Language Ideology & Homogenization in Hollywood: Does the African Accent really exist?
Location
Golden Eagles
Start Date
1-5-2026 12:50 PM
Department
Linguistics
Abstract
When people think of the “African” accent, what comes to mind? Just as labels such as “American” or “Asian” accents mask vast linguistic diversity, popular films such as Coming to America and Blood Diamond present highly recognizable yet narrow versions of what the African accent is supposed to sound like (Lippi-Green, 2012). Yet for many Africans, these accents correspond only to specific regional or national varieties (Schmied, 1991). When these specific regional sounds are used as a one-size-fits-all voice for characters from across the continent, they are frequently rejected by native speakers as inauthentic (Stephen-Adesina, 2024). My research examines the reasons behind this phenomenon. I argue that nonspecific African accents are used because non-African listeners may have reduced sensitivity to unfamiliar accent variation and tend to collapse unfamiliar accents into broad perceptual categories as a result of perceptual attunement and narrowing (Best & Tyler, 2007; Lindemann, 2003). This process makes listeners more attentive to distinctions that are meaningful within their linguistic and social environments while reducing sensitivity to distinctions outside these environments (Ritsema et al., 2024; Kuhl, 2004). I draw on research on out-group homogeneity and social categorization to show how racialized labels such as “African,” “American,” and “foreign” shape how speech is perceived. When listeners identify speakers as members of an out-group, internal linguistic diversity becomes less perceptually salient, leading to the collapse of multiple accents into a single perceived category (Tajfel & Turner, 1979; Bestelmeyer et al., 2015). I also argue that these perceptual patterns influence linguistic casting practices in Hollywood where casting for “African” roles often prioritizes recognizability over linguistic authenticity (Lippi-Green, 2012). As a result, actors perform accents that conform to audience expectations even when those accents differ from authentic speech. This cycle reinforces simplified and inaccurate ideas about African accents and contributes to the erasure of African linguistic diversity in global media.
Faculty Sponsor
Richard Hallett
Language Ideology & Homogenization in Hollywood: Does the African Accent really exist?
Golden Eagles
When people think of the “African” accent, what comes to mind? Just as labels such as “American” or “Asian” accents mask vast linguistic diversity, popular films such as Coming to America and Blood Diamond present highly recognizable yet narrow versions of what the African accent is supposed to sound like (Lippi-Green, 2012). Yet for many Africans, these accents correspond only to specific regional or national varieties (Schmied, 1991). When these specific regional sounds are used as a one-size-fits-all voice for characters from across the continent, they are frequently rejected by native speakers as inauthentic (Stephen-Adesina, 2024). My research examines the reasons behind this phenomenon. I argue that nonspecific African accents are used because non-African listeners may have reduced sensitivity to unfamiliar accent variation and tend to collapse unfamiliar accents into broad perceptual categories as a result of perceptual attunement and narrowing (Best & Tyler, 2007; Lindemann, 2003). This process makes listeners more attentive to distinctions that are meaningful within their linguistic and social environments while reducing sensitivity to distinctions outside these environments (Ritsema et al., 2024; Kuhl, 2004). I draw on research on out-group homogeneity and social categorization to show how racialized labels such as “African,” “American,” and “foreign” shape how speech is perceived. When listeners identify speakers as members of an out-group, internal linguistic diversity becomes less perceptually salient, leading to the collapse of multiple accents into a single perceived category (Tajfel & Turner, 1979; Bestelmeyer et al., 2015). I also argue that these perceptual patterns influence linguistic casting practices in Hollywood where casting for “African” roles often prioritizes recognizability over linguistic authenticity (Lippi-Green, 2012). As a result, actors perform accents that conform to audience expectations even when those accents differ from authentic speech. This cycle reinforces simplified and inaccurate ideas about African accents and contributes to the erasure of African linguistic diversity in global media.