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What If Presidential Candidates Were Voice Actors – Part 2

As a longtime voice over actor, I automatically pick up on different speech patterns, nuances and styles of speaking from those in the public eye. And you can’t get any more public than the lineup of candidates running for president in 2020. While some candidates may have solid experience in the political arena, I can’t help but ask how they’d fare in the voice over industry.

Our last post looked at our first three candidates on the list: Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg. This time we’re listening in the next three: Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and Tulsi Gabbard. Even though Clinton has not officially announced a run for president in 2020, she has spent enough time in the spotlight to earn her a place on our list (and many predict she will enter the race at some point).

Donald Trump

Loud, repetitive and a master at commanding the stage, Donald Trump no doubt knows how to put on a performance. In fact, he’s been likened to a “modern-day P.T. Barnum” for his keen ability to capture people’s attention. He is also a master at spontaneity who reportedly does not script his speeches in advance.

Vocal Style 

  • Exceptionally informal, even in formal arena and capacity as president
  • Lack of ums, ahhs and filled pauses, which projects a sense of confidence
  • Habit of using anecdotes and stories over statistics, which connects to people’s emotions
  • Spontaneous responses, which creates further connection with audience
  • Repetition, which serves to cement ideas into people’s minds

Impact of Vocal Style

Repetition is a hallmark of Trump’s speaking style, sometimes saying the same sentence multiple times. Other times, his sentences may trail off without officially ending, which some may interpret as an inability to finish a thought. Others, however, have attributed that trait to him being a New Yorker and expecting others to finish his sentences for him.

Still others have said such ambiguity is created on purpose. This allows everyone in the audience to fill in the blank with their own thoughts to finish the sentence, thereby aligning their own thoughts with what Trump meant and further strengthening the connection.

Exaggeration and embellishments are also a regular part of his speaking habits, which supporters know are not to be taken literally. They don’t take him literally but do take him seriously. The media tends to do the opposite, taking him literally and not seriously.

Potential Success as a Voice Over Artist 

His media and business background would work in favor of voice over commercials, while his large and loud style aligns well with announcer-type roles.

Hillary Clinton

Hilary Clinton is certainly polished in her enunciation and delivery on the stage – although some have argued she’s too polished. Critics say the overly polished delivery makes her non-distinct and non-relatable, unlike her folksy, more causal way of speaking earlier in her career. Others argue she is very relatable, especially since she has been known to change her accent and speech patterns when she thinks it will make her more appealing to a specific audience.

Vocal Style

  • Raises her voice to emphasize points, but sometimes raising it so much “that it was almost screaming”
  • Switches between personal stories and lecturing style, which adds interest
  • Motivational, positive messages, but rarely smiling during their delivery
  • Authoritative gestures, strong eye contact with audience
  • Speaking from the throat, rather than from the diaphragm

Impact of Vocal Style

Clinton’s speaking style tends to have two camps: you either love it or you hate it. Those who are captivated say her delivery is simple, direct and competent. Those who are less than thrilled note she uses loud, from-the-throat speaking (as opposed to speaking more deeply from the diaphragm). The from-the-throat speaking can be uncomfortable to listen to, watch and, above all, produce.

The volume of her voice is another point that has come under fire. While she frequently uses a loud volume and high pitch to make her point, those points can become blunted when the entire speech is loud.

Potential Success as a Voice Over Artist 

Fantastic for voice over work that demands a range of accents. Not so great if hiring for audiobook narration for bedtime stories.

Tulsi Gabbard

At 38 years old, Tulsi Gabbard is said to bring both “youthful joy and grownup gravitas” to the stage. She also brings a style of speaking that is straightforward, confident and, as “The New Yorker” called it, “faintly hypnotic.”

Vocal Style

  • Clear and confident
  • Straightforward language, even using words like “crappy” and “suck”
  • Voice with agreeable pitch and tone
  • Slow, reassuring delivery
  • Poised, rehearsed, lacking spontaneity

Impact of Vocal Style

Despite being unusually shy as a child, Gabbard said she trained herself to talk to strangers to help her break through her anxiety. The result is enough of a comfort level with the audience to share personal anecdotes and even a hint of emotion. Like when her eyes glistened with near tears during a personal tribute to service members who lost their lives.

She’s also not shy about getting her point across, even if it means continuing to speak over a debate moderator who is trying to close out her time at the mic. It appears if Gabbard means to speak, she will, and she’s done so to standing-room-only crowds which appear to listen intently to what she has to say.

Potential Success as a Voice Over Artist

The hypnotic quality of her voice would not fare well for longer voice over narrations where the audience is at risk of falling asleep. Her style could align with shorter projects that required a confident and believable tone.

One thing we can say for sure: no two candidates are alike when it comes to having a unique speaking style. That makes for an interesting race right off the bat, one that’s only made even more intriguing by the message they relay. What do you think? How much of an impact does a politician’s speaking style have on your opinion of their ability to lead the country?

What If Presidential Candidates Were Voice Actors – Part 1

Presidential Candidates voiceoverWhen it comes to picking our next president, it’s not just about what the candidates say. It’s also about how they say it. With speeches, debates and other political performances gearing up for the 2020 election, we have a good sense of some of the strongest voices vying for president. But what if these same voices were auditioning for voice over jobs?

As a longtime voice over artist, I can’t help but notice the speech patterns, vocal quirks and other notable voice characteristics of politicians. Here’s a rundown on what I’ve heard from the first three candidates on our list: Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg.

Joe Biden

Folksy, choppy and prone to mangling words, Joe Biden is the oldest presidential candidate in the running. Some have even questioned if his age plays a role in his speaking style, although those who have known him for years say he’s always been prone to misspeaking. He comes across as an average Joe, which often works in his favor.

Vocal Style

  • Folksy speaking style, using words like “malarkey”
  • Highly relatable, average-Joe type of delivery that puts audience at ease
  • Apparent adoration of the word “folks,” which he once used more than 30 times in a single speech
  • Choppy style that often involves stopping or interrupting himself
  • Mangling and combining words in speeches. Examples include referring to Twitter as “Tritter” and making up words like “extredible,” which is a mishmash of the words “incredible” and “extraordinary.”
  • Frequent digressions, mix-ups and gaffes, such as this one cited in The New York Times: “People are being killed in western, in eastern Afghan — excuse me, in eastern, uh, Ukraine,” Biden said.

Impact of Vocal Style

With a speaking style that’s largely disjointed, unpolished and peppered with mangled words, you might think he’d be off the list of presidential candidates in a heartbeat. But that’s not the case. His folksy, unassuming speaking style has actually made him endearing to a notable number of supporters.

He has particularly strong support from working-class voters who find him relatable. Some see his informal style and penchant for storytelling as part of his charm.

Potential Success as a Voice Over Artist 

Very little, unless you were hiring for a folksy character that is supposed to frequently go off script or forget his lines.

Elizabeth Warren

Elizabeth Warren has been hailed as an exuberant and captivating performer, and there’s no doubt she has the vocal power, extravagant gestures and stage presence to command a room. While some are enchanted by her style, others are a bit less enthusiastic. The tone and delivery of her message has been compared to that of a domineering teacher scolding the class. Or as one recent meme put it, “She’s like the substitute teacher who assigns homework.”

Vocal Style

  • Lecturing style; lecturing the audience, sometimes even scolding them
  • Polished performance, as if she’s in a one-woman stage play
  • Rapid delivery that has been likened to machine-gun fire or dodge ball
  • Speaks with entire body, “vibrates with feeling,” many arm and hand gestures
  • Native Oklahoma twang

Impact of Vocal Style

Warren’s performances are polished and well-versed, particularly since she uses no notes or other prompting. Yet it’s been noted that such an exceptional level of polish may actually work as a barrier between her and the average American. It’s been said that her town hall meetings and more intimate gatherings are more personable and relatable than her more prominent performances. Yet they may still come across as performances during which the performer remains separate, on a stage high above the audience.

Potential Success as a Voice Over Artist 

Excellent if hiring for the teacher or no-nonsense professor type. Maybe some e-learning applications would be a good fit. Low if hiring for the conversational style of a trusted friend next door.

Pete Buttigieg 

Out of the three presidential candidates discussed here, Pete Buttigieg has the most straightforward speaking style. While Biden and Warren have several articles picking apart their speaking styles, the articles on Buttigieg refer to him as “cool,” “eloquent,” and someone who “excels at inspirational oratory.” This doesn’t mean, however, he would be a shoe-in for any voice-over job that came his way. He lacks the folksy connection enjoyed by Biden, and certainly lacks the emotional charge Warren delivers.

Vocal Style

  • Voice with agreeable pitch and tone
  • Well-paced with generous pauses
  • Direct, calm, reserved
  • Perhaps too reserved at times, which may make him less relatable

Impact of Vocal Style

Buttigieg’s mom says he’s always been reserved, which is evident by the way he sticks with facts and figures rather than disclosing personal stories. Buttigieg himself admits he’s laidback, a trait that is often misinterpreted. “I’m misread as being bloodless,” he said in an AP story.

His speeches may not leave you warm and fuzzy, but they will leave you with a sense that he is intelligent and down to earth. Although his lack of emotion makes his speeches easy to transcribe, it may also make it tougher for voters to make a more personal connection with the man up on stage.

Potential Success as a Voice Over Artist

Ideal for medical narrations or other gigs where you need a straightforward, non-emotional delivery.

Of course, the substance of a candidates’ words are important — although it can be tough to concentrate on the substance if we’re too busy being distracted by the delivery. And if you think this lineup of politician vocal quirks are intriguing, just wait until you see who we have in store for the next one. In the meantime, feel free to share your thoughts on the speaking styles of politicians.

The Most Annoying Speech Patterns You Hear All the Time Now

annoying speech patterns can drive you crazy
So, you probably already know about vocal fry, valspeak and uptalk, right? I mean, everyone has heard plenty of examples of those speech patterns that have made perfectly well-educated college grads (mostly female) sound like Kardashian wannabes.

Vocal fry refers to a low, glottal, animal-like sound that speech pathologists consider a vocal disorder.

Valspeak is, like, short for the way Valley Girls talk that was, like, you know, so big Frank Zappa sang about it in 1982.

Uptalk, a subset of valspeak, is the habit of producing a rising inflection as if you’re asking a question – even when you’re not?

Here’s a new video we created to demonstrate some of the more common patterns you hear today…

To say that all these fad-driven speech patterns are kinda, sorta, well… I don’t know, annoying may seem a bit harsh. But it’s also absolutely true.

The Harsh Reality of Speech Patterns

The use of such patterns do more than annoy the listener. Even if the people indulging in these patterns have an incredibly high IQ, the patterns work against them by making them:

  • Sound less intelligent
  • Appear less professional
  • Seem like a nitwit or airhead
  • An embarrassment in front of mom, dad or the general public
  • Unfit for any position that pays more than minimum wage

Despite all the detriments of allowing those patterns to unconsciously creep into your own conversational lexicon, people are falling prey at rapid rates. Some are even doing it on purpose.

One of the reasons the patterns become so widespread, particularly with the current trend of vocal fry, is the feeling of belonging it gives young women. A video on Today explains how it makes the women feel part of a “macroculture.”

If you ask me, I’d rather join a gym.

If you ask me again, I’d also predict the tide will turn and people who drop these phrases will come out on top in the long run. Drop the phrases now and you can think of it as an easy, inexpensive way to outshine 85 percent of your competitors in that next job interview.

thumbs down

The Up-and-Coming Most Annoying Speech Patterns

Being a voice-over talent makes me extremely sensitive to not only the sound of voices I hear on TV, radio and the internet, but also to the words that are chosen. None of these up-and-coming phrases ever appear in scripts that I read for actual voice-over jobs or auditions. They are typically found in unscripted, more extemporaneous speech.

These five speech patterns have become rampant in interviews. My husband listens to a lot of podcasts, particularly enjoying them while out driving or working in the yard. He started tracking the pervasive use of these five patterns of speaking that are appearing in virtually every interview he listens to lately, including on cable news and business channels.

Of course, once he shared them with me, I started hearing them, too.

I’ve already used all five patterns in this post, did you catch them?

1. You know – This phrase is increasingly being used at the beginning of the sentence as a lead-in. This one has been around for ages but, you know, it’s been given new life with a new use you can’t help but constantly hear if you listen for it.

“You know, the best way to find out the answers is to just Google it.”

2. So – So, you’ll also find this one at the beginning of a sentence, namely as a way to “manage” the conversation and sound fairly authoritative (or condescending). It’s become hugely common, even among expert speakers during formal interviews (just listen to NPR while various experts are interviewed). More on that idea here.

“So, what we’ve found in our research is that people tend to add this word as a way to sound informal yet still be an expert.” 

3. I mean – This completely unnecessary phrase seems to just be a habitual way to start sentences for many people. I mean, where did this one come from anyway?

“I mean, if it really was a problem that I say that phrase whenever I’m trying to make my point, what difference does it make?” Whatever!

4. … right? – This one comes at the end of sentences, apparently to encourage or sometimes subtly force agreement on the listener. It reminds me of the French who often tack on a oui or non at the end of a sentence, non? It’s hit the English language strong in just the past year or so, right?

“It wasn’t just that the election campaign this year was ugly, right…? It really became a battle of negative personalities in a race to the bottom of common decency.” 

5. Kind of (or sort of) – This tidbit is used anywhere in the middle, as a way to not say what you really mean. It’s sort of a way to soften, to be kind of… vague, imprecise and uncommitted.

“Well, if you look at the data, you’ll kind of notice that there’s a trend that sort of jumps out at you.”

You can even mix them all together in infinite combinations:

“Right, so… you know the best way to find out answers is to Google it, right? It’s kind of like way better than going to the library. I mean, how did people even get through the day before the internet was invented! We really owe a lot to the guy who invented that, I mean, really…

I understand these may be hip ways of speaking these days , but they actually detract from the message. They also make the speaker sound less intelligent and sometimes even manipulative.

On those rare occasions when I hear an interview with someone who is profoundly lacking all of these five patterns, it is such a breath of fresh air! I can focus and absorb what they are saying so much more easily.

More common, is hearing someone speak with various combinations of several of these patterns appearing in just one sentence! It’s kinda crazy, right?

Yes, I understand that my fixated attention on these patterns is what is causing me to be distracted. And, like a highly contagious virus, it is possible that by simply reading this post, you too will become afflicted!

Sorry about that, but it’s the only way to bring awareness to this type of conversational disease in hopes that it can be eradicated very soon.

Pay attention and I promise you’ll start noticing these patterns in nearly every casual conversation you listen in on. Even interviews with people you’d think would be trained to avoid patterns like these are using them.

It’s mildly disturbing to me. I hope you’ll be disturbed too. At least enough to curb your own use (and maybe the usage by your kids, spouse and/or significant other).

Oh, and yes, I know I left off many other annoying speech patterns. Like things like “like” because it’s just, like, beyond ubiquitous and you already know about it. Now that you’ve become painfully aware of my top five annoying speech patterns, please share your own speech pattern pet peeves.

Feel free to share in the comments! And please read through the comments for some very interesting insights and observations from other readers.

8 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Halloween

jack o lantern

Halloween is the third-biggest party day, the sixth-most popular card-giving day, and totally beats the pants off Valentine’s Day when it comes to candy sales. This ancient celebration has a history that stretches back some 6,000 years, rich with tradition, ghoulish trivia and plenty of candy corn. Check out some other fun and creepy facts about this howling holiday.

And for my personal take on what I like most about Halloween, you can read “Why Halloween is Special to Me” which also includes a mini photo album of our family’s costumes over the years.

Original jack-o’-lanterns were made from turnips.

Turnips, potatoes and beets were the original vegetables used to make lanterns during the Celtic festival Samhain. The lights from the lanterns were meant to keep creepy spirits away from the house. When Irish immigrants started landing in America, the pumpkin became the lantern veggie of choice. (Jack-o’-lanterns and pumpkin pie actually turned the formerly ignored pumpkin into a booming business, helping to save small American farms.) Incidentally, an estimated 99 percent of all pumpkins sold end up as jack-o’-lanterns for Halloween.

Michael Jackson takes the No. 1 slot.

“Thriller” is the most-played Halloween-themed song in the U.S., according to Billboard, with ratings taken on the week leading up to the holiday. Second place goes to “Monster Mash” by Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers. Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters” snags third. 

Charlie Brown got more candy than most kids.

The original 1966 CBS broadcast of “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” prompted viewers from across the nation to send candy marked for Charlie himself. “Peanuts” creator Charles M. Schulz said the viewers had been upset that Charlie kept getting rocks instead of candy during the show.

devil costume

Devil’s Night may be a Michigan-only thing.

The ritual of pulling pranks the night before Halloween originated in Detroit, and Michigan is only one of two states that has such a phenomenon. And it’s the only place it’s consistently referred to as “Devil’s Night.” New Jersey’s version is usually called “mischief night,” and folks across the country have called it gate night, goosy night, trick night, cabbage night and devil’s eve.

Michigan itself is trying to get rid of the Devil’s Night stigma that has led to some pretty destructive fires and violence of late, calling it “Angel’s Night” and hoping for the best.

Halloween is most common night for car thefts.

More cars are reported stolen on Halloween than any other holiday, with 2,328 reported cases in 2011. Vehicle vandalism is also high, with an average of 1,253 insurance claims for vehicle vandalism on Halloween night, compared to the 692 claims on an average day.

A few kids actually want chewing gum.

When you’re stocking up for trick-or-treaters, keep in mind that most kids are fans of chocolate candy. Stats say 50 percent want chocolate, 24 percent want non-chocolate candy, and 10 percent actually want gum. It’s not clear what happened to the remaining 16 percent of kids. Maybe they’re apple fans?

dog costume

Bonfires originated as bone fires.

During the Celtic festival of Samhain before Halloween, people lit fires to make sure the sun would come back after the dreary winter. Druid priests would frequently hurl cattle bones into the flames – and the term “bone fire” eventually morphed into bonfire.

Dressing up in scary costumes was a form of self-protection.

The tradition of dressing up as ghosts, ghouls and other scary creatures comes from Celtic tradition during Samhain. Folks would disguise themselves as spirits and demons so they wouldn’t be noticed by the real spirits and demons that roamed the streets. 

SOURCES:

Why Halloween is Special To Me

(Originally published in October, 2014)

I’m the type of person who really enjoys the art of creation in many different forms.

Morticia Addams played by Debbie GrattanI think that’s one of the reasons I gravitated to acting and voice over as a career. It allows me to play and be creative on a daily basis.

But in addition to my creative profession, I like playing art director and designer in my household. I get a kick out of decorating for the seasons and holidays of the year. I love to set a beautiful and festive dining room table – something inherited from my Mom – who also taught me that food presentation on the plate can make all the difference. Variations of color, and correct combination is key!

I also love taking and sharing family photos, (thank Heaven for Facebook!) though I do get a bit of grief at times for requesting family members to wear certain coordinating clothes for a family photo shoot. God forbid I ask my 10-year-old son to wear pants that actually have a zipper fly! He lives in sweat pants 24/7 these days.

I enjoy getting to look back on the photo books I’ve compiled over the years, that chronicle some of the fun things we’ve done together as a family.

Ultimately, I see the personal reward as creating lasting memories for our family, and especially for my children. My wish for them would be that when they look back, they realize how Mom was really going out of her way to try to make things special and memorable. My mom did that for me and I’m trying to pass it on to the next generation.

The Family That Plays Together…

Something that we’ve dabbled in for a few years now is dressing up in a family theme for Halloween. We had a super fun time last weekend, as the Addams Family, handing out candy at a local “trunk or treat” event. We’ll be hitting the town again on Saturday night (in full costume), going out for dinner to celebrate my husband’s upcoming birthday. It should be an entertaining evening. Adorning my family in proper costume, footwear, makeup and props makes me feel like I’m an art director on a film set!

In honor of Halloween Week, here are a few of our family creations over the years, from 2008 through 2019. If you wish, please vote for your favorite in the comments and/or suggest what we should be for next year.

Morticia & Wednesday
Debbie and daughter Natalie as Morticia and Wednesday Addams – Natalie had a total blast being in character and interacting with people.
Gomez & Morticia practicing the tango (my husband Paul as Gomez)
Gomez & Morticia practicing the tango (my husband Paul as Gomez)
Star Wars Characters - Halloween 2008
May the Force be with you! – Padme (from end of Episode 2), Lord Vader, Young Skywalker in training (with Yoda on his back), Shaak Ti and Boba Fett (2008)
Scooby Doo - Halloween 2009
Scooby Doo and friends, Daphne, Velma and Fred (2009)
Harry Potter - Halloween 2010
Harry Potter Characters – Prof. McGonagall, Snape, Hermione and young Harry (2010)
Despicable Me2 - Halloween 2013
The Gru Crew from “Despicable Me 2,” including our nanny, Katie as Lucy Wilde, Nick as Vector (villain from DM1) and assorted Minions (2013)
The Addams Family for Halloween 2014
The whole Addams Famliy Clan including Nick as Pugsley and grandparents as Uncle Fester & Grandmama (2014)
The Incredibles - Halloween 2015
The Incredibles – Elastigirl, Violet and Mr. Incredible (2015)
Zootopia Characters
Zootopia Characters – Bellwether, Nick Wild, Lt. Judy Hopps and Mayor Lionheart (2016)
Sonny & Cher
Sonny & Cher (2017)
Nightmare Before Christmas Characters
Nightmare Before Christmas Characters – The Mayor, Sally, Jack and Oogie Boogie (2018)
Toy Story Characters 2019
Toy Story Characters – Mr. Potatohead, Ms. Buzz Lightyear, Bo Peep, Woody and Jesse (2019)

Do you like to dress up, even though you’re not a kid anymore? What are some of your favorite Halloween memories? Please share pics too on my Facebook page.