A love affair with the English.

[Rodney Mills]

I have mentioned previously how much the Americans like the English, sorry, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, it's not personal, but they have a love affair with the Royals and that equates to the English. I have mentioned the preponderance of English voices used on our TV commercials. Well I started just two weeks ago jotting down the adds that use English actors, baring in mind I watch twenty minutes news in the morning, ten minutes local news and thirty minutes national news of an evening. The only exception is I enjoy the female world soccer cup (every four years) and the Little league (baseball) World Series (eleven to thirteen year olds) in August annually. I happen to find the female soccer really good and much better sports than their male counter parts. The kids are great little baseball players and really good sports, unlike the way the prima donnas that call themselves professionals are. And it brings back memories of my days as the trainer on my sons teams. That is the extent of my T.V. viewing.

It seems to the American layperson that an English accent equates to quality and the commercials can be humorous without causing offence, unlike if the humor was directed towards blacks, Jews, Italians, Hispanics, etc..



The following are English actors or 'voice overs' in adds or news on the little TV I watch:

Business entity. Type of service.

Verison, Telephone service.

Discover. Credit card.

Viagra. E.D. pill

Tena. Adult diapers.

Raymond James. Investment/Money managers.

Vilvo. Auto. advert

Rooms to go. Mattresses.

Stephen Collins CNN. Political reporter (Washington D.C.)

Ashley Madison. ABC news reporter.

Land Rover. Auto Advert.

United Travel. United Airlines frequent flyer program.

Tropicana. Orange juice commercial.

Alison Shinshara. CNN weather reporter.

Kyosera. Business systems.

Geiko. Insurance

A.B.C. Wash. D.C. affiliate political reporter.

Viking River Cruises. Touring down the Rhine.



That's just the ones I picked up during the minimal TV viewing I watch.

The accents all seem to be from south England, suburbia London, not cockney and not Oxbridge. I guess grammar school English will cover it. Sorry, no Scousers, Yorkies, Brummies, Geordies, need apply.

[cappy]

thats blatent discrimination rodney ......and also coming from the land of the free........shocked ...south shields

[John Gill]

#1 Perhaps Rodney, the 'southern accents' you refer to are probably 'Mockney' or Estuary English. As to English regional accents, I, along with Yorkies, Brummies, Geordies and others who may not have attended grammar school, might not entertain the residents of South Carolina with our voice-overs, but I'm sure we could make ourselves understood (without causing offence), to all those Blacks,Jews,Italians,Hispanics you mention.

Gilly (Scouser).

[Ivan Cloherty]

I have on my frequent visits to the States have always been welcomed and as soon as I say something in my muted Yorkshire accent, I am frequently asked to 'say that again' aaaaaaaah just luv the way you speak! Which I found very nice and refreshing very opposite to when I became a member of the Baltic Exchange in London (in the 70's) where my Yorkshire accent was akin to being considered the village idiot, which worked to my advantage many a time, as at that time 'The City' was considered the reserve of University/Private School polished accents, anyone without such an accent was deemed uneducated and therefore thick and wouldn't understand the intracies of ship broking or Charter Parties. Different now, your regional accent gets you a job

[j.sabourn]

Just the opposite to Harold Wilson then. Who a friend of mine told me he travelled up from London in the buffet car with him in, he was expounding to his cronies in pure Oxford lingo and not his usual man of the people yorkie that he kept for the electorate. Cheers JS

[happy daze john in oz]

Rodders, what about the Irish? From what I know so many go back there to find their roots.

As to TV ads, about a third of the ones we get here in Oz come from UK.

[John Pruden]

no scousers??? America would be empty without the travellers to the USA millions came through here? and the American visitors we get here always give us a good name? jp

[Ivan Cloherty]

no scousers??? America would be empty without the travellers to the USA millions came through here? jp

Nay John lad, without the travellers America would be full of Red Indians!!

[john sutton]

several years ago I was in new York on a convention and I met a woman in a café and enjoyed her company over some liquid refreshment then persuaded her that the bottle of scotch in my room was pining for company and we should make our way there for a drink.Her comment was "I don't care what you do so long as you talk british" and she didnt

[Captain Kong]

What was the brand of Scotch John??