Larry David and Bernie Sanders got all the attention on the weekend’s episode of Saturday Night Live, but it wasn’t complete without a Barbie from Baltimore. On Weekend Update, Kate McKinnon played “Sturdy Barbie,” who didn’t quite make the cut when Mattel rebooted the age-old doll collection.
Maybe you love it or maybe you hate it or maybe you just have a hard time understanding it, but at least we can all agree by now that the accent Kathy Bates is going for on American Horror Story is, indeed, Bawlmerese.
American Horror Story is a TV series on FX that’s grown increasingly popular since its inception three years ago. This year, the show’s getting more buzz than ever… and I’m pretty sure it’s because of the classic Baltimore accent it’s showcasing.
Okay, I know there have been a zillion of these accent/dialect quizzes, which purport to tell you where you’re from after you answer a number of questions, like whether you call athletic shoes sneakers or gym shoes. But this new one from the New York Times is different. It’s really, really accurate. So accurate that my dad insisted it had somehow cheated and used my IP address, not my answers to the quiz questions, to pick my location.
Marianne Handlir, a stay-at-home mom born and raised in Highlandtown, was revealed today as the winner of The Voice of Baltimore search and named the Voice of OLD BAY Radio. MGH, a local advertising and marketing agency, found Handlir after launching an open casting call in April to find an authentic Baltimore voice. Handlir’s voice is featured in two nostalgic OLD BAY radio spots that stir up Baltimore memories and points of pride. She is also helping Baltimoreans speak proper “Bawlmorese” on the soundboard of the OLD BAY Facebook page. Click on swords such as “water,” “ambulance” and “Druid Hill,” to hear how to pronounce words like a true Baltimorean. Hear her Voice of Baltimore, above.
Advertising and marketing agency MGH is looking to cast the “Voice of Baltimore.” Could it be you?
From the press release: “Ideal candidates must have a genuine Baltimore accent – not the one that comes out at parties – and possess a passion for our city and all its charm.” The casting call is open through April 30.
Other qualities the agency seeks in applicants include an outgoing personality and great sense of humor. If selected, the “voice” may be hired to appear in an advertising campaign for one of MGH’s clients. Interested applicants should visit www.thevoiceofbaltimore.com to apply.
“With our growing list of Baltimore-based brands as clients, we’re on the hunt to find the person with most genuine “Bawlmerese” accent and vibrant personality to match,” said EVP, Executive Creative Director at MGH, John Patterson. “Through this casting call, we hope to find a truly genuine Baltimore voice that could be used in future advertising efforts. We’re not looking for actors; we want to find the real deal.”
If you’re not the “real deal,” see the above video, “Top Five Baltimore Accents” made by our summer intern Arlo Shakur, to hear what a Baltimore accent should sound like.
Good luck!
