Consider overall tone and attitude, not pitch or content. As an example, I don’t like Pat Buchanan’s views, and his voice is a little high, but I can listen to him.
Not so Peggy Noonan. I saw her on a talk show the other day and was immediately reminded why I can’t stand listening to the woman. Her voice is always, always, always inflected with a tone of condescension. How is that possible? Anyway, about 10-15 seconds is my limit. After that, my blood starts boiling. Fuck you, Peggy… :mad:
Joan Steffend, the host of Decorating Cents on HGTV. I dislike so many of the things they do on that show, and then to hear her talk about them in that annoying voice is just too much!
Peter Jennings. If he’s the Major Network (ABC?) Evening News Anchorman who sounded like he had a chronic sinus infection but is dead now.
I’m sorry he died, but the nasal quality and off-rhythm pauses as if he was talking around a bad case of post-nasal drip drove me bonkers. With the sound off and the subtitles on, he was great, but that voice made me bellow “go blow your nose, dammit!” three or four times every weekday evening.
Hubby liked him. I learned the benefits of earplugs, and that subtitles can be on even with sound.
ETA – that woman on the US version of What Not to Wear. Earplugs aren’t enough to mute that bitch.
That’s not so bad. I went to a hypnotist once; she recorded me a tape to listen to every day. I had to go back a week later & tell her that I hadn’t. I didn’t tell her that her voice annoyed me too much to make myself lie there & listen to it daily. (She had what I think was a sort of NW Arkansas accent.)
James Earl Jones. I know, I know, he sounds like God – or at least he would if God had a mouth full of marbles. He makes such heavy weather over his pronunciation that it’s painful to listen to him.
Paula Deen. Her over-the-top Southern accent and all that y’all-ing gets to me. One or two Dopers have mentioned that she doesn’t really talk like that off the set. Still Southern but not that much.
The way John O’Hurley talks bugs me too, but to a lesser degree. I like him but his voice is irritating. It’s like he’s saying, “Hey, listen to me. You can tell by the tone of my voice that I’m saying something funny. This is my funny voice. Don’t you just want to laugh at what I’m saying?” Me, I think he’d probably be just as funny without talking that way and be less irritating to boot.
Tim Gunn, the Runway Express guy with the pursy lips and the perfect white hair. This nonsense is on at my mom’s place every now and then and when I hear Tim talking in his overly-precise High Queeny metallic baritone, I have to leave the room before I start imitating him and can’t stop.
Hillary Clinton. There are worse people I can think of for President. But if elected, I’ll definitely being turning off her State of the Union addresses just because of her voice.