Anyone speak Portugese?

[Distracted]

Yes, she's an idiot, but we wouldn't have any plots if we didn't have idiots. Besides, this is that great moment in any relationship when you either trust or you don't. She thinks she can trust him. The readers aren't sure, but she is -- at least at that moment. I say go for it.

I'm just curious -- why choose a Brazilian heroine? Why not Cajun? You could write with such colorful authority on the latter.

Eh, I dunno. Guess I didn't think Cajun was exotic enough. And a Cajun accent isn't sexy, it just makes you sound ignorant. At least, that's the way the people around here think. It's a joke to speak like a Cajun here, not a turn on. My mom spent years getting rid of her Cajun accent, and I haven't got a trace of it unless I put it on on purpose. I wanted my heroine to be sexy and exotic, not an ignorant hick. I guess that's pretty stupid, to have such a low opinion of my heritage, but who would you think was sexier? Somebody from Rio de Janeiro or somebody from Breaux Bridge?

[Alelou]

To people who don't live in Cajun country, Cajun sounds pretty spicy ... and hot ... and ethnic ... which are all very good things in a heroine you hope to sell to a publisher these days. I think it would be kind of interesting if you had a heroine who had scrubbed her accent of all her low country roots and then when she's drunk it comes flying out...

[Lady Rainbow]

Eh, I dunno. Guess I didn't think Cajun was exotic enough. And a Cajun accent isn't sexy, it just makes you sound ignorant. At least, that's the way the people around here think. It's a joke to speak like a Cajun here, not a turn on. My mom spent years getting rid of her Cajun accent, and I haven't got a trace of it unless I put it on on purpose. I wanted my heroine to be sexy and exotic, not an ignorant hick. I guess that's pretty stupid, to have such a low opinion of my heritage, but who would you think was sexier? Somebody from Rio de Janeiro or somebody from Breaux Bridge?

I dunno, Dis. The quarterback of our NFL team here is a Cajun from Breaux Bridge and I think he's pretty cute with the accent and all (Jake Delhomme of the Carolina Panthers). LOL

[Distracted]

I guess I'm a bigot, then... against my own people. That's an eye-opener.

[Alelou]

What's the saying? A prophet is never revered in his own country?

Doesn't make you a bigot. Everyone makes assumptions about class and education based on accents, whether they realize it or not.

[Asso]

Cajun....
Cajun...
Do have you a tiny idea, Dis, how much it sounds sexy and exotic to my ears?

[Lady Rainbow]

:shock: I guess I'm a bigot, then... against my own people. That's an eye-opener.

What's the saying? A prophet is never revered in his own country?

Doesn't make you a bigot. Everyone makes assumptions about class and education based on accents, whether they realize it or not.

Alelou's right, Dis. Like Eliza Doolittle in "My Fair Lady".

Thing is, Jake's played up on his "Southern hick" persona in several local Bojangles' commercials (Bojangles is a chicken place, kinda like KFC that specializes in REALLY spicy chicken...) All in fun, though, though some of those commercials are BAD.

[Distracted]

Exactly what I was talking about. This character can't be a hick or trailer trash. There won't be any Brittney Spears clones in MY book, thank you very much!

[Lady Rainbow]

Exactly what I was talking about. This character can't be a hick or trailer trash. There won't be any Brittney Spears clones in MY book, thank you very much!

[Alelou]

One of the more interesting tensions in a character is the careful burial of one's embarrassing origins.

Of course, while Americans may sympathize with the impulse to make yourself new, they also like to see you brought down to heel again. And then (cue the sappy music) realizing there are worse things than being authentic. One iconic movie for this durable plot line was that flick Sweet Home Alabama, which I must confess to enjoying (love that song!).

But this is probably romanticizing poverty and ignorance way more than we ought to. In American movies your poor relatives are usually entertainingly quirky people with hearts of gold. In reality it's not uncommon for the uneducated poor to be racist, sexist, angry, violent, self-destructive, stupid people who abuse or neglect their children. (I'm thinking of some of my own relatives here...)

[Asso]

What you said is deeply true, Alelou, for everybody and everywhere.
BTW, I see you are going on with your amusing travel through pretty avatars.
Eh, always I have thought T'Pol is a one!