Accents In Comedy

Accents are probably among the easiest things to make fun of especially since the English language is so very rich in them. Interestingly, the regional variation of accents is larger in the UK than in the US, take the Scottish accent for example and compare it to accents from England. A lovely parody of this accent was posted under Smith And Jones (Lighthouse sketch). Other than these, the social background may also have a significant role. The Cockney accent spoken by the working classes especially in the East End of London is also a frequent target for parody. The above little parody matches the Cockney accent mocking that of Janet Street Porter versus the Scottish accent of Billy Connolly. Interestingly, Connolly here is being interviewed by his later wife, Pamela Stephenson. And finally, the Yorkshire accent and mentality should also be mentioned here due to its not uncommon appearance in comedy. The sketch below from the comedy duo Hale and Pace (the former was born in Yorkshire) is a good example.