A few months ago we watched a show called Whodunnit. I don’t remember the channel, I don’t remember who won, I don’t remember even liking the show, but I do remember this: One of the girls on the show talked a certain way through an entire episode, and it really irritated me. My husband thought she had a bad cold, and he wondered when I started being such a pain in the neck about other people’s voices.
(In 2007 I had an operation which left one of my vocal chords paralyzed. I went to a speech therapist for a year. My vocal chord is still paralyzed but the other one is compensating for it, and after a lot of “EEEE” scales, my voice has returned to normal.)
Getting back to my purpose of this entry which has absolutely nothing to do with mysteries, other than this new epidemic is a mystery to me!
The phenomena I’m talking about is “vocal fry”. I’m sure you have heard it, you may just not know that the women using it aren’t sick with a cold. I actually have looked it up and see that it used to be a type of speech disorder. And, yikes, as irritating as vocal fry is to me when I hear women using it, I have actually started to hear men on television using it. What is with that?!?
I read that there may be a chance of vocal fry actually damaging your vocal chords. (Believe me, you don’t want to do that!)
So, now that I have complained about this new, growing trend, here is a YouTube clip for those of you who aren’t sure what it is. The clip aired during September 2013 on the CBS News Sunday Morning show.
(Sorry, this video is no longer available.)
PS>>> Now that I know how to put these videos into my entries, I am going to have to control myself! I’m hoping the newness will wear off…
Helen says
Terrific video and exposition of what I’ve been hearing for some years now. I always thought it was a California epidemic, rampant throughout the state’s educational system. I see it has cast a wider net. Problem with that is, the low range of vocal vibrations translate as loss of acoustics resulting in what sounds like these folk are not finishing their sentences. As a Toastmaster and public speaker, this drives me bonkers.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Join the club, Helen! I think “drives me bonkers” is a good way to describe what this is doing to me.
Gayle says
This is a new one to me…guess my ears don’t hear this. If it does hurt your vocal cords it is a habit to be broken. The Glottalisation that drives me up a wall, is called a glottal stop…where the ‘t’ in the middle of a word such as button and mountain is dropped then pronounced bu?un, mou?un. Maybe we are going to the Cokney Speak. Eh?
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Gayle, I think I must watch too much television. I don’t actually hear people here in San Antonio using vocal fry… yet. Perhaps it will continue to move east from California. I hope it is stopped in Arizona!
Tessa says
Thank you for sharing this!
And good grief, I’m “olden” with less hearing… And it’s hard enough for me to fully understand young people!!!! I don’t need that loss of the last word effect, “for suuuuuuure.”
-grin-
Gayle says
Tessa, maybe we can get hearing aides and then turn them off, like my hubby does. ;-D
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Gayle, it must be a man thing. My mother’s boyfriend used to do that all of the time.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Tessa, it’s quite a distraction, isn’t it?
I have recently found myself slipping a few “See ya’zzz.” in when I’m talking with my husband. I started saying that as a joke, and have found it is slowly becoming a habit… a bad one at that!
Barbara says
Thank you for bringing this subject up. I thought it was just me.
Another couple of things I have a problem with are the young women who sound like they are ten or eleven years old. That little girl sound really is off-putting to me. Add that to the limited vocabulary and the vulgar speech, it makes me turn off the TV and read another book. lol
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Barbara, when I saw Faith Salie’s segment, I shared your exact sentiments: “I thought it was just me.”
Ann Philipp says
Oh good, I’m glad it’s not just me that doesn’t like that.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ann, ditto what I just said to Barbara: “I thought it was just me.”!
Nancy says
As a singer, that is something we really have to watch out for. Yet I have seen vocal teachers, teaching you how to do “vocal fry” Weird
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Nancy, it’s odd that the segment actually features Katy Perry. I would have thought she would have to be careful with her voice… I can’t imagine why vocal teachers would be teaching this.
Susan says
“Murder, She Croaked…”
Maybe there’s a future victim in a cozy mystery whose vocal fry snapped a killer’s proverbial last nerve. It sure grates on mine!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Susan, I love the “Murder, She Croaked” idea. I’ve certainly read mysteries where the killer had less of a reason to murder the victim!
Susan says
Barbara, of all the affected voices tweens – young women use the tiny itsy bitsy little girlie pie one is what makes me gag! I could agree with you more.
Gayle says
Sorry to say I can be guilty of an infraction. My boys (grown up…but fun, it is all phunny). The saying…”oh Tay”. After reading the comments, I guess I will only do it with my children. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.
Tori Lennox says
Oh my gosh! That drives me nuts too! And I never knew why! Thanks for sharing this! 🙂
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Tori, I have to wonder if the women who use it think it’s sexy? All they would have to do is hear themselves to know the answer…
Ann says
I agree. I’ve noticed the Kardashians use it a lot – but they’re also very annoying on so many levels. I didn’t know there was a name for it. It’s strange that people who use it are considered educated by their peers. I think it compares to the airheaded Valley Girls.
Good post.
Ann
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ann, I wasn’t shocked about a lot of the information on the clip, but that tidbit floored me. Educated by their peers?!? That boggles the mind…
Jackie J. Griffey says
Did they think no one would notice?
Libby Dodd says
Oh my god! You mean, like, I’m behind the times?! OMG! I can’t have that! I mean, really, like I have to change?
Bummer.
Gayle says
Oh wow…that is too funny! ;-D
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Libby, get with the times! Now go start working on your vocal fry!
marion says
I’m, like reaaaaaaaaaly hard, you know, hearing, so, like, I really hate all vocal affectations, you know what I meeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaan? (Good heavens. When I think of how feeble my efforts probably are here….., I just really, could, like scream, y’knooooow!)
Helen says
Funny! Try loading your latest story with that kind of dialect, and see all the Baby Boomers suddenly wake up. Recognition!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
For surezzz, Marion!
Julia says
It sounds a bit like gargling without the mouthwash to me. Not what I would call pleasing to the ear, but I confess I find it rather amusing. Ultimately it’s a trend and like all trends, it will eventually give way to something new. At least it’s not as dangerous as in times past when some women took up smoking to give themselves a throatier voice.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Julia, you are not kidding about women who took up smoking to look and sound sexy. Watching as many old black and white movies as I do, I am amazed at how few actresses didn’t smoke on screen.