How to Offend with an Accent

"We are French! Why do you think I have this ridiculous accent?"
-- John Cleese in Monty Python and the Holy Grail

In The New York Times review of the new Phantom of the Opera movie, critic A.O. Smith left me openmouthed with this comment:

"Although everyone in the movie is supposed to be French, only Miranda Richardson, as the head of the corps de ballet, attempts a French accent."

This is precisely what I have been talking about on this site.

Imagine, if you will, if American-English-speaking Director Joel Schumaker had insisted on casting a Spaniard in the role of the French Phantom; a Greek in the role of the French heroine, Christine; and a Canadian in the role of French romantic rival Vicomte Raoul de Chigny.

No real problems yet, right? After all, there is no practical or reasonable reason to limit the cast only to French natives, or Franco-Americans.

Here's where the exercise gets fun. Let's continue by imagining that:

1. Only ONE of these actors speaks French
2. ALL of them could speak English -- but ONLY with a thick accent, and no genuine grasp of the language
3. The director speaks ONLY English, not understanding a single word of French, Spanish, Greek, or Canadian.

Finally, let's have the director tell the actors, "We'll be shooting the whole movie in English. But since your characters are French, say your lines in English, but with a French accent."

Sounds completely outlandish, doesn't it?

Well, it is precisely what director Rob Marshall is doing with the upcoming film Memoirs of a Geisha.

Reading that a NY Times critic like Smith would want such a thing in a film was beyond belief. It is the same as expecting all Black Americans in films to speak with a ghetto gangbanger accent - whether the story called for it or not.

It is racism. It is prejudice. It is stereotyping.

Please note, though, that despite my use of these harsh words, I emphatically am NOT accusing Smith or anyone else of such things. I am absolutely certain that Smith did NOT make the statement with any intent of malice.

I was guilty of the same insensitivity back in the late 1980s. My female roommate at the time called me "sexist" because I consistently used masculine pronouns ("he", "him", "his") over feminine ones ("she", "her"). I had no intent of being sexist, yet, with her pointing out of my unthinkingly sexist language, I became aware of the issue and how it affected others.

Specifically, how it could offend, irritate, and embarass both the recipient and myself. Regardless of intent.

Offending others is no minor matter. It has led to needlessly hurt feelings and wars in the past, after all. While I doubt anyone will take up arms over A.O. Smith's remark, over this Geisha film, or even over my past sexism, offending one's audience is never something to be taken lightly.

Having my own unintentional sexism pointed out to me was embarassing, but it opened my eyes. And if it can happen to me, it can happen to everyone. Even Rob Marshall.