a reply to:
Spider879
One of the things which makes me laugh the hardest, is the tendency for American movies to contain a bad guy or antagonist, who is outrageously,
thoroughly, and unmitigatedly British. I understand the cultural echoes which make that an effective psychological lever, to rapidly induce instant
distrust and dislike in American audiences, because for all that our nations are co-operative and in the midst of a pan-oceanic love in these days,
'twas not always the case, and this is still well known amongst the population.
So a moustache twirling Briton makes for a good fit as an evil influence in movies and television shows from America, in terms of the ease with which
the obvious connotation is absorbed and taken up by the viewer. I think it also has a lot to do with the fact that the quintessential bad guy would be
Professor Moriarty, who everyone knows to be the villain from the Sherlock Holmes stories, by Arthur Conan Doyle. The origins of such villainy in
popular fiction probably play in as well.
And yet, associating a well spoken British accent, with raw intelligence is a flawed approach, because there are many utter twits who speak very
well, despite having nothing of any importance or quality to say, David Cameron being a case in point. More half witted individuals are hard to find,
unless one looks to George Osborne for an example of course.
Another thing that interests me, is now readily intelligent sounding characters are often used as villains in popular entertainment, how readily that
is accepted by viewers. Intelligence is far from being the sole purview of those with psychopathic or otherwise evil intent, and yet it is lapped up
by viewers and readers alike. Look at the success of The Silence Of The Lambs, for a sterling, and bloody well acted example. Anthony Hopkins nailed
the ever living hell out of his role as Lecter, but was ably assisted by way of having a naturally rounded, eloquent and rich speaking voice. The man
could call your mother a whole laundry list of terrible things, and one would be induced to applaud afterward, such is the timbre and quality of his
delivery.
It certainly is an interesting area of thought, this accent business. My accent being what it is, has rather more to do with my standards, and
possibly the shape of my palate than it does anything else of course. I really could not give a damn what most people think of my speaking voice, only
what I think of it concerns me. But it is true to say that my genetics play a part in the way I speak. There is a certain shape of palate referred to
as "the Welsh palate" which is strongly suited toward accentuated vowels, and clear, crisp consonant formation in the mouth, leading to a naturally
rounded and crystalline finish on ones verbal ejections.