# Biological reason behind Harvey Fierstein's voice? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 22, 2013, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biological-reason-behind-harvey-fiersteins-voice/648012 "2013-01-22T16:15:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biological-reason-behind-harvey-fiersteins-voice/648012/1 "2013-01-22T16:15:29Z")
Is there a reason why his [voice](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KtRJNaGPlk) sounds like that? Did it natually form that way? Does he smoke 10 packs a day? Biolocially speaking, what are the vocal cords doing that makes them sound like that as opposed to more, um, pure? ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biological-reason-behind-harvey-fiersteins-voice/648012/2 "2013-01-22T16:23:13Z")
I’ve met Harvey’s mother. She sounds perfectly normal (for an elderly Jewish woman from Sheepshead Bay.) ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biological-reason-behind-harvey-fiersteins-voice/648012/3 "2013-01-22T21:03:32Z")
Basically, he yelled himself permanently hoarse. > [@Don Shewe](#): > > When I first interviewed Fierstein for The Advocate in 1978 (before some of today’s readers were born), I asked him how he got his unique, obviously damaged rasp. Swearing on a pack of Benson and Hedges, he said, “I was in a play called Xircus, The Private Life of Jesus Christ and had to do a five-page monologue over a recording of Kate Smith singing ‘God Bless America’ played at top volume over eight-foot speakers. The director refused to turn down the volume – and I wanted every word heard!” (From ["Doing Fiddler Proud," Advocate review of Harvey Fierstein in Fiddler on the Roof, by Don Shewey](http://www.donshewey.com/theater_reviews/fiddler_on_the_roof.html)) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2013, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biological-reason-behind-harvey-fiersteins-voice/648012/4 "2013-01-24T08:33:54Z")
Probably then, the physical cause is vocal nodules, i.e., tiny little callouses on his vocal chords. ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biological-reason-behind-harvey-fiersteins-voice/648012/5 "2013-01-25T01:51:27Z")
Interesting. Good find **gotpasswords** and thanks **BigT** for the analysis. I guess “rest” didn’t make them go away and he didn’t get them surgically removed. ---
**Author:** ![benbo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@benbo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/benbo1)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biological-reason-behind-harvey-fiersteins-voice/648012/6 "2013-01-26T13:53:36Z")
How about the sheer volume of semi-solid liquid he’s uh, swallowed? ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biological-reason-behind-harvey-fiersteins-voice/648012/7 "2013-01-26T21:08:28Z")
> [@benbo1](#): > > How about the sheer volume of semi-solid liquid he’s uh, swallowed? Really? A fellatio reference just because he’s gay? Is that why the vast majority of women talk that way too? Did your mom talk that way, too? Also, learn some biology. The things you drink don’t pass over the vocal chords. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biological-reason-behind-harvey-fiersteins-voice/648012/8 "2013-01-26T22:17:41Z")
FWIW, it’s vocal **cords** , not chords. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biological-reason-behind-harvey-fiersteins-voice/648012/9 "2013-01-27T03:06:50Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > FWIW, it’s vocal **cords** , not chords. I speak in [triads](http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/triad). :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biological-reason-behind-harvey-fiersteins-voice/648012/10 "2013-01-27T03:55:28Z")
Two notes can also be considered a chord.