AfterElton Briefs: Gavin Creel, Scientology, Male Nudity, and more

take it easy Darrien, I don't think Ed meant for anyone to be offended, especially over something like english accents.

To be fair, America also has a plethora of accented english, some of which I even have problems with. And trust me its not for want of trying. Maybe I just have bad hearing :) 

 Literally billions of people can understand different accents. So why can't Americans?

It's not a difficult skill.

Please get over your national deaf ear when it comes to speaking and understanding the English language.

It's not an explanation and it's not an excuse. Get over yerselves.

^ I am gonna speak for myself only. to MY ears some accents are more stronger than others. for instance, some british accents are stronger than others.

I watch a lot of BBC America and when i don't catch something, i will obsess over it because i WANT to understand it. Also, I don't travel that much. i don't know many people who are irish or british or any other nationality with a different accent than American. 

I knew someone who kept asking me why we say the name "Craig" like "Greg" - this person was british and thought WE were saying it wrong....I guess my point is...different accents say words differently..with a different tone or with a different pronunciation...but i really don't think that means anyone has to get over themselves.

I don't think i need to get over anything. I usually understand my language in most accents, but i also will admit i sometimes miss a word or two. sometimes a whole sentence. Not every american is the same also. i'm not trying to attack you, but be careful with how you word things. you wouldn't want me saying "why are all people from london such so and so?"

Maybe the majority of us aren't well versed in accents, but not all of us. with that said, we don't need to get over ourselves. Ed Kennedy did not insult that man's accent in any way

I hate that I have a tin ear for accents, but I do.  I've had as much trouble with American accents from regions outside the American Northeast as from the U.K.   About 10 years ago, I started traveling to the UK for work on a regular basis.  I was determined not to ask all the time for people to repeat themselves, so for the first month I had several misunderstandings.  Eventually, I picked up the rhythym, but it took a few months.  I definitely don't think that my accent sounds "better", quite the opposite, it is just slower.  It took me time to pick up the breaks in words when spoken at the faster pace with shorter pauses I usually hear in the U.K

Darrien, I swear I'm always apologetic when I ask someone to repeat himself.

 

I work in a department where we talk calls from all over the world. We also have employees from all over the world in my department. I can safely say that one of my English coworkers has no problem asking someone with a thick regional Irish or Scottish accent to repeat themselves.

As for myself, I have had to ask for Irish and Scottish callers to repeat themselves or repeat their question back to make sure I understood it. In fact it seems I sometimes have to do that more with the Scottish and Irish callers.

To be totally fair, sometimes it's not the accent at all but regional pronunciation and regional terms that we sometimes need to have clarified. For example in the video I swear I hear Donal tell the host that one of his dad's friends said "what did you think you were going to do take him for an SAT test?" I honestly have no clue of I heard that right or if there is an medical test refered to as an SAT. First thing that I thought of was the SAT test American high school students take to before going to university. Does that make me a bad yank to ask him to clarify that statement? No it doesn't.

So get off your high horse in thinking that all Americans don't care and are unwilling to try to understand what another fellow English speaker is saying. That is the furthest thing from the truth.

Darrien, I think you're over-reacting. Ed simply wrote "I admit to the Irish accent being a bit dense to my ears". That's not disrespectful in the least. He also wrote "but it's nice hearing the story from Donal" so obviously he made the effort to watch the interview.

"It's not a difficult skill."

Maybe not for you, but not everyone has the same facility with languages and accents. And some accents are thicker than others, depending on who's doing the talking and who's doing the listening. I watched the entire Donal Og Cusack interview and understood much of it, except for when they started talking about hurling and the times he used some Irish idioms.

but I've never made a comment about having trouble understanding anyone speaking English with any number of British, Australian, Irish, Scottish, Indian or American accents, so I think telling ALL AMERICANS to get over themselves is a bit much.   Yeesh.   And it's not like Americans go through the world unscathed and without being mocked for their pronunciation, and mis-use of the language.   Plenty of people have trouble understanding plenty of other people (and heck, more often than not they're speaking the same language and dialect and still misunderstand)...it's a part of life.  Breathe easy, my friend!

I'm Irish, and I've had trouble understanding Irish accents in the past. Some of us talk pretty fast, on top of the accent, and some accents also have strange intonation that can throw your understanding off.

It's not like he was saying it was impossible, just that he had a little trouble. I've known people for years that I still have a bit of tourble understanding if they're talking particularly fast.

Darrien  -  I usually find your posts both interesting and amusing, even when I don't agree, which, quite frankly, is fairly often.  But this is truly one of the most idiotic posts I've ever read.  I'm hoping you just woke up from a nap in a bad mood or something.

[raises hand...slinks off embarrassed]

I just want to see him nude simply for the embarrassment it'll cause Madame Palin.  I actually think it's hilarious that we live in a day and age where it's not only mildly acceptable, but also fairly mundane that an erstwhile potential member of the White House "family" would do a nude photoshoot.  I've done it; half my friends have done it.  Levi doing makes it... I dunno... common, makes HIM common, and to my mind by extention makes the Palins common (as if we didn't already know it).  I just think it's funny, after all she did to try and cultivate an image, and all she did to get in her own way, now her grandchild's father will go down in history as having posed nude.  It makes me positively GIDDY!

I think he's kind of pretty I guess, but I hate listening to him talk. And that, as Robert Frost once said, has made all the difference.

and I find it dispiriting that he's been given such attention in the gay press, and for what?

Whereas Meghan McCain has been very vocally pro-gay marriage, what's Johnston's stance on that or even gay people, in general?

 

 

 

I expect a fair few would agree, but I'll just speak for myself. I find being offered a glimpse of the wang that metaphorically stuck it to Caribou Barbie on the national stage indescribably amusing. ;Þ

He's cute when he shaves. But isn't his 15 minutes up?

You too can be saved by the blog! www.savedbytheblog14.blogspot.com 

I may be straight, but I'm not narrow.

And I have no shame in admitting it!  He's hot!  He's got a great smile, and what looks to be a great body (we soon shall see!!)  And, he seems to be a decent guy.

Plus, the fact that I'm sure the Palins HATE this, makes it all the better!

I for one am very much looking forward to seeing these pics.

 

"Open up your mind and then open up your heart. And you will see that you and me aren't very far apart." - Blessid Union of Souls

Thanks for mentioning him & Broadway partner Wes.

I had seen this but wasn't sure how many knew who Matt is.

Anywho, the younger generation has taken the torch and are running with it. HOORAY

You must see a different site than I.  I only see items about Cheyenne Jackson, Jonathan Groff, Gavin Creel on this site when they either get a role on a show, go to a pro-gay protest or somehow hit the news or gossip pages.

I'm telling your husband on you!

And anyway, Ed is way out of my league. He's good looking, witty and intelligent. And he's probably got a tan, too. I can't compete at that level.

Sorry I couldn't go to the concert but glad you did & wrote on it.

It benefitted good causes.

Are there any CD's of Gavin's own songs (or iTune availability) ?