Toni Morrison's fake-British accent

[TaTo]

Does anyone know when/how Toni Morrison acquired her fake-sounding accent?

Has she been faking it since her teens?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toni_Morrison
Born in Ohio, lived in Texas.

(Strange (but telling) that Toni Morrison doesn't have her forum.)

[TaTo]

She sounds very affected in interviews. Is she trying to sound British?

There are probably clips on YouTube.

[kathycf]

I am not sure how "telling" it is that she doesn't have her own forum. Yes, many authors have their own websites, but I have not found many that have boards for users to post on. I have not heard any sort of interview with Morrison, so can't comment on that directly, sorry.

If you enjoy her works, try to simply read them, and read text versions of her interviews if possible. Why should it matter how somebody sounds when they speak, as long as they have something worthwhile to say? :)

[SheykAbdullah]

I am not sure how "telling" it is that she doesn't have her own forum. Yes, many authors have their own websites, but I have not found many that have boards for users to post on. I have not heard any sort of interview with Morrison, so can't comment on that directly, sorry.

If you enjoy her works, try to simply read them, and read text versions of her interviews if possible. Why should it matter how somebody sounds when they speak, as long as they have something worthwhile to say? :)

Affectation in speech always annoys me, so much to the point that often I am simply unwilling to hear what the person says. A fake accent brings to mind all kinds of questions that detract from the message of a person's delivery, such as Where did that accent come from? Why does she/he feels he/she needs to sound that way? And is an Americanaccent not good enough for them? It almost seems like a comment on how I speak, as if since I don't affect any accent other than the one I have is my way of speaking not good enough?

That being said I know why some Australian actors protray an American accent in movies, to stay in an American character, if that is what they are playing, but many of the Australian actors speak with their regular accents when giving interviews, which I find appropriate, which brings another question along the same line, not to detract from the current topic, but does Mel Gibson actually speak with an American accent all the time, as in has he replaced his Australian accent with an American one, or does he just do it for TV? I kind of find that annoying, truth be told.

[TaTo]

During CBS "60 Minutes" interview several years ago,
Toni Morrison sounded so fake (her affected pseudo-educated-white accent) that it made me sad.

[Logos]

(her affected pseudo-educated-white accent)
(Strange (but telling) that Toni Morrison doesn't have her forum.)

What do you mean 'white' accent?

She doesn't have a specific discussion forum here because only authors whose works are in the public domain get their own :)

[kathycf]

Well, as I say...I have never heard Ms. Morrison speak so I have no opinion whether or not she sounds "affected". I have read that another forum member thinks this, but until I hear it for myself, I can't make a judgement one way or the other.

[Logos]

I don't know what Tato is talking about :lol:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRLM6C-ZQm8&mode=related&search=

[kathycf]

I don't know what Tato is talking about :lol:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRLM6C-ZQm8&mode=related&search=

:lol: Ok, sorry Tato, but that is so NOT a "fake British" accent! She sounds perfectly normal to me...

[littlewing53]

okay...i really, really like reading toni morrison...i've tried to read beloved twice but somehow get lost....has anyone see the oprah winfrey movie of my beloved...i thought it was awesome....tho a lot of people i've talked to thought it strange...

[TaTo]

Yes, in this reading of a prepared speech (Toni Morrison in the Louvre Museum), she sounds rather normal and natural.

She sounded abnormally affected during the CBS "60 Minutes" interview.

>>> TONI MORRISON 60 MINUTES
Ed Bradley sheds some light on this Pulitzer-Prize winning author who is normally media shy, but highly opinionated. Harry Radliffe is the producer. (Original air date - March 8, 1998)

[kilted exile]

Yes, in this reading of a prepared speech (Toni Morrison in the Louvre Museum), she sounds rather normal and natural.

She sounded abnormally affected during the CBS "60 Minutes" interview.


Ok, I am not sure I follow your argument here (I have my suspicions abouts your motives for disliking Morrison, but that is unimportant)

First it appears you are saying she uses a fake/"white" (whatever that means) accent because she is making a specific attempt to portray herself in a certain way.

Now you claim she appears normal/natural in that clip because it is a prepared speech which she has had time to practice. But uses a fake accent in an unscripted interview

Perhaps I am being even more dense than usual here, but it would appear to me that if someone wants to deliberately use a different accent in order to make themselves appear to be different from what they are they would be more likely to use that accent in a prepared speech where they have had a chance to practice it. In an interview with unknown questions the "true" accent would come through instead.

Of course none of this matters. More important is the quality of her literary work - that is all that matters around here.

[zigzig20s]

I went to a public reading she did in my town back in 2001, and she sounded very American to me. She may sound educated but what would be the problem with that exactly? After all, I believe her to be 'educated' - a Nobel Prize winner! ;)

[Virgil]

I've heard her being interviewed. I did not think she had an accent.

[zigzig20s]

I've heard her being interviewed. I did not think she had an accent.

I believe everyone has an accent...

[Virgil]

I believe everyone has an accent...

Well, of course that is true. ;) I meant she had a normal American accent.