What is wrong with having a Southern accent?

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I have no problems with Southern accents:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVVmbithTzs[/youtube]

Here in the UK, it's the standard Southern English accent that is generally seen as "desirable". The very distinctive provincial accents of cities like Liverpool, Birmingham, Newcastle or Bristol are often ridiculed, even by people who come from those places sometimes. The more restrained varieties of the Scottish and Welsh accents are quite highly regarded, though the Northern Irish ones fare less well.

did The Wurzels have an English southern accent?

^ ^
No, they've got a "West Country" accent of the sort one finds in counties like Somerset ("Zummerzet"), Gloucestershire or Devon. For many, this accent typifies rural Britain. I suppose that in the US, the equivalent might be the way they speak in out of the way parts of Mississippi or Alabama.

By "English Southern " accent, I really meant what is often referred to as "Received Pronunciation" or RP. It's the accent of the Middle Classes in the Home Counties (the ones surrounding Greater London), but is also quite prevalent among better educated or more prosperous people over a wider area (including the West Country). It's the sort of accent just about every BBC TV presenter or reporter has, as well as most of the Political Class, like David Cameron, Ed Miliband etc. Actresses like Helen Mirren, Stephanie Beacham and Judi Dench also speak in RP when interviewed, etc.

"Western Twang" isn't a phrase one hears over here, but it describes it pretty well! The West Country accent is the nearest we have to an American-sounding accent as well, in particular the "short o" sound in words like "hot". I suppose there must be a link with the Pilgrim Fathers and all that.

I watch a fair bit of stuff on CNBC and Bloomberg, and I imagine most of the anchors and reporters on those have the "Upper Eastern Seaboard" sound, as they're New York based (or are they?).

I also listen to headcases like Roger Hedgecock on KFMB San Diego, and Mark Levin on WBAP Texas occasionally!


Lol, the last sentence probably belongs in the "I Confess" thread!

I don't think there's anything wrong with having a southern accent or any accent for that matter.

I have a Great Lakes/Pittsburgh/Southern accent. Which one is more dominant depends on my mood.

I find it quite amusing that there are a lot of US regional accents. For instance there is a type of accent (sorry I don't know the proper term) in upper North East USA, around the Vermont area that is different than the Boston area, which is different than New York and New Jersey.
I personally associate a Southern USA accent with those Tennessee Williams movies like "Streetcar Named Desire", and think of them as very proud, and rather overly dramatic (I'm thinking of OliveOil Mom).

My favourite teacher had a Southern accent. He was from Georgia.

There are actually several different southern accents depending on the region.

I've got a braan new combind arrrvisterr!