CCXXXIII: Accents and Impressions

I have loved doing and hearing accents since I was a child. I'm not sure how believable I was back then, but the first ones I remember doing were Dracula, surfer dude, and British (yes, these are accents, not impressions, though it would seem otherwise). Currently the only one I can muster without need for luck is British; then occasionally French; and then there are the ones that depend on the presence/interaction with a friend: Scottish (Smeek/sometimes Olim) and southern (Smeek/Pleuve). On these occasions it is difficult to put a stop to speaking this way since we kind of egg each other on.

As an aside, I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned this, but I spent a whole month in tenth grade speaking in a Russian accent because I watched Rollerball. I don't know which is worse--speaking in an accent for a month, speaking in an accent inspired by Rebecca Romijn in this movie, or watching said movie altogether. And I have since never used the word "babushka" as much as I did back then.

My accent unicorn (= travelling sisters' word for "seemingly unachievable goal") is to master Scottish, Aussie and New Zealander accents. You know, the tough Anglophone ones. Perhaps this is why men who speak in these accents are particularly appealing. Off the top of my mind, I can think of Craigy and the Shaw customer service Aussie guy whom I spoke to briefly on the phone today. MELT.

As a child I would also imitate Disney princesses' voices while watching various movies on VHS. My favourites were Belle and Ariel from Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid respectively. I'd try to sing exactly like them so that our voices were indistinguishable. Later in high school I would do the same thing with Alicia Keys' Fallin' (I still love that song!).

Currently, the most surprising impressions I do are of Macy Gray (I Try) and Della Reese (Touched by an Angel theme song). I would like to remind you that I am neither African American and/or an elderly woman, as much as I could probably pass of as either due to mah street cred or appreciation for cats and tea, yo.