I mean This completely unnecessary phrase seems to just be a habitual way to start sentences for many people. I even heard some say go away-aahh or similar uses. I forgot about another sentence I hate, Start the answer with a yeah., I love these comments! Though NPR still has work to do on the issue of its newsroom diversity, over the past few years the numbers have been creeping in the right direction. NPR's 50 Great Voices Entertainment: Music Voices. He joins us. thas instead of thats (which is the abbreviation for that is) I also loathe when people pronounce nuclear as nucular. She has performed in television, film, stage, voiceovers, and commercials. It really does grate on the nerves. Ive had to stop watching MSNBC, because Rachel Maddow lards her hour with the use of right. Worse is Chris Hayes, who doesnt even use right properly! Our and Hour is pronounced and sounds the same. The Public Editor has examined concerns about pronunciation and accents, but for the most part, our office hasn't addressed complaints about how NPR reporters and hosts speak and sound. But instead it sounds like I went to the STOre, then the gas STAtion, and then got something to EAT.. Can you tell us about the car accident you witnessed today? Dont get me started on the vocal fry. This is a huge trend on YouTube right now and its quite annoying. Lately, I have noticed by newscasters and others on TV the word expecially, which of course does not exist. Liana Van Nostrand (@lbvannostrand) is an intern for the Public Editor's office. As in change the sheets or change a lightbulb. She can help reporters reduce vocal fry in their speech if they want to. Valspeak is, like, short for the way Valley Girls talk that was, like, you know, so big Frank Zappa sang about it in 1982. Im reading this because I am driven to distraction now that my husband has started constantly dropping the g from words ending in ing. You asked your readers what we would like for you to include in your next video. Sometimes reporters do incorporate feedback about their delivery. Sorry for the typo of the when it should have been they. Or you might hear the hushed monotone parodied in Saturday Night Live's iconic "Schweddy Balls" sketch. i agree, it drives me insane , they sound like 4 year olds. It feels very much like assumed humility and manipulation. I like to call this Laundry Listing because it is like they are giving you this boring laundry list of things. You guys seems to be winning in the USA, so if it bothers you, Im afraid youre out of luck. The one I cant stand is S-backing where they say shhtreet, shhhtrike, dishhhtraction. Then I grabbed a coffeeeee. The sad thing is people who should know better obviously dont.murlean. No, you are hearing maybe a regional pronunciation. Even in filipino words like palapag theyll say palapag-gah'the gah sounds like when you pronounce the letter G. They do this do the last letter of the last word of the their sentence. Super everything Super excited because its super boring and Im tired of being super disappointed. She has performed guest star roles on NBC's Parks & Recreation and HBO's Veep, working with Amy Poehler and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, respectively. Hansen is a classically trained singer, and has sung with choirs and madrigal groups, in musical theatre, and in jazz and rock bands. So in the workplace and over the airways, especially on leftist networks the use of ENCOURAGE, SUGGEST and URGE etc etc etc. 3) saying een for ingas in goeen or stayeen for going or coming I growl at it when I hear it. I have tried to adjust. I hear it all of the time especially as I live in a very affluent, lily white area. Hansen coaches voice . None of these up-and-coming phrases ever appear in scripts that I read for actual voice-over jobs or auditions. Help. Great discussion on these affectations of speech, thank you. All of this is from one person. My current most annoying list includes some new & old (along with my initial yeah, no): 1) Vocalfry, can actually hurt voice. Those filler words of such concern to some listeners are especially likely to slip in on live radio, when there is no opportunity to edit out mistakes or other problems. I also get extremely annoyed by these vocal crutch words so Im glad Im not the only who experiences this! Did you see that? Pointing this out to friends, Im usually answered by yeah, I noticed, or good old-fashioned shrugs. STOP THAT NONSENSE! She helps people who find they sound monotone, sing-songy or low-energy. These are commentators, announcers, and reporters!! I thought, I am absolutely not going to have my child taught by this woman., Short as become like oswords like class and that are pronounce as closs and thot.. Nails on a chalkboard to me. You obviously havent heard anyone say super over and over. This is why I refuse to hire young people! What is it called when people stress the end of the last few words of a sentence as if they are using. A sentence in which one says nothing: I knooow! Its just annoying affectation and you KNOW they know better but they think it is adding something. The ingredients were super fresh and it tasted super amazing!, The car we bought drives super fast! For me, the whole So thing is one of these pet peeves that makes me want to smash whatever device Im hearing the word played upon. As in, those are quite some radishes you have there. It seems to be quite common as I hear quite some people using it. ta instead of to Last week, Slate Lexicon Valley podcaster (and NPR On the Media host) Bob Garfield lamented a frightening tic invading American speech. My current pet hate is the need for the speaker to promise to tell the truth as in To be honest, or Im not gonna lie, and then proceeds to reveal some piece of bland trivia! Its far from the only silent letter in spoken English. Chris Beck in his article in SpliceToday.com describes it best, "Michael Barbaro of the New York Times' The Daily podcast, sounds like he's in his death throes in the final two words of every sentence he speaks, and then he's able to miraculously revive himself instantly to begin the next one. Their tone raises up at the parts of the word I typed in capitals.. And who started everything being super??? It irritates me to see UR instead of you are or switched RU ,are you? He told me: That is a sign that I've opened them up, they feel comfortable and they're talking in the way that they just regularly talk. Im not about to watch that show just to find out, though. In another, speakers with vocal fry received more votes in a hypothetical election. Its interesting to see how the pureness of the English language can be corrupted in some ways, by modern speech patterns, mostly by native English speakers. And I say this from a professional point of view. But like you, when I find a younger person who is free of the upspeak, glottal fry, lack of oxygen when speaking, or repetitive use of um, like and you know it is always refreshing. But, over the past few years students have become increasingly reproachful as if I am purposefully attacking their generation. Is it a geographical thing? I agree though, like the tattoo girl on the Twix commercial that spells NO REGERTS and then says Sawree in that whiny sarcastic voice. I suppose if the heart is in the right place, we can forgive some of these transgressions of speech. Viewers would be fascinated Im happy to continue commenting as required, as Ive plenty more to say on the subject! I just do not understand why voice overs must be so impersonal and what the show producer clearly sees as professional or some kind of the standard tone. It is always annoying, but sometimes makes the report(s) unlistenable. I realize its really too early to be voting for Most Annoying for 2021, but this ones definitely been frosting my butt. Quick, before you faint! I find it so distracting that I dont hear what theyre saying anymore, and thats not good. Likely popularized by Michelle Obama and Oprah. Recently, I went onto YouTube to look for videos of the late actress Conchata Ferrell, and I found an interview with her and co-star Holland Taylor. THAT is annoying. More on that idea here. Thats litteriiiiing, and he just kept walkiiiiing That isnt exactly it, but its similar. Second one: the pin/pen merger. Your observations are wonderful & interesting. The truth is clear. Please try to make your reports professional. I have noticed lately female newscasters seemingly trying to avoid monotony by raising then lowering the pitch of the last syllable in a sentence. Thanks for a place to vent. Yes, I have an accent, but I use proper English as my model to imitate. Its interrupted cadence. Further, it seems that engaging in these practices seems to indicate a greater authenticity for Gen Z and Millennials. Part One: Into the Digital Era, Voice Over Trends 2022: Hottest Marketing Trends You Dont Want to Miss, Emotional Branding: The Power of Emotional Video Narratives, The Brand Anthem: What It Is, Why You Need One, An embarrassment in front of mom, dad or the general public, Unfit for any position that pays more than minimum wage. It sends the message that only some people can be trusted to report the news. It seems a convemient time period for my schedule at this tiiime, Up talk is especially annoying when the speaker is listing things, as in those pillow commercials:, I sleep better? Maybe thats it. I have suffered through dozens of interviews with millennials, both male and female, who use vocal fry, up talk and verbal place holders as if their lives depended on it. I came here to see if anyone else had noticed that young women are suddenly dropping the T sound in the middle of wordsor if maybe theyd been doing it all along and I only just noticed and am now hearing it everywhere. I cant stand to hear it, like nails on a chalkboard young ladies, please correct yourselves!!! I would be happy to hear the word amazing without the word super in front of it. I didnt know there was a word for that! They want profit without first investing in professionalism, imo. For me, its the high-pitched, pinched, nasal voice that sounds so flat and grating from women on TV. All are irritating and to me, they pigeon-hole the speaker and come across as less intelligent and less confident than they realize or intend. To me, that sounds idiotic and uppity, not to mention the hyper pronunciation. Ive noticed an increase in the pronunciation of to as tyoo but it seems more frequent when the speakerthey seem to be mostly femaleelongates the word, perhaps suggesting that its said when the speaker is having a moment of reflection or being pensive; that it is becoming universal on television news and commentary is undeniableand is becoming an annoyance, These are probably the same girls that used to (or possibly still do ) say things like stop itah!! I dont know of any name for that But reading your comment makes me think that maybe a lot of this type of speaking comes as a side effect of the Youtube and social media age, where people try to stand out and get noticed any way that they can. Isnt it enough that we can send a message in an instant without having to wait for a cursive written letter to arrive in weeks, but make it even faster with short cut spelling to arrive in a matter of seconds? And that is how I found your comment lol! The most common is right? when used at the end of a sentence. It's not just one part of America or one slice of America," he said. A question mark has a specific purpose in the English language. What is the affectation where the speaker draws out the end of every sentence as if theyve just ran out of breath, but still want to get that last word out. But if there was a single origin, the West Coast USA seems more likely to me considering the larger population and the amount of film and TV produced there thats consumed internationally. Fast forward to 2020 and, although I love shows about animals like the various zoo reality shows on Animal Planet, I cannot watch the one based out of Australia. Maybe it is that when I hear those tones I think Im about to be bitten. One thing that bothers me is when people pronounce the word ancient as ankshent. In 2015, Chenjerai Kumanyika, a radio journalist and professor, published an essay on Transom.org that sparked a conversation about race and public radio. One reason we don't comment on reporters' voices is because voice is personal. Most of us know the way we speak may change depending what social situation were in. Hearing Americans and Britons speak is psychological torture. Hansen earned her MFA in Acting from Brandeis University, and has additionally studied in New York and France, at the Guthrie Theatre, and at Studio Theatre Conservatory. Shell draw out her sentences with filler words and phrases such as now this adding in a firm yeah this speak continues with nonsensical words until she brings in another thought. 4) adding definately before every verb Her words hold me hostage. I consider language a beautiful sign of class, education and the desire to make everybody involved in a conversation comfortable. Dont run into nobody! (a parent to a child) Some of my pet peeves are as follows: To me, it sounds like theyve actually forgotten to end the word and let that final syllable continue to sound out for an extended period. Yet literally all of my female colleagues get constant criticism for how they speak or sound" He told me, except for two pronunciation corrections, he has never received a complaint about his voice or speaking manner even though, by his assessment, he uses "like" and "um" just as much as the women on the NPR Politics Podcast. context or discernible link to the discussion. No, thanks. Its just a dialect difference. Agreed, Debbie! Hes a sinGer making singer rhyme with finger. Allison I have to chuckle at your comment, since just last night, while watching one of the football playoff games, my husband was getting quite annoyed at Tony Romos continuous use of the word right? uptick included, while commentating. Okayone more and Im done. I love this discussion! The pervasive use of hypophora, mostly in spoken media, is more than annoying to me! National faves: Jack Speer, Megna Chakhrabarti, Terry Gross National do-not-calls: Kai Ryssdal, Charlie Pierce sunnymentoaddict 6 yr. ago Young women of all nationalities reporting from the most secluded parts of the world use these odd tones, rhythms and inflections. He has also shortening him and them to em. Its been shortened from I know, right? (Aka, IKR?) Why bother with all the words when you can trim it down to one. Yeah at the beginning of a question that was not yes-or-no. Thank you, Debbie! I enjoyed reading them and replying as well. Yes, vocal fry has become almost a standard version of vocalization in our current era. Hansen coaches voice for NPR, corporate groups, professional theater companies, podcast hosts, journalists, and private clients nationwide. This segment aired on February 27, 2023. "It has expanded my own understanding of the world and the people you have brought on board are excellent," he wrote. Great job! Shes also picked up on all the popular, irritating ways of speaking. It may have been the one I just quoted. the way I was taught to as a very young child. Nothing new! I dont consider it thoughtful because the next word follows immediately. The point is not worth discussing because of what was just said. I can sense the pits of hell opening within my spirit and anger arising like smoke of an erupting volcano, ahhhhh! Heres a new video we created to demonstrate some of the more common patterns you hear today. Ive noticed the inflection is often followed by movement, such as a slight head tilt, nod, hands, or shift of the eyes, presumably as an emphasis. Other reporters hone their delivery as well. Im not in it with any Cornholio who believes the Bill of Rights was ammended such that no government edict can mandate the wearing of masks or otherwise intrude on their bottom-shelf 40 brains belief of their right to cough and sneeze on me. I didnt read all the comments, so my apologies if this was already mentioned. Hansen began acting at age 5, and was a cast member of a TV series on resisting peer pressure at 12. Worst laugh is definitely Dan Pashman (The Sporkful). And so, yeah. I m hearing the phrases theres no doubt about it and theres no question about it and the variations: no doubt about it, no doubt, no question about it, and no question. But among friends all the time. But I remain relentless I call it out every time. I have heard meara and arrow instead of error. I mean, hello! But even more bothersome is the growing ubiquity of Thank you having me in response to a host or interviewer saying Thank you to a guest at the end of a segment, or even in response to Thank you for joining us at the beginning of their conversation. after. Vocal fry isnt going away anytime soon because television advertisers use it to show their product is hip. Dropping the T is not a girl thing, at least not in the American South. Its a virus spreading. One from Texas wrote: "Not all Americans sound like White American politicians and I wish that could be reflected on your airwaves.". Ironically, the girl in the last video does vocal fry throughout (I managed less than a minute of the video). There is no place in the adult, professional world for this nonsense. "People forget that there's a person on the other end of the email," Duffin said. Thanks for any suggestions. The education system. I am Jack and this is my dog Thats the sky, thats the sea, and that? I cant get used it but somehow I must figure out how to do it or Ill never be able to chill with my great grand children. While it may not be pleasing to US, it may be a more recognizable and standard sound to those who are currently hiring VO talent, or even on-camera talent.