1156: (Possible) Sexist Animosity of Vocal Fry Feb 7, 2018

Creaky voice, vocal fry, sometimes called laryngealisation, pulse phonation, or glottal fry may sound horse and scratchy to some when it is extremely pronounced, but it is totally normal to use, and jut about everyone does. There is a video from Johns Hopkins University showing how this sounds looks physiologically, but warning: it shows someone's throat, and is fairly graphic. Some people criticize it for sounding lazy, detached, or for being bad for people's voices, etc. but to understand this animosity one has to keep in mind that it is "increasingly common among young American females" [1], and furthermore, not only do people associate it with young, educated, city-dwelling women, but that is makes people (women) sound "less competent, less educated, less trustworthy, less attractive, and less hirable" [1]. The confusion that vocal fry is associated with educated women but gives the impression of being less-educated, well noted by linguists, shows the way in which people hold opinions about pronunciation and dialects without necessarily basing them upon evidence. Ultimately, the dislike of vocal fry is one that goes beyond the language itself, and is an example of how language is sometimes tied to culture—or people, generally—whether it makes sense to do so or not. This will be the focus of a video in the next few weeks, so do include any thoughts or questions you may have in a comment.

[1] https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0097506