False Accents
A couple of years ago, it somehow became fashionable to have a regional accent. Well, not just any regional accent, but one that came from North of the Watford Gap. This seemed stupid enough in itself - granted, clothes, hairstyles, music etc. will drift in and out of mainstream appeal, but why regional accents? It's not as if people can go out and buy a more fashionable accent, is it?

How wrong I was. Fortunately, most of Kingston-upon-Thames decided that suddenly affecting a Mancunian accent would look at best suspicious and at worst shallow, transparent and deeply sad. So they all decided overnight that they were cheeky cockney chappies from Sarf-eest Larn-dun.

Jamie fucking Oliver, you have a lot to answer for. Well done with the dinners, but why did you have to slobber your obnoxious and embarrassingly false cockney accent all over our TV screens with your massive throbbing tongue? I swear the word "Pukka" had been out of usage since the '80s until you revived it, you utter, utter bastard.

You went to a public school, for crying out loud - do you think anyone honestly believes that you're the cockney wideboy you pretend to be?

(As for the celebrity chef doing adverts for pre-prepared ready meals...well, that's ironic enough in itself.)
(LongJohnBaldry, Fri 2 May 2008, 14:02, 1 reply)

I'm with you here.
His real name is `Ian Hodgkinson' and contrary to his `pub landlord's son' image...it's a posh gastropub in the poshest part of Essex - Saffron Walden.

But you'd like he was from Ilford or Saafend from his accent and way he goes on, wouldn't you?
(Audax Victor, Fri 2 May 2008, 16:28, closed)