What Is Blaccent And Why Do People Keep Using It?

[@marcelaperez4126]

I grew up in the “hood” so I didn’t know I myself did that until I got a job in a more predominantly Caucasian community. I found myself having to “fix” the way I speak and I would be embarrassed to let my guard down. Which made me realize that I was wrong because unfortunately that’s who I am. I can’t fix something that I picked up my whole life.

[@mperezmcfinn2511]

Same here. Your comment stood out to me because we almost have the same name.

[@TPayne-qy9ok]

I also grew up in the hood and that is how everyone spoke, but you have to remember that actually the Black cent came from field masters who were white. African who came here did not speak English, so they picked up the accent from under or uneducated whites.

[@marcelaperez4126]

@@mperezmcfinn2511 WHOA!!! No way! Lol that’s cooln

[@marcelaperez4126]

@@TPayne-qy9ok yes, I always try to be mindful… thank you!

[@jasonrenicks7670]

If something is picked up it can be put down, it's all learned behaviour, I'm not saying it's easy, look at Thomas sowell

[@johnconnor210]

Forgot to mention hip hop. Hip Hop has had a big cultural impact on young Americans for the last 30+ yrs or so. That's why we see alot more people of this generation speaking in a tone more associated with how some black people speak. To certain extent it can be considerd a complement as to say the greatest form of flattery is imitation. But at the same time some people take it too far which makes them disingenuous. I believe the coolest thing anybody can do is be yourself. Don't try and be something you're not.

[@bluebellegreen2804]

This one rando lady is not an authority on anything at all!! It's called: POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTUREPOP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE

[@ayanna3238]

beautifully said!

[@themanwithaplane3593]

I think america has always had this problem of imitating other cultures and not giving credit where credit is do and still being privileged.

[@nippy7425]

@@themanwithaplane3593 White apologist spotted

[@martinvanburen4578]

right....but then it's only in certain contexts. they can drop the accent when it is no longer in a urban environment.

[@r4vnclaw]

i think that people have to understand the difference between a someone who grew up around people who spoke standard american english with a standard american dialect who use aave to sound cool and trendy (which makes me uncomfortable/ makes me cringe) and someone who grew up in an area where aave is the common way to speak because for those individuals it’s simply how they talk and how they’ve always spoken which in my opinion is understandable. i grew up around both forms of speech so i sound like a mixture of both it just depends on the person, who they are around and where they’re from.

[@bluebellegreen2804]

It's called: POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTUREPOP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE

[@kithalie]

Understandable. It is something that needs to be included also. I lived in Texas half my life with a lot of white people from the country moved to florida to a ghetto area the other half of my life and where I'm living now. I'm a mixture of both and also my small latin accent mixed in as well. Not trying to justify or normalize it, but it's not just predominantly a speech that is owned. It is something learned from a young age that is very hard to change. The people that are obviously faking and forcing it to fit in are the problem. Just like the terms she mentioned people use nowadays. "Sis, periodt, etc" I will never say those terms to fit in or sound cool.

[@chichichichichichiOwO]

Man imagine saying an entire group of people sound the same no matter where they live. It's not me.

[@entityoflunar]

indeed, bc aave is a racial dialect really, you can always tell when they [the internet mfs] lyin abt growin up usin aave, bc it's different dependin on yo region. southern aave different from northern aave, western differs from eastern, ykwim. so, it's mad easy to tell when they bein fr, or out here frontin abt growin up around it. i heard a hoe talkin abt "i'm from the north" while usin southern aave [the one i use bc i am black n from the south.] , like bitch, if you don't get yo ass up outta here wit that tomfoolery tf 💀

[@r4vnclaw]

@@chichichichichichiOwO i never said that it’s regional and depending on where u grew up

[@NoahSpurrier]

In high school there were cliques, of course. There was a black group with just one super white, Nordic blonde girl. She had the timbre, spoke in AAVE, she had braids. I got to know her a bit. Apparently she grew up in a mostly black home and neighborhood. She wasn’t adopting or faking anything.

[@blakjak38]

Yeah, but we’re not talking about non-blacks who grew up around blacks. This documentary is about non-blacks who appropriated African-American manners of speech for their own commercial success.

[@BurningheartofSILVER]

@@blakjak38 If that’s true and the video was making a distinction between non-blacks who adopt a blackcent to appropriate and those non-blacks with a genuine blackcent *then that should have been stated.* But there wasn’t even a single mention of the fact that non-black people exist in our communities as well. You can’t blame people commenting on a part of the discussion that this video essay very blatantly left out. The whole “if it don’t apply, let it fly” has no place in an educational video. There’s nuance to these things!

[@apcolleen]

I didn't realize until I was an adult and saw the racial dot map of the 2010 US census just how segregated my home city was. It was then I realized not everyone had black and Asian friends like I did. I live in Atlanta now and I have often used AAEV to help make people feel more comfortable and to signal I'm not from Cobb county.

[@baggyjeans127]

@@bossshxtonlyyall act like african americans dont have culture, we do have AAVE and blaccents, but blaccents differ by region, nobody ever said all black ppl talk and act a certain way but to deny the fact that most of us do is crazy

[@voyagersmarch8776]

bet she's a single mom now

[@eoincampbell1584]

I would really want to see a linguists take on this as well. Because there is a fine line between exploitative appropriation and the adoption of certain linguistic elements just from cultural osmosis and the natural shifts of language.

[@VOLCAL]

A LINGUISTS WOULD HAVE TO POINT OUT THE TRUTH THAT BLACENT JUST BLKS STEALLING THE ENTIRETY OF WHTE SOUTHERN SPEAK...

[@VOLCAL]

YALL AINT WANNA GO DOWN THAT PATH CAUSE THEN YALL START REALIZING THAT 99% OF AFRCN AMERICAN CULTURE JUST REHASHED WHTE CULTURE

[@VOLCAL]

ITS CLOSE TO 200 YEARS SINCE SLAVERY ENDED. WHY AINT MOST OF THESE BLK PEOPLE GOT AFCN NAMES BY NOW...??? YALL KNOW YALL CARRYING AROUND THE SLAVE MASTAAAAS NAME RIGHT...AND YALL DO IT SOO PROUDLY TOO.....

[@VOLCAL]

SOULFOOF JUST A REHASHED OF WHITE SOUTHETN FOOD.....DID BLKS EVER CREATE ANYTHING AT ALL???

[@eoincampbell1584]

@@VOLCAL Hey dude, I'm not sure it's fair to say that modern black American culture isn't valid because it has overlap with and clear effects from the dominating culture. I come from a country colonized by Britain. Our original religion, language, and culture have been almost completely destroyed. But that doesn't mean we don't have a unique culture in the modern day or that our culture is just a "rehash" of Britain's. In many ways our modern culture is made in part from the resistance to the dominating one, and I'm sure it's the same for many black Americans. Also to say that "slavery ended 200 years ago" and therefore its effects shouldn't be present in the modern day... Well first of all it's been 159 years, not 200. And secondly to say that completely ignores the other forms of oppression levied upon the black population in America. Segregation, vote suppression, red lining, police brutality, mass incarceration. Also, just plain old discrimination. Like how people with more stereotypically black sounding or African names are often passed over, hence why many black Americans do not take african names (not that they'd need to to prove that they have their own culture, as you seem to be implying.)

[@cravebgc]

The problem is when they’re using that “voice” to fit in or sound cool when they don’t talk like that on a regular basis and definitely didn’t grow up speaking that way . People who naturally talk in that way get criticized for improper grammar, get told that they “sound ghetto,” or that people can’t understand them .. it does get frustrating at times to see the double standard.

[@jfreeze01]

This!!!! I know a lot of people who aren’t black that only talk this way when they’re around black ppl and it gets annoying like is that not a sort of mockery?💀💀💀

[@jfreeze01]

@@suzy5962 well honestly I feel like that’s very understandable! It’s not whenever anyone does it that I think it could be a problem, it’s just when people do it to seem cool, like they said in the video. it’s unfair to those who are black and speak that way bc we tend to be looked down upon for speaking the same way. But like in your case, I understand if that’s what you picked up on first! It’s like one of my friends is from Thailand and he tends to have like an English/Australian accent sometimes, since that’s the kind of English he picked up on from the media yk?? I hope this made sense 💀

[@cravebgc]

@@suzy5962 as long as you’re not using the language for fun or look down on the people who speak that way all the time, then cool for you . There’s a double standard when it comes to AAVE . It just seems that people who grew up using Ebonics or AAVE get chastised for it… even though the community they live in uses it all the time.

[@Queenofthatank]

On God but when we bust out proper speech we're "white washed" or "think you're better than us"

[@user-id1qb1vm2s]

Awkwafina literally speaks like this 24/7 thooo

[@freeman042210]

This subject hurts on so many levels! My grandmother came from a family of sharecroppers, could not attend school. Her vernacular was used to mock her, but what could she do? That didn't mean she appreciated it because she had to take it! But now, it was acceptable? No! She was in night school when I was in kindergarten, had basically taught herself to read and count, but had to learn to write her name! It hurts because, I was teased for talking white my whole childhood, by family! She was always so proud, but gave me grief that I wasn't black enough. We are all different, embrace, don't mock and call it admiration!

[@josephkemler6979]

I know .. language is a code to define the boundaries of your group..

[@kazimirawolf]

Both things are dumb af and I'm sorry people ever bullied you and your grandma for that.

[@robokou]

@@josephkemler6979, no. Language has no real boundaries other than what culture puts on it. The problem is that "black culture" is ill-defined and, as such, has no boundaries other than what is politically convenient for white (Leftist) culture. In fact, this video is a great example of what I mean. It is arbitrary nonsense meant to push a political narrative that only serves the white Left.

[@bluebellegreen2804]

Is there some kind of racial purity test I should take before speaking the way I have for my entire life? My great grandfather was black , it doesn't present in my phenotype so do I count as black? Am I allowed to claim it or again, is there a blood test or... This is beyond ignorant. Calling blaccent , "verbal blackface" Is just, it's just false and it's dangerous. I'm as liberal as they come which is exactly why this infuriates me, this is making us into the joke republicans think we are. Black people are a huge part of pop culture. I'm not from a valley but my valley girl "accent" has been my own since I learned to speak. This is policing people in such a ridiculous, sanctimonious, straight up obnoxious way. It's gross.

[@josephkemler6979]

Well..Mick Jagger can be accused...of..dammit! This is so silly..Blaccent my add..just another excuse to be stupid..Noam Chomsky...why did you waste your time on "Elsewhere" when we have problems at home..my Omaha mother taught her Bostonian son (me) to not ridicule folks from the South...

[@SteveSilverActor]

As a white actor, I played a character from Mississippi in a period piece, and I found that the white MS dialect was very similar to AAVE. The Black actors I worked with confirmed that they shared a lot of similarities, but were still distinct. AAVE itself is also not universal and is quite different depending on the region in which it is spoken.

[@lincolnward85]

I've watched different videos breaking down American english by region, and I've always noticed that they usually exclude the different ways that black people speak from one region to the next. It's usually pretty different from the mainstream english spoken in that region.

[@Strawberry.leeraymartinez5829]

It's southern .I was raised around southern yts and I speak what my family speak... Africans learned English when they were picking cotton they tryna make into something deep

[@_sansvisage]

@@lincolnward85 Definitely, there is always cultural mixing happening, so depending on the area, the accent will probably be more influenced by other accents near it.

[@lincolnward85]

@@_sansvisage it's closer in parts of the south, but when you go to the Midwest for instance there's a stark difference.

[@Derrty-DANCE]

Naw 4 sho Im from st.Louis all of my peoples are from Tennessee and Mississippi.

[@LeBasfondMusic]

It's also worth noting that Nick Stewart was fired from Amos and Andy for creating a theatre company in Los Angeles where Black actors could have a space to just be artists and not stereotypes. A lot of actors of all ethnicities had their start there. He and Johnny Lee (also in these clips) wrote plays and musicals together. I don't think they get enough credit for what they were trying to do with the little they had to work with.

[@DivePlane13]

That’s pretty based that he tried to do what he did!

[@souleaterevans4589]

Now there's someone who's actually ahead of their time

[@justdanie7613]

Wow

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

It's also worth noting that black face started off as something very different and later on morphed into what we now think of as black face.

[@bluebellegreen2804]

Is there some kind of racial purity test I should take before speaking the way I have for my entire life? My great grandfather was black , it doesn't present in my phenotype so do I count as black? Am I allowed to claim it or again, is there a blood test or... This is beyond ignorant. Calling blaccent , "verbal blackface" Is just, it's just false and it's dangerous. I'm as liberal as they come which is exactly why this infuriates me, this is making us into the joke republicans think we are. Black people are a huge part of pop culture. I'm not from a valley but my valley girl "accent" has been my own since I learned to speak. This is policing people in such a ridiculous, sanctimonious, straight up obnoxious way. It's gross.

[@suleiman1520]

Can’t wait for the civil, productive discourse in the comments!

[@ironsnowflake1076]

Is that glowing positivity...... sarcasm....or a cheeky combination of both? ;)

[@tecpaocelotl]

Waiting as well.

[@IndomitableAde]

To quote Remy Ma: Set if off then. If you're a G, make it happen.

[@dreadlordken3824]

[grabs popcorn]

[@kelli6339]

@Suleiman best comment so far.

[@elixrofspice2312]

As a black girl who’s been told she talks white because I speak English with no slang. I find telling people they have a blaccent the same thing. Especially if they’re from a part of town where people in general talk like that. Although there are some exceptions where I agree people fake their accent to sound “cool” That’s very true But People sometimes sound like their environments. My mom’s in laws are Indian I lived in Noida for only a little while but her S.I.L says I sound more “desi” than her NRI sons💀. So if a white person grows up in a predominantly black community they can pick some things up.

[@adreonnaharris7867]

Yes, you're gonna pick up slang but ur not gonna pick up a whole "accent" and talk just like a stereotypical "black person" cs those same white parents don't speak like that. And u realize these same white ppl that have blaccents all talk the same no matter what part of America they're from even tho black ppl around America all have different aave terms. Plus those are not the same thing one is racist bc they're assuming that u have to use aave to sound black and the other is just calling out a non-black person for using aave and stereotypical accent u sound stupid lmao

[@wolfwyvern5334]

Same! Black man that's accused of "talking white". the blaccent thing is offsensive. she's comparing people raised in a ghetto enviornment to racist that used to mock us.

[@SCrEenNaMe-i9h]

No such thing as talking white

[@chichichichichichiOwO]

@@SCrEenNaMe-i9h good, because there's no such thing as talking black. It's racist to even think that. "All black people sound the same!"

[@Oshidorinohina]

Talking white? Do you mean talking proper English? because the white people I know mumble their words together and have a deep southern twang

[@ingridfong-daley5899]

I grew up poor in Louisiana. This is how i talk. The sounds of the English language erupt from our faces before we can know or say what color we are. We mirror what we hear in every moment around us, we mimic those we idolise, and even code switch for efficacy and survival as we age. Usage hopefully indicates a tone of sincere intent/identification, but that's dependent on the ability of others to not automatically scream offence by default.

[@dcat78]

I remember an interview with Harry Conic Jr. in the late 80s or early 90s. I thought I was listening to a black man until I looked at the TV. Sadly he lost that accent as he became more mainstream. The New Orleans accents is one of my favorites. You can definitely tell when someone is speaking in their natural accent vs using one for clout, cool points or to be racist.

[@ingridfong-daley5899]

We refer to the accent colloquially as "yat"... like in the phrase "hey dawlin' where y'at?" It's a sound that puts me at ease, physically, so the more 'relaxed' i am, the more likely i am to revert. (Being sleepy or drunk does it too.)@@dcat78

[@aem870]

Excuses.

[@melancholymercury9132]

that makes complete sense but the thing is just that it’s not directed at these kinda niches…we’re not talking about people who sound like the area and circumstances they grew up in we’re talking about the people who adopt a blaccent to sound trendy or mainstream for whatever reason. there’s a huge link to the queer community and the use a AAVE that i’d love to explore more but obviously part of that would be the black people (especially lesbians and trans women and drag queens) who did/are still doing so much for the community with fighting for rights and expressing queerness and being leaders. a lot of words and phrases in the queer community are just AAVE. like slay or periodt. and it tends to go from there to becoming mainstream. not to say these adoptions are malicious, actually i don’t think they are at all but i just think not a lot of thought goes into them- but i’m someone that really love linguistics and when i can i love analyzing words and how to use them (my speech is pretty jumbled though due to some things so this doesn’t always translate in my speech or writing in a causal setting) i think seeming racially ambiguous is as trendy as it is now *because* so many trends and pop culture phenomenon originated from the BIPOC community, especially the black community…but then when *we* do it there’s a huge double standard and criticism, like was mentioned in the video.

[@NonEuclideanTacoCannon]

From Philly, existing: "Stop pretending to be black!" So much performative, self-satisfying, pseudo-religious piety nonsense out there lately. Narcissists infantilizing one group to bully another.

[@kid14346]

The internet slang and Blaccent/AAVE thing is an interesting discussion since a lot of people probably don't even know that it is linked. Like the first time it happened to me was I was quoting a online joke and my brother asked, "Why are you talking like a black guy?" (for context i am 110% white) and I was like, 'What? I'm just saying a thing I saw online?' and it wasn't until I actively researched into a lot of meme origins that I realized that most things in all of society, memes/music/fashion/culture, start in black communities and circles, get adopted by queer black communities, get adopted by white queer communities, then they finally are adopted by the mainstream. The distilling and strain of the original ideas causing them to be mostly lost by the time it is in the mainstream.

[@zioqqr4262]

also outside the US literally nobody knows or cares about AAVE. It just sounds/reads better/funnier than official english lol

[@imacarguy4065]

This is serious echo chamber thinking. How diversified was your research? I'm not white. I'm from the Caribbean. Memes, music, fashion and culture (how can you say that last one unironically?) come from very diversified sources. Usually European.

[@zioqqr4262]

@@imacarguy4065 probably(hopefully) hyperbole. tho it *is* interesting how human rights movements in the US and europe affected language, music, media and fashion, so its not like they were completely wrong.

[@TheStreetFiles]

@@zioqqr4262 "It is interesting how human rights movements in the US and europe affected language, music, media and fashion" Please further elaborate. BECAUSE history will show black culture and other minority groups have been influencing mainstream culture all the same. Black culture didn't not become more influential because of the civil rights movement.

[@zioqqr4262]

@@TheStreetFiles Dont feel like elaborating. Very confused, your words agree with me but you phrased it like a counter,,

[@JobvanderZwan]

I'm not from the US, I'm from the Netherlands. In my personal experience we don't really have blaccent here (well, I'm sure there are people who adopt Black English but that's not what I mean), but of course we do have ethnic minorities who each bring accents and slang from their native language to Dutch. And on that note I do remember from my high school period that I had white classmates who wanted to show off how "street" they were by adopting stereotypical accents associated with certain immigrant minorities, like Moroccan or Turkish Dutch (or some kind of mix because it all sounded "the same" to them). So it seems this somehow tends to pop up whenever there is structural racism in a society.

[@yvonneplant9434]

Did you notice that a lot black Americans do not use blaccent? There are class issues involved. The new Supreme Court justice does not use it and neither does any black person she.personally knows.

[@PHlophe]

Job, i actually lived in the NL. There is a variery ot blaccent within the NL cultures , nobody is insulated. The dutch were the first to enslave black people and as such the first to be exposed to a variety of it within the entire Benelux spaces. All those suriname and Aruba accents bled into to dutch like everywhere else including Portugal and Brasil .

[@BigTimeShowdown]

True. I am also from the Netherlands and that is exactly what came to my mind. People (including middle and upper class white kids) are using perfectly regular Afro-Surinamese words and call it "street language" which is actually the same type of insult to a peoples and culture. It's linguistic blackface as these non-black people (I include everybody who is not of ( obvious) (partial) African decent) can always drop it and opt out of something black people can not.

[@gavinhenry8671]

You don't need an accent, your Santa Claus is running around with a slave in black face!

[@Iluvrocket]

That’s really an interesting insight

[@Scweetoof]

My problem with “blaccents” is that people will shame black people for the way some of us normally talk, but when someone non-black uses its “trendy Gen z slang” and “just how they talk” (which I get is the case for some but NOT all) Were expected to be okay with it but it isn’t fair, it isn’t flattering, it honestly it just feels like a mockery to many of us.

[@therabbithat]

Right, all the comments are defending the right of white people to appropriate this and this is the first one to point out Black people lose opportunities because of racist perception of these ways of speaking

[@yarsaz4347]

Yeah but then the people looking down on those dialects are wrong, not the none black people who've adopted it.

[@pikabiga]

I get annoyed when I hear people use it and they’re not black. Especially when it’s obvious they did not grow up talking like that, or even have friends like that. Some of it is environmental, but then when I hear like. Nonblacks hollering and using aave it’s just embarrassing. Like I know your parents did not raise u like that, Samantha/Kieran. LOL it’s so clueless

[@just2botheru]

You forgot the black people that call black folks that speak "proper" English "white" and other crap to demean them.

[@browneyesblackdragon7999]

Yup

[@NWednesdayQuansah]

As a black person, hearing non-black people use blaccent is almost unbearably painful. And, you can definitely tell if it's someone genuine way of speaking or not. Eminem clearly just speaks how he speaks because of where and how he grew up. A lot of people are just speaking that way for clout, and it's so cringe.

[@EbsSeven]

@isatherebel1520 He has a tone to his voice, you can tell he is w white man because of that.

[@sdean1978]

@@EbsSevenI grew up in PG County, MD which is one of the few majority black counties in America. Most white folks there have a natural blaccent, like Eminem, but you can still tell they are white from the tone. I always thought it was weird people thought Eminem was black until they saw him cause I knew he was white from the second I heard him in Forgot About Dre. You get an ear for it when growing up around it and immersed in it.

[@LoveLove10080]

@@sdean1978samee, Charles County is a close second

[@MultiBuck23]

Naw all I hear is a country white boy

[@chuinnim24]

@@sdean1978 Generally agree! I don't know if it's all blacks, but many if not most do seem to have a deeper, more resonant tone (more bass perhaps). I can usually pick us out by voice alone even when speaking other languages or accents such as British blacks or French blacks. Pretty interesting phenomenon I never hear anyone acknowledge.

[@jacksoncowsert6964]

What people seem to fail to understand is that when you have a cultural melting pot such as the United States, culture is going to unavoidably be adopted and practiced by people it might not have belonged to initially. That’s not something that can be controlled. From my perspective, the actual issue is the part of society that demeans and views people of color as inferior for aspects of their culture, yet awards white people for doing the same. That being said, the problem isn’t white or non-black people adopting a ‘blaccent’. This is simply an example of addressing the wrong crowd.

[@moonbootz5499]

i think that most people know this, as it’s what was explained in the video, also it’s sort of just common sense that it’s going to happen lol. that doesn’t make every instance of it happening okay, sometimes people need to review their behavior and adjust so as not to be appropriative. we can address both issues, its the only way to allow black creatives to thrive. i personally prefer the salad bowl to the melting pot, it’s a lot less touchy.

[@jacksoncowsert6964]

@@moonbootz5499 You say people should “review their behavior and adjust so as not to be appropriative” yet have no reasoning as to how appropriation within any other context than what I mentioned is harmful. The gatekeeping of culture within a society built on immigration and hence has countless cultures and subcultures is not rational. The context in which appropriation is harmful is only found through the fact that society rewards white people for the initial trends, ideas, etc. of poc. Therefore, my point stands in that this is solely the fault of society, not directly those who are adopting elements of other cultures.

[@arcturionblade1077]

I mean, when Eminem can make millions from his rapping and Wu Tang Clan achieved fame and fortune with their appropriation of Asian culture in their music style as well, where do we draw the line?

[@jacksoncowsert6964]

@@arcturionblade1077 That’s my point. There’s no need to draw a line with those people. Those people aren’t the problem. Its those in society who prefer white artists over non-white artists.

[@mikebaugus4859]

@@arcturionblade1077 You don't.

[@erikadlloyd5586]

Awafina got in trouble about her blaccent because she talked about how speaking in a stereotypical Asian accent is like degrading to her.

[@PHlophe]

that is exactly what i was thinking. had she not say that she would have escaped with a basic apology. so she understood exacty what she was using it for.

[@BrighamYen]

Got in trouble by who? Angry leftist mobsters with their pitchforks salivating at the next made-up problem to get mad about so they can waste their time trying to cancel someone? Oh yeah.

[@privatewars5039]

#Trump will be staged assasinated on 8/4/22 AND the space needle will fall in June 11th and 14th THIS YEAR⚠️⚠️❗❗❗a fake depiction of ELVIS will appear when it happens ❗❗DO NOT FALL FOR IT--JESUS CHRIST IS LORD ❗❗ IT WILL ALL BE STAGED BY SATAN AND THE ILLUMINATI kzbin.info/www/bejne/q3m0k5iMqMuIqac

[@curmudgeonmisanthrope8985]

The disgustingly racist duality of Asian-Americanness

[@lemonaidebey6190]

Soooooo hypocritical

[@BeccaBrodtman]

I dated a southern guy for 3 years and after a while I found myself pronouncing words just like him. A New Yorker with a twang wasn’t something I was aiming for but it’s strangely just naturally happened. There is a huge difference between putting on an accent for laughs, as opposed to those who grew up around it and naturally speak that way. I liked this video, was great to see Mister Chuck Berry👌 Can’t wait to see what’s next

[@winxclubstellamusa]

I agree! But that happened naturally, you weren’t trying to fake it for whatever reason. Those who fake it are so gross.

[@sarahirwin1769]

I had roommates from Wisconsin and ended up with a Wisconsin accent for about 3 years. I've never been to Wisconsin.

[@winxclubstellamusa]

@@sarahirwin1769 that’s hilarious 😂

[@georgewilson4402]

I'm a New Yorker, and when I heard what AAVE was, I thought "that's just how the people in my neighborhood talk." In Queens, Latinos speak in that rhythm too. When I hear AAVE, I just think of NY. Sure, you have white people in the city who don't sound like that. But you can't say "this is how black people only talk." I agree that there are people who appropriate slang and stuff and that's stupid. But at the same time, I can't see this shit as problematic, as the woman says in the video.

[@winxclubstellamusa]

@@georgewilson4402 I agree. Urban speak is the natural way that people of all colors speak. Those environments are not solely inhabited by black people.

[@urdin2242]

Short answer, people started doing it because black culture became pop culture.

[@stphnmrrs3982]

When Awkwafina plays more serious roles, like in the phenomenal The Farewell, she speaks with her regular accent which makes the comedic performances she does with the ultra affected blaccent feel even more minstrely.

[@marl3ymarl3y86]

How do you know her comedic performances aren’t done in her normal voice and for serious roles she codeswitches to “non black” way of talking?

[@alexnndder]

@@marl3ymarl3y86 she's not black...therefore she can't code switch

[@int0thedepths]

@@alexnndder quick google search shows she grew up in a predominantly white and Asian area of Queens so I doubt she grew up with a black accent at all. I've never been there though so I can't say for certain.

[@int0thedepths]

I've only seen/heard her in The Dark Crystal AoR and Shang Chi so I was definitely shocked by the clips. The Oceans Eleven one is especially bad.

[@abby4115]

And the fact that she doubled-down when she was asked to adress it makes it even worse

[@tee4678]

Instead of preventing people from adopting it, I think it would be better to help people stop judging it as inferior, cause it's not. In America, it's probably one of the most influential accents. It deserves respect for inspiring so much of American pop culture.

[@ikhbjhbkm5]

Great take, I agree. if judging a person by how they say something versus what they say, is your thing, then it's pretty clear where the inferiority lies.

[@SCHRODINGERS_WHORE]

Tell that to employers.🤷🏿‍♀️

[@Scweetoof]

I love this outlook, this is very true.

[@sydneycho7290]

Yikes

[@Mistysilvermist]

Don't need yts telling us to what to do

[@socool245]

The issue specifically with aquafina is the hypocrisy...she refused to lean into broken English stereotypes regarding asians in order to get ahead but failed to see how she was super okay with using black stereotypes in speach dress nd mannerisms

[@MaxRamos8]

It's impossible to please everyone, period

[@marilynmonheaux]

Listen to her sing New York City it’s basically like You Ain’t Nothin but a Hound Dog

[@rhashadcarter2051]

She’s from New York…

[@meanjune]

I don't get the hate she got for her accent. She's a girl who grew up in Queens. "Accents" might have their roots and origins from specific groups of people, but there is no gatekeeping them. People are all the same, we mingle, we spread. I grew up in LA, and I have Asian friends who sound more "black" or "Hispanic" just because of the area they grew up in. Flip that too. I have a black friend who LITERALLY has a slight Korean accent and says Korean words because she grew up in K-Town. It goes all ways.

[@Officialencode]

@@meanjune it doesn't "go all ways" though. the difference and issue usually is some people stand to benefit from their adoption of these behaviors, while others are further marginalized for being of the culture that is adopted. if it went all ways every girl from queens would be equally famous (not at all ) based on the "exoticness" of their behaviors.

[@mcaron00]

I have a naive question about the topic. (mentioning this because I'm sure there are plenty of ill-intentioned questions in here) Is there a way to guess where the line is between actual appropriation on one side, and just the organic process of cultures permeating into one-another on the other side? I'm asking as a non-native english speaker. I probably don't have the experience needed to discern between those who impersonate African-American people, and those who come from a background where there's just a lot of linguistic co-evolution between communities. I guess I'm asking because I may pick-up expressions from English language media, without knowing if it's AAVE or not.

[@firstsunray]

Talking with blaccent is not cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation is related to profit that does not reach the original "creators". What people are not understanding here is that the critique is on the double standards in society. Black people shouldn't be discriminated against and get less opportunities for speaking the way their dialect evolved, while white people get rewarded for it. Summarizing, you speak the way you want as long as it is not disrespecting anyone and you don't look down on black people actually being themselves. Be an ally to help to get rid of the double standard.

[@lenababyyy1482]

⁠@@firstsunrayyea I have had my fair share of non black people using a “blaccent” (very dramatized and using aave improperly) to me and you can just tell who didn’t grow up doing that. People forget it’s a dialect with its own grammar rules, ALSO, blaccents and aave varies by location. So people talking to me in an accent that sounds like that of detroits and we are in different part of the United States is very odd if they are nowhere near that region. At these points it can feel like a mockery to us. Especially because these people go home to their parents and magically drop the accent.

[@tijgertjekonijnwordopgegeten]

​@@firstsunrayBut they're talking about this double standard when comparing two completely different situations. Being successful online is very different from getting a normal job and a different behavior is required to be successful in either one. If a white person walks into a job interview and starts talking with a "blaccent" they will also be less likely to get hired (and the same goes for other accents that aren't standard english but to a lesser extent). And then you also have many successful black creators online who talk with AAVE, so the comparison they make in this video is clearly flawed. Having said that there could still be a double standard, but it needs to show when comparing the right situation.

[@drownedzephyr]

@@firstsunray Mostly correct, however if you are not raised to speak AAVE, you should not speak it. It is culturally insensitive to speak in a way that is not your actual accent when the natural speakers are punished for speaking their own accent. It's about respecting those members' struggles by not adding fuel to the fire.

[@drownedzephyr]

@@tijgertjekonijnwordopgegeten You said the double standard yourself but mixed it up and downplayed bits. It is significantly harder for Black people in society to be who they are, when white people are more likely to be in positions of power and who will deny these Black folks any opportunities due to being "ghetto" or uncivilized or whatever stigma they put around Black speech. Additionally, white people who are not in power but just ordinary people will still come together to shame or discredit Black folks because their grammar is perceived as incorrect and their hair type "dirty". The double standard comes in when white people can talk in whatever accent they want, and no social repercussions, while Black people talk just how they are used to, and they're forced to code-switch to simply feel comfortable. Just because occasionally a popular Black creator might speak in their own dialect, but it's not important because they will still receive hate, prejudice, disrespect, and just plain unkind behavior for 0 reason. Meanwhile a bunch of white kids on tiktok will misuse the word and spread it to other young people under the guise of "gen z slang". It's just common sense to respect their culture and to not use their dialect as a fun little "trend".

[@rightweaponry908]

This video was interesting but i think it would have been helpful to talk about regional and socio-economics in relation to this. There is a difference between a calculated blaccent and an authentic regional accent. Also so much of the perception of the blaccent is really rooted in socio-economics. It would have also been interesting to talk about black people who adopt the blaccent or over exaggerate it for cache.

[@LeroyLegacy]

I was thinking the same thing. The your surroundings affect the way you speak. Which is why Nigerians let's just say would move to France, have a child, and thay child will have a French influence on their speaking, so when they learn English, they will have a French accent and not a blaccent, which is kind of offensive when you really deep dive into it.

[@nikhefe16]

@@LeroyLegacy But wouldn't the Nigerian born Frenchman more than likely still have a specific French blaccent similarly to many black people living in South London or the US South? I don't think it's offensive to denote the nuances of the blaccent irrespective of country of origin. The only reason it comes across as offensive is because we've all been indoctrinated to believe a blaccent is inferior or unintelligible.

[@logan825]

Exactly, the implication is that no white people ever grew up around black people. Which we know is statistically impossible. If I were raised around 1st generation chicanos I would most likely have a chicano accent.

[@johnindigo5477]

@@logan825 no you wouldn't

[@kyleeconrad]

@@johnindigo5477 my white husband grew up in hispanic Chula Vista- few whites in his school at the time. Everything he did was influenced by the people his age around him. So....YES YOU CAN AND WOULD.

[@Alwaysprogressing]

What I can't stand is that I'd take my hat off when I go into a store, I'll greet the employees respectfully, I'll have my wallet in my hand, and STILL get followed around, and they'll go back around their friends and try to act like me, try to talk like me, and have no issues when they go in a store to provide for themselves and their family. Me and my family spent years walking in a store and the store announcing to watch the cameras on the intercom. I'm here to pay with the same money you have, trying to feed my family like you do, and get treated like I'm a thief. I make enough money to have my groceries and appliances delivered now, so I don't have to feel like s#!t everytime I get food, but it shouldn't have to be like that. I should be able to walk in a store and pick and pay for what I need without being followed or watched.

[@stephensmalldridge9504]

Don't blame the store Blame the people that cause the reputation Blame them If you owned the store you'd keep a better eye on anyone that looked like the ones observed robbing you too It's human nature to protect your investment So why would you mimick those that you say your not like Makes zero sense

[@auroraseyets8516]

Don't shop where you're not respected. They do not deserve your money or patronage. While they're watching you, 10 other people of no color are busy robbing them blind. Let them. Be very picky about who you give your money to. I pay more just for good service.

[@caladanrude6395]

@@stephensmalldridge9504 you are racist. Thanks for letting everyone know.

[@mactherealestateman]

That's their problem man. Let the ignorant remain ignorant.

[@MadameWesker]

@@stephensmalldridge9504 how exactly are they "mimicking". They very clearly said they take their hat off and greet people respectfully when entering. I'm not aware of any thieves who respectfully wish me a very good evening when entering my shop.

[@aaronpoole5531]

The aesthetics of the set for this show is fantastic! Have really missed your presence on KZbin and I'm really glad you're back!

[@privatewars5039]

Trump will be staged assasinated on 8/4/22 and fake come back from the dead AND the space needle will fall in June 11th and 14th THIS YEAR⚠️⚠️❗❗❗a fake depiction of ELVIS will appear when it happens ❗❗DO NOT FALL FOR IT--JESUS CHRIST IS LORD ❗❗ ⚠️❗IT WILL ALL BE STAGED BY SATAN AND THE ILLUMINATI IM TELLING YOU THESE EVENTS ARE STAGED BEFORE THEY HAPPEN ⚠️❗kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZeUpJl4pL6sfK8

[@qpSubZeroqp]

Definitely was missed

[@bobhughes9628]

Water in Poole

[@bluebellegreen2804]

It's called: POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTUREPOP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE

[@lexlovebot]

some videos shouldn’t allow a comment section. the willfully obtuse and dense will always find each other and congregate. 🤦🏾‍♀️ this video was spot on👏🏾

[@KenoticMuse]

As an an immigrant, I learned to speak english in an inner city of Los Angeles, where black urban culture was dominant. I sometimes slip into that manner of speech whenever I feel relaxed with friends, because that's the speech pattern I was comfortable with as a kid. I'm not trying to make money or grab attention by talking in blaccent; it's just a reflection of the environment that I grew up in. I don't see how that is appropriation.

[@mob7101]

Yeah the way we speak is a product of environment. But you can tell when people are trying to force it, it's kinda cringe 😅

[@gatherme8655]

That's you, others aren't the same.

[@jubilantsleep]

That’s not appropriation

[@chalkywhite2598]

You don’t see how talking in a blaccent is a problem

[@KenoticMuse]

@@chalkywhite2598 What if the whole neighborhood they grew up in talk in that particular way? Now are they supposed to pretend to talk differently because they don't fit your expectation, since they're not black and not supposed to talk in blaccent? Is blaccent really the problem, or is the problem people trying to pretend having blaccent in order to make a profit? Because if the problem is that "no one can talk blaccent unless they are black" ... then that's kind of problematic, because it's actually not just a "black phenomenon"; a lot of people in inner cities talk that way, regardless of skin color. It's just urban culture in general. Is urban culture only a "black" thing now? Then what about the contribution that other groups like Latinos have made to urban culture? I'm sensing the problem that the video presenter is trying to articulate, but I don't hear her articulating it so I'm not going to assume I understand where she's coming from. As it is, I don't understand her point.

[@seriousbisons]

As a gay man, I was not aware that the common phrases of "gay speak" like "yaas" or "period" or "sis" were adopted from black culture and AAVE. I knew that a lot of it was a part of drag culture, which itself came from ball culture, which was indeed part of black culture in metropolitan areas.

[@sillywetrat]

That's true

[@PaigeOutLoud]

Can you share what ball culture is?

[@PxstelMorgxn]

@@PaigeOutLoudit stems from the black gay pageant scene that form due to racism in the gay pageant scene. Its categories people compete in and vogueing (the dance style) came from it. The language they used also influence the drag scene

[@nicklewis470]

As a fellow gay, 99% of the cool parts of our culture came from minority groups in the lgbtq+ sector, particularly black and lantino communities.

[@OswaldBatesIIIEsq]

I grew tired of "yaas" the moment I heard it.

[@Du-Masses]

This reminds me of the awesome James Baldwin article “if Black English isn’t a language, then tell me what is?” He explained the development and spread of African American English through the analysis of French throughout their colonies…absolutely fascinating and should be taught in schools (of course some thick heads would call it critical race theory and through a childish tantrum but we need to proceed anyway)

[@TheJollyJokerDancer]

Technically, that would be a dialect, though.

[@baa9865]

@@TheJollyJokerDancer the line between a language and a dialect is nothing. cantonese is officially called a dialect of chinese, even though while spoken it is nothing like mandarin, and there are still people trying to claim that dutch is a dialect of german. what we call a dialect is decided by the political factor

[@jlhn]

​@@baa9865 I personally don't think it's a language, why? Because English is not my first language, and still I can understand black English While, say, a lot of people who can only speak mandarin, wouldn't be able to understand what a person who only speak Cantonese says. Or, look at Spanish and Italian, my mother language is Spanish, and while both are dialects of Latin, I can't understand Italian. Sure I might be able to understand some words, but I wouldn't be able to follow a whole conversation. I'm Mexican, and I think that black English it's very similar to the type of Spanish that is spoken here in Mexico City, often influenced by Nahuatl and that has its own rich history too On the other hand I can't understand Scottish english like at all 😅

[@baa9865]

@@jlhn well, i didn't exactly call Black English a language, just said that the correction that it's a dialect can't be fully right. I'm also not native in English and can understand Black English, but I can comfortably understand Jamaican Pathwa (with no knowledge of Spanish) as well, which has even more distinctions from English. I'm not native in any of the politically European languages, but I was learning French for a while and reached a good level of understanding and understanding Italian on the same level, maybe a little lower, came almost naturally to me later. I think Black English, at least some of its variations, has a strong foundation to be called a separate language due to the grammar differences, as the grammatical structures there are extremely independent. Dialects can have different grammatical structures too, but it still gives off that 'separate language' feel. I am not a specialist in the study of dialects, only have a general linguistic education, but it would seem to me that it is needed to take into consideration such factors as grammar, phonetics (aka how different are the phonemes of the two language variants or the general realization of standard phonemes), unique vocabulary and what historically influenced the development of the said factors, so whole datasets are needed to make a linguistic, (mostly) not politically influenced, conclusion. There are definitely great pieces of research on the topic, which I, sadly, haven't studied. btw a friendly advice: Scottish is easy to train oneself to understand, just listen to some audiobooks or watch some interviews with subtitles. I personally started to understand Scottish after watching Fern Brady on Taskmaster. Posh English is still a problem for me though coz I don't work on it :c

[@jlhn]

@@baa9865 I think my problem isn't so much that black English can't be its own language so much as "Well, Then there's a whole lot more of languages around the world". So I find a bit arbitrary that Black English gets called a language of his own, when around the world there a lot of "dialects" that could also be their own language by that definition. So I guess the real question here would be when a dialect becomes a language. Funnily enough, I understand posh English perfectly well. I was taught English with that accent in school 😅

[@iris_nazarena_4882]

For the New Yorkers: Awkwafina is from Forest Hills and went to LaGuardia for high school. Safe to say it's not her real accent LOL

[@tyleryoung306]

I'm jamaican and irish, and as a mixed kid I always felt like I was expected to talk or act a certain way depending on the company. I've never been a fan of people who didn't grow up surrounded by a community or were part of a culture, adopt it becuase it's cool. My one critique with this videos argument is that it culturally appropriates how people are supposed to talk or act based on their racial identity. Growing up I'd see black kids that played hockey, that wore popped collar american eagle polos, who talked whiter than I did, and the joke would be that he's white. As I got older I realized how fucked that was. Like he grew up in the burbs, in a wealthy family and played hockey his whole life. He was living his authentic self. Then you'd have white kids who grew up in the projects who talked like they were black, and people that didn't know them would automatically call them "wiggers" (which in itself is such a racist ass term). If someone isn't from that culture, or didnt grow up with it, then they should totally be criticized for it. But if someone grew up in it, and is from that culture, leave them alone. Let them live authentically.

[@p0rnany0ne]

we all agree on that and I don't think the video said anything contrary to what you said. I'm encouraging everyone to look up where Nora Lum grew up and it's history of segregation

[@melindamercier6811]

Agreed. The problem is, this is blanketly called vocal blackface when it really doesn't provide qualifiers for people like you and me and really the vast majority of mixed people of various cultures.

[@Angi3maname]

Usually you can’t even prove if someone is living their authentic life, so I don’t see why people are over analyzing. Celebrities?? I guess, but with random people that you don’t know anything about, I don’t see why people care about their accents. Like is it talking/acting black or no??? In one hand black people don’t want to be put in a box but if a non-black person talks/acts that way now they are “appropriating…”makes no sense.

[@tionnajohnson8430]

@@Angi3maname the problem is if it's an act and they profit off of it that's the problem

[@kiaratheexplorer4]

exactly. and to that last sentence, i would add, “regardless of their race”. because in your example that was true.

[@leoparathesweekgeeky7244]

I'll admit that I feel conflicted about this. For context, I work as a teacher in a school where over 90% of the student body is POC. I have noticed when I use AAVE to explain concepts or in the instructions, my students do significantly better on the work and seem to be more engaged in what they are learning. I started doing this in order to make my lessons more fun and engaging and the improvement of my students being able to do math is incredible! But, is this something I shouldn’t do, being a white teacher? Edit: People brought up a lot of good points in the comments. I worked in ABQ, NM in the South Valley at a Dual-Language School. The New Mexico Department of Education doesn't restrict what teachers can or cannot do in the classroom very much, and rely on a peer review culture at the schools to keep standards. So long as your administrators are on board with your lesson plans, it's fine according to the NMDE. Since half our classes are already in Spanish and there is an afterschool Navajo club, my admin didn't see an issue with me using a dialect of English to talk to the students, especially since it seem to help though my admin is white or Hispanic-descent. I will admit though, I did stop for a few days and my students called me out on it. One notable comment was "I like it how'd you talked real." As it is his education, I feel he has a say in how I should teach him. I will keep in mind everything said here, however I'm going back to using AAVE in my classroom. My students deserve me being "real" with them.

[@estrangedsavant5112]

Your completely fine, you don't need anyone's permission but it's amazing you take that extra step to relate to others especially in an education setting. It's ideal to learn context and history which when married with present day experiences can guide how you relate to others in your personal life dealings. This goes for any culture and not just black folk imo.

[@elleofhearts8471]

@@estrangedsavant5112 "you don't need anyone's permission " *record scratch* i wonder why you say that, given that youre not an arbiter of black culture

[@dziban303]

@@elleofhearts8471 neither is anyone else. Permission to speak a certain way? Get a grip, it's nobody's business but the speaker

[@elleofhearts8471]

@@dziban303 k

[@skizm5804]

it seems to me like because you're using it to help people rather than to build yourself up, you have more of a leg to stand on here. if it helps the kids, it seems good to me. but i'm just a white dude. still, figured i'd give you something a bit more constructive to think about since the rest of this thread hasn't been the most helpful

[@leviondo-mondo4475]

While I agree with the ugliness of the double standard that could come with cultural appropriation, I also believe that cultures have blended with each other throughout history, it's a natural sociological phenomena. That blending and influence is what enriches our experience as part of the great pack that is the human race; it's only bad when it's tainted with negative discrimination. As for asking awkwafina to say sorry for her "cultural appropriation" (which I believe to be a natural result of her social developmental environment), I've never heard an argument for making the Wu Tang clan, or every black kung fu movie, apologize for their cultural appropriation. Again, this is not to invalidate the argument against the discrimination people of color have been a subject of in the US, but just to acknowledge that people of every race and every background take bits of other cultures they come in contact with and try to make them their own.

[@jasatay91]

While I understand this statement, I think it discredits the unique history of oppression black American historical faced and still face. For people to utilize the excuse of blended cultures, it’s not fair that people claim parts of black culture ONLY when it it cool, cute, or beneficial to them. It can’t only be ghetto when black folks do something, but chic when others say or do things that have been anchored in black culture

[@nicholashayes5773]

But how often do groups like like Wu Tang happen? Not very. Blaccents are everywhere though. And martials arts is different, because it's literally something you can go to school to learn. I don't consider it culteral appropriation for a black person to use kung-fu.

[@jeff0376]

exactly we dont see black people apologising for mocking kung fu and other asian cultures

[@guy6390]

@@nicholashayes5773 yeah it's like people call it cultural appropriation when an asian rap

[@besos4169]

@@jeff0376 anime pfp=opinion discarded

[@toddbuckler1617]

As a music lover and follower; the more I learn about old music that I love, the more interracial I discover music has been. Black artists singing songs written by white writers, baked by white studio musicians, and white artists covering songs of black artists utilizing black musicians in the studio. Even Hound Dog was written by 2 Jewish writers Leiber and Stoller for Mamma Thornton. Behind the scenes music was actually more color blind. Because at the end of the day, if music is good it’s good.

[@magnificenthonky]

I have noticed that old bluegrass standards and old blues standards share lyrics and chord progressions. In many cases, the songwriter is long forgotten. So, with each such song, the question is "was this a white song or a black song, originally?". And, of course, the answer is, "Nobody knows, and it's not important, anyway. Just sing the damn song if you like it, and don't if you don't." I was watching a black couple, the other night, reacting to someone like Conway Twitty, or Hank Jr., or Waylon Jennings... One of those classic Country guys. The song was one of those ones that tell a story. The guy in the couple was noticing similarities between that type of music and classic Hip-Hop. That observation illustrates a point that I've been making for years. Regardless of skin tone, we ARE all human beings. We have similarities in life experience, even across the cultures. Our basic needs are the same. I recall asking a Vietnamese coworker what he did for fun, in Vietnam. He said him and his friends would gather their trucks and motorcycles around a campfire and drink homemade alcohol. That sounds identical to my own experiences; pickups, bonfires, and homebrew. That was over a 1/4 century ago. Since then, I've been able to find cultural similarities between myself and people from all manner of cultures. Videos like this one divide. We're already divided.

[@daisybollo6094]

As always, love your vids, I agree with most ppl here that this topic needed a longer video, and to atleast touch on the topic of folks that came by our “blaccent” naturally. I’m not offended or feeling attacked! But as a white southern woman who grew up with literally only one white friend, with all my other friends being black I would really hate for someone to say I was using/doing “vocal blackface” though I will say I when I moved to the west coast for a few years, I did have a few ppl ask my why I talked so “ thug”. I 💯 support and understand your point about entertainers, but again if I became TikTok famous tomorrow I’d hate to be featured in a vid like this for simply being my authentic self.

[@FeyPax]

Yeah agree. Not from the south but from inner city and I’m interested in hearing how it also comes about socioeconomically. I definitely think there’s a line that needs to be observed. Some people really take it too far like awkwafina imo but there are a lot of people who end up adopting it naturally.

[@laneyshabell2925]

honestly, as a black person I feel like there's way too many uneducated people speaking on this subject. I often find myself trying to defend ppl like you bc i have a few white friends who grew up in the south, and in predominantly black/Latino areas so they speak just like us. I just find it unfair when ppl like you are so heavily judge on the internet for speaking in a way that is only natural to you, especially when I'm having to argue w both white saviors and poc rad libs

[@deangelopryor3757]

@@FeyPax kinda the topic in hand, you being raised with one accent rather than changing It because you’re urban is different . The “adopting” part is where it gets controversial.

[@Flower.Power.1996]

Jesus take the wheel

[@mikeletaurus4728]

@@laneyshabell2925 I agree with you, and I feel as though I have some understanding of your frame of reference. I also think I have some understanding of why so many people of color might be extremely sensitive about this topic, and it's not up to white people to decide they're being TOO sensitive. I'm sorry you have to argue with both "white saviors and poc rad libs," but I'm grateful that you bother to do so. Thank you.

[@ryanfitzalan8634]

The penultimate linguistic question on this topic has always been: where does "Cultural Appropriation" end, and " Cultural Diffusion" begin?

[@owlobsidian6965]

It all depends on whether you're trying to make a political statement or not. For instance, I'm Hispanic but grew up in the south mainly around white people. I have adopted some southern mannerism. Have I appropriated? Should I stop? Should I act in a more stereotypical "Mexican" way? Should people be culturally segregated and only do the things that are "theirs"? This all seems like nonsense to me.

[@ata5855]

The second-last linguistic question is that?? hmmm - I wonder what the ultimate question is then???

[@munchycrunchypancake]

@@owlobsidian6965 I don't think white people care if you talk them. Maybe some of them think everyone should. I dunno. I don't care. Why should I? And I'm willing to bet pretty much no one will accuse you of appropriation.

[@miroslavputinovic6650]

It ends when playing the victim stops being profitable.

[@sukantpanigrahi76]

@@ata5855 Came to ask this haha

[@-Unidentified_Comment-]

I have always found it interesting when people attempt to reclaim this accent or view it as a sort of modern blackface. As black person who does not have this accent, I, along with many other black people, have always faced frustration with the fact that many black people represented in media are represented with this manner of speaking and the personality traits that go with it, so it becomes interesting to me that actual black people are beginning to claim that this is our accent exclusively and anyone who is not black that has this accent is parading around as a racist symbol which I personally disagree with. If we collectively have been fighting to have more nuanced portrayals of black people as different and from all sects of life then why do people want to go back on that- claiming that this way of speaking is entirely accurate to how we speak and belongs to us. The notion of calling it an accent has also been thrown back and forth from time to time, as there is still conversation if this is more of a dialect then an accent. An accent is emblematic of a *type* of person, a group from a single area, with one real way of life that has effected how they naturally talk. Lumping people of a certain skin color into a *type* of accent is nonsensical. If you are from a place like U.K. you are likely to have a certain accent, but this doesn’t mean that someone from the U.K. would have the same accent as someone from the Caribbean like Grenada solely because you share a skin color. Isn’t the fact that people of differing races are able to reshape it into simply being a dialect associated with being ‘cool’ and dismantle this stereotype of black people sounding like this in every form of media by attempting to change the characteristics around that dialect better for black people at large since it forces out of touch or ill informed writers to get more creative and broad in representing black people instead of using this lazy shorthand of making the character “sound black”. The fact that we are beginning to view this as a form of cultural appropriation simply reenforces the notion (primary carried by ill informed white people) that black people have a stereotypically “black voice”. The imbalance of power discussed in the video is true but mislabeled as the fault of the accent and how this accent is synonymous with the stealing of black racial identity so anyone who is born into having it his accent should be demonized because of it. It wasn’t the accent that was drawing in more people, it was the fact that these were white artist with the privilege of being more accessible and likable to a society based on systemic racism. These white artists are “selling black music” because they are often born in/around black communities and picked up an accent as a result, these people aren’t planning on or aware that they could be benefiting on the fact that a majority white audience is usually not exposed to the great aspects of black cultures. These aspects are always things like music and food that grip people who may see this stuff as new or revolutionary not because the artist has this accent. This is not the fault of the artists, if anything, this is the fault of the audience and a system that favors white faces

[@ariellagrants]

I think it moreso has to do with the fact that a lot of these non black people use the blaccent to sound cool, when their regular accents sound nothing close to it.

[@AC-mp7cx]

it could sometimes be the fault of artists

[@sunshineyrainbows13]

I agree with you. Except I do blame the artists. Many of them knew that they could steal ideas from POC and succeed with them simply because they're white.

[@maellaykacelestino7800]

I ain't black, but I find this really annoying. Some of ya'll want us to treat you the same as everybody, but at the same time you don't just for your own benefit, just to show hate. I feel bad for people of color who actually face fucked up racism, but some are using the race card too often when it's completely unnecessary. Sorry.

[@maellaykacelestino7800]

I'm asian btw

[@debbystardust]

Nat King Cole was a jazz crooner, one of my favorite singers. It’s really upsetting that people in my hometown of Birmingham hurt him. It happened before I was born and I didn’t know about it until recently. He was one of the nicest celebrities of all time. Also, Elvis may be covering a black artist, but I’m not sure if he’s guilty of blaccent. It’s a bluesy voice and he would have been heavily influenced by the local Memphis scene.

[@K-Prancer]

He is. She explained why, get real people.

[@GenevianFilms]

The Elvis/Hound Dog narrative is always inaccurately oversimplified. Elvis didn’t write it but Big Mama Thornton didn’t write it either, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller did. And in fact Elvis’ version was actually inspired by a cover of the Freddie Bell and The Bell boys version.

[@5roundsrapid263]

He wasn’t some rich suburban kid acting black. He grew up in the poorest part of town in the Depression. The black section of Tupelo was across the street from his house!

[@nochannelmusician769]

@@5roundsrapid263 and he didn’t even use a blaccent in that song or any song after so it seems irrelevant

[@owlgang01]

Exactly bro

[@jarrettlowery2802]

@@5roundsrapid263 and the Mississippi accent is already somewhat similar

[@5roundsrapid263]

@@jarrettlowery2802 Exactly. I grew up in Mississippi. Blacks and poor whites had almost the exact same accent until the ‘70s.

[@kayday93]

I really appreciate the conversation being brought forth with this video, but it largely ignores how spoken English varies significantly in the United States based on your geographical upbringing, the cultures you are surrounded by in your youth, and socio-economic status. As a white person who grew up in the most diverse city in the country, the entirety of my family and friends spanned significant racial, ethnic, linguistic, and socio-economic differences. The overwhelming majority of my early influences were black and brown educators, friends, family members, neighbors, and classmates. As a result, my way of speaking is entirely different from that of my Midwest born-and-raised white partner, and upon moving to the Midwest several years ago, it was abundantly clear that my way of speaking was not typical of white people in other areas of the country. There was no internet or social media or cell phones growing up, so I learned to speak purely based on what I heard around me. There was no moment of “discovering” AAVE and thinking it would make me sound cool, then shifting my speech to mimic that manner of speaking. And I believe the same is largely true of Awkwafina - someone who grew up in the diverse world of Queens, New York. The expectation that my skin color alone means I should speak in a “white” manner or she should speak in a manner typical of Chinese/Korean Americans completely erases the geographical, cultural, and socioeconomic realities of linguistics. Because the reality is that anywhere in America, two people with the same skin color in the same city are going to speak differently depending on how much money their caretakers have, what neighborhood they grow up in, where they go to school, and whom they are surrounded by. I’d love to see PBS do another episode expanding on this topic that includes numerous linguists and sociologists as it could be a wonderful conversation starter. The way we speak and why simply isn’t black and white, literally.

[@angelaburns6849]

I don’t think the overarching point is directed toward people like you.

[@ashash4039]

@@angelaburns6849 what

[@izanami5667]

The place, culture, or wealth you grew up is not the overarching point here, no matter how much of the accent you got from that. I bet even if u put sociologists into this the point would still be the same thing the video already pointed out, that there IS a power imbalance using blaccent between black and non-black people. this whole essay you got here screams "im not racist"

[@ashash4039]

Thats why am scared of black culture Whatever you say, boom...you racist...

[@lillierobinson1786]

Blaccent isn't about the accent that happens normally based upon our formative or long term surroundings. The fact that aabv is considered inferior and undesirable for black folx but trendy in popular culture speaks volumes about American hypocrisy. There is a huge difference between loving black culture and loving black people. This seems to be lost in many conversations about Blaccent.

[@khristinecacho9902]

I could listen to her for a long time talking about topics I'm less interested in and making it engaging and more interesting. I love the way she speaks and how eloquent she is 🥺

[@trainwreck420ish]

Well it would help of she was starting with where the dialect came from. It wasn't black people so that in of itself is wrong. It's from England and Scotland. Remember something called slavery. Idk about you but I'm pretty sure the African people they brought to America didn't know English. I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure they picked it up from the slave masters. But hey whats in a few years of slavery.

[@raedewav]

Thats where the "language" came from. Not dialect. Dialects are developed regionally.

[@drownedzephyr]

I also like her pace due to me having slower processing adhd brain, but it's incredibly insensitive to make this comment to a person of color, and on a video about Black culture and speech no less.

[@drownedzephyr]

@@trainwreck420ish You're incorrect. Black English was formed when the grammar from the various African languages the enslaved people spoke collided with the English words forced on them. So AAVE was not created by or taken from white people. I don't know your intentions, but this argument is used by white supremacists who simply cannot believe that people of color could create such an advanced dialect of English on their own, due to their beliefs that Black people are inferior. So you can imagine that regardless of your intent, your argument here is dangerous.

[@pcarebear1]

Elvis was from a poor rural background where he grew up with gospel and Blues with the Black neighborhood kids, Awkwafina was brought up in Queens. I think its a different matter when it's your upbringing (I still have a southern accent thanks to growing up with jim crow elders that moved to DC). As a 1/2 Central American, DC native, White Southern dad raised and born in Anacostia DC during riots, I confuse people a lot😂❤

[@nekocookiee]

I grew up in a heavily impoverished town as a Latina. I’ve been told that I have a blaccent which is frustrating because I’ve always spoken like this. You can go back in family tapes and hear me and my family speak like this. I lived in that little town on the outskirts of LA for a long time and no one said a thing because we all spoke like that. It’s frustrating because I don’t know if it is a blaccent or just where I grew up. I hate being told to “drop the accent” when this is how I speak. It’s made me even more stressed to communicate with new people.

[@GZQ9]

I’m very sorry to hear that that happens to you, AAVE May primarily be associated with Black people but it is not exclusive. Hopefully people will become more open minded about that

[@f4iryth964]

@@GZQ9 i think when we say people are using a accent or are trying too hard, its not just some random person using aave. its the way some people use it. theres people that grow up in suburban neighborhoods that arent surrounded by people that speak aave, ans therefore never grew up using it and we can TELL. we can tell when someones forcing it and when someones just speaking how they usually do. aave has actual grammar and actual “rules” theres things you say and dont say that make sense. so when someone is talking with an accent and theyre making zero sense, and say shit like “gonna finna” and “that speech was bussin” were gonna know someones just trying to use aave for show, and thinking its just cool slang. its disrespectful. ESPECIALLY when they use aave and claim its “just how they talk” but when theyre in a professional setting or in a dangerous situation all of a sudden they wanna speak “proper”. the people that just look at someone non black and assume theyre faking it are dense and ridiculous.

[@blossoms1607]

Me too, I’ve always talked like this because I was brought up in a neighbourhood/town that all spoke the same. I didn’t realise until I moved to a different city. I’ve been criticised for having a blaccent but I can’t change my accent because I’ve been speaking like this since I was first spoke at a young age. People saying I’m faking and should speak ‘normal’ but it’s really not my fault for being brought up speaking like this. I just want people to realise the difference between those that are brought up in a community speaking Iike it and those that adopt it knowing it’s blaccent.

[@paulmccartneyadorrer]

The problem isn’t with how you speak, it’s with people associating a way of speaking with one race. The sounds and vowels and consonants we use are all the same, each individual just uses them differently. Unless someone is trying to portray a racial stereotype in the way they speak, they’re more than likely speaking the way they have naturally learned to given their environment.

[@GZQ9]

@@f4iryth964 yes I am aware of this, I’ve been navigating this for my entire life speaking different dialect of English including aave. My comment is not disregarding the fact that people who do not know what they are doing try to use terms and phrases from aave, and that annoys me as well, but it is simultaneously unfortunate that someone’s natural and or only way of speaking would be criticized.

[@CruzanRastamon]

I have a white gurl at my job who only does blaccent when she’s around her black coworkers and I called her out on it. Especially when I heard her true self when she got around our white coworkers. I didn’t mind at first because there are whites who grew up in black neighborhoods and speak with a blaccent all their lives but it’s something completely different when they only use it around us. How ironic is it that this country as a whole don’t wanna give black folks equal rights and the denial of racism yet are fascinated with every form of our culture.

[@desdior1207]

She code switch. I know black people who do it all the time as well

[@AzamuggOG]

Of course it happens in both sides....to take offense is saying you're empty as a person

[@catsaregovernmentspies]

Black people do it, too. I have been around black people that try to talk eloquently around white people but ghetto around black people.

[@VinelSeason]

Don’t use one person to represent a whole group

[@fairuzmaileen5691]

Many people do it. To blend, like yes, in a group where everyone talks in a certain way.

[@littlegothgirl8869]

I see many people making the argument out to be "Oh this is the natural evolution of language". "Oh this happens naturally". Which is true and I totally understand. I'm not sure that is what she is talking about though. I think this discussion seems to be more about this phenomenon of people trying to reproduce something that is inauthentic to them. While also discussing the power dynamics that go into play and effect Black Americans in a society such as the U.S.

[@everydy]

I hate the "it's the Natural evolution of language" argument. It evolves to include AAVE & associated speaking patterns, yet black folk, who've been talking like this their whole lives, will still be 💩 on. So it's evolution for them, but we're seen as uneducated, as less than, ghetto etc for using it.

[@jalfredprufrock620]

"people trying to reproduce something that is inauthentic to them," so... acting?

[@cherrybanana8534]

I don't think people "reproducing" or being inauthentic about their speech is as real an issue as some think it is, at least not for regular people like us. A random white guy from the south Bronx isn't speaking a "blaccent" with some manipulative intent to trick people into thinking hes some type of way based on his accent, hes just speaking the way others around him speak. Hes not trying to be black or anything else, hes just being what his environment, community, and economic class has made him to be.

[@elleofhearts8471]

i literally dont understand whats so hard for "some people" to understand about this. I think they pretend not to to avoid getting triggered.

[@elleofhearts8471]

@@cherrybanana8534 this reeks of apologism and defensiveness. Not sure if you meant it to read that way but thats how it comes off. Just letting you know.

[@zoesakurablossom5327]

Wow, this video was really insightful and edited wonderfully. It's the first one I've come across that shows this channel, I'll definitely be looking out for more of your videos!

[@megandarlene2080]

I'm so glad you're back! I can't wait to see the other content you make. It always seemed hypocritical to me that my paternal grandmother LOVED Elvis but was extremely racist and hateful towards the black community. The very aspects she loved about Elvis were taken from black culture. The only thing different was his skin color. After a while I couldn't be around her. The hate she spewed was toxic. I didn't have a choice as a child but when I got older I cut her out of my life. I also think it needs to be acknowledged that even if it makes white people uncomfortable, we need to talk about the pervasive racism in our society today. It's not gone.

[@reed6514]

A lot of the comments here are shifting the discussion to the cultural aspect of people developing blaccent as a part of their upbringing & local community (nuance that i am interested in too), and are using that to dismiss the systemic issue of blaccent being used for profit by non-black people. I'm realizing that this happens a lot when we talk about racism. There's a thoughtful, educational discussion about real issues surrounding race. And then cultural nuance and "people are too sensitive" is used to dismiss everything else.

[@IndomitableAde]

I would gladly participate in this much needed conversation. Not to assign blame or shame for past deeds but to reach a point of reconciliation where we as a nation don't deny our problematic origins and feel the need to discourage discussions about how we came to be what we are.

[@mellodope8904]

I used to (and still do) say that everyone wants to be Black until the cops show up.

[@cevcena6692]

@@reed6514 I'm not an American or from the West, so there is a lot I don't understand about racial issues in America. With that in mind, I want to know how this is a racial issue more than it is a class issue? I mean, what makes the black accent only for black people? It can't be a genetic deposition and many black people do not speak in that accent while many white people who grew up in urban areas do. And I guess that's my main confusion, accent has always been tied to geographical location, this is the first time I've ever heard of a 'racial' accent

[@genieglasslamp5028]

@@cevcena6692 The things is there is no one singular "blaccent". Black people all around the country speak differently, but they still are different from white people. I'm from Texas and I'm black and then words I use would be different from a black person from Chicago. What makes a blackcent a blaccent is that it when white people use it that they all sound the same and they usually use the words incorrectly. Black people can tell when a white person is doing a blaccent.

[@dchristianrobert]

Its so frustrating that Awkwafina is involved in this conversation in the way she is. You don't once talk about or consider the environment she grew up in and how that plays a big part of why she has a "blaccent". Come to Queens, NY (where she's from)... everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, who is raised here no matter what race you are - has a "blaccent". Can you blame her for adopting the local vernacular?? Can you blame her for taking on the mannerisms/humor of those around her? As children of immigrant parents, we're taught to CONFORM and just try to "fit in" because whenever we share our own culture, we're made fun of. So we conform and take on the culture of the environment we're in and we're told its wrong to have a "blaccent". There is no winning.

[@asiadavisgurl1]

Nora is *not* from Queens. And that still wouldn't change her entire semi cringe rap career. Boooo 🍅🍅🍅

@@asiadavisgurl1 But before she was officially hailed Awkwafina, Nora Lum grew up in Forest Hills, a residential neighborhood in Queens, N.Y. Though the now-33-year-old grew up with her father by her side, she was soon left without a mother. JUST GOOGLE BEFORE U SAY SOMETHING CMON

[@v.a.l.5165]

She is also making a mockery of it. Donning culture as a caricature is also something she has spoken against with regards tonher own cultural roots so the hypocrisy is disturbing.

[@MayTheOddsBeInYourFavor]

*is from NYC* Um, EVERYONE sounds like that? Someone tell the Asian girls who walk up and down the street sounding white as hell.

[@cherrycola542]

@@v.a.l.5165 She's not.

[@alexandermelchers1497]

I found this a very eye-opening video, but would really be interested in hearing more about how "Blaccent" is expressed in internet-speach. May be I've grown too accustomed to it having gone online at the very first opportunity that was presented in my country, in the early 1990s, or may be I'm just too old already. But I think this'd make a very interesting topic to discuss further.

[@theguythisguy672]

"Ebonics" ebony+phonics

[@princessmorebucks]

@@theguythisguy672 An example for you: "Whew, chile" is a popular phrase online. It's usually said out loud with a "blaccent" meaning, "oh child," or basically "oh lord." You say it in a moment of disbelief. I have heard of people who have only seen the phrase written online and think it's pronounced "whew, chill."

[@rahbeeuh]

@@princessmorebucks you mean whew Chile (like the country in South America)?

[@theguythisguy672]

@@princessmorebucks I do not need examples but thanks. I just find it interesting how people study our ability to evolve and adapt. I live it I'm just here to observe. I appreciate the attempt. A better example : "ah on no" instead of "I don't know," Or "imma take a baf" instead of "I'm going to take a bath." It's more of a phonetic adaptation more over than trying to make cool phrases .

[@theguythisguy672]

@@rahbeeuh she meant chile as in carrying the long vowel "i" in standard English as you would pronounce "child" dropping the letter "d" another example of phonics. "Ebonics" was a phrase coined in the seventies opposed to a previous term " (Nonstandard negro English 1960s). Ebonics is a compound of ebony (black)+Phonics.

[@georgetaliat1]

I'm not American but I tend to slowly adopting the accent of the people around whom I live. How does it make this a problem?

[@Sssmg789]

This very specific issue around blaccent, is that it is the natural AAE but Black people are still looked at negatively when speaking it, as unintelligent, classless, rude etc etc and there is research and proven data to show it. But when non-Black people speak AAE is cool, edgy, modern etc. The double standard is the problem. To be honest, this double standard happens across many parts of life. Hairstyles, clothing, names, family life, language, food. When Black people (or other communities of color) do whatever it is, it’s ugly, unsophisticated, juvenile, old fashioned, or just plain wrong. But when white people ‘adopt’ more like steal, these qualities it’s unique and trendsetting. This issue isn’t necessarily about adopting the language and accent of the people you live around. But I can for sure tell you Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish didn’t grow up speaking like this. They have adopted it because it’s fun and cool when white women do it. But white women hardly receive the same negative reaction as Black people recieve. I mean Woah Vicky has literally become famous for speaking with a heavy southern Blaccent and nothing else.

[@lenoraclemm1892]

I am half black half white grew up in a white neighborhood. People were racist, thought black people were lower than them and used blaccent despite having NO black friends or influence aside from listening to rap music. It's a problem

[@SparisWorld]

That's not necessarily a problem. The problem is when you're speaking a dialect that you don't necessarily know the rules to. Just speaking it because you want to sound cool and people tend to do that with AAVE because AAVE has a huge impact on whats cool and black culture in general.

[@merrytunes8697]

@@SparisWorlddid you read the comment directly above yours? It’s a problem. Hard stop.

[@basicallyno1722]

It’s an issue when blacks are seen as ignorant and unintelligent for speaking their way, but when whites and Asians go around using it they’re seen as not only cool and trendy, but even the creative innovators of the language. It’s an issue and I advise coming out of your own perspective and how this discourse affects you for 2 seconds.

[@KarleneE]

I found this fascinating. As a black Canadian, I've had a completely different experience around my skin colour. As for my accent, think Ryan Reynolds, Ryan Gosling, Keanu. I sound like those guys. I haven't faced 10% of the racism nor the feelings of "being slighted" typically expressed by black Americans. It's helpful to know the ways suffering or injury is perceived by people who look like me so I can empathize with their pain and perspective.

[@winxclubstellamusa]

That’s really interesting! Maybe because the way you speak reflects your culture and signals positive things to people, as opposed to a lack of civility or any other unfair assumption along those same lines. I hope you know what I mean.

[@KarleneE]

@@winxclubstellamusa I do! I love my brown skin, but I think it is the LEAST important thing about me. My kindness, empathy and warmth are so much more important and useful. Maybe if we all focussed on character more than colour, merit would rise and assumptions would diminish. That's the idealist in me talking. Take care and be well.

[@winxclubstellamusa]

@@KarleneE I agree wholeheartedly! That is even what MLK had said - content of character over assumptions based on skin color. I wish the same to you ✨🙏

[@roylle6346]

Yea I'm Caribbean and I don't suffer racially like my black American brothas and sistahs and it hurts me so bad cause I really love African Americans.

[@R41ph3a7b6]

I’m also a black Canadian.

[@HELMBREAKER47]

“Everybody wanna be black but don’t nobody wanna be black.” -Paul Mooney

[@jali4000]

I think some of the people who take issue with this don't realize there's a difference between some words, phrases, and mechanisms used in AAVE entering your vocabulary from the environment you live in and the popular culture vs. copying the entire sound, inflection, and everything thing in a clearly affected, unnatural way. It's like the difference between growing up around a lot of Chinese people and occasionally using Chinese sayings and words vs. going around like "oOoOO most exerrent"

[@jacobring7274]

The term blaccent is problematic because we are actually discussing vernacular. Between accents word choice would not be different, just pronunciation. Also, all of culture belongs to all of humanity. Awkwafina doesn’t owe an apology to a particular undefinable group of people.

[@LoganGraceHope]

👏 👏👏👏

[@SimplyAliyahNicole]

Thoroughly enjoyed this! I do think that we as a society have normalized that certain races should speak a specific way, when it's literally based on socioeconomic status and where you're from. I think people are just code switching to be palatable for a broader audience when minorities do it to survive .

[@bmwjourdandunngoddess6024]

Yeah no, you didn’t watch the video, did you?

[@JaJaM.C.]

Code switching. Yes. Very valuable insight... if they are unaware when they do it. If it's intentional and just for laughs, is it still okay? I don't know. My online humor vacillates between Valley girl and what some might call "black" attitude. But that is who I am inside... a white Cher from Clueless who just might cut a bitch. I don't know how to not be this way. I like who I am. I love who I am, but it has nothing to do with wanting to be black - and everything to do with being authentically who I am. Maybe internally I am a black gay man in a white hetero cisgender body. I don't question it. Perhaps this is a more nuanced argument than we think.

[@pankhuribhatnagar2360]

Before starting the video, my thoughts based on the title were -i get cultural appropriation, but whats wrong with blaccent? Its just a way new gen is communicating. Now I get it. - When a Black person talks with a blackccent, its bad grammer and uncultured etc, but when someone from another culture uses it, they are considered cool. Its the double standards that are hurting Black people is what the problem is

[@_NoHandle_]

Exactly!

[@ashleyhathaway8548]

If you spoke like that during a job interview you wouldn't land the position no matter what color you were.

[@bensongibbons9576]

"Hurting black people" Ah yes, because it's slavery all over again

[@OriginalJohnnyCage]

@@ashleyhathaway8548 This is still rooted in anti blackness no matter what

[@pankhuribhatnagar2360]

@@ashleyhathaway8548 depends on the type of interview tho. In a corporate/IT job it matters, and no one would use blaccent. But in a daily wage kinda job I highly doubt other ethnicity people would have perfect grammer either, but blackccent will definitely be treated worse.

[@AboveTheNoise]

So happy to see this show back on. And as usual, diving into a controversial topic with aplomb and nuance. Two things we need a lot more of on the Internet. Brava!

[@doomguy9049]

Where's the nuance? Seems like pretty standard superficial liberal orthodoxy to me.

[@Sam-gl6bm]

@@doomguy9049 hahah

[@jeremiahnoar7504]

racism being the "be all cause" for all issues isn't nuance.

[@anobody1785]

@@jeremiahnoar7504 what is it then

[@jeremiahnoar7504]

@@anobody1785 the belief that racism is the cause of most issues? It’s a reductive belief. And it’s a sentiment of resentment. Not an eye opening truth.

[@laurataylor29]

have no idea about the other ones mentioned..but Elvis grew up around mainly Folks.. They were his Friends. What you call Blackccent, is Literally just him being Southern and Conversing with his Poor Folk like him.. There's beautiful footage of him conversing backstage snacking, chatting with some Sistas' about a friend who was trying to stay in contact with his Child. To me he's relaxing with people he's comfortable with..how is that appropriation? im Biracial and I have to say Eminem is Culturally more "Urban" than I am.. Just saying.. Your not born with an Accent.. you pick it up by what you are exposed to.. No negativity. just another perspective.. Realize alot of people appropriate but I don't think it can be as Broadstroked as all that.. Great videos keep them coming 💙

[@lajeanette33]

Honestly, an entire show about Black Music and the real origins of styles that were later on attributed to white musicians. 🙏🏻😊 Cheers from Switzerland 🇨🇭

[@PHlophe]

Morgane de Neuchatel, c'est pareil en Suisse wesh.

[@bensongibbons9576]

No one wants to see that also EWWWWW AMBER RUFFIN

[@jeremiahnoar7504]

Shouldn't we do this with all races then, like the parts that black music takes from white musicians?

[@1986svs05]

When you follow that rabbit hole, you'll end up in Africa

[@PHlophe]

@@1986svs05 you already ended up in Ukraine.

[@Witch_King_Ken]

This video goes In depth about the history of blacents. However I fear that the black community will be quick to watch this and condemn anyone who speaks "Like a black person". I'm black, And I know white friends who grew up around us and adopted some of our phrases and tonal patterns. Their not putting on a character or "Stealing our culture" it's ok to recognize that some non black people will inevitably integrate some of our language in their vocabulary. It only becomes problematic when it's a put on for character

[@DivineLightPaladin]

You said what I'm thinking and worried I might get attacked or offend someone because I'm autistic and copy things without realizing, not meaning to be negative in using it

[@meco4068]

Serious question: how do you feel about gay men doing the kiki accent, which is like "blaccent?" I think this is often done to be comical or witty, but it is very much a part of Queer culture...any feelings, or opinions?

[@chalkywhite2598]

How many white people Really grow up in black neighborhoods

[@lagoonagoon5490]

I feel like this is quite evident too most people . It’s not the first time I hear the negative aspects of actual racism being conflated with people who aren’t intentionally stealing anything but just come from a place where people have stereotypical “Blaccents” or just from the south .

[@chalkywhite2598]

@@lagoonagoon5490 no because most white Americans have very little contact with black Americans outside of what they see on tv. That’s why there blaccent is always based on some negative stereotype. It’s funny standard English is not considered black

[@MiyLei]

I completely agree with 95% of this video. As a black woman who has been around all sorts of people from all sorts of backgrounds and has on more than one occasion been called "one of the good ones" and complimented for how articulate and well-spoken i am by older white americans... -I completely can see why this is soooo detrimental to many circles in so many avenues and why the blaccent is a major double standard. Especially when you consider who is getting what accolade or receiving what criticism. -But on another side of it... That last 5% of me feels like claiming the way a person is allowed to speak as belonging to one race or another is also a double standard. It could be influence from their background or social influences. The state they live in or the media's portrayal. While not always, I have often seen the Blaccent portrayed in a positive or "free-flowing/relatable" way. Not everyone is acting in lieu of cultural appropriation. Often times that ignorance can open them up to a world of acceptance for those not stereotypically like them. 🌼 I feel its of a similar realm as the whole "Should white people be allowed to wear braids" arguement or the "Should white little girls be allowed to dress up as princess Tiana" which is also basically saying "Should little black girls *ONLY* be allowed to dress up as Princess Tiana because theyre black and she's the only BP" (Both arguements i also think are moot). 🌼 Again on the other side, back to the 95%... people need to stop claiming ignorance and just start educating themselves on the things that matter to those in other parts of the world and those people who arent like you or directly involved in your circle. You will never be able to learn the social cues for every nation and not offend a single person in your life but you can do your best to be an advocate and just live to love those around you and care about what others care about. Just because you werent taught something growing up, doesnt mean its not 100% your responsibility to educate yourself on it once it has been brought to your attention. Also... 100% to Holding people accountable... That being said, the line between accountability and bullying is a thin line that most humans on this planet/internet cant seem to tell the difference between.

[@Winter0721]

Hi! I was wondering since you seem incredible educated in this, I wanted to talk to you cause I just, idk. I’m neurodivergent, and doing things like changing my speaking patterns can be difficult. I do not think I do any of this but tbh I haven’t finished watching the video. I’m not trying to feign ignorance or anything but if I end up doing any of these things and it’s a common pattern in my language, I don’t think I’d be able to change it even if I tried. But idk. What is your opinion on that? I mean this genuinely, it’s a question I genuinely wanna ask.

[@77devon]

@@Winter0721 hey since the original commenter didn't react i just wanted to say I'm neurodivergent as well and i think it's masking, like as a way to mask i pick up on whoever's accent I'm talking to and i can't really help it, like i usually notice it's happening when either someone points it out or when I'm keeping an ear out for myself and i can usually notice it in like 2-3 minutes. but to me it just feels comfortable to speak to someone the same way they're speaking to me cause I'm just used to approaching neurotypicals that way (we don't meet halfway - i meet them where they are bc as an autistic i feel alienated so i subconsciously try my best to be as close as possible to the other person). nowadays I've stopped doing it as soon as I catch it and when people make comments about it or ask i just explain it to them the way i just did to u. just please don't feel ashamed or guilty about it cause i felt a lot of guilt for appropriating until i realized i don't only do it with AAVE/Blaccent, i have this issue with any dialect or accent depending on who I'm talking to. just try to catch yourself when it happens but it's literally a neurodivergent masking thing so you don't need to feel all this guilt. stay strong 💕 and the fact you even wanna work on this shows your goodwill even more

[@Winter0721]

@@77devon ahh I been thinking about this comment I left for weeks- I’m happy you responded thank you so much! It’s so refreshing to hear from someone whose also neurodivergent! Thank you! I absolutely will keep track of all of it and thank you. It helps me a lot to hear your experience, thank you :). Sorry my response is so small in comparison, I just woke up from a nap. But again tysm!

[@chickadeestevenson5440]

humans engaging in bullying is the reason I am of the tendency to monitor every single word that comes out of my mouth to avoid stealing anything that I am not allowed to engage in to avoid harming anyone. I am also neurodivergent and sometimes even making my brain signals into words is difficult. But as a white PoS, its the least i can do.

[@collander7766]

I can’t praise your princess Tiana analogy enough. When a group excludes everyone else from something, they also restrict themselves to the very thing that they exclude. If you say that only one group can do something, you imply that everyone in that group has to do said thing. Then if you don’t want to restrict yourself like the rest of the group, you yourself are excluded

[@StevenHughes-hr5hp]

Elvis was from rural Mississippi. Of course he would sound much like other people from rural Mississippi. The rural South was not all lilly white.

[@berenicesaquet1870]

As a french learning english through Internet ( and watching quiet a lot black American KZbin channels) I think it is important to recognize that one reason blaccent is so popular on the internet is because people from all over the world and no ability - at least first - to recognize AAVE from other English languages are there. So it might develop in other form Honestly had I not been interested in language and language history I would still think of z lot of AAVE particularities being American English ( gonna for example , but this one I fucking learned it in school). At the same time I think that video like this one are really important because it gives us the context that we do not have at first as we are not American and thus being appropriate/ respectful etc. I am white by the way.

[@virginielekiwi]

French speaking from Quebec Canada Same experience! Learning English through television we pick up accent from all around the US, England… I am white too

[@Markynava777]

I've always said that black culture (the music, the way of speaking and acting) is thought of as cool by the youth. Pop culture is very heavily influenced by black culture. A lot of youth, no matter the race, try to emulate black culture, because they think it's cool. I used to work at schools, and I would say, most of the kids listened to rap, and used alot of words created by black culture. They would often call each other the n word as a term of endearment. They would use it in place of the word friend or buddy or even person. Very interesting to see how much black culture influences pop and youth culture.

[@jacksavard8192]

As a caucasian 17 year old yes we think black culture and black people are cool af

[@AC-mp7cx]

Yes as in Michael Jackson who influenced all of music and pop culture

[@SCHRODINGERS_WHORE]

As long as you aren't putting down black ppl for doing it. It's cool. No n words tho, that's foul.

[@connaeris8230]

Which is the reason those young people at the beginning had a blaccent. Though Ariana might have picked up more than that...

[@mikloridden8276]

@@SCHRODINGERS_WHORE Yupp, well if it makes you feel better infront of every black man is 30 white woman and different kinds too now so the word won’t be prevalent anymore.

[@nidjiunanatshi]

I learned English by watching movies and TV series so my accent can be all over the place. One time in a bar I was talking with an American and he asked me why I kept using Blaccent. I had no idea what that was but he sounded offended by it, so I asked him what it was, and he explained that the way I talked sometimes was rude because I was making fun of the African-American accent. I was so confused. I told him I was just speaking how I heard it in series and he still wouldn't stop saying I was making fun of the Blaccent, even though I obviously wasn't. I had just taken it on because I mostly speak with an American accent and I happened to like the way words were pronounced with Blaccent.

[@XXXTENTAClON227]

This is called American exceptionalism, and is not something that Americans themselves will notice unless pointed out to them It is essentially inherited from British exceptionalism (ironic considering exceptionalism means unique but we literally learned it from Britain) in which we apply rules to other countries and other races while expecting them to adhere to our expectations because “we’re just different.” That American you encountered was nothing but an ignorant airhead, and I’m willing to bet all my money he was (and still is) monolingual. It is FASCINATING how we constantly claim to be a “melting pot” while simultaneously trying to dictate how other countries should speak English: that is ENGLANDs language, or could be considered at max the British Isles language. We take a language, force it on others, and then become unsatisfied if their fluency is insufficient, while simultaneously celebrating 4th July as independence… we sure love roleplaying as the British Empire huh? I can only apologize on behalf of the simpleton you unfortunately had to encounter, not all of us are that ignorant. The USA can be such an amazing place but also one of the most intolerable. You get used to it 🙁

[@yslgyal4873]

As a black woman, if I walk up to a white American woman and start speaking in a valley girl/California accent, people will think I’m mocking her. Same if I did a cockney accent in the UK. I guess this seems quite obvious to some people so they assume you’re doing this with negative intentions?

[@jayramirez5379]

She said having a blaccent makes you famous in the entertainment business, but in the real world is preventing people of getting a job. In my time in Mexico there is something similar when Mexicans use hood Spanish and it has the same effect like in the U.S. It’s like making fun of the uneducated

[@basicallyno1722]

no it’s just white people getting famous for it

[@oqeufh]

As someone that grew up with English as a second language and has an English accent that is all over the place you do need to keep in mind that your surroundings influence a lot the way you speak and most people don't even realise it. I find myself saying words in all sorts of different accents because my English teachers were from all over the UK, US and even Australia. But I feel like for me my most prominent accent is probably the US one because I do consume a lot of US media. I feel like it is only natural that you will end up picking up the accent you hear the most and if you're a fan of Hip Hop, for example, or has lived in circumstances where you were surrounded by a lot of African American pop culture or neighbourhoods or whatever, you can't expect them not to pick up something here and there.

[@freyafoxmusic]

Exactly

[@ruan13o]

This topic needs hours of discourse to explain the nuances so this is not addressed in the video. But the examples highlighted are not the same as your life example. People don't have an issue with you gaining an accent because you were surrounded by a culture/accent. They have an issue when it appears put on in order to gain commercial success or fame. That's when it doesn't appear genuine.

[@berenicesaquet1870]

@@ruan13o totally agree (I am also in the English second language case) however I think that it still has two effects: - we are a lot in this case on the internet probably influencing 'internet english' without knowing/searching - we also have no context at first/if we do not learn on video like this one when we watch online videos and film so we participate in making white americans using Blaccent famous ( same as for Elvis Presley for example, I think in my country nobody has a clue of his Blaccent, he still made lot of money on it while the people he covered did not, it is still a problem). What I want to say that maybe nobody cares on my mash up accent , but how our demographic affects the dynamic is something to take specifically into account (and to act on it if it favors racism/appropriation etc)

[@chichichichichichiOwO]

She uses Elvis as an example that he faked it for fame but he grew up in a black community.

[@daniel0atk]

I'm from the Southern US, and sometimes I say things that are typically deemed as 'Blaccent'. It's not on purpose, but it's just the way people talk where I'm from. In my area, most people say things the same way, regardless of skin color. I think its just become integrated in the way we speak, America is a melting pot of cultures after all. I don't think it's fair to tell people to not say words certain ways, just because of the color of their skin. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@DABUNGINATOR]

Yeah. I understand the main point of the video is that black people are more often discriminated against for having a blaccent, but I don't agree with the implication that non-black people having a blaccent is cultural appropriation. Cultures can originate from a certain people, but they can't solely belong to one group. All humans are born as blank canvases & can be painted with any customs or traditions.

[@EMan753]

No one said you can't speak like that, the video is talking about a larger conversation. A lot of the people referenced in the video did not grow up speaking that way.

[@Chanicle]

Hey, just wanted to say thank you -- this is the first video (or really anything i've watched or read) that put this argument in a context in a way I could truly understand. You have a really great way of explaining things and your videos are immensely valuable!

[@MichaelKilmanAuthor]

What a fascinating episode. I didn't know about any of this. Thanks for producing it.

[@youllbemytourniquet]

The best part about Awkwafina is that she said she will never accept a role that portrays a stereotypical Asian character because it would be disrespectful. So at some level, she does understand what she's doing is problematic, she just doesn't care.

[@1Cofeebean]

She’s from Queens what do you expect her to sound like? Are you telling me there would be no issue if she sounded stereotypical white or if she had an Asian accent even if that wasn’t the environment she grew up in? Isn’t an accent just a product of your environment or are we saying it’s specific to race? Isn’t that the same thing but in reverse? Idk

[@ibn_adham]

She is doing nothing wrong, get your head out of your ass.

[@jeremiah_12]

@@1Cofeebean I know plenty of people from Queens who don’t speak an exaggerated form as this lady. They just speak with a typical NYC accent, not this borderline slave lingo like her.

[@frstnmlstnm8484]

@@1Cofeebean I did wondered about her upbringing. Is it ok if a non black person sounds black if they grew up around black people? People who study culture say that culture is not a race, it's not something you biological inherit, it's something you learn. No culture is homogeneous, all cultures influence eachother. So I think it does make a difference where she grew up and the people that influenced her.

[@Liltoxicfoo]

At 7:03 she’s speaking like an immigrant who came later in life and assimilated….that’s what all the “cool”Asians immigrants that live in the southwest side Houston sound like I imagine it’s not exclusive thing

[@deebo1186]

I always found ridiculous the term “blaccent”, you can’t change the color of your skin nor exchange it. But accents can come regardless of your color.

[@Vinioliveira6079]

Michael Jackson changed the color of his skin

[@Vinioliveira6079]

It’s not about color tho, it’s about an ethnic group

[@kaii9236]

@@Vinioliveira6079 he didn’t. He had a condition

[@itmeriver5800]

michael jackson had vitiligo, i believe

[@livinghoomanbean4803]

@@Vinioliveira6079 he had vitiligo, and it spread over his face so he became paler. He never had surgery; he was proud of being Black.

[@gen_li7725]

I had some old childhood friends who would use blaccent to seem cooler and (as another commenter mentioned) sound more “street” but always for comedy. It’s how they got people to flock to them and laugh with them, and they still do it now. I always found it odd when I was little but didn’t realize how reflective it is of a larger social issue until pretty recently when I popped on their social media and saw they still used blaccent for the same goals. I wonder if they are even aware of what they are doing..

[@bluebellegreen2804]

It's called: POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTUREPOP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE POP CULTURE

[@chewy99.]

Lol one of my South American friend’s little brother does that to sound cool and gangster.

[@purplemadnessW]

Wtf is wrong with it?? People from all around have been doing that and you somehow find it "odd"? Get a grip on reality real quick. Its NOT a social issue. Celebrities who use it who aren't even black don't get this much backlash and unnecessary attention for just how they talk! Yet when your friends are mimicking or making a joke, you find it "odd"? When white/hispanic/asian stand-up comedians make fun of the blaccent, its all of a sudden NOT an issue. Why?? People are just having fun and enjoying themselves. The real issues are climate change, wars, world hunger, etc. not some random racial dialect that got popular and all of a sudden all the Emilys on the internet wanna make it an issue. You all probably want the government to spend billions on this "issue" right?? Gtf outta here

[@kissxthexdancer]

Subscribing for this video - so well put, regardless of whether or not the world is ready to hear it. ❤

[@ReveMadu]

Really glad this show is back. Speaking uncomfortable truths in an educational way

[@donaldhitman6724]

Really? Google this topic and you'd find the real history of the lingo they claim is from poor English immigrants that settled in the South and lived amongst the freed slaves.

[@picachugirl2036]

Where is the truth in this video? You really gotta be more skeptical of the things you hear on the internet. The only truths in this video was the history parts. White people cant talk that way in a professional environment either. So make it make sense, where is the racism? Oh i see where it is, calling an average southern accent a blackcent, thats where it is .-. and the video suggesting that only black people used to talk that way

[@kingdeedee]

​@@donaldhitman6724 whether or not that's true doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things (it is partially true though). 100% of people using the lingo associate it with black people and use it because they see famous black people using it first and because they often wanna sound cool and "hood." Nobody today attributes it to poor english immigrants. Many black people who don't speak with either a blatant "blaccent," caribbean accent or african accent are often told that they even "sound white"

[@ajj403]

@@donaldhitman6724 Thomas Sowell?

[@lalareal180]

@@kingdeedee It is true! Your whole outrage is founded on false narratives! But go off! But the whole movement the whole liftin the veil so you can enlighten (diversity training lmao) everyone about how everything is racist, no not blatant in your face real racism but under the currents of the silly microaggressions. These are founded on white supremacy etc etc... So if we lifting the veil, lift it all the way... This is where the accent came from, and then stay mad that blaccents are happening from other races.

[@ToastiiToez]

I grew up with mostly poc around me, so I’ve never noticed and just thoughts how everyone spoke. This video was very educational, I appreciate this and learning about the history of this

[@KuninKat]

It’s totally okay to speak like the way you do. If it comes natural since you’ve grown up around it, you will inherit that accent. Perfectly okay and normal.

[@loverinas]

same i didn’t know about it till two months ago when someone pointed out how i talked and shamed me. so grateful that people are making videos like these to educate!

[@sadblob4577]

I live in a very diverse area and as a child who didn’t know english, I picked up several accents that I sometimes speak in. I didn’t even know I was mimicking people’s accents until a few years ago when a friend pointed out how I sounded “southern.” I’ve grown out of it but every so often, the accents slip out

[@beansterfire82]

I don't necessarily think it you're mimicking a person's accent. First of all, if you had no idea you were doing it because it was what you were raised around, then in a way, it's your accent. It is similar to when people "lose" their accent. Humans naturally pick up on the actions of the people around them. For example, if a white person lived in a largely black community and went to school around black people, and all of the people they knew were black, then they too are going to sound "black". They wouldn't be imitating a black people, that would just be how they sounded because they were raised around people who spoke that way. Just like if a black child was adopted and or raised around white people or in a white family, they are going to sound "white". If that makes sense.

[@Wonderouz]

I couldn't even make it past 1:50... my face is frowned tf up. I swear to God!! I'm so pissed & i live in memphis & they wonder why we don't give af about him. This is my 1st time hearing this version of that hers is so soulful & meaningful. Smh again.... im not even 2min in typing this & im 38 hot 🔥🔥🔥

[@kjdnyhmghfvb]

What really was the 7th nail in the coffin for me...was when Awkafina (yeah) said "I refuse to do [Asian] accents," "I make it very clear, I don't ever go out for auditions where I feel like I'm making a minstrel out of our people." *SO YOU KNEW...EMPHATICALLY!*

[@brandonmoss7976]

The nail in the coffin should have came from tila tequila building up her clout off of the black community, and can't stop talking s*** about black people today 😰

[@JW-oo7nb]

She literally grew up in Queens. She speaks like the people she grew up around. It’s not about race it’s about where you grew up.

[@brandonmoss7976]

@@JW-oo7nb so that gives her a right to make a menstrual out of black people, you need to go somewhere else with your racism 🙄

[@aesha8689]

@@JW-oo7nb you realize she doesn't actually speak that way, right? it's over exaggerated, which is what minstrels do

[@najhiahhall7080]

@@brandonmoss7976 I grew up around white people and have been told I don't sound black so I don't wanna hear it. She always to speak that way because that's what she grew up around

[@ailemasvega]

The history of this was very interesting. However in modern day instances of blaccent I think it comes down to two different circumstances: growing up in diverse communities (like Awkafina or Elvis) and naturally adopting the accent you are around, or growing up in the internet and mimicking the expressions and deliveries that are popular. I would also like to say that while blaccent is associated with the black community, it's still a stereotype to say that it's exclusively black. A black man in Texas won't speak like one from New York or California, it's not monolithic. It's a fascinating and complicated topic. I'd love to see a longer documentary on how this way of speaking came to be, where is it found and how it spreads.

[@cypher3604]

Why’d you use Texas and California as an example when many black people in CA are only a few generations removed from TX. This is why you don’t speak on topics you have no idea about

[@bulleta4358]

@@cypher3604 😂 How is blaccent stereotypically black when it IS black. 🤣

[@alecicruz388]

Awkwafina doesn't even speak like that. She uses blaccent as part of her comedy

[@Pou1gie1]

Awkwafina and Elvis didn't grow up in predominantly Black neighborhoods, I think that is part of the point. Also, doing it for laughs is like if a Black person impersonated a comical stereotypical Asian accent -- it would still be offensive because it is meant to humiliate and demean. With Elvis, he took on Black culture to profit from it and stole Black songs without giving Black people monetary compensation or recognition.

[@Dennis-nc3vw]

@@cypher3604 Why does that have anything to do with anything? Most Americans are only a few generations removed from a foreign country, yet they don't speak like their British/Mexican/Indian/Chinese ancestors. This is why you don't speak on topics you don't bother actually thinking about.

[@laabitres]

Man its interesting how a black person can do something and it can be deemed as not "important" but a white person does the same thing with a blaccent and it goes viral........Im glad you guys are talking about this and im happy this show is back.

[@hafluq2979]

If she grew up that way because of the culture in her environment surrounding her then she definitely doesn’t need to apologise. Thats like asking Eminem to apologise for making rap

[@BlueeDinoo]

This also happens with the Spanish language, especially with reggaeton/ Latin music on the rise, many nonblack artists are reaping profits from using black Spanish vernacular.

[@MrFrezeer]

Black spanish vernacular? What do you mean? Almost all spanish speaking countries are "mixed",and at least in Mexico most of us doesn't identify as "black" or "white" ,most of us are "morenos" .

[@Zeno11Salazar]

@@MrFrezeer That's Mexico and likely some other countries, but in counties like Colombia where even though our heritage can be very mixed, you have many people with white, tan, or black skin tones. Often our skin color does get treated as a noticeable trait, and there's still communities separated by skin color or regions.

[@FlowerTower]

@@MrFrezeer not you erasing afro latinas like amara la negra.

[@MrFrezeer]

@@FlowerTower I'm not erasing anything , I'm just saying that at least in Mexico we don't go out there saying he's white , he's black, he's latino, he's africo Latino, etc.We just say oh it's (insert nationality) and has (insert color) skin. What I'm trying to say is that USA it's very obsessed with race , that's it, I'm not trying to erase anything. Also we are kinda deviating from the point I just asked what does S G meant by Black Spanish Vernicular

[@MrFrezeer]

@@Zeno11Salazar Really! I didn't know it was that extreme ,one learn a lot of things daily.

[@tndyamond2]

We set the trends we are the culture. When it comes to Akwafina I never thought of blaccent. I thought she was using a New York accent. I also have noticed that the LGBTQ community and drag queens use black venacular and sayings. This was a great 10 minute segement on the topic.

[@leoneforte444]

No such thing as blaccent, just cus ur black doesn’t mean you gonna speak a certain way what type of stereotypical racist junk is this, these are American slangs and there’s many people that grow up that way not just black people, there’s many people who grow up in these environments and are surrounded by this art style also many white older people at that time didn’t like Elvis cus they saw the music as the devil so even he had hate not all praise but you don’t see that, and even if you wanna say this is how black people all talk which isn’t true it’s about where you grow up not color of skin, but if so, why are people mad that people are actually enjoying something from black people, pure ignorance

[@sus5770]

@@leoneforte444 you buggin with this one

[@leoneforte444]

@@sus5770 how am I buggin? It all depends where you grow up and your surroundings, there’s tons of people of all colors born all over the world that grow up speaking certain languages or certain accents like not everyone in America speaks the same if your from an area that’s more like a ghetto your gonna speak improper English and there isn’t anything wrong with that but the thing is there are ghettos all over and many races being born in these ghettos from white to back to Asian to Spanish from north to south east to west cus in reality if you wanna talk about what an accent from a place truly about black people that’s like Ghana and stuff like that and they still don’t speak like Americans from certain areas hell they speak even better then proper speaking Americans so no all this crap today is bs

[@sus5770]

@@leoneforte444 AAVE also known as blaccent is an official vernacular. hence “African American Vernacular english”

[@leoneforte444]

@@sus5770 but that has nothing to do with the skin color it has to do with the slang they were talking and anyone can speak that slang if that come from that area, there’s white Africans who speak with a heavy African accent there are whites people who grow up in the inner cities since baby’s and that’s the way they end up talking cus it’s what they learn and know growing up has nothing to do with skin color

[@jwellsmediainc.4593]

As a someone who is blackity-black-black, I can relate to certain aspects of her argument. However, I maintain much of my previous position I held before watching this video. I don’t equate the use of a “blackcent” to be equivalent to the use of blackface. In addition, I’m not saying that the use of a “blackcent” by non-blacks is right or wrong. I’m just don’t think it’s an issue to be all that concerned about when there are more pressing conversations to be had regarding more pressing issues that could materially improve racial equity. My reasoning is that while there is always the existential concern of cultural appropriation/exploitation, courtesy of the majority group at the expense of the minority/oppressed group, what we must also consider is the rise and mainstreaming of black culture via Hip-Hop. People tend to want to mimic the culture or assume the cultural identity they assimilate into. A lot of young non-black Americans are now assimilated into Hip-Hop culture. Hip-Hop is now bigger than Rock n’ Roll. In fact, Hip-Hop is having the same cultural effect on young people under the age of 35 that Rock n’ Roll may have had 30-40 years ago. We’re living in the Age of Hip-Hop, and we’re probably right in the middle its peak. 30-40 years ago, young people grew out their hair, wore ripped jeans, eyeliner, vamped nails, and adopted the vernacular of their favorite rock icons. Now, today, young people are getting tapered fades, dreads, Afros, and wearing all the other latest fashion trends consistent with their favorite hip-hop entertainers. This why I state that there’s a blurry line between cultural appropriation and cultural diffusion. Cultural appropriation is an offense for all of the more obvious reasons. But cultural diffusion is all but inevitable.

[@Burns11112]

Right on the money. They just can’t bare to accept that white people may do the same things black people do out of admiration and respect and flip it around to mockery and robbery.

[@sharstarg2414]

Very well said

[@genieglasslamp5028]

Yea the problem is non black kids can throw away their diffusion anytime they want. They can stop putting on their mask of blackness. Black people can't. The people who use blaccents don't care about black people at all. They don't don't care when they perpetuate negative stereotypes about black people. They don't care when them or their friends say the n word (let's be honest this shit opens the gateway for white people to say it). They see black people as a trend and that's all. There lies the problem. Black people and our culture are not a trend for white people to be entertained with.

[@lukewright9031]

One of the issues I have is when people can't pick a lane with the so-called hip-hop culture or age as you put it. The reason Akwafina had enraged people is because she showed she could speak "normally". If her blaccent was the result of growing up in Compton, or wherever then that would've been understandable which is why no one gives Eminem heat when he raps or talks because that's who he is and isn't putting on a show. Therefore if Akwafina cannot be funny *without* a blaccent then maybe she isn't funny in the first place. There's nothing wrong with non-black people choosing to wear dreads, afros, etc as long as they acknowledge the culture and know their limits which explains why Chet Hanks gets more backlash than say Justin Bieber.

[@JaJaM.C.]

I came here to say this, but you just articulated it SO MUCH CLEARER.

[@ballsymcfee9882]

So, here's an interesting alternate POV... While yes, some people do intentionally try to mimic the accent, body language, and style, I feel that the majority of the time it just happens naturally. We tend to emulate the accents and style that we are surrounded by. This goes both ways too. I work with a very diverse group of people and I've noticed that everyone's accents and mannerisms change a little, depending on who they're around. I don't think it's in any way intentional. Its a byproduct of our natural evolutionary trait to want to communicate as effectively as we can. I agree that if anyone were to mimic someone else's culture in order to insult or degrade them, then that's absolutely a cause to be called out. But here's the thing, it really seems like she's wanting to segregate culture by planting a flag and saying, "No, you can't do that. It's only for African American people, not you." Doesn't that seem at least a little odd? (For context, I'm biracial which has put me in the unique position of choosing which race I should present as, according to this person. How about we drop the sh!t that drives us further apart, and focus more on what brings us closer together. A lot of people black AND white fought for black people to get equal rights, we're the closest to true equality that we've been in history. We need more unification, and less segregation... That means creating a unified "American Culture". Let's work on being family with our neighbors and countrymen. Let's share our individual subcultures with each other, and learn to enjoy and appreciate our differences. That's how you unify a nation.)

[@Realrockruss]

There are people out there that purposely do it for whatever reason but I also think it can happen depending on where you grew up. I lived in Kentucky for about 7 years and I developed a strong country accent but it went away after a while. I do have occasional slip ups and I hate it so much😭

[@ExploradorMundialX]

Don’t, be proud of your roots no matter what!

[@towersthetoad2161]

Elvis grew up in poverty around black people. That was just the way he talked. He wasn't appropriating anything

[@nataliewalters2759]

yeah but he knew he could make money off of it there for leaving the black artist behind. That happened all of the time to blacks.

[@AndreChavesDamasio]

After watching it a couple of times I reflected a lot about how growing up in Rio de Janeiro in the sixties and seventies I've seen an equivalent phenomenon going on. I celebrate your voice being heard again, and I am sharing this wonderful news with family and friends!

[@michaelpuglisi1647]

Thank you so much for this video. Like the prior videos you have made I found this to be very informative .

[@hooliganbrarj]

Forgot to mention where Elvis grew up and in what environment was he raised

[@victoribass77]

You should look up Roy Hamilton, a singer who Elvis took his vocal style and moves after.

[@phtgnc_trsh]

I do understand the topic and some of the issues with people having a blaccent. Though I think there is a big lack of recognizing that there is a difference between adopting that accent and growing up with it. For people like me who are Mexican, we grew up around a lot of black folk. We adopted some of their mannerisms naturally. We adopted a blaccent naturally because that's what we would hear. We had lots of black friends growing up and that's what we learned. I do agree that people should be held accountable but there are also people who developed this accent naturally that don't think of it as "vocal blackface". They're not trying to seem like someone they're not. That's just how they speak. I know at least that that's the case with me and my family. There's never any mal intent in speaking like that. That's just what we learned.

[@rafangille]

true, but it definitely depends on where you’re from. i’m mexican too but people where i’m from don’t usually talk with a blaccent

[@jemhasopinions]

i think people are missing what the video is about. most of these people were raised in a white neighbourhood surrounded by white people 24/7. they could be inspired by AA culture but some people genuinely get these mannerisms from nowhere but what the internet provides them. thus the reason for “internet lingo” (i hate that phrase soooo much) being thrown around being natural born into communities will always mean that you will pick up accents, so i do get that since i am black but was raised in a predominantly mixed environment of african culture, african-british culture and white-british culture. however, it is just that you can distinguish between people who were naturally raised with a dialect and who is doing it for money or clout or humour. the people who cant tell tend to be ignorant… which is disheartening because that is a majority of people who pretend they know about social issues-

[@VOLCAL]

BRO, HOW YOU TRYING TO GO THAT DEEP ON A LANGUAGE THAT BLKS STOLE FROM WHTE SOUTHERN SPEAK????

[@VOLCAL]

99% OF BLK AMERICAN CULTURE JUST REHASHED WHTE CULTURE...

[@VOLCAL]

THE WORDS BLKCENT IS A COMBO OF 2 WHTE CREATED WORDS- BLK AND ACCENT....EVERY CONNOTATION OF THE N WORD WAS CREATED BY WHTE PEOPLE....PLEASE STOP WITH THIS BS.

[@kateslate]

Elvis wasn’t using a blaccent that was his accent. He was from Tupelo, Mississippi. He grew up poor and spent a lot of time around other poor people who were black. It was just how he talked.

[@bodysnatchersllc802]

Tupelo, Mississippi. Yes, he grew up in a prominently black neighborhood. I agree that is just the way he grew up talking.

[@kateslate]

@@bodysnatchersllc802 Thank you! You’re right it’s Mississippi not Tennessee. Either way the accent wasn’t put on and I think it’s sad people point to him as being someone who appropriated culture.

[@mich8462]

this

[@humanbutchery9412]

Its ridiculous. Anytime i see people from the south talk i don't think they're talking with a "blaccent". Country and rockabilly singers are singing in their regional dialect. White people in hawaii who were raised there speak like pacific islanders. Ive seen white jamaican men who speak like bob marley. Indian people when speaking english speak like englishmen!! They're a product of their environment

[@laurentucker5444]

Exactly! He was born in Tupelo and lived a significant portion of his life in Memphis. That’s just how everyone talks around here! You talk like the people you’re surrounded by.

[@jakesmith5278]

I don't get why Aquafina has to apologize for her Broklem accent, an accent she grew up with.

[@mychaeljones7526]

Thank you.

[@Andyyoureastar]

I think this 10 min video really missed the mark on Elvis. He was heavily ridiculed for singing songs sung by black Americans. His intentions were to build a bridge during a time where still segregation existed. He also grew up in black churches as well as listening to WDIA radio and was proud to. Can’t even compare that to awkwfina or Billie eilish with their AAVE

[@terrelljackson.]

I think the reference to Elvis was more about appropriation.

[@everybodyyogastudio212]

I agree, although there are two sides to every coin and I’ve noticed that many people speak like Californians simply because our accent is all over tv and the movies. And I wonder if people arent to some degree , picking up a blaccent because it is all over music and tv as well. There are so many talented Black people all over the media. It would at least help if employers just stop judging as they get paid a ton to sit on their butts

[@m3ntyb]

Californian is a race and ethnicity?

[@Darknamja]

My thoughts exactly. The current generation is like sponges. If they hear or see it enough they adopt it consciously or unconsciously. 🤔

[@BrighamYen]

@@m3ntyb No but it's the same concept smartie. :) And yes, white people are a race and they have an accent, so if you happen to be black and sound "white," then you are appropriating whiteness and that's just a big no no isn't it?

[@micknotfromleitrim]

Twit

[@Janna_Ash]

@@BrighamYen there’s no one “white accent” - accents are regional. But when it comes to a “blaccent” notice that non-black people tend to throw out the same stereotypical speak, no matter where they’re from. Despite the fact that Black folks aren’t all from the same place and we don’t all speak the same way. You seem to think you’ve made a legit argument, but you didn’t lol.

[@binnaaesculapian5068]

I was today years old when I realised that it’s Late Mrs. Big Mamma Thornton ma’am’s voice that plays in the beginning of Doja Cat’s song “ Vegas”. I’m from India born, raised & living so I actually am not ignorant if anyone thinks so.

[@Lauraraksin77]

Thanks for the education drop. I'm Filipino and I grew up with a lot of Asians during high school. It irked me why a decent amount of them adopted the blaccent tone. Especially we had a blacks vs Asian war going about, lol. I personally don't find it appealing when the person outside the group goes deliberately out of their way to talk like that. Only because I see it as them self depreciating. I play jazz piano (shouts to oscar peterson) and I give respect to the founders of jazz by educating non listeners what's it about and how much soul derived from this culture. But speaking of blaccents, I just feel there's this connotation of "looking" or "sounding" cool.