I spent most of my teenage years, from roughly ages 13 to 18, babysitting. Now this might come as a surprise to some of you, considering how cool and popular you know be to be, but my Saturday nights usually consisted of looking after little 'uns instead of going out with friends, dancing, drinking and listening to that new-fangled "rock and roll" music.
But I loved babysitting. I made $5/hour, and all I did was play with the kiddies for a couple of hours, put them to bed, and then do my homework until their parents got home (and by that, I mean I watched MuchMusic with my Calculus textbook open beside me.) But I learned a lot, including how to give three children piggy-back rides simultaneously. And I also learned how to read bedtime stories.
Now my performances weren't exactly RSC-caliber, but I grew quite adept at "doing the voices". Which brings me to the point of my post -- I've been listening to a lot of audiobooks lately, and I've been cracking up at the over the top narration. I understand why the actors use different inflections and accents, so that we can distinguish one character from another. And I understand why they have actors narrating instead of the authors (because first of all, some, like Shakespeare, are dead. And secondly, it's a widely known fact that writer can't read well.)
But it just cracks me up how hammy it all sounds. Like I'm listening to Angels and Demons now (and can I just say, Dan Brown's writing even more painful to listen to than to read!), and in a period of one minute, I hear Cockney, American nasal twang and indecipherable European accents. It's hilarious. And as the daughter of a speech-pathologist, I'm impressed. There's already a niche market for speech-pathologists who work with Hollywood actors (like Renee Zellwegger when she played Bridget Jones) but this could be a new field.
Anywho, it snowed in Jerusalem, and the city freaked out and shut down. It also snowed in Toronto, but we're not so wimpy. Here I am, shovelling the driveway.
And here's a video of someone sledding down a hill on a picnic table.
But I loved babysitting. I made $5/hour, and all I did was play with the kiddies for a couple of hours, put them to bed, and then do my homework until their parents got home (and by that, I mean I watched MuchMusic with my Calculus textbook open beside me.) But I learned a lot, including how to give three children piggy-back rides simultaneously. And I also learned how to read bedtime stories.
Now my performances weren't exactly RSC-caliber, but I grew quite adept at "doing the voices". Which brings me to the point of my post -- I've been listening to a lot of audiobooks lately, and I've been cracking up at the over the top narration. I understand why the actors use different inflections and accents, so that we can distinguish one character from another. And I understand why they have actors narrating instead of the authors (because first of all, some, like Shakespeare, are dead. And secondly, it's a widely known fact that writer can't read well.)
But it just cracks me up how hammy it all sounds. Like I'm listening to Angels and Demons now (and can I just say, Dan Brown's writing even more painful to listen to than to read!), and in a period of one minute, I hear Cockney, American nasal twang and indecipherable European accents. It's hilarious. And as the daughter of a speech-pathologist, I'm impressed. There's already a niche market for speech-pathologists who work with Hollywood actors (like Renee Zellwegger when she played Bridget Jones) but this could be a new field.
Anywho, it snowed in Jerusalem, and the city freaked out and shut down. It also snowed in Toronto, but we're not so wimpy. Here I am, shovelling the driveway.
And here's a video of someone sledding down a hill on a picnic table.
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