# Sarah Vowell - Annoying Voice **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 10, 2013, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vowell-annoying-voice/652569 "2013-03-10T20:32:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2013, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vowell-annoying-voice/652569/1 "2013-03-10T20:32:17Z")
Sarah Vowell was on NPR this morning. Who the hell told her she had a voice for radio!? It’s possible they said “face” and she misheard. Her voice is just horrid. I think she must speak with her mouth closed, because it sounds like she talks THROUGH her nose. I can’t imagine who first heard her reading and thought ‘I’ve got to get her in the studio.’ ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2013, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vowell-annoying-voice/652569/2 "2013-03-10T20:37:46Z")
I think it works for her. It’s not a voice you’d want to hear every day, but it’s avoided being offputting (for many people) and fallen into a “quirky” category. Plus, she’s a good writer and commentator, which helps! ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2013, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vowell-annoying-voice/652569/3 "2013-03-10T21:08:31Z")
I know other people love them, but I just can’t stand listening to Sarah Vowell or David Sedaris. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2013, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vowell-annoying-voice/652569/4 "2013-03-10T21:29:15Z")
It suits her work perfectly. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2013, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vowell-annoying-voice/652569/5 "2013-03-10T21:43:20Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > It suits her work perfectly. Yes, a perfect voice for print. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2013, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vowell-annoying-voice/652569/6 "2013-03-10T21:47:46Z")
I don’t particularly like or dislike her voice, but you’ve got to admit that it is distinctive–and maybe that counts for something. I’ll also note that she is the voice of the daughter, Violet, in _The Incredibles_. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2013, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vowell-annoying-voice/652569/7 "2013-03-10T22:33:02Z")
Could she be the female Jay Baruchel? I only know her from _The Incredibles_. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vowell-annoying-voice/652569/8 "2013-03-11T00:25:27Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > Sarah Vowell was on NPR this morning. Who the hell told her she had a voice for radio!? Eh, she’s about as successful as one can be in the profession of “radio essayist”. So whomever told her she should do radio was apparently giving good advice. And her radio bits got her noticed by someone at Pixar, and I imagine that one gig probably made her more money then a thousand This American Life appearances. So like it or hate it, her voice is certainly serving her well. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vowell-annoying-voice/652569/9 "2013-03-11T00:28:19Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > I know other people love them, but I just can’t stand listening to Sarah Vowell or David Sedaris. I’m with you 100%. ---
**Author:** ![jrepka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee59a6/32.png) [@jrepka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jrepka)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vowell-annoying-voice/652569/10 "2013-03-11T03:20:21Z")
This American Life is a show that introduced NPR audiences to Sarah Vowell, David Sedaris, the late David Rakoff, and host Ira Glass, all examples of people without classic radio voices, but who are on the air because of the quality of their writing. When Sarah publishes a new book, I always get the audio version because I love hearing her words in her voice. ---
**Author:** ![UncaStuart](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncastuart/32/404_2.png) [@UncaStuart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncaStuart)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vowell-annoying-voice/652569/11 "2013-03-11T03:38:53Z")
> [@jrepka](#): > > When Sarah publishes a new book, I always get the audio version because I love hearing her words in her voice. Me too! ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vowell-annoying-voice/652569/12 "2013-03-11T03:48:22Z")
[ol] [li]She has a really annoying voice[/li][li]I want to have her babies[/li][/ol] ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vowell-annoying-voice/652569/13 "2013-03-11T04:00:19Z")
> [@jrepka](#): > > This American Life is a show that introduced NPR audiences to Sarah Vowell, David Sedaris, the late David Rakoff, and host Ira Glass, all examples of people without classic radio voices, but who are on the air because of the quality of their writing. Or perhaps, as this blogger suggests, because they [lisp](http://uselessdoug.blogspot.com/2011/03/lisp-ening-to-this-american-life.html) suitably. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vowell-annoying-voice/652569/14 "2013-03-11T07:03:04Z")
I like Sarah Vowell and her voice. I think her writing is smart and quirky and her voice matches well with it. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vowell-annoying-voice/652569/15 "2013-03-11T14:37:23Z")
> [@UncaStuart](#): > > Me too! Me three! And Sedaris, too - his delivery is half the fun. I wrote to Vowell about some dubious assertions/mistakes in her book _Assassination Vacation_ a few years ago and never heard back from her, though, so to hell with her. No, really, I’ve mostly forgiven her. Mostly. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vowell-annoying-voice/652569/16 "2013-03-11T14:44:38Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > I like Sarah Vowell and her voice. I think her writing is smart and quirky and her voice matches well with it. Question is: is her writing (or Sedaris’s, or whoever’s) smart and quirky enough that the “packaging” of her voice is not important? What if she read like (say) Laura Linney? ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vowell-annoying-voice/652569/17 "2013-03-11T15:00:36Z")
I guess if Vowell had just a regular voice, I wouldn’t notice it, but her voice is distictive and she has learned to use it well. As has already been pointed out, she’s about as successful as you can get on the radio. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vowell-annoying-voice/652569/18 "2013-03-11T15:12:27Z")
Eh, it’s okay. She usually has something to say that is worth listening to. I wouldn’t choose to listen to her for too long though. I don’t mind her snippets on TAL. Starlee Kline or whatever her name is has a similar sort of voice. I didn’t mind her initially but I was listening her on TAL today and for some reason her lisping really grated on me. The WORST is the new host on Stuff You Missed in History Class. I’ve never been a huge fan of any of their hosts but Holly whatsherface is intolerable. First time I’ve stopped listening to a podcast because of someone’s voice. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vowell-annoying-voice/652569/19 "2015-11-30T19:26:38Z")
I endured the audio version of her book about LaFayette on my Thanksgiving road trip. She should NEVER EVER attempt to narrate one of her own books again- it’s excruciating. It’s not helped by the fact it was far from her best offering, but every bit of the ample snark and condescension and whininess was just amplified in its grating quotient until it seems like a never ending invasion of historical digressions and snark. (_Assassination Vacation_ is one of my favorite books and her work on Hawaii is not far behind it- I’m a fan of her writing- but she seems to have gotten more bitter.) ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vowell-annoying-voice/652569/20 "2015-11-30T19:45:51Z")
I have avoided borrowing the audiobook of _Assassination Vacation_ from our library for that very reason – she is the narrator. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sarah-vowell-annoying-voice/652569.md?page=2)