I have no idea why, she doesn't sound Irish to me in the slightest. She is well known over here as being from
Glasgow. But, as I've said before, I am from the North East of Scotland and have been asked if I am Irish by Americans many times. Funnily enough when I have said no, sometimes the next question is, "Are you Australian, then?".
I have noticed a strange kind of generic accent in the USA, they have started calling it the "Cardiac Celt" accent over here. Groups such as the Dropkick Murphys use it, it sounds like a mix of Australian, Canadian, Irish and Scottish, while at the same time sounding like neither. I am wondering if it might be styled after bands such as The Pogues. I was in a band in the 80's that played with the Pogues, they were neighbours and we knew them well. They were English boys from Camden, London until they adopted a sort of Cockney/Irish singing accent before going to the USA and doing well for themselves as an "Irish" band, despite not sounding that Irish. Shane went to a very expensive school in London that produced the likes of Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquis of Rockingham, William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland and Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury, I'm sure he didn't pick up any Irishness there. He is a very nice guy, by the way.
But, it's probably all a matter of perception, there are many people here who can't tell USA and Canadian accents apart, never mind the different states.
I have to say that I think Pixar had done well in using several genuine Scottish actors. Hollywood has inflicted many dire "Scotch" accents on the world. I'd rather that films were made like the 90's version of Rob Roy, where Liam Neeson just used his natural Irish accent, no attempt at a Scottish one, claiming no-one in Holywood would know the difference. After all, Sean Connery played the Arab brigand Mulai Ahmed er Raisuni in tones of pure Embra' Fountainbridge in
The Wind & The Lion without much complaint from the Arab world.
Originally Posted by MacSpadger
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