Voices in the Media: Performing French Linguistic Otherness(Advances in Sociolinguistics)

Verbal performances are often encountered in the media where they are used to embody characters or social archetypes. Performed voices define the norm as well as the linguistic Others and by doing so circulate associated values and linguistic ideologies. This book explores the idea that, far from simply being exercises in verbal skill and flair, performances of social, ethnic or gendered voices in the media not only have the power to accomplish ideological work, they are also sites of linguistic tension and negotiation. Critically examining performances of French voices in the media, this book raises the following questions: - How are repertoires of voices constructed and subsequently perpetuated in the media? - How do the stereotypic personae these voices contribute to build become familiar to national as well as transnational audiences? - How do such performed voices reproduce hegemonic ideologies of standard and non-standard languages and participate in the perpetuation of social discriminations? - How are these performed voices commodified into cultural products of otherness that may later be reclaimed by stigmatized communities? Following an innovative framework which allows for analysis of performances of varied voices and their impact in the media sphere, Voices in the Media offers a new approach to the linguistics of media performance.

Table of Contents:
Introduction 1. The Sociolinguistic Study of Voices and Performances in the Media Part 1: Voices in French 2. Performances of non-standard voices in French films 3. Performances of Feminine Voices on the Internet 4. Performances of Ethnic Voices in French Films Part 2: Voices in French-accented English 5. Performances of French-accented English in Hollywood films 6. The Case of Poirot's Voice 7. Performances in French on Vancouver's Dining Scene: The case of French restaurants' menus 8. Conclusion Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Gaëlle Planchenault is Associate Professor of French Linguistics and Cinema, Simon Fraser University, Canada

Review :
Voices in the Media opens a French window for the Anglo-Saxon world ... It is an inspirational contribution at a time when identities seem to be perceived as increasingly binary ... Anyone interested in contemporary debates on identity will find food for thought in this book. This book provides its readers an in-depth and insightful study of the performances of voices in different media and language ideologies behind the performances of voices. By doing so, it demonstrates a new approach to linguistic and discursive analysis of performed voices in the media. Interesting and original ... a valuable contribution to understanding how performed voices in the media reflect and shape social norms and linguistic ideologies. This book could serve as a solid basis for a sociolinguistics course focusing on media, or as supplemental material for a course on French cinema or other aspects of French language or culture ... Planchenault makes a convincing and thorough argument about the use of 'Frenchness' in the media ... Her work could serve as a springboard for further investigation into the topic, and in fact she suggests several follow-up research projects for interested scholars.