General Discussion

MerryBlooms

(11,771 posts) Sat Oct 25, 2014, 07:33 AM Oct 2014

Talking While Female

Ask a woman if anybody has ever complained about her voice and, chances are, you'll get a story. Watch the above animated video, and you'll see what we mean.

Your voice is too squeaky, it's too loud, it lacks authority, it sounds childish, it's grating or obnoxious or unprofessional.

We put together a list of six top complaints. Rindy Anderson, a biology professor at Florida Atlantic University, provides some context. Anderson used to study birdsong but has since done a number of studies with her political scientist husband, Casey Klofstad of the University of Miami, on the perception of women's voices.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/10/24/357584372/video-what-women-get-flak-for-when-they-talk

*sigh

2. You Sound Like A Child

This is related to No. 1. Children have high voices, so I guess women with high voices sound childlike — even when they're fully grown professionals — like a 5-foot-tall, high-voiced New York City litigator who sometimes gets mistaken for a teenager (she took lessons to sound more commanding, just like Thatcher).

13 replies

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Highlight:

Talking While Female (Original Post) MerryBlooms Oct 2014 OP

Shallowness ... GeorgeGist Oct 2014 #1

That's for sure. n/t MerryBlooms Oct 2014 #2

A lot of human behavior can be affected pipoman Oct 2014 #3

I haven't found my delivery (vocal production) to be the problem Demeter Oct 2014 #4

Here's the video yuiyoshida Oct 2014 #5

Thanks. Helen Borg Oct 2014 #6

you're most yuiyoshida Oct 2014 #10

Florida Atlantic University BKH70041 Oct 2014 #7

remember assertiveness training for women? fasttense Oct 2014 #8

The Gene Pool Police seveneyes Oct 2014 #9

More like talking while human Android3.14 Oct 2014 #11

I think it's perfectly reasonable to dislike certain voice patterns OKNancy Oct 2014 #12

thank you... pipi_k Oct 2014 #13

GeorgeGist

(25,322 posts)

1. Shallowness ...

Reply to MerryBlooms (Original post)

Sat Oct 25, 2014, 07:50 AM

Oct 2014

could be a field of study all by itself.

MerryBlooms

(11,771 posts)

2. That's for sure. n/t

Reply to GeorgeGist (Reply #1)

Sat Oct 25, 2014, 07:52 AM

Oct 2014

pipoman

(16,038 posts)

3. A lot of human behavior can be affected

Reply to MerryBlooms (Original post)

Sat Oct 25, 2014, 08:20 AM

Oct 2014

Perception isn't one of them.

Demeter

(85,373 posts)

4. I haven't found my delivery (vocal production) to be the problem

Reply to MerryBlooms (Original post)

Sat Oct 25, 2014, 09:03 AM

Oct 2014

They just don't want to hear what I'm saying...

Vocal coaching (I'm a trained singer) can solve the sound quality issue, but not the content...

yuiyoshida

(41,853 posts)

5. Here's the video

Reply to MerryBlooms (Original post)

Sat Oct 25, 2014, 09:12 AM

Oct 2014

Helen Borg

(3,963 posts)

6. Thanks.

Reply to yuiyoshida (Reply #5)

Sat Oct 25, 2014, 09:13 AM

Oct 2014

yuiyoshida

(41,853 posts)

10. you're most

Reply to Helen Borg (Reply #6)

Sat Oct 25, 2014, 09:28 AM

Oct 2014

welcome.

BKH70041

(961 posts)

7. Florida Atlantic University

Reply to MerryBlooms (Original post)

Sat Oct 25, 2014, 09:15 AM

Oct 2014

When I lived in Miami, the people I knew who went to FAU said it stood for 'Find Another University'.

fasttense

(17,301 posts)

8. remember assertiveness training for women?

Reply to MerryBlooms (Original post)

Sat Oct 25, 2014, 09:17 AM

Oct 2014

It was very popular in the 1980 and 90.

I was in the military at the time. The CO made a group of us female officers take it. We called it how to act like a man training. The instructors, male of course, were big on talking in a deep voice. We would sit in the back of the.class and Laugh. But we got reprimanded for not setting a good Example for the enlisted women in the class. I thought laughing at men trying to make us act like men was a good example.

seveneyes

(4,631 posts)

9. The Gene Pool Police

Reply to MerryBlooms (Original post)

Sat Oct 25, 2014, 09:25 AM

Oct 2014

Are all volunteers.

Android3.14

(5,402 posts)

11. More like talking while human

Reply to MerryBlooms (Original post)

Sat Oct 25, 2014, 10:18 AM

Oct 2014

People complain about voices all the time.
I'm too loud, apparently.
Mrs. 'Droid slurs her words.
Both my kids speak too fast and mumble.

This isn't about gender.

OKNancy

(41,832 posts)

12. I think it's perfectly reasonable to dislike certain voice patterns

Reply to MerryBlooms (Original post)

Sat Oct 25, 2014, 10:44 AM

Oct 2014

I can't stand vocal fry, or up-talking. I hear it, and turn the person off. I respect anyone, no matter the gender, who speak clearly and in a pleasant tone.

pipi_k

(21,020 posts)

13. thank you...

Reply to OKNancy (Reply #12)

Sat Oct 25, 2014, 11:03 AM

Oct 2014

The three things I absolutely cannot stand about human voices.

vocal fry, up-talking, and women who sound like cartoon characters.

It's gotten progressively worse as I've gotten older over the years. Maybe it happens more often, or maybe I just notice it more. I don't know. All I know is that it's like fingernails on a chalkboard.

I prefer deeper voices, and always have, even as a child.

Another reason why I have trouble with certain voices and speech patterns is that I have some hearing loss. Often, women with very high voices also speak very quickly. I cannot understand them. To my ears, they sound like chattering monkeys. I especially hate it when I have to deal with one of them on the telephone, which is why I prefer to conduct whatever business I can via email.

So, anyone who thinks this is "shallow" should really take a moment to consider that not everyone experiences the world (and sound) the same way they do.

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