The Valley Girls

[amberskyi]

Yeah this is quite strange. I thought they would have realized by the time I made my second post which stated that I myself am black and have experienced the same thing by speaking really proper.
I'm puzzled by them thinking that by "valley girl" I'm attacking speaking with proper english. I'm speaking about a particular speech style and pattern rather that saying someone should sound ghetto to be authentic (wtf???).. A speech pattern that has always been portrayed as "aloof, dingy, dim witted etc...". I'm not sure when this became the model of the way "black people sound when they're educated" as these posters seem to suggest.
I'm lost, but I think this is an example of as black people we are overly sensitive to things at times. Particularly Amberskyi in this situation. I've already explained that I wasn't attacking black people that speak proper english BECAUSE I'M ONE OF THEM. So explain to me why are YOU continuing this when someone posts something about the OP that obviously didn't take the time to read through the entire thread and doesn't know all that I've written as you do?

Obviously i wasn't the only one that was confused about your meaning.
I've been accused of sounding like a valley girl (more specifically like a belong in the 90s film "clueless") by my black peers.
I took it in the context in which it applied to me, which is all one really can do...go off of personal experience.

[dafame]

"Ebonics" or so called Black speech is just as much of a put on "learned" speech pattern as "Valley girl" or "Jersey Shore" speech is.

First let me explain that I'm not talking about the Chanel chick specifically because she very well could be from a well to do family from Valencia or something for all I know.
But this seems to be the go-to style for the girls and I'm just curious as to why? If you're an "uneducated ghetto person" that destroys the english language, talking like the girls from Clueless isn't going to make you any more educated or give you a higher vernacular.
Why not just be yourself whatever that is? It has nothing to do with the type of words you use or you level of vocabulary, it has to do with certain style of speech that is, if nothing else annoying to hear it over and over again from every girl. They couldn't all be from the valley could they? Hell I know bitched from Inglewood that talk like that so where did they "learn" it?

[dafame]

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 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.

Obviously i wasn't the only one that was confused about your meaning.
I've been accused of sounding like a valley girl (more specifically like a belong in the 90s film "clueless") by my black peers.
I took it in the context in which it applied to me, which is all one really can do...go off of personal experience.

So a single day goes by and you forget all about this? We have got to stop being so sensitive to every little thing. This is why when we have a legitimate gripe no one wants to hear it. If you would have just taken the time to think about my initial statement (that goes for the other people that you pointed out as well) you would have understood that it was meant for you or someone like you "an educated black person that understands how to speak proper english and doesn't feel as though they SHOULD sound like an ignorant, uneducated, ghetto person", because the post had absolutely nothing to do someone sounded educated because there's nowhere in that style of dialect that says "she's got doctorates degree written all over her". That's a big misconception in your head if that's what you believe "Valley Girl" equates to.
Okay so there's no such thing as a fake person anymore. No one's worried about "keeping it real" anymore (I just thought about it and realized that I'm the only person still saying that.. Damn). You know what, fuck it. Starting tomorrow I'm sounding like the guy from the "Most Interesting Man in the World" commercials. End of story.

[amberskyi]

Oh hun but everyone loves me *bates eyes*

[TsChanelCouture]

@dafame Hi, this is Chanel Couture! I have just now stumbled across your posting regarding your curiosity about the way I speak. First off, I am not from southern California (speciafically the valley) nor have a claimed to be. I am a southern girl, from North Carolina and very proud of where I have traveled from. I am college educated and I know how to conduct myself well in the way that I speak. It is simply my natural feminine voice which I have developed while transitioning. I've always been very soft spoken, however I always speak clearly with good diction. I do still have a splash of my southern accent in my voice, but it has faded slightly since I've been in Cali. I do not try to speak "white" as you would say. Honestly, I don't think anyone should label or associate someone's dialect or tone of voice with a specific race. You speak how you speak.. I don't try to sound like someone else or a group of people who I think are superior, because I don't think any group of people are superior to myself.

Addressing the comment you made about "white clients" .. I don't change my voice for them or any others, I'm just me.. They either like it or they don't, but I've never had one to tell me that I sound like a valley girl or that they think I sound "white over the phone. They always tell me how professional, sweet, and well mannered I sound, nothing less. I don't find the valley talk much appealing myself, but hey its just an opinion.