Where "R" You From?

The Today Show recently did a segment called How to Lose the Accent and Gain an "R". It's about how people with the Boston accent are trying to lose it for professional purposes, but are hesitant because they don't want to lose their identity. Dropping the "R" is a distinctive trait and a hometown pride thing, something that defines us and where we're from.

Whenever I tell someone here that I'm from Boston, their first response is always "How come you don't have an accent?" They're disappointed in me or think I'm lying. "I love the Boston accent," they say.

Suddenly, I'm less cool and less authentic because I say "water" and "car" (apparently that's what outsiders think defines a Boston accent. That and "Harvard Yard").

Growing up around the Boston accent (although it isn't just a Boston thing, it's more like a Massachusetts thing), I always found it a tad annoying. Maybe my annoyance was bred from all of the people who try to imitate it on television and in the movies and can't do it right: worst example, Julianne Moore's attempt as an Irish girl from Boston in 30 Rock. Even Matt Damon overdoes it in The Departed. Or because of those people who attempt to make fun of us and end up sounding like idiots. Example: I used to hang out with someone here who after every time I would say "wicked," he would say "the pahty was wicked hahd core." He is from Jersey (don't even get me started on that accent) and sounded like an idiot. Second, no one from Boston says that. Ever.

Either way, I've found now that I'm in the Midwest and away from my people, I have a whole new appreciation for the Boston accent. I actually really miss it.

Although not every person in Massachusetts talks like Sully from the Saturday Night Live skits with Jimmy Fallon, in my case, I purposely made sure I didn't pick up the accent. In high school, every journalism book and teacher drilled it into my head that if I ever wanted to be a reporter on television or radio, we'd have to practice our non-regional diction. From that point on, I made a conscious effort to pronounce all of my "R"s.

As it turns out, I never made it as a reporter and probably won't ever be on television or radio. And now I kind of regret forcing myself to speak like everyone else. I take pride in where I'm from and I think the Boston accent makes all Massholes feel a little special--when you drop your "R"s people know where you're from right away. It's one of the reasons I love my Patriots/Red Sox meet-up group--a lot of people haven't lost their accent despite living in Chicaaago. It makes me feel at home.

Luckily, it turns out that high school me didn't completely succeed in losing my Boston accent. My coworkers, roommates and friends here all point out the funny things I say-- I pronounce "berry" and "very" weird and say things like "jimmies," "wicked" and "draw" (I have to admit, sometimes I find myself dropping an extra "wicked" once in a while to make sure I don't lose it). And when I come back to Chicago after a visit home, I've been told by people that they can tell I've been hanging around my Boston friends (don't ask me how or what this means).

Sometimes I pretend that their making fun of me is annoying, but I am always secretly happy that there's something about me that makes me different, that proves I'm from Massachusetts. I never ever thought I'd be proud to talk like a Bostonian, but like the guy in the video said: "I don't wanna lose it. It's me." And that's just wicked awesome.