" but same thing.
  • 458driver458driver Posts: 120
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    Charles Widmore in Lost - mainly because of the shocking accent!
  • madeleymademadeleymade Posts: 218
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    I remember watching jackie chan films with british ambassadors in hong kong or in once upon a time in china, with its cliched white characters. My sister fancied one. Steve tartalia, I think. Recently looked up his imdb page. Appeared in a film called edge or xscape by aaron michael lacey, a regular tv extra. They sound good, but apparently they're lost. Anyone suspect hoax, as they rank so good on imdb?
  • GulftasticGulftastic Posts: 127,194
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    458driver wrote: »
    Charles Widmore in Lost - mainly because of the shocking accent!

    But he is played by Alan Dale, and therefore is above criticism.
  • bluesdiamondbluesdiamond Posts: 11,360
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    I say "kick it" when watching football, well more "boot it" but same thing.

    i think from what I hear on the terrace,,,kick is okay...but it? more like some expletives to help the player know what you want kicked...except using the word ball.
  • madeleymademadeleymade Posts: 218
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    I am not a ball player. but there was a similar semi-intentional joke in an episode of simpsons, with a british sitcom made by thames complete with the old thames tv logo of the tower bridge and big ben about cockney man u football hooligan family.

    The nikita episode was really an attempt to stretch its budget. I vaguely remember seeing an episode of murder she wrote where the english village was clearly hollywood, and a grandfather clock inside was there to show its englishness.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 853
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    Prepare to cringe. This is the "Captain Planet" ep where they visit Belfast. :o

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

    you know, that was the first thing I thought of when I saw this thread
  • SpeedloaferSpeedloafer Posts: 2,407
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    I'm Irish and its clearly obvious the Sons of Anarchy Irish episodes were all shot in America. The accents were shocking, absolutely cringeworthy, I don't know what accent Jimmy O'Phelan is supposed to have but when he says "I'm taking my family hoame" I just cringe. My cockney girlfriend does a better accent than he can and she is usually taking the piss. :D
  • madeleymademadeleymade Posts: 218
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    His accent is like that, because he is a bad actor.
  • Jaycee DoveJaycee Dove Posts: 18,762
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    At least with Nela in ER they got an English character pretty well as you can see from the Sky Atlantic repeats.

    Loved her telling someone to Bog Off, which presumably had the US audience bemused. But a nice touch.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 853
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    I believe it's more of an "aboat" sound, mainly from rural Ontarians and some maritime areas.

    so kind of like the Scottish then? :D
  • GulftasticGulftastic Posts: 127,194
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    At least with Nela in ER they got an English character pretty well as you can see from the Sky Atlantic repeats.

    Loved her telling someone to Bog Off, which presumably had the US audience bemused. But a nice touch.

    Oh, I adore it when Neela drops in a bit of British slang. She wouldn't get away with saying 'Bollocks!' in Casualty.
  • madeleymademadeleymade Posts: 218
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    Apart from spinal tap and nela off er what do you think's the best us film and tv depiction of britain.

    Ill punt for 1932 old dark house directed by brits starring brits karloff thesiger and laughton among others and only made in usa but set in uk based on jb priestly.
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