# Is there a name for this recorded scream? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 2, 2003, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-recorded-scream/165894 "2003-04-02T04:44:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BraheSilver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-recorded-scream/165894/1 "2003-04-02T04:44:32Z")
Recently a local theme park has opened a new roller coaster, and the ads feature lots of screaming as part of the background noise. However, there’s one that gets played over and over, and I’ve heard it in lots of other things as well. It’s a male voice, and it has a very rough sounding “Yeeerrr–aaaaagh!” as it trails off into the distance. I can’t find a .wav of it online, but those of you with Starcraft can hear it (or something very much like it) as the shouting when you click on a Terran Academy. I’ve heard this scream so many times that it must be quite common in the sound dubbing business. Does it have a particular name? I tired searching on my own, and while I’ve learned a bit about the Wilhelm, this other one still eludes me. Are there any sound techs out there that can help me out? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-recorded-scream/165894/2 "2003-04-02T06:58:04Z")
> [@](#): > > but those of you with Starcraft can hear it (or something very much like it) as the shouting when you click on a Terran Academy. Funny, whenever I clicked on an Academy, the sound effect was some sort of musical anthem. ---
**Author:** ![ChalkPit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@ChalkPit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChalkPit)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-recorded-scream/165894/3 "2003-04-02T07:37:03Z")
I think its a diferent scream in Starcraft, it always sounded like a Tie fighter screaming past to me. ---
**Author:** ![ChalkPit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@ChalkPit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChalkPit)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-recorded-scream/165894/4 "2003-04-02T07:38:10Z")
But then its a few years since I last played it, but I know the scream you mean. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-recorded-scream/165894/5 "2003-04-02T08:32:53Z")
Hmm…Is it more like “Yeeerrr–aaaaagh!” or “Ayh-eyh-ahhh!” Upon reading that, I realize how little this helps. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lodoen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b3f665/32.png) [@Jeff\_Lodoen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lodoen)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-recorded-scream/165894/6 "2003-04-02T10:27:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ranchoth \* > \*\*Hmm…Is it more like “Yeeerrr–aaaaagh!” or “Ayh-eyh-ahhh!” > Upon reading that, I realize how little this helps. \*\* The second could be heard in the old Activision/System3 isometric unforgiving pixel-exact computer game “The Last Ninja” (on the Apple IIGS and Amiga at least) 1988/9ish. I think the first was in Lucasarts’ “Dark Forces” 1994 was it? ---
**Author:** ![Space\_Vampire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Space\_Vampire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Space_Vampire)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-recorded-scream/165894/7 "2003-04-02T11:28:25Z")
I can’t believe they’re still using this thing. Surely if we can notice its overuse sound-recording professionals have noticed too? ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-recorded-scream/165894/8 "2003-04-02T12:52:34Z")
I think I know the scream you mean. It’s nauseatingly over-used in movies and TV shows; calling it a cliche would be an insult to respectable cliches everywhere. I know that this scream has a name. It’s named after the guy that did it. But damn if I can remember his name. ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-recorded-scream/165894/9 "2003-04-02T12:59:46Z")
I know _exactly_ what you mean. It’s also used in a cereal advertisement here in Australia. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-recorded-scream/165894/10 "2003-04-02T13:13:09Z")
There was a collection of pinball games released around 1995 by a company called Sierra. One of the games had a space theme; the villain of the game made that scream after you hit two pinballs into his oversize nostrils. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-recorded-scream/165894/11 "2003-04-02T13:25:14Z")
I think what you’re talking about is the Wilhelm scream. There’s a blurb about it [here](http://www.metafilter.com/comments.mefi/22644), as well as a link to a wav file so you can hear it. ---
**Author:** ![MSU\_1978](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@MSU\_1978](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MSU_1978)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-recorded-scream/165894/12 "2003-04-02T13:30:18Z")
Anybody else ever notice that the “person falling from a great height scream” from ANY classic Disney cartoon is exactly the same sound and voice? ---
**Author:** ![ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c77e96/32.png) [@ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ed)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-recorded-scream/165894/13 "2003-04-02T13:37:28Z")
It’s not the Wilhelm, which is well documented. I’ve personally noticed this scream in the original Dark Forces, Starcraft (both as noted above), and in the movie “Serial Mom”, when the guy walks into the bathroom and sees the body in the urinal. I have not yet been able to locate any information on it. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lodoen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b3f665/32.png) [@Jeff\_Lodoen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lodoen)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-recorded-scream/165894/14 "2003-04-02T22:58:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Space Vampire \* > \*\*I can’t believe they’re still using this thing. Surely if we can notice its overuse sound-recording professionals have noticed too? \*\* The really stupid thing is: all videogames sound like 2600 Pac-Man! 22 years old! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5ac83/32.png) [@The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mad_Hermit)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-recorded-scream/165894/15 "2003-04-02T23:48:05Z")
Is this the same scream that’s in the Mountain Dew commercials? The “yerrrr-agggh” scream accompanying people flying by on skateboards, or people BASE-jumping from high rocks? I’d like to know too. ---
**Author:** ![Khadro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Khadro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadro)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-recorded-scream/165894/16 "2003-04-03T01:12:39Z")
The Nutrigrain commercial scream that Narrad mentioned is the same scream as in the start of the Nicktoon Aaah, Real Monsters, and many other generic scream instances. It annoys the hell out of me, but it is NOT the Wilhelm scream. ---
**Author:** ![NardoPolo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@NardoPolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NardoPolo)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-recorded-scream/165894/17 "2003-04-03T02:04:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ChalkPit \* > \*\*I think its a diferent scream in Starcraft, it always sounded like a Tie fighter screaming past to me. \*\* I associated it with the scream of the Sand People as they shook their staff and celebrated the new Landspeeder that they had taken over. Not a scream of pain or agony at all, but just… different. ---
**Author:** ![BraheSilver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-recorded-scream/165894/18 "2003-04-03T02:17:22Z")
The Sand People shout is a gutteral “Huuuuurh! Hurh hurh!” When you’re in a Scout troop full of Star Wars fans that takes regular trips to various deserts and canyons, you learn to make these kinds of noises. I’m pretty sure it’s the same scream as in various “extreme” commercials which show people base-jumping and such. I remember it being in at least one Mountain Dew ad, but I can’t remebmer when or what was going on. Some help I am, eh? ---
**Author:** ![FabioClone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5f8ce5/32.png) [@FabioClone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FabioClone)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-recorded-scream/165894/19 "2003-04-03T03:08:23Z")
I remember this scream from Dark Forces too, though I have heard it many other places. It’s really starting to bug me. I admit, it’s a great sounding scream- the first two times you hear it. I used to jump off of cliffs in Dark Forces just to make my guy do his death-yell. However constant repitition does not make it any better. We need new screams, and I am willing to do whatever I have to do to produce them. I have also noticed a certain “pig snort” that demonstrates this same phenomenon. I guess they just figure all pig snorts sound the same. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-recorded-scream/165894/20 "2003-04-03T03:14:21Z")
I was thinking of the Wilhelm scream (thanks **Turek** ), but I’ve heard the other one plenty of times as well. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-recorded-scream/165894.md?page=2)