Voiceovers

Okay, LFL is being kicked aside again... so I can discuss a pet peeve of mine.

I'm sure just about everyone has watched a documentary or informative television show on the History Channel or someplace similar. Does it bug you as much as it bugs me when a voiceover that is reading a letter or quoting a speech from a foreign figure has the accent of the country of origin of the letter or speech? I don't just mean a light, pleasant accent. Sometimes those are very pleasing and can almost add a certain authenticity. Well at least it can help submerse a viewer into the program. But on many occasions the voiceovers have such thick accents that it takes effort to understand. He or she might as well be reading the letter in its original language! Check out nearly any World War II documentary. I'm certain I understand Adolf better when he's speaking German than when I hear the voiceover that sounds like a German pronouncing a list of random English words for the first time.

How about when quoting one of our forefathers? Did all of them really speak so arrogantly? I'm currently reading Benjamin Franklin's autobiography and although he structures his sentences very nicely, I don't really get that Thurston Howell III feel about him. Of course, I'm only about a third of the way through. Back on topic, whenever I hear a voiceover representing his voice, it sounds more like a voice from a Dave Chapelle skit.

It is said that Abraham Lincoln had a bit of a high, possibly nasally, voice. So why does it sound like James Earl Jones is doing his voiceovers? How about going for real authenticity and having Jerry Lewis (circa 1960) doing Abraham Lincoln. Think, "Hey, lady!" does "End slav'ry!"

Just Joe


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