Which accent is really more popular in the world?

Camerynn   Tue Nov 20, 2007 6:22 am GMT
Californian is in NO way the most popular around the world. Especially Southern California accents, which are very distinctive and I rarely hear it on television and in movies, etc. The only person I can actually think of with a real Southern California accent is Gwen Stefani. I think you guys are mistaking Californian accents with the plain "Standard" ones that you hear a lot from people who live in Colorado, Washington, Arizona, etc.
Travis   Tue Nov 20, 2007 2:49 pm GMT
>>You sure you want to blame the mispronunciation of New Berlin on a world war, Travis? Seems to me they insist on calling nearby* Cairo "Kayro", and we haven't been at war with Egypt lately.....<<

Yes; the "Berlin" in "New Berlin" was pronounced like the city in Germany before WW1, and other German-related placenames were changed in North America around the time of WW1 as well (for instance, Kitchener, Ontario was named Berlin before 1916). The matter is that this was just part of the general suppression of just about anything associated with Germany, including German culture and language, at the time of WW1 in North America, and was in no fashion an isolated incident.
Rene   Wed Nov 21, 2007 3:47 pm GMT
A teensy bit off topic, but related. In Northern California there is place that is called: Washington City, Nevada County, California. Try explaining where you come from to people who aren't familiar with the area!
Jasper   Wed Nov 21, 2007 6:12 pm GMT
<<In Northern California there is place that is called: Washington City, Nevada County, California. >>

Hah! There's also a town called Nevada City, to which I've been at least 100 times; gorgeous little town, it is...
Guest   Wed Nov 21, 2007 6:39 pm GMT
That's why California Rocks....
Guest   Thu Nov 22, 2007 12:31 am GMT
by urban westerners (think Denver or Salt Lake City) is the most "accent-neutral" at least to Americans.

SLC has a thick accent
think Roseanne Barr
Guest   Thu Nov 22, 2007 12:33 am GMT
-Especially Southern California accents, which are very distinctive and I rarely hear it on television and in movies,-


in allymcbeal most people sound Californian
even 4 sex & the city girls sound more Californian than NYC.
Damian in Edinburgh   Thu Nov 22, 2007 8:17 pm GMT
The obvious answer to the thread title poser is......Scottish! :-)

How about John Barrowman's Scottish accent? His everyday accent is 100% American - although he was born in Glasgow of Scottish parents he lived in the USA for many years from age 8 and then moved back here to the UK where he is now immensely popular in musical theatre, dance, TV drama and fantasy (Torchwood/Dr Who) and chat shows.

He is proud of his Scottish heritage - naturally! :-) - and wore a kilt for his civil partnership ceremony with his partner Scott Gill at Cardiff Registry Office - in Wales, where Scott comes from. How confusing! :-) He and Scott now have three homes - London, Cardiff and Los Angeles.

Actually his Scottish accent is quite good - a strong hint of Glaswegian, which is what it should be! Here he is displaying it on the UK's Ch5 TV's The Wright Stuff with Steve Wright:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fsn7t4TFGA&feature=related
Damian in Edinburgh   Thu Nov 22, 2007 8:25 pm GMT
Steve Wright needs a wee bit of a pounding for referring to it as a "Scotch" accent! Scotch is what comes out of a bottle! See what we have to put up with from these stupid Sassenachs?!

Anyway, another sample of John Barrowman's authentic Scottish accent -which is what it should be seeing that his first 8 years of life were spent in Glasgow and he goes back there regularly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ymDmaI1ihI&feature=related

btw: A new series of Torchwood starts on UK TV in January. He was on TV this evening in Strictly Come Dancing - his accent on that was strictly American! I think he is just ace!
Damian in Edinburgh   Thu Nov 22, 2007 8:32 pm GMT
This just has to be one of the worst attempts at a Scottish accent I've ever heard - I don't know where this bloke comes from but wherever it is it's anywhere but Scotland - but he did admit it's dreich! At first I thought he was German but now I think he's definitely an American. :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WuCrDlF3BU&feature=related
TLC   Thu Nov 22, 2007 8:54 pm GMT
<< At first I thought he was German but now I think he's definitely an American. :-) >>

If you check his profile, it says he's from the U.S.A.
Nayef alrumaihi   Sat Nov 24, 2007 10:04 pm GMT
i think it depands of you so wich one you feel confert with and you will use it so for me i prefer American accent because i learn English in USA so maybe any one prefer the accent where he learn English
most of people they like American accent because they feel the English accent is boring am sorry but this is what people say not me .