Why is it considered acceptable to make fun of someone's accent?

[Arkansota]

If someone has a Southern accent, a Minnesota accent or a Canadian accent, or any other accent, you don't have the right to make them feel horrible about themselves. NOBODY should have to change their accent to gain acceptance. People can't help where they're from and accents reflect where people are from or reside, so making fun of someone's accent in a hostile way is clearly a form of discrimination. Rant over.

[partis]

say all you want, people will always make fun of other peoples accent, theres about 10,000 in england alone, not including the celts, and i can do every one.

i moved to wales when i was 17 and i was always having the mickey taken out of me, in a loving way, asked to repeat words that sound funny (to them) and to be honest i find some accents distinctly unpleasent and if a person moves somewhere new and emphasise there accent 24/7, and think that will carry them through life ie - not an actual personality.

[Arkansota]

say all you want, people will always make fun of other peoples accent, theres about 10,000 in england alone, not including the celts, and i can do every one.

i moved to wales when i was 17 and i was always having the mickey taken out of me, in a loving way, asked to repeat words that sound funny (to them) and to be honest i find some accents distinctly unpleasent and if a person moves somewhere new and emphasise there accent 24/7, and think that will carry them through life ie - not an actual personality.

Friendly teasing is fine. I am talking about aggressive teasing here.

[partis]

Friendly teasing is fine. I am talking about aggressive teasing here.

well if there being horrible and agrresive about it, its not right of course and you dont have to change for anyone, though my accents changed and i didnt change, it just happens after a while, especially if your younger, the older you get the more likely it is you hold on to your accent, though its a known fact that when people move there that little bit more patriotic :p

so people who are agressive are the sort of people you dont wont to know anyway eh, i dont think most people would find it acceptable

[Ekwarph]

If someone has a Southern accent, a Minnesota accent or a Canadian accent, or any other accent, you don't have the right to make them feel horrible about themselves. NOBODY should have to change their accent to gain acceptance. People can't help where they're from and accents reflect where people are from or reside, so making fun of someone's accent in a hostile way is clearly a form of discrimination. Rant over.

It's acceptable when the one you make fun of can take it with humour, and when you accept yourself someone else making fun of you.

I have friends from many origins (arabs, african, asian, or from everywhere in france), I am jew myself, and it's common for everyone to make fun of stereotypes of any countries, religion, etc.
It's also a way to realize how interesting it is to have people from everywhere, with different cultures.
Well, ok. It's cool when you have autoderision, else it's just racist.

Also, laughing about that is also laughing about the fact that those stereotypes are ridiculous.
Nothing's more racist than politically correct (that's just my opinion)

A guy from Quebec came to study at our university last year, he made fun of our accent, and our way to speak english, but he had autoderision and accepted we did the same.

Otherwise, I live in Marseilles area, I am Parisian. Both cities hate each others. I laugh when someone "makes fun" of me when I'm Parisian. If I had to take it bad, it would mean that it's not legit to be Parisian?

It's the same. In the US probably, each area has its own culture. It's something very rich, and when people notice difference, I personnally think that it's a way to realize that you're from somewhere else, most of cases it has no bad intention.

Or if so (ok I just read it was aggresive way but I keep the post cause it's something important to me), it's very rare, no? And why would you change for them?

[justbry87]

It's acceptable when the one you make fun of can take it with humour, and when you accept yourself someone else making fun of you...

..Also, laughing about that is also laughing about the fact that those stereotypes are ridiculous.

^This pretty much. I speak Filipino at home and English when
I'm out or with friends. When I've been drinking sometimes my Filipino
accent comes out and it can get pretty Engrish.

But who cares, I've learned to laugh at myself every time it happens. If
someone notices and brings it up, I just make an even stronger accent and
just laugh with them.

[jimcrackcorn]

I wouldn't consider it acceptable behavior for people to make fun of another persons accent unless it was done as a friendly joke.

If these people are making fun of your accent just to spite you, then they are acting immature and were not raised with proper manners.

It is best to just smile at their silly antics and not bother replying back. They have a lot of growing-up to do before they become socially acceptable "mature" human beings.

Sincerely,
Jim

[dfiant1]

Kiwi's and Aussies would be fucked then, there is only 2 things we can take the piss out of each other for...our accents and NZ's sheep population

[Sylph]

Okey, I'm probably not the best person to answer this but :p

Okey, so like to me, American accents, nearly all just are odd to me.

And of course, the type of person I am, I looooove to joke and stuff, but I hardly ever mean any offense or whatever.

"Ew American's speak so slow" "They over annunciate"

Yeah, but I would never want you lot to change your accents/speech, because for one, I definitely wouldn't want to and also, because that's what makes you you.

I dun know if it's just me or whatever, but I am so used to people misunderstanding or getting confused and asking me to repeat and/or clarify, so I've lost my sensitivity to it. You can even joke about it and make fun of my Broke off English/Vernacular, because it is what it is.

True say, if you try to come at me some way about it, I might have to clock your melon some

But really, it's whatevs.


Actually, Chasey-Bear brought up a very interesting point in that, here(my island), we all pretty much speak the same or similar, a Broke off odd sounding English, this includes the Teachers(for the most part).

And so he wondered how I am able to communicate in Standard English, to which I replied we are taught it, because in order for people who do not speak English in it's standard form to have a better chance abroad, we're required to atleast learn to Read and Write it.

In Class, we would all look at for instance "Door" and "Chair" and pronounce them "Duwah" & "Chur" . but will right afterwards write them down as Door and Chair. I mean some of us, especially when young or texting, write/type how we talk, but nearly all people who went to school I can say with certainty has learned Standard English.

However, my point for saying that is this, just because a person may speak odd or whatever, doesn't mean that they are odd for the way they speak and can very well be the next big official or whatever of their country.

So you shouldn't feel bad, even if they're doing it out of malice .

[Joshular]

Depends on how well you know them. There is a scottish guy that I work with. I try to copy his accent... Apparently I sound like a pirate.

[IMG]so making fun of someone's accent in a hostile way is clearly a form of discrimination.[/IMG]

I think so.