Is the English "accent" superior to the Irish or Scottish?

Question

I don't know about everyone else, but have you ever noticed how actors who are not English are made to speak in "received pronunciated" a.ka. "R.P." English in historical-type dramas? If you aren't "English", is this offensive to you? I'm especially aiming this question to folks who are of G.B., but not English. Or better yet, even if the movie takes place in Ancient Rome/Greece this accent is used. What's the deal?

Answer 1

fairly offensive, but the reason that Irish, Scottish and Welsh are never used is that the extremely lucrative American market 1: can't understand anything other than 'English' (which no-one in England sounds like) they even can't understand many of the local accents (see Ant & Dec on X Factor USA - got in translators) and 2: Americans love a stereotype. The Ancient Greek/Roman just makes the actors seem important by using the 'Empires English', empire being the important word

Answer 2

Recieved Pronunciation is used in dramas like these so people living anywhere in Britain can understand the actors. If the drama is aimed at the whole British audience (and then it could be possible the drama is sent to America etc in the future), many people from different countries (including England, Scotland, Wales, Northen Ireland) and counties would have trouble understanding a local accent/dialect.

Answer 3

I don't know if the English "accent" is superior to the Irish or Scottish, but I find the Scottish accent particularly attractive when spoken by females. Although, I am American I would love to have a girlfriend who spoke with a Scottish accent and I don't believe I would become irritated by it. I knew someone who moved to America from Scotland and I could sit and just listen to her talk for hours. Heheh, it is probably the dream of alot of women, to have a man that would sit and listen to every word. This is not to say that I don't also find the English and Irish accent attractive as well, because I do. I love hearing it, but prefer the Scottish.

Answer 4

The same thing happens in Spanish television. There is actually a school in Miami for Spanish soap opera actors, and they have to learn how to speak "proper" Spanish without a particular regional accent. That way, they can market these shows in many different countries.

Answer 5

I'm thinking of the current series of Dr Who. David Tennant is Scottish for example but doesn't use his Scottish accent (LOL). Even Ewan McGregor in Star Wars had an English accent (though in this case he was meant to be a young Sir Alec Guiness). I guess programme/film makers make people speak like that as they think that their national/regional accents will be to hard to understand. Personally as a Scotsman I do findt hat an insult. You should extend this question to people in the North of England too though as they do exactly the same to them as us, yourselves (maybe), Welsh etc.

Answer 6

What Ive noticed is that in factual dramas the people speak with the type of accent they would have had usually. I think they use the standard 'English' accent because its easier for more people (globally) to understand. Similarly american programmes usually use a standard American accent rather than bronx or deep south which would be more difficult for people to understand.

Answer 7

The Irish, and Scot's accents are far better than the English, The Scots are renowned for speaking better English that the English do. its something to do with all the variants to their accent.

Mind you I'm somewhat biased.

Answer 8

I love all three. Drama (modern) has always been that way; and American actors also affected English accents with varying degrees of success.

Answer 9

irish and Scottish men are very macho, english men are wimps, so let not confuse these , american girls are very out spoken ,from what I have seen of irish and scottish girls , the men are used to girls with an attitude

Answer 10

i find the pompous English accent from old films etc rather irritating could be that because i have a Scots accent and used to hearing other Scot's that i find it annoying who knows