topic Re: Vocal Fry in Among Friends

Vocal Fry

Vivian — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 17:57:41 GMT

For those unfamiliar with the term, vocal fry is that croaky kind of voice used by young women, à la The Kardashians. My husband cannot watch HGTV's Flip or Flop because the woman featured has a speaking voice he cannot stand. MUCH has been written about this damaging speech pattern. It is hard on the ears and worse on the voice of those who speak in vocal fry.

Re: Vocal Fry

on the bay — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 18:18:44 GMT

I hate hearing this too! It seems a lot of newscasters also use it (of the younger generation).

Its amazing to me if you listen to any older movies, people who are not 13-45 or so, it just didn't exist.

Its so unattractive to listen to.

I often want to give many of the hosts and people on tv speech lessons.

Another popular speech pattern is fastasyoucanspeak! and there is one middle age newscaster who drops his sentences.(starting out loud and ending in an undecipherable whisper!)

I tell myself I need a life when I find myself mimicking/yelling at the tv

Re: Vocal Fry

Peaches McPhee — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 18:19:57 GMT

I first heard about vocal fry on another forum that was talking about Flip or Flop's Christina and her voice. I had never heard of it before, so I googled it, and, yes, apparently is is pretty common among certain people (young women). I wonder what the long term health results are. It probably started out as an affectation, but now they probably don't even realize it.

Re: Vocal Fry

newjersey — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 19:15:42 GMT

I hear this vocal fry all the time, also by young women on tv. How do they even get their voices to sound like that?

Re: Vocal Fry

ChynnaBlue — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 19:34:56 GMT

Men AND women have been using vocal fry for ages, but women are the ones who are constantly criticized for it. Ira Glass has been doing this since the beginning of This American Life, but only the women on the staff of This American Life get emailed complaints and even hate mail about this.

The vast majority of articles about this are negatively commenting on women and even deny men do this, but that's not correct. And more recent medical studies say that no, it's not harmful to vocal cords for women or men.

No matter who seems to do it, only women get the hate mail about it and Ira Glass says the complaints they get about the voices of women are the most hateful emails they get.

When men do it (Vin Diesel, Tom Hardy, Johnny Depp), people say "that's just the way they sound," or "that's just their voice." When women do it, "that's vocal fry," or "that's an annoying sound."

It's another form of sexism. It's also a matter of age. People under 40 are less likely to have an issue with vocal fry than those over 40.

"This American Life host Ira Glass recently admitted that he uses vocal fry. But in a conversation with Chana Jaffe-Walt (who is not a dude), Glass also admitted that no one notices his vocal fry. And it's not that no one notices — women are criticized for using vocal fry while men have been getting away with it for years."

Source: http://www.upworthy.com/what-is-vocal-fry-and-why-doesnt-anyone-care-when-men-talk-like-that

And here's a link to the This American Life episode dedicated to vocal fry and the complaints the women on their staff get: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/545/if-you-dont-have-anything-nice-to-say-say-it-in-all-caps?act=2#play

Re: Vocal Fry

sidsmom — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 20:05:31 GMT

Vocal Fry is soooo not a new thing.

Vocal Fry is soooo not a female thing.

There's a host on my sports radio station who has been broadcasting for over 20yrs...and he has classic Vocal Fry.

A lot of singers 'bottom out'...think Trace Adkins, Alan Jackson..classic country western vocal fry. Britney Spears? I can't listen to her anymore...she's got such bad vocal fry, it kinda drives me nuts. Ha

Re: Vocal Fry

Bhvbum — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 23:23:21 GMT

Right, vocal fry is not just a female thing, but I have probably heard 10 women for every one man talk this way so I don't think women get unfairly criticized.

I can't stand it!! Don't their parents or family talk to them about it. This is annoying to ALL ages.

Re: Vocal Fry

cherry — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 23:47:55 GMT

Are you talking about a voice that sounds like Grace Vanderwaals? (sp) She croaks but I think its her natural voice

Re: Vocal Fry

Moonchilde — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 01:36:32 GMT

If it's a choice between vocal fry and all the mostly younger women who sound like a cross between Minnie Mouse and The Chipmunks, I'll take the vocal fry, thanks. Every time I hear Babyvoice I want to ask if I can speak to their mommy.

Re: Vocal Fry

KarenQVC — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 02:11:49 GMT

To me it sounds like their batteries are going bad.

Re: Vocal Fry

Katcat1 — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 10:15:59 GMT

I never heard the term before but i have to agree with your husband and cannot watch the Flip or Flop show. Her voice is annoying but they were running a commercial a while back that was so gross, I refused to watch their program.

Re: Vocal Fry

AngelPuppy1 — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 10:18:54 GMT

It sounds whiny to me and I can't stand it -- man, woman -- whatever. Eeeck! Gets on my nerves.

Re: Vocal Fry

Mom2Dogs — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 21:06:01 GMT

@Peaches McPhee wrote:
I first heard about vocal fry on another forum that was talking about Flip or Flop's Christina and her voice. I had never heard of it before, so I googled it, and, yes, apparently is is pretty common among certain people (young women). I wonder what the long term health results are. It probably started out as an affectation, but now they probably don't even realize it.

@Peaches McPhee....I have never heard this term....people speak like 'that' on purpose? If so, why?

Re: Vocal Fry

sidsmom — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 22:45:02 GMT

This is a current comm'l running for Time Warner Cable.

Classic vocal fry.

https://youtu.be/FJlDlzNBrXA

Re: Vocal Fry

Peaches McPhee — Sat, 10 Dec 2016 17:52:40 GMT

@Mom2Dogs wrote:
@Peaches McPhee wrote:
I first heard about vocal fry on another forum that was talking about Flip or Flop's Christina and her voice. I had never heard of it before, so I googled it, and, yes, apparently is is pretty common among certain people (young women). I wonder what the long term health results are. It probably started out as an affectation, but now they probably don't even realize it.
@Peaches McPhee....I have never heard this term....people speak like 'that' on purpose? If so, why?

@Mom2Dogs Well, I'm no expert, but maybe because they are apeing others they consider cool. Like, G*D help us, the Kardashians.

Re: Vocal Fry

Cookie2025 — Sat, 10 Dec 2016 18:55:32 GMT

@KarenQVC wrote:
To me it sounds like their batteries are going bad.

OMGOODNESS - EXACTLY - it really does sound like they are running really looooowwww ...

Re: Vocal Fry

violann — Sat, 10 Dec 2016 19:06:19 GMT

Becuzz they think it's reallllly Koo-uhluh.

I can sort of live with vocal fry, but the addition of a schwa at the end of every single word makes my skin peel.

Also an affectation, and to me the claim of gender bias is not very accurate.

Seems to me the idea began with Valley Girl talk.

But I want to add that I was taught that it IS a pathological voice condition when it accompanies some specific neurological conditions.

Re: Vocal Fry

cherry — Sat, 10 Dec 2016 19:06:05 GMT

@sidsmom wrote:
This is a current comm'l running for Time Warner Cable.
Classic vocal fry.

https://youtu.be/FJlDlzNBrXA

She sounds like a frog

Re: Vocal Fry

sidsmom — Sat, 10 Dec 2016 19:23:49 GMT

I've seen many articles deeming Vocal Fry (VF) as 'sexist'.

Women are continually being chastised with this speech pattern,

but men have been using vocal fry for just as long as women.

Google 'male vocal fry'...Bruce Willis seems to pop up quite often.

https://youtu.be/NWTkTsPI4MY

Bruce Willlllllllllliiiiiiiiiissss!

I've heard several male NPR hosts w/ VF, as well. A lot of those

old nighttime DJ's were also classic VF.

If you Google 'Howard Stern vocal fry', it'll pull up a segment he

did talking about VF. He focuses on 'The Bachelor' where those gals

are VF'g all over the place! (Note: be warned..saucy language)

http://www.upworthy.com/what-is-vocal-fry-and-why-doesnt-anyone-care-when-men-talk-like-that

Here's a good link to an article about VF. There's an embedded video from CBS Morning show when they talked about it.

Funny how it's getting so much attention now.

The "valley girl' of the 80's really got into it....why now? Weird.

Re: Vocal Fry

RedTop — Sun, 11 Dec 2016 14:06:16 GMT

I'm not familiar with "vocal fry". In instances where I've noticed speech differences, my thoughts have always been more along the lines of someone working on a speech problem.

Both of my daughters required years of speech therapy in elementary school, so if I see/hear someone making more of an effort to pronounce words, my thoughts automatically go back to those years of reinforcing those speech exercises.

Christina on Flip or Flop moves her mouth so precisely, I have always wondered if she developed that habit from wearing braces.

The Chrisley family's voices grate on me worse than fingernails on a chalkboard!