It isn’t very often that speech pathology stories make it onto the opinion pages but recently I’ve seen any number of op-eds and news reports on two subjects: vocal fry and “uptalk”. Here’s a satirical take from the WP opinion page.
“Vocal fry” is a low, vibrating or buzzing quality in the voice, particularly at the end of sentences. It can be aggravated by vocal abuse—shouting, singing incorrectly, smoking. It may be behavioral—sometimes it may even have become fashionable. The research that I’ve read suggests that pitching one’s voice in the wrong register is a major cause. Many women pitch their voices below their natural register, producing vocal fry. It is extremely common in Hollywood actresses. Men can get it too, sometimes by pitching their voices too high.
“Uptalk” is clearly social in nature. It is the tendency for young women today to end every sentence with a rising inflection. It’s taken as lack of confidence but I suspect it’s largely just imitative and habitual. Today’s analog to “Valleyspeak”.
I’m mostly amused by the entire suggestion. In 30 years you’ll be able to identify women of a certain age by their uptalk which is probably not the effect they’re going for.
. It is the tendency for young women today to end every sentence with a rising inflection
We’re all Canadians now……
Eh?
I’m reminded more of Aussies and Kiwis. While in school I had a group of friends from those countries, and they all practiced uptalking- the guys and the girls (in fact I remember it being more common among the males, though maybe I just noticed it more since it wasn’t common among other men of my acquaintance.)
The op-eds are at LEAST two years behind the times. I’ve been reading complaints about vocal fry for at least that long. (And had been annoyed by it for a time before that, though I didn’t know what it was called.)
It all brings to mind that mid-battle cri de coeur of The Tick: “ENUNCIATE!”
I don’t give a damn. We’ve got the Cup. Ya hey dere………..