A voice, an accent, and a thousand assumptions

[Kileoli]

Let's be honest: most people judge other people's intelligence based on how well they speak the official language of the country they live in.

Imagine standing in a long line at a registry office or a hospital. In front of you is someone desperately flipping through papers and checking their phone, trying to explain something in broken English. They struggle to find the right words while the queue behind them grows longer and more impatient.

How many people in that line immediately think something negative about that person's intelligence, education, financial status or social skills?

Probably more than we'd like to admit.

The same thing happens with accents. Certain accents come with stereotypes attached to them, whether they deserve them or not.

Someone speaking English 

with a French accent? Romantic.

with a Spanish accent? An immigrant.

with a German accent?  cold, efficient, and secretly plotting to conquer the world

with a Russian accent? Oh Dimitri don't kill me...

Now, let's say I happen to speak two of the not very friendly languages mentioned.

So, according to popular imagination, I am a heartless murderer with a friend called Sergei who plan to reconfigure your Porsche and drive it at 300 mph down the Autobahn to kill the US president.

The reality is far less exciting. In fact, my intelligence—and occasionally my very existence—has been questioned so many times that I've learned to ignore these thoughts and try to laugh about it rather than bursting into tears.

At least I can speak both German and English, in perfekt German accent strong enough to confuse modern technology.

You don't believe me? Ask Gemini in my car.

Whenever I try to answer a message in English using my heavily German-accented English, it becomes so confused that it eventually gives up, announces that it has absolutely no idea what I want, and practically calls my husband to deal with me instead.

So where am I going with all of this?

First, can these kinds of assumptions and biases be realistically applied to fictional characters? 

Second, since it is Pride Month, is it possible that people combine accent-based stereotypes with assumptions about someone's identity and judge them before they know anything about them?

Humans are remarkably good at making conclusions from very little information. An accent, a mannerism, a flag pin, a hairstyle, a partner's hand in theirs—and suddenly a complete story has been invented about who they are.

The frustrating part is that these stories are often wrong.

For every step forward society takes, there always seems to be another step backward somewhere else.

That said...

What was the question again?

I know...let's raise more awareness to the important critical topics of LGBTQ+ community than dressing up and lookig drag. 

Has someone seen my skirt and mascara? 

[Zombie]

5 hours ago, Kileoli said:

Second, since it is Pride Month, is it possible that people combine accent-based stereotypes with assumptions about someone's identity and judge them before they know anything about them?

 

 

rife across the UK

I like the variety of accents, but many Scots defeat me (‘Double Dutch’ my grandma would scornfully declare )

the only thing that matters is diction - spoken English is incomprehensible without clearly enunciated consonants  

my ‘gaydar’ is constantly scanning people and flagging up ‘Gay!!’ according to the excellence (or not) of their diction and elocution

[Kileoli]

1 hour ago, Zombie said:

 

rife across the UK

I like the variety of accents, but many Scots defeat me (‘Double Dutch’ my grandma would scornfully declare )

the only thing that matters is diction - spoken English is incomprehensible without clearly enunciated consonants  

my ‘gaydar’ is constantly scanning people and flagging up ‘Gay!!’ according to the excellence (or not) of their diction and elocution

Can I have your gaydar? Mine is broken. It can only react when a guy is deeply involved 

[Luca E]

7 hours ago, Zombie said:

my ‘gaydar’ is constantly scanning people and flagging up ‘Gay!!’ 

Exaggerated mannerisms, comportment, and speech, or simply as Robbie Williams said, all the good looking men are gay!

Oh it seemed forever stopped today
All the lonely hearts in London
Caught a plane and flew away
And all the best women are married
All the handsome men are gay