Masculinity

[lewisnotmiller]

If you do indeed upspeak, then you sound girly.
Also, it's weak because a statement which uses the
questioning inflection sounds like one needs affirmation.
A real man just says things. No approval needed.

Phht. It's just our accent.
Or rather, yours.
We don't have an accent, of course.

 

[Revoltingest]

Phht. It's just our accent.
Or rather, yours.
We don't have an accent, of course.

So Australistanian men have a girly accent, eh.
Crocodile Dundee didn't.
How far you've fallen since then.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

I think the problem is we aren't good at teaching the difference between being a man and being a jerk.

There's truth in this.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

So Australistanian men have a girly accent, eh.
Crocodile Dundee didn't.
How far you've fallen since then.

I don't suppose you ever listened to the old RF Radio, but I don't think you'd find my voice 'girly'...lol

In seriousness for a second, the upspeak thing is commonly seen as a sign of uncertainty outside of New Zealand and Australia.
You think of it as Valley girl speech patterns or something.

Here it's probably more a mark of education, etc than anything.

So plenty of Aussie tradies do it to some extent.

 

[sun rise]

Possibly but estrogen doesn't drive the alpha factor

There are many alpha women. Women tend to but not always do it differently than men do. But you betcha there are alpha women. Nancy Pelosi for one.

 

[Left Coast]

I nodded along with all of your points apart from this one...
Some dirty furriners...err...fine upstanding people from parts of the world apart from my own...have been known to suggest Australians do this all the time.
Despite this, we would generally rate fairly high in masculinity (both in a positive and in a negative sense).

FWIW, this American thinks Aussie accents are quite attractive, "upspeak" or not.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

So plenty of Aussie tradies do it to some extent.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

There are many alpha women. Women tend to but not always do it differently than men do. But you betcha there are alpha women. Nancy Pelosi for one.

Estrogen and testosterone have profound influences on us and the way we behave and think.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

A real man just says things. No approval needed.

I approve... oh wait...

 

[lewisnotmiller]

FWIW, this American thinks Aussie accents are quite attractive, "upspeak" or not.

We seem to sound more exotic overseas than we do in Australia.
Go figure...lol

 

[Left Coast]

We seem to sound more exotic overseas than we do in Australia.
Go figure...lol

Definitely. Same goes for certain British accents.

Is the reverse true? Do Aussies have a thing for American accents?

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Definitely. Same goes for certain British accents.

Is the reverse true? Do Aussies have a thing for American accents?

Some stuff:
Germans always say Americans sound American when we speak German. It isn't a generalized term for native English speaker, it is specifically American (I havent gotten to ask any of them if they could be a bit more specific in this ad to whether or not it is only Americans or if they just say the nation of the person they're speaking to).
People find English accents alluring and intelligent. Have you read the history of the dumb stuff they did?
What does a foriegner (from an American perspective) think a typical American accent sounds like? Do they acknowledge regonal differences?
Why is it so many people, including those from around Europe, all over America, and half way around the world think I sound like I talk like I'm from Texas? Why? I don't get it, and I don't sound like it. (Truly, I don't. I erased my Hoosier accent, corrected the grammar of the dialect, and sound as generically MidWest bland as bland gets) But happens so often.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

To be honest, I have some problems wrapping my head around what masculinity is. When people mention getting in touch with their femininity, I often picture them focusing on health, beauty, and being refined. But some people mention masculinity like it's a positive thing that takes work. But that doesn't really compute well in my mind, as I see masculinity as not overgrooming to the point you look feminine, and having such a closed mind you really can't open your mind to the possibility that you may have some feminine features and qualities. I don't know.

Risk taking, courage, mental and physical strength, protectiveness, leadership, good at manual labor, assertiveness, competitiveness, more analytical than emotional, etc.

 

[Revoltingest]

I don't suppose you ever listened to the old RF Radio, but I don't think you'd find my voice 'girly'...lol

I heard a little bit long ago.
But I don't remember any upspeak.

In seriousness for a second, the upspeak thing is commonly seen as a sign of uncertainty outside of New Zealand and Australia.
You think of it as Valley girl speech patterns or something.

Here it's probably more a mark of education, etc than anything.

So plenty of Aussie tradies do it to some extent.

Let's hope that y'all overcome that affliction.

 

[Revoltingest]

I approve... oh wait...

Approval is optional.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Definitely. Same goes for certain British accents.

Is the reverse true? Do Aussies have a thing for American accents?

I'm sure some do, but I don't think it would be in the top 5 most requested accents. We hear a LOT of American on our tvs, to the point that some kids actually develop a drawl...(!)

 

[Deidre]

I just know it when I see it. Or feel it. Or hear it. Hard to define but I just know it when I happen upon it. My husband is very masculine, and I could name all of his characteristics that make me feel this way, but when I think of masculinity, I think of him. And my dad, I guess. Although, my dad was very loud and strict when I was a kid (kind of an a-hole), and we didn't mend fences until a few years ago. I think in large part, the varying definitions are unhelpful social constructs that have the reckless potential to polarize men and women.

 

[Shaul]

Masculinity is half of humanity. The space for it should neither be enlarged nor restricted. Its property size is one half of humanity. Period.

 

[ChristineM]

There are many alpha women. Women tend to but not always do it differently than men do. But you betcha there are alpha women. Nancy Pelosi for one.

As i understand it its still testosterone.

 

[Left Coast]

I'm sure some do, but I don't think it would be in the top 5 most requested accents. We hear a LOT of American on our tvs, to the point that some kids actually develop a drawl...(!)

What do you think is the most appealing accent to the Aussie ear?