[TheBoom]

Is this trend still taking place? Or, was/is this just a California trend?

I moved out of the US in late 2011. For the last 6 years I lived next to a large Catholic university in San Francisco. Every female student and/or 20 something worker I either overheard talking or spoke with had a valley girl - high, nasally and lilting - speaking style. They spoke in very simple text message sentences of usually no more than 7 words, one of which was almost always "like." Every statement was bland and generic. (In fairness, the men weren't that much better).

Common statement: "I went to the party. Like, it was awesome!"

By the time I left I was hearing some women talk even lower at around a 3 or 4 year-old level. I didn't find this speaking style quite as prevalent in other major cities. However, I did hear a radio report that voice coaches had booming businesses because young uni educated women needed to learn to speak like adults.

When I look at news videos (especially Bloomberg) or others online a lot of the women talk in the valley girl style still.

I also ways wondered what caused this trend:
+ counter balance their being more manly?
+ mindless following fashion?
+ ???

Thoughts?

[John Michael Kane]

As someone who grew up in and has spent over 20 years of his life in California, yes, I can say with authority, many girls talk like this, especially younger ones. As Californians, we're too cool to care, which includes caring about expanding one's vocabulary. We're just "chill". Having traveled the United States extensively, and also watching youtube videos of girls from other states, I'd say we aren't the only ones that do it, just the worst offenders. I think that is because we have an outsized media influence on the rest of the nation, hence why everyone that worships California as like, the best thing ever, totes, for sure, for real.....starts picking up this gibberish speak. We also have the 40th ranked education system in the country, so there's that too. A lot of it is just trying to be California Cool, which is to say...lazy.

[TheBoom]

(12-30-2016 02:38 AM)John Michael Kane Wrote:  

We also have the 40th ranked education system in the country, so there's that too. A lot of it is just trying to be California Cool, which is to say...lazy.

I also wonder if it doesn't have something to do with the rise of feminism and Cultural Marxism. Frank Zappa had a hit with daughter Moon called Valley Girl in 82 which was about the time I first started hearing this style of speech. So, this has been going on and getting worse for 35 years or more so it is no passing trend and is even getting worse from what I witnessed.

[John Michael Kane]

Certainly our crappy Cultural Marxist indoctrination system, I mean education system plays a role. Still, that doesn't explain it in full.

Well, with all the beaches and sunshine, people are naturally goings to be more chill. The nice environment makes people relax and be casual. Dressing up in most parts of California means putting on a polo shirt, no joke. East Coasters are far more formal in general, including dress and speaking style.

[Zeek]

It's quite prevalent in Australia, mainly with younger types, both male and female, although some appear to not ever grow out of it. I always thought it was something people did to not appear too intelligent. I think it's a deliberate dumbing down to fit in (e.g. when people tease someone for using big words). I've noticed it seems to correlate with feelings of self-worth, the more someone doesn't value themselves the more they tend to speak in the style. In interviews with Margot Robbie(an Aussie starlet) she does it a lot, it lessens the appeal she otherwise has. She is from the Gold Coast, mind you. It's more grating when a man does it, especially a seemingly straight one. I wonder if the voice coaches are effective at stamping it out? Some people have spoken this way for decades.

[Captainstabbin]

(12-30-2016 02:05 AM)TheBoom Wrote:  

Is this trend still taking place? Or, was/is this just a California trend?

It's gotten worse. It's either the oversmoked, unnaturally deep voice at only 22 or something like this bitch:

[John Michael Kane]

Yikes, her voice is so annoying. I couldn't stand to play it for longer than a few seconds. That's ten times worse than even your average California Valley Girl. I think she's accentuating it on purpose. She sounds like a moron, and if it weren't for her titties showing, she wouldn't have 30k subscribers on youtube. There's a lot of omega male droolers online. Disgusting.

[nomadbrah]

She's not that bad, what's that accent sort of like this but more shrill and nagging? That's the one I hear in real life.

[YoungBlade]

It's been around for a while. Regional dialect that got popular because it was associated with wealth.

WB most of those

[kaotic]

Like everyone has said, California is more chill than the other states - we're more relaxed.

I'm a CA native - every time I go out of state I've been told I have a heavy Cali accent. I don't even notice it, we speak slower also, especially compared to east coasters.

It just how we've become, it's definitely become more predominant.

If you ever notice, girls may sound a bit different separately, but put them together and they all sound the same.

[Akula]

a popular variant of it is called "Vocal Fry" and it's omnipresent in the US now and also from what I've heard in Australia.

Howard Stern did an episode on this and how awful it is to hear:

[philosophical_recovery]

If you think some sloot talking in this accent/vernacular is annoying...

All I'm going to say is I know supposedly heterosexual men xy chromosome owners that speak just like this. I was confused at first, thinking they were just stereotypically gay, but then I found out that they were in fact straight and actively seeking to bump uglies on Tinder.





That is something that gets under your skin and makes you want to double down at the gym, doublefuck your girl(s), and double up on whisky, cigars, and building shit.

It's not PC or proper to slap these men around to toughen them up now. So, we all must suffer.

I'm immune now to girls talking like this.

[McCarthy]

(12-30-2016 01:27 PM)philosophical_recovery Wrote:  

If you think some sloot talking in this accent/vernacular is annoying...

All I'm going to say is I know supposedly heterosexual men xy chromosome owners that speak just like this. I was confused at first, thinking they were just stereotypically gay, but then I found out that they were in fact straight and actively seeking to bump uglies on Tinder.

That is something that gets under your skin and makes you want to double down at the gym, doublefuck your girl(s), and double up on whisky, cigars, and building shit.

It's not PC or proper to slap these men around to toughen them up now. So, we all must suffer.

I'm immune now to girls talking like this.

I need to get out of SoCal. This is a torture.

[nomadbrah]

(12-30-2016 12:22 PM)Akula Wrote:  

a popular variant of it is called "Vocal Fry" and it's omnipresent in the US now and also from what I've heard in Australia.

Howard Stern did an episode on this and how awful it is to hear:

That's the one, absolutely awful.

[Captainstabbin]

(12-30-2016 12:22 PM)Akula Wrote:  

a popular variant of it is called "Vocal Fry" and it's omnipresent in the US now and also from what I've heard in Australia.

Vocal fry is horrible. You hear it from every 7 who thinks she's a 10 on reality shows.

[TheBoom]

Vocal fry is horrible. That seems to be a new development since I left. Around 2009 I started noticing with young women and men the early stages of this: low-volumn, monotone speaking style. Some would speak at barely over a mumble. What Seinfeld satirized as "low talkers."