Non-Standard English

If they didn't speak clear RP, then American kids watching the movie might not be able to understand them. And, of course, there are more American kids to make money off of than British kids. Kids' movies aren't the places to start throwing around regional accents. Imagine Harry Potter if all the characters spoke like the ones in Trainspotting (I mean the accent, not the bad words).

Ryan

I hear what you are saying. I nearly fell off of my chair with laughter when this American girl was interviewed on Oprah, and she wanted to know, "if the characters from the movie Harry Potter... spoke like that (as in British English) all the time, or if they speak 'regular' off of the camera."

And then when I got back from England in 2001, one of my stepcousins asked me if I could speak the language of England (my cousin was only 10 years old, so give him some credit :-)

She made a fair point, actually. Stage school/drama school kids sound false. It's probably elocution rather than natural RP. Have you seen any of the actors interviewed? That will give the answer.

100% of British people understand RP tho!! Harry Potter if I remember has a whole range of Brit/Irish accents in it...

Anyway we're mostly bilingual in some kind of clear RP - when I'm at university I always need to repeat myself in RP to be understood.

Re: "100% of British people understand RP tho!! Harry Potter if I remember has a whole range of Brit/Irish accents in it... "

It depends on which type of RP you mean, and even then I wouldn't say it's 100%. Upper-class, marked or advanced RP (such as that spoken by the aristocracy) is difficult for most of us Brits to understand, and middle-class unmarked RP is difficult for those of us who are not used to hearing it. The range of accents reprtesented in Harry Potter is also very narrow indeed when compared to the actual range spoken within the British Isles. This is why I think it is so important that foreign learners of British English are at least introduced to some of the most salient variables of Non-Standard dialects and accents.

Yeah, the cast for Harry Potter has a wide range. There is one guy from Ireland, one guy from Scotland (who always ends up in hospital from Quididge) and than there are various members from various parts of England. Malfoy's native accent is definately somewhere from the South of England. And then I am not surprised that the three main characters all sound like their native accents are posh.

Of course Malfoy's accent is Southern English because we're all evil down there. At least that's what it says in Walt Disney's Guide to Offensive Accent Stereotypes for Motion Pictures and Other Entertainment Media and Blah.

Simon, you're joking aren't you? It's certainly not southern British speech which is negatively stereotyped by the mass media, entertainment and advertising industries. Midlands and northern accents come out much, much worse.

Hythloday:

I think Simon meant that all villains in american movies have southern accents.
Strange, the northerners are mocked more, but are taken as more friendly than the southerners. But when it comes to imitate the British accent, everybody tries the southern accent. Maybe it sounds more serious and solid to the hears.

This is something that James Joyce touched upon about the Irish. It's that old "noble savage" thing. I wonder if this was not how the barbari

...damn keyboard spasms.

Strange, I didn't think the Lara Croft character in Tomb Raiders I and II was supposed to be a villain.

<<I hear what you are saying. I nearly fell off of my chair with laughter when this American girl was interviewed on Oprah, and she wanted to know, "if the characters from the movie Harry Potter... spoke like that (as in British English) all the time, or if they speak 'regular' off of the camera." >>

I saw that too! :- )

<<Upper-class, marked or advanced RP (such as that spoken by the aristocracy) is difficult for most of us Brits to understand, and middle-class unmarked RP is difficult for those of us who are not used to hearing it. >>

I kind of disagree with that - anyone who watches TV (most people) would understand Standard English (from the news, dramas, comedies...). No one can not understand, for example, the Queen's Speech. (As a side note I heard Prince Harry talking yesterday and he sounds "regular", ie. lower middle class.

<<The range of accents reprtesented in Harry Potter is also very narrow indeed when compared to the actual range spoken within the British Isles.>>

Yeah of course, it's not a 15 hour film!!...

<<...And then I am not surprised that the three main characters all sound like their native accents are posh. >>

I disagree.. they sound well-spoken, but not to an over-the-top level like the man in the Pimms advert, Hewitt, or David Sewell.

<<Of course Malfoy's accent is Southern English because we're all evil down there.>>

lol, what about the Archers? Those folks are simple, honest and harmless!

On the Irish accents, the stereotypes I can perceive in the media are... southern (like Terry Wogan): soft, intelligent, rural, relaxing, etc. Northern: urban, harsh, speedier... What do you think?

Ah, here's one last thing I can't stand: when people try to do Arabic accents; just don't bother! It's normally just some generic Asian thing that has nothing to do with real Arabic sounds.

Maybe I should have said well-spoken, but they just seem like their native accents are those they use in the films.

What kind of accent is Hagrid supposed to have?