# Female voice **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 14, 2000, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-voice/45445 "2000-12-14T01:29:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![insider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@insider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/insider)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2000, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-voice/45445/1 "2000-12-14T01:29:38Z")
Why is it that in most elevators the messages are spoken by a female? ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2000, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-voice/45445/2 "2000-12-14T01:36:51Z")
Wouldn’t you rather hear a woman’s voice than a man’s? I know I would. ---
**Author:** ![tbea925](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@tbea925](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tbea925)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2000, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-voice/45445/3 "2000-12-14T01:43:06Z")
That’s the general consensus - most men would rather listen to a female voice than a man’s, especially when they’re nervous, uptight, claustrophobic, or otherwise have their shorts in a knot. Listening to a male voice increases the leverl of angst. A female voice almost universally calms both men and women. Shrug. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2000, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-voice/45445/4 "2000-12-14T02:34:04Z")
is a female voice? None of the elevators where I work talk. They just make that obnoxious sound. Dang! I gotta get a new job. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2000, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-voice/45445/5 "2000-12-15T20:12:49Z")
I guess that accounts for the female persona of that virtual newsreader on the Web – AquaVelva – no, sorry, I mean AnaNova. (Her _hair_ is an aqua green color.) What is the effect of a man on another man’s psychology, compared to a woman? Notice in the drug slang, heroin is called “he” and cocaine is called “she.” Heroin makes you feel down, cocaine makes you feel up. ---
**Author:** ![john\_e\_wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3da27b/32.png) [@john\_e\_wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/john_e_wagner)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2000, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-voice/45445/6 "2000-12-15T21:14:17Z")
From what I recall from a Nova special about desiging fighter cockpits, they use a womans/childs voice because it gets their attention. So the next time you have to hit the 19th floor button to avoid an anti-elevator missle, its because the elevator’s female voice warned you about it… My WAG is that they use a womens voice because it is not intimidating and is likely to be paid attention to. ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2000, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-voice/45445/7 "2000-12-15T21:34:21Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by john\_e\_wagner_ > **From what I recall from a Nova special about desiging fighter cockpits, they use a womans/childs voice because it gets their attention.** Referred to as “Bitchin’ Betty” by pilots, as the voice only comes on when the plane is in imminent danger, which is also when the pilot tends to be busy concentrating on other things. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2000, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-voice/45445/8 "2000-12-15T21:39:24Z")
I thought it was just because Majel Barrett Roddenberry did all the voices. Oh, you mean the real world? Life imitates art. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2000, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/female-voice/45445/9 "2000-12-15T22:10:02Z")
I’ve always assumed that it was because higher pitches carry better over noise. Most public places that have automated announcements are also noisy, so they need a voice that can be distinguished from the general rumble. Just my thought.