Broken English/African Tone

[Jensen]

What is it with people talking in this flat monotone accent. A prime example is Clinton Morrison, a football pundit on Sky. He was born and raised in Tooting London, yet now speaks with this tone.
It was very apparent on an ITV show, titled “South of the river”. Basically highlighting young black players from tough areas in South London who have become professional footballers. The show also included young players from a Middle Eastern background who also spoke with this accent.
It’s not just inclusive to black and Asians, but also White individuals all born and raised in the UK.
This accent doesn’t make them sound clever, but completely the opposite and boring.
So why do people adopt this pathetic tone.

 

[PJ87]

What is it with people talking in this flat monotone accent. A prime example is Clinton Morrison, a football pundit on Sky. He was born and raised in Tooting London, yet now speaks with this tone.
It was very apparent on an ITV show, titled “South of the river”. Basically highlighting young black players from tough areas in South London who have become professional footballers. The show also included young players from a Middle Eastern background who also spoke with this accent.
It’s not just inclusive to black and Asians, but also White individuals all born and raised in the UK.
This accent doesn’t make them sound clever, but completely the opposite and boring.
So why do people adopt this pathetic tone.

Are you speaking about "street talk" I have a colleague at work who's same age as me born and raised in Euston.. speaks like it..

 

[Jensen]

Are you speaking about "street talk" I have a colleague at work who's same age as me born and raised in Euston.. speaks like it..

If it sounds like Clinton Morrison, then yes that’s it. Had no idea it was called “street talk”

 

[PJ87]

If it sounds like Clinton Morrison, then yes that’s it. Had no idea it was called “street talk”

We get asked a lot who is the young "rudeboy" up here

We just laugh

But yes he sounds exactly like Clinton Morrison , a bit like Ali g

 

[Pin-seeker]

What is it with people talking in this flat monotone accent. A prime example is Clinton Morrison, a football pundit on Sky. He was born and raised in Tooting London, yet now speaks with this tone.
It was very apparent on an ITV show, titled “South of the river”. Basically highlighting young black players from tough areas in South London who have become professional footballers. The show also included young players from a Middle Eastern background who also spoke with this accent.
It’s not just inclusive to black and Asians, but also White individuals all born and raised in the UK.
This accent doesn’t make them sound clever, but completely the opposite and boring.
So why do people adopt this pathetic tone.

Clinton Morrison definitely sees sky sports as an audition for Top Boy.

 

[theoneandonly]

I see the forum is as out of touch as ever. ??

 

[Foxholer]

It's simply an 'accent'/style of speaking picked up in the environment they were mainly raised in.
Mine is a classic (or perhaps even more nasally than normal after a couple of encounters with hockey/cricket balls) Kiwi one - described by Sam Neil (quoting Dame Ngaio Marsh) as 'Queens English spoken with the tongue sitting on the bottom of the mouth like a dead fish!
Jamie Carragher's is the worst for me - though, again, fairly typical of his background.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Any affected accents are painful. I grew up in Cheshire and every so often someone would go all 'Manchester' and it just sounded ridiculous. It is people trying to be street cool but really being painful (timing of this also influenced by recent coverage of Tim Westwood?)

 

[RichA]

It doesn't matter. People have always affected accents.
Mum was from Mansfield. Dad's from South Yorkshire. I was born and grew up in Notts where every village and town has its own distinct dialect. We all understood each other and lapsed into whichever was dominant in the room at any given time. If necessary, we were all capable of speaking proper - we just didn't bother.
I like variety of language.

This thread needs some input from @Tashyboy

 

[Lord Tyrion]

It doesn't matter. People have always affected accents.
Mum was from Mansfield. Dad's from South Yorkshire. I was born and grew up in Notts where every village and town has its own distinct dialect. We all understood each other and lapsed into whichever was dominant in the room at any given time. If necessary, we were all capable of speaking proper - we just didn't bother.
I like variety of language.

This thread needs some input from @Tashyboy

I think there is a difference between a natural accent and a forced one.

 

[PJ87]

I think there is a difference between a natural accent and a forced one.

Yes bruv

 

[Orikoru]

I always thought it originated in Jamaican patois rather than African? Although I've just Googled patois to check and it says that originated from African anyway so maybe you're right.

I know people who talk like this, I think it originates from a young age and a desire to fit in with certain crews of lads when it wasn't 'cool' to speak proper English. Then they've grown up and been unable to shake it. One of the lads in my Thursday football group talks like this, he must be nearly 30 and as white as they come so it sounds a little strange. As I say, I'm sure it just comes from who he hung out with at school. I remember I hung with a variety of people at school, so if you were talking with people who spoke that way, you might almost accidentally slip into it from time to time to kind of subconsciously gain rapport I suppose. Luckily was rare for me, plus I've always tried to maintain a wide vocabulary what I talk good with now.

 

[Crazyface]

Who's Clinton Morris?

 

[RichA]

I think there is a difference between a natural accent and a forced one.

I do agree, but having grown up in an area of many accents then lived and worked in the west mids, north-west, Herts/Essex and London, I sometimes notice that I'm mirroring the accents of whomever I'm with any given time.
Kids have always done street-speak. This conversation just seems to be highlighting one particular type that some people seem to find unsavoury.

 

[Jensen]

I do agree, but having grown up in an area of many accents then lived and worked in the west mids, north-west, Herts/Essex and London, I sometimes notice that I'm mirroring the accents of whomever I'm with any given time.
Kids have always done street-speak. This conversation just seems to be highlighting one particular type that some people seem to find unsavoury.

Correct ?

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Who's Clinton Morris?

Clinton Morrison is a former Crystal Palace striker who is now stealing a living as a football pundit.

 

[Orikoru]

Clinton Morrison is a former Crystal Palace striker who is now stealing a living as a football pundit.

But who's Clinton Morris??

 

[Lord Tyrion]

But who's Clinton Morris??

Sorry, you are right, I forgot to answer that. He is a chemistry teacher from Milton Keynes

 

[chrisd]

Clinton Morrison is a former Crystal Palace striker who is now stealing a living as a football pundit.

To be fair (as a Palace fan) he was a very good footballer and "stealing a living" is unfair and quite offensive

 

[Orikoru]

To be fair (as a Palace fan) he was a very good footballer and "stealing a living" is unfair and quite offensive

Think he was referring to the fact he's now paid to talk about football on TV despite having an extremely poor grasp on the English language. Not a slant on him as a player.