Looking at BHood!

[Malfoy Grandma]

I sure am glad they put out the DVD of the whole season. I had it all on vhs tapes, but I wore them out already, memorizing the whole thing. So I had not watched the new DVD, but now I am watching them one by one, and this show really holds up. I still like it a lot, and can't wait to see what they do with poor Michael after Dec goes crazy and tries to beat him to death! Will we have to endure poor Michael in hospital, hidden under head bandages just forever and ever? Will he have brain damage? Will he ...... I hate to wait!

[Malfoy Grandma]

Well, of course I have to watch something with JI every day! My screensavers and all that are not enough. So now when the Holidays are taking up time, I watch an episode of BH every evening. I am creating a listing for myself, and have found that the scripts I like best are AFTER the first three, in which Michael seems to be on the losing end of his own wallowing in the fact that the neighborhood has changed. Then the scripts seem to move on. My faves are the softball game sequence, with Mike taking over the drug scene and Mulligan's bar, also trying to be comfortable in Shannon's weirdo coed/drug house, then the one of the road trip and his birthday party, and the wild finale Irish Wedding. I like the others just because I get to watch JI and listen to his excellent accent, but that same accent makes him more distant from me because that slummy, cursing, short-vocabulary thing puts me off. There you go, ladies! Another useless critique! I find mostly I like the scripts from Bromell, do not care much for the scripts from Masters. I have no idea how they choose who writes which.

[ibelong2me]

Have at last seen a few clips from this show, someone on youtube uploaded two short scenes involving JI's character.
My first reaction must be...wow, it is so strange to hear him speak in that accent! Had just watched him in 'Scars' with the London accent - boy he is good! Well I am assuming his accent in 'Brotherhood' is accurate.

Always great to read reviews and bits of info about this show!

[Hilary the Touched]

My first reaction must be...wow, it is so strange to hear him speak in that accent!

Rose, it is so strange to hear *anybody* speak in that accent. It is not attractive. It's been described as a cross between Brooklyn and Boston, which sounds pretty close to me.
JI says that it's not especially challenging for most British actors to assume American accents, since nearly everyone there now grows up hearing American telly and movies all their lives, but this accent is (justifiably!) pretty obscure. I thought both he and Jason Clarke did a fine job with it.

[kontara]

Rose, it is so strange to hear *anybody* speak in that accent. It is not attractive. It's been described as a cross between Brooklyn and Boston, which sounds pretty close to me.

Hey!! I resemble that accent!! It is attrative to those of us who speak it...

Penny

[Hilary the Touched]

You sound as if you're from at least 20 miles away, Penny!!
(I actually had a fellow squad member from Providence, who amused us by declaring things "wicked"....but I didn't think you sounded like him)

[Marie]

I think it's a wicked good accent too Penny!!!!!! Because of moving around a lot I don't normally sound too Southeastern New England - but everytime I go visit or have friends or family visit from that area - I fall back into the accent. It's music to my ears!!!!

[kontara]

You sound as if you're from at least 20 miles away, Penny!!
(I actually had a fellow squad member from Providence, who amused us by declaring things "wicked"....but I didn't think you sounded like him)

Thanks Hil, I have been slowly trying to train myself out of the accent. When I was still acting my director twitted me on it..... so I try to keep an ear out for it so to speak....

[Malfoy Grandma]

I have lived in the deep south since 1954, and have done what many who are permanent actors do, acquired the local accent when speaking to local citizens! Not purposely! When relatives from far up north visit, they notice that I still have that middlewestern cowboy twang, with a dash of German from living in a section of immigrants! And I can still hear it on tv or radio when "natives" talk! I am constantly surprised to hear JI speaking with all the accents of the varied roles he plays. It is a very useful talent, and not that usual. Keep a handle on your native speech, it helps ground you in reality!

[ibelong2me]

I've yet to hear Jason do a scouse accent!

That'd be great (or 'boss' as Liverpuddlians say!). I don't think Jason has any Liverpool-ish sounds to his accent, does he? Having lived there 5 years I'm rather used to it...since I've moved back home am told I have a slight scouse-ish tinge to my accent, and I didn't realise!

[Malfoy Grandma]

That is a new term to me! Is that the name for the Liverpool speak? I have never had the privelege of visiting England and sure do wish I could. What sort of regular speech usages are native to that city? The only thing I know about Liverpool is that Col. Banastre Tarleton, upon who the character of Col. Tavington was sort of based, as well as the Beatles were from there. I doubt that JI speaks with the local accent, probably lost it at college or somewhere. Tell us more!

[ibelong2me]

Hope this isn't too much of an essay!

Ah, some people hate it but I love the accent – probably because Liverpool felt like a second home and I loved living there. My friends there do not have strong accents in comparison to some, but saying that found since I moved out of the city their accents are stronger than realised!

Scouse:

The Scouse accent is highly distinctive and sounds wholly different from the accents used in the neighbouring regions of Cheshire and rural Lancashire. Inhabitants of Liverpool are called Liverpudlians but are more often described by the slang term Scousers.

The roots of the accent can be traced back to the large numbers of immigrants into the Liverpool area in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries including those from the Isle of Man, Scotland, and most importantly, Ireland. The influence of these different speech patterns became apparent in Liverpool, distinguishing the accent of its people from those of the surrounding Lancashire and Cheshire areas.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scouse

There are many online websites with their scouse dictionaries but none seemed to have included two phrases my friends commonly said – to the extent I find the phrases on the edge of my tongue sometimes!

That’s boss! – That is great!
I’m made up! – I am pleased with that!

A youtube video that features a British comedy programme highlighting the stereotype! – and trust me, I’ve met people like this for real! *grin* Gives a good example of the accent:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4IHcJwMkuI

A real scouser…even if you don’t like football it is good to watch, for accent and vocab!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IXnmJTja-0
I can understand all that he says – can you?

Hope that’s a good introduction to the accent that is scouse!

[Malfoy Grandma]

Thanks for the best laugh of the morning! I loved them both, but those three guys going to London was just wonderful! Silliness is universal!

[Hilary the Touched]

I can understand all that he says – can you?

Man, I can hardly understand anything he said!

I think I am recalling correctly that JI moved from Liverpool to London at the age of eleven; I do remember him saying that the first thing he did was try and ditch the accent. He realized immediately that he stuck out, which is anathema to most kids, so he very quickly went Cockney.

(Here's a thing I know about Liverpool--DAVID LISTER!!!)

[Helen8]

That’s boss! – That is great!

Well, heck. Kids in New York City used that in the late fifties and early sixties . . . until gear and fab became the words of choice of Beatle-loving teens.