A Stray Fort or Two 27/01/2006 They've got this gecko on the telly over ere an the fing wot I don't unnerstan is e's got a Lunnun accent, see, so e torks like this. Nah, not yer bleedin Cockney apples an pears ow's yer muvver Dick Van Dyke fing but more like yer genral rest of Lunnun speak. An wot I wanna know is ow e gets over ere an wot the eck the yanks fink of im. I mean, can they unnerstan a word e says, ey? It's nice for me, sorta brings back memories an orl, but wot were the advertising geezers finkin of when they give im that accent? Fing is, it's the real fing, they musta got some Lunnuner to do the voice, it ain't like that Outback Steakhouse one where the feller's tryin so ard to sound like an Ozzie it's larfable. The gecko's spot on. Maybe they ad some geezer workin' for them, like the sound man or the lightin git, an e was from Lunnun an that's wot give them the idea, I dunno.An wot's e torkin abaht? Car insurance, that's wot. Ere's me in the backside of Oklahoma and this gecko wiv a Lunnun accent's tryin to sell me car insurance. An it must be me e's torkin to cos I'm the only bleeder in a million miles oo can unnerstan wot e's torkin abaht. It's like you decided to go live in the jungles of Borneo an then you bump into that Alexei Sayle git an e's singin Ello, John, got a noo motor? Just makes me fink, that's orl.I mean, I can unnerstan why they use a Brit accent to sell fings over ere but there's accents and accents, innit? Take that geezer with is cyclone vacuum cleaner f'rinstance; e comes on an e's tellin them orl about is clever system wot sucks better than any uvver an it's all in this hoity toity posh Queen's Inglish that'll tell em voice, an it's no wonder it sells oovers, the yanks luv that kind of fing. But Lunnun? That friggin gecko's straight outa Eastenders I tell yer.Oh, an there's this one ad for air cleaners an they say "approved by the British Allergy Association" as if it's some sorta big deal an orl. Fing is, oo's ever eard of the British Allergy Association? But the yanks luv it, they fink it really means somefink.An that's anuvver fing: 'ow come in the movies the Brit's orlways the bad guy but e's worth listenin to if e makes an ad? It don't make no sense. If the geezer's a villain, oo wants to know wot e finks of car insurance or oovers? E's a villain, right? So e's only gonna sell you a bleedin lemon. Wouldn't be no point uvverwise.But it's orlright to be Scottish or Irish. There's that Connery git an is "My name'sh Bond, Jamesh Bond" an Mel friggin Gibson wiv is Scottish accent froo an Ozzie filtah an they're fine, they're the good guys. But the poor bluddy Inglish, they orlways come over sinister like. Wot's that orl abaht then? Ow come we're okay to make telly ads but the minit we get in the movies we come over orl bad an orl? Racism, mate, that's what it is, racism.But still, that bleedin gecko cracks me up. Musta taken a wrong turn at the Ammersmiff Bridge and wahnd up in America. An ow many geckos did you see the last time you were in Wappin or Tootin Beck? Not exackly crawlin orl over the place, are they? The only friggin gecko born in Lunnun an the yanks get im, I dunno...Technorati tags: Gecko; London accents.
Clive
Janus Hey its nice to hear the new Gecko voice anyday over those annoying...Good news I just saved 15% or more on my car insurance. Thought they might save me 40% if they stop spending millions on the commercials says I Date Added: 28/01/2006
Gone Away Thank you, Kathy - I like the gecko too. Maybe I picked on him from professional jealousy, lizard to lizard. After all, there aren't all that many chameleons that come from England either. ;) That's an interesting point about English women, however. I can't think of any movies where they've been the villains. And as for myself - well, there's bound to be an exception to any rule, isn't there? :D Date Added: 28/01/2006
Gone Away Good point, Janus - I too hate the "Good news" Geico ads. Strange that they should have so many ads that seem completely unconnected to each other. It's almost as if they use more than one ad agency. In which case, you're darn right about the possibility of saving 40%! Date Added: 28/01/2006
glenni Great read Gone. Are you sure there werent any female villians in the James Bond movies. Of course I think they are all villians, most of them were just so gorgeous, it doesnt seem right. I give a tosharoon to Pussy Galore glenni Date Added: 29/01/2006
Gary Charpentier Hello Clive, I've been corresponding with Mad for awhile now, but this is the first time I have visited your blog. What fun! I enjoy the gecko commercials, and I actually understand him because of all the years I spent reading the Brit motorbike magazines. Being a Monty Python fan helps too. You and your son are fascinating personalities, and I look forward to meeting you both one day. Warmest regards, Gary Charpentier Date Added: 29/01/2006
Marti I like the gecko, he makes me giggle LOL I don't know why, but Blogger has locked me out of my old blog. It still accepts comments, but I can't get it to publish anything new, or make any changes to the template. I even attempted to use FTP to upload it to my domain, but that also failed. I struggled with it for days, writing letters to Blogger Help and Support, all for naught, so I’m starting over at: Enter the Laughter Redeux http://enterthelaughter.blogspot.com/ Trying to notify all of my previous links. Trying not to think evil thoughts - LOL Date Added: 29/01/2006
Gone Away Thank you, Glenni. Yes, you're right, there were female villains in the James Bond series. I have not seen all the movies, but it seems to me that they were invariably foreign, Russian, Chinese, indeterminate, but never British. Perhaps we have uncovered sexism as well as racism here! Date Added: 30/01/2006
Gone Away Thank you very much, Gary, good to meet you. I have visited your blog and must compliment you on how well written it is. Minnesota, hey? You remind me of my connection with the frozen North, my support for the Green Bay Packers. Go the Pack! Mad plans a visit to the States this summer and will spend much of the time touring on a motor bike. Hopefully he will be able to visit you then. :) Date Added: 30/01/2006
Gone Away. Marti, my dear! I am overcome with guilt at not having got back to you after your constant support through my empty patch. I will visit this evening and comment like you've never been commented upon before! I am eternally grateful to you - you kept me going through the darkest days of my blogweariness. How terrible to have your blog snatched away in so unseemly a fashion - I do not think I would survive such a disaster. As demonstration of my support for you, the new blog will be added to my blogroll this evening, I promise. Date Added: 30/01/2006
Mad Aha! Now I know how Gary and my Dad have met. Seems I must keep more of an eye on what's going on over here... Hey Kathy, nice to see you pop up here! Date Added: 30/01/2006
Johnny Yo, Gone, The British accent sells because Yanks think Brits are the good guys, in general. Movies are trying to be clever by casting Brits as villians, kind of like an easy way to put a twist on things. Date Added: 30/01/2006
Gone Away You may be right, Johnny. I think a posh British accent sounds superior to American ears and they will therefore trust that we know about high tech vacuum cleaners and so on. But maybe it's also that same superiority that means we make good villains - high intelligence can be scary, after all. ;) Date Added: 30/01/2006
Janus Especially those foul Math professors that have become the king of crime. Those professors would do well if they would just learn not to fall off edges of cliffs and buildings so much Date Added: 31/01/2006
Gone Away Perhaps they are unbalanced... :D Date Added: 31/01/2006
prying1 re: The only friggin gecko born in Lunnun an the yanks get im, I dunno... - We got you too! How'd that happen? Guess we are just blessed. Date Added: 31/01/2006
Gone Away Ah, you are too kind, Paul. :) Date Added: 01/02/2006
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