Thursday, October 25, 2007

Cheekbones and Demeanour

I tend to read the news rather than watch it on television and I hadn't seen much of the McCanns, parents of missing Madeleine for those who have been in the vicinity of Alpha Centauri recently. I knew Gerry McCann was from Scotland and had heard his accent described as "harsh".

When I switched on the television earlier today, I caught just the last thirty seconds of an interview with the McCanns and sure enough Gerry had a Scottish accent. It sounded fine to me so perhaps whoever wrote the article that I read which said his accent was "harsh" was just trying by the use of "harsh" to suggest "and he murdered his daughter".

But I was genuinely surprised to hear Kate McCann's strong Liverpool accent. I only heard about one sentence of it during which she pronounced "back" as "bach" as in "loch".

And that shows my prejudice and pre-supposition, doesn't it? Because she's a doctor - and I work with medical students, don't forget, and most, though not all, of them have middle-class accents - I expected her to sound, well, a bit posher than she does. Oh, all right then, a lot posher.

Now why did I think that? It's not just the fact that she's a doctor. It's the cheekbones, the groomed elegance. She just looks - - well - - a bit posh. A bit as if she'd be "very bay window, very cut glass" as my friend Connie would say. If I met her and didn't know who she was, I wouldn't think that she'd be friendly. How unfair, to judge her like that - and yet, we do, don't we?

It's her looks that have put people off her: and the combination of those looks and that accent is very strange. I expect Liverpudlians to be warm and friendly, because that's always been my experience in Liverpool - and yet why should they be? That's as prejudiced as thinking they're all crooks.

It's strange, the impression that we give out without meaning to. I know I give out Respectability, I've no idea why - though I do tend to be quite good at taking responsibility for things, so maybe it's that. And - I confess - because I went to a girls' grammar school, I do sound a bit - er - posh. When I was a supply teacher, years ago, the students called me "'Er wi't posh voice".

But I don't think I look standoffish - in fact, I think I must look friendly, because when I meet people they generally soon strike up a conversation with me. And actually, I am friendly, or so I like to think.

So my approachable demeanour tends to override my posh accent. Thank goodness for that. But Kate McCann gives out mixed messages: we don't know where we are with her, and we don't like it.

7 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Apparently I give out "scary" which is pretty scary in itself but doesn't explain why lots of complete strangers talk to me on trains etc.

Some candidates on a recent roleplay job apparently described me as "scarily real" in the role I was playing as Chief Exec of a PCT... not sure whether that reinforces being scary in itself.

In general, although I agree we all give out an impression without meaning to, I think how that impression is interpreted entirely depends on the experiences of the person receiving it. And no two people's experiences will be the same.

7:59 am  
Blogger mutikonka said...

I haven't seen or heard the McCann's [thanks goodness, the media saturation coverage hasn't quite overwhelmed Australia], but I would guess her accent might be from the Wirral or North Wales.
Like you said, outsiders tend to associate the Merseyside accent with working class Liverpool, when it actually covers a much wider area. And as with Yorkshire {hello Harrogate and Richmond etc] there are surprising pockets of affluence around Merseyside.
Parts of Cheshire and North Wales are very refeened. After all wasn't Hyacinth Bucket suppposed to be from round that way?
I studied at the med school at Liverpool Uni and there were plenty of "scouse" doctors.

8:16 am  
Blogger MrsG said...

I don't know what I give out, really - that's bad, isn't it! I would hope for friendly and nonthreatening, though as soon as I open my mouth it all becomes 'foreign' and people get distracted...

9:40 am  
Blogger Silverback said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

8:05 pm  
Blogger Silverback said...

My northern Ulster accent (not the harsh Belfast one) goes down a storm over here in the US and combined with my cheeky attitude, I get away with murder at times.

Which brings me nicely to the McCanns.

Ohhhhhh bad Ian.

I can't even escape news about them over here but their almost global media domination backfired with me long ago as my brain initiated a defensive McCann spam filter after a few days and nothing gets through anymore.

I suggested donating my brain to Microsoft to help with their Hotmail filter issues but they said only if it was still 'alive'.

I'm not playing THAT game !!

8:07 pm  
Blogger beth said...

Yes!

Exactly the same thing happened with me. I heard a tiny clip of her and thought 'blimey, she's proper scouse, I never imagined that.'

I'd assumed she would be 'posh'.

8:07 pm  
Blogger Daphne said...

Thanks to you all for your interesting comments.
Ruth - I think you're right, that no two people's experiences are the same - - but years of experience teaches me that I do Respectable without any intention or effort!
Michael - no, that's what surprised me - the Wirral or Cheshire I would have expected - she sounds really Scouse, in contrast to her "posh" looks, and I think that's what Beth picked up on too.
Amy - I expect your accent does cause comment but your writing does very much give out "friendly" and I bet people realise that pretty soon.
Ian - most people like your accent, not just Americans, and it's classless too - well, I'd think so - very useful in this still-class-ridden society.

1:06 am  

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