The Valley Girls

[dafame]

I have a question for the ladies and the guys. I have had a few black ts friends throughout my days. Many of them were friends that stemmed from a previous relationship with a tgirl many years ago. I've been able to see how they act in various scenarios and there's always been something that puzzled me. They all have very feminine voices but when they would answer the phone for a prospective client they would go from their regular speaking voice (which was that of a black woman) to sounding like a valley girl.

What made me think of this was I just got done watching a video of the lovely Chanel Couture. It was my first time hearing her voice and the way she sounded was a prime example of a black chick attempting to imitate the cadence, tonality, general dialect of (typically speaking) white dialect.

Ladies if you know this to be true of yourself can you please chime in and explain?

White clients, are you more inclined to date a black chick that sounds this way?

[amberskyi]

people say i sound white all the time but im pretty sure that only ignorant people expect me to sound like some ghetto stereotype of what a black woman is.sorry that im educated,have a decent vocabulary and a grasp on proper grammer.
and yes i thumbed this down lol

[mmolotov75]

I think this question is coming from an honest place so I will extract the snark. These black women are engaging in what is known as "code switching". We all do it to a greater or lesser extent. You don't talk to your boss while reporting at your quarterly all-hands the same way you talk to your drinking buddy during that pay day night. These women address clients in a way that will be received with comfort, to put their customers at ease. This might involve a valley girl approximation instead of the usual colloquialisms she might normally use to communicate. By the way, not every black woman comes for the same background, so there are black women of middle and upper class background out there that have to code switch in the reverse of what you might expect.

[dafame]

people say i sound white all the time but im pretty sure that only ignorant people expect me to sound like some ghetto stereotype of what a black woman is.sorry that im educated,have a decent vocabulary and a grasp on proper grammer.
and yes i thumbed this down lol

This was just dripping with ignorance so I'll just point it out but refuse to address it. I've seen this same sentiment from you in various other posts and it needs to stop. You are so quick to attack with even the slightest hint that someone is in some way insulting your self perception. Be happy with what and who you are and stop coming across like the "angry black transsexual woman". Dropping that will be a much better look for you.

I think this question is coming from an honest place so I will extract the snark. These black women are engaging in what is known as "code switching". We all do it to a greater or lesser extent. You don't talk to your boss while reporting at your quarterly all-hands the same way you talk to your drinking buddy during that pay day night. These women address clients in a way that will be received with comfort, to put their customers at ease. This might involve a valley girl approximation instead of the usual colloquialisms she might normally use to communicate. By the way, not every black woman comes for the same background, so there are black women of middle and upper class background out there that have to code switch in the reverse of what you might expect.

I understand where you're coming from. As a black man being born and raised in Southern California I would already be considered "proper" in many other places in the country, but I'm even proper from California standards. To the point to where as a young man I had to almost teach myself how to not be so proper in certain scenarios and around certain crowds. Makes sense. I understand it the other way as well that as black people we've conditioned ourselves to speak a certain way when in the presence of whites, particularly in a work environment. It's just in some of the girls cases it seems like a bit over the top but I suppose the same principles would apply here as well.

[amberskyi]

Lol I'm not angry,i just speak my mind without any filter.I'm happy with who i am which is why i strive to not be anything other than me.my whole life i got called "oreo cookie" or "siddity"because of the way i talk and my interest.sure i could try to fit into the popular perception of what black is but that would be untrue to myself.
Ignorant is thinking that a race of people have to speak a certain way.check yourself

[MacShreach]

I think this question is coming from an honest place so I will extract the snark. These black women are engaging in what is known as "code switching". We all do it to a greater or lesser extent. You don't talk to your boss while reporting at your quarterly all-hands the same way you talk to your drinking buddy during that pay day night. These women address clients in a way that will be received with comfort, to put their customers at ease. This might involve a valley girl approximation instead of the usual colloquialisms she might normally use to communicate. By the way, not every black woman comes for the same background, so there are black women of middle and upper class background out there that have to code switch in the reverse of what you might expect.

That was succinct and accurate.

Actually I am always horrified when people (usually English ones) think I'm English just because I'm educated and doing exactly that...were I to speak to them in the Mearns Doric I grew up with (and still speak when I go home), they would not understand a word. Not one word.

[Dino Velvet]

Never understood why anyone would try to pick up the accent from the wrong side of the hill. Helloooooo Tarzana.

[Willie Escalade]

Chanel actually talks like that.

[dafame]

Never understood why anyone would try to pick up the accent from the wrong side of the hill. Helloooooo Tarzana.

That's hilarious...LOL

Chanel actually talks like that.

Okay I'll accept that coming from you Willie. It just came across as a bit unauthentic, not unlike things that I've heard from girls I know personally that don't speak that way in personal settings. But I suppose she perhaps actually grew up "in the Valley" or Tarzana or some shit..lol

[Dino Velvet]

This is a popular accent in Sherman Oaks. Aaaaaaalllllwaysssssss...

Hit it Mofaz.