Fake Accents

(1st Posted Dec. 9th 2009)

Here is one of my 'pet-peeves'
I hate it when someone who normally speaks with no accent will speak in a major heavy accent to the word that they are saying - for example - someone with no accent talking to you -but all of a sudden if they say a Spanish or Italian word -they will say it in such a thick accent- that you would think they were from there or had that accent while they talked normally.
I am not against accents -I just don`t like 'fakes' ....the ONLY reason to speak in a accent is if that was your normal way of talking - saying an Italian or Spanish word in an accent does not make it correct -you are doing a dis-service to that language. When people come to the USA and talk English- I do not expect them to fight their natural way of talking and hide their accent- so why do it the other way around.
Newscasters do this a lot. A Newscaster will be talking in her own non-accent -and then all of a sudden a Latin Name or City will pop up & the Newscaster will roll her R`s or say the name/word in a Heavy Accent.
There is an Italian Cook on the Food Network that does this sooo much. She will talk in her normal American born accent -but if she has to say Spaghetti or any other Italian word -so will pour on the heavy accent -to where you think she just arrived from Italy!
Why is this? What statement are they trying to make? I do not get it! I would never fake an accent of a word from another country or state. It is like if I said the word Jambalaya in a Creole accent -or if I said the word Chop Suey in a Asian Accent -or if I said Gyro in a Greek accent -that is un-necessary & I think a dis-service to the language. So Please -just stick to your own accent -way of talking unless you are an actor and you are role-playing!!
What do you think? Am I being weird about this?
oxox Stacy