# Scots: The New Dewar's Ad featuring an Englishwoman doing a Scots accent - okay? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 11, 2012, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-the-new-dewars-ad-featuring-an-englishwoman-doing-a-scots-accent-okay/643727 "2012-12-11T19:04:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-the-new-dewars-ad-featuring-an-englishwoman-doing-a-scots-accent-okay/643727/21 "2012-12-12T14:51:58Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > (…Though I often do think “I could go for some Scotch right now,” it’s independent of the ads.) Of so you think. It’s actually just really good advertising. > [@PoorYorick](#): > > That should be “Craig \*Ferguson’s \*Late Late Show.” I love the show, but I’m \*in \*love with Karen Gillan. Back off. Just back the fuck off right now. She is mine. ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-the-new-dewars-ad-featuring-an-englishwoman-doing-a-scots-accent-okay/643727/22 "2012-12-12T15:15:47Z")
> [@Cinnamon\_Imp](#): > > WTF did I just watch? > > She sounded Irish to me. “Ah canna change the laws o’phyics, cap’n!” Yeah, the accent is bad. It’s so bad it really has to be intentionally so, but to what end I have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-the-new-dewars-ad-featuring-an-englishwoman-doing-a-scots-accent-okay/643727/23 "2012-12-12T15:30:18Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Of so you think. It’s actually just really good advertising. Phenomenally good, to get me to like Dewar’s\* years \*before the commercials were even made! ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-the-new-dewars-ad-featuring-an-englishwoman-doing-a-scots-accent-okay/643727/24 "2012-12-12T17:08:48Z")
Blimey, she’s Peyton on CSI NY. I don’t think she even does _English_ convincingly 🙂 Oh, and Scouse started out as just a [type of stew](http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/298/scouse.aspx). Before it was the accent a Scouser spoke with. And I’ll have a [single malt](http://www.laphroaig.com/whiskies/Default.aspx), cheers. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-the-new-dewars-ad-featuring-an-englishwoman-doing-a-scots-accent-okay/643727/25 "2012-12-12T18:33:19Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Back off. Just back the fuck off right now. She is mine. Calm down, there are not a few Scottish women to pine for. My favorite has to be [del]Isobel[/del] Shirley Henderson, with Kelly MacDonald a close 2nd. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-the-new-dewars-ad-featuring-an-englishwoman-doing-a-scots-accent-okay/643727/26 "2012-12-12T18:54:00Z")
Unfortunately I can’t watch this at work, so I’m subscribing for later. It made me think of the old Irish Spring soap commercials though: “And wee like it tooo!” I always thought, why in the fuck couldn’t they hire actual Irish people to do the ads? You don’t need to be a professional actor to say 5 words in a god damned television commercial. Which gets me to another point, my dad upon hearing a radio commercial for a new golf course laid into the owner (whom he knew) so bad that the owner hired my dad to re-do the commercial with a real Scottish accent! ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-the-new-dewars-ad-featuring-an-englishwoman-doing-a-scots-accent-okay/643727/27 "2012-12-12T19:13:21Z")
Forlani is _English_? That sounds like a dago name to me. Basically the ad just sucks. I guess to be serious you need to drink Dewars and if you do drink Dewars you get to have sex with her. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-the-new-dewars-ad-featuring-an-englishwoman-doing-a-scots-accent-okay/643727/28 "2012-12-12T19:50:12Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Forlani is _English_? That sounds like a dago name to me. “Dago”?! - not okay. Claire Forlani’s father is of Italian descent, but she was born in England. Just like Scottish racecar driver\*\* Dario Franchitti \*\*has an Italian name but a strong Scots burr,er, accent 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-the-new-dewars-ad-featuring-an-englishwoman-doing-a-scots-accent-okay/643727/29 "2012-12-12T20:06:35Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Forlani is _English_? That sounds like a dago name to me. If you have to ask a question like this, do it without ethnic slurs. Don’t do this again. ---
**Author:** ![Corcaigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Corcaigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corcaigh)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-the-new-dewars-ad-featuring-an-englishwoman-doing-a-scots-accent-okay/643727/30 "2012-12-12T21:01:39Z")
> [@Cinnamon\_Imp](#): > > WTF did I just watch? > > She sounded Irish to me. you. outside. now. and close the door behind you, you’re letting the heat out ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-the-new-dewars-ad-featuring-an-englishwoman-doing-a-scots-accent-okay/643727/31 "2012-12-12T21:43:12Z")
So, which is worst? 1. the bad Scots accent 2. the concept of using a Englishwoman to trot out a faux-Scots accent and selling it to us Americans? 3. the fact that the actress is reasonably well-known, but is NOT portrarying herself as a celebrity English endorser, but rather as Scottish character? I guess I would’ve gone with 2 myself - I would’ve assumed that an Englishwoman attempting to be passed off as Scottish would be the most offensive. Whether she was reasonably well-known would add confusion to the offensiveness, but not be as offensive. And Scots accents have been butchered in countless US shows and movies, but I tend to think of those as US attempts to fake a Scots accent. This is a Scottish distillery using a Brit to “sound” Scottish to the US audience. Just seems wrong… ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-the-new-dewars-ad-featuring-an-englishwoman-doing-a-scots-accent-okay/643727/32 "2012-12-12T23:48:21Z")
I’m fairly certain she says “Are ya thersty, Angus?” at the end of the commercial. Mr singular agrees. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2012, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-the-new-dewars-ad-featuring-an-englishwoman-doing-a-scots-accent-okay/643727/33 "2012-12-13T00:41:09Z")
“Go back to sleep Angus, darling.” And yes, that was as fucking horrible as the old Irish Spring commercials. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2012, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-the-new-dewars-ad-featuring-an-englishwoman-doing-a-scots-accent-okay/643727/34 "2012-12-13T00:49:10Z")
Scots are Brits. I know there’s that little referendum coming up, but let’s not jump the gun. As for English actors playing Scottish characters, I don’t think it’s controversial at all. It happens all the time in British TV/film. OK, in this case the accent was by no means accurate, but it was good enough for a non-British market, and to be honest I think it would pass muster in much of the UK too. I was more confused by the man shouting “we serve under the pleasure of her majesty the queen” at the end. I don’t understand that bit. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2012, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-the-new-dewars-ad-featuring-an-englishwoman-doing-a-scots-accent-okay/643727/35 "2012-12-13T00:49:25Z")
Missed the edit window. Like this [one](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjSNrg7T0Wo). Why? Why oh why? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2012, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-the-new-dewars-ad-featuring-an-englishwoman-doing-a-scots-accent-okay/643727/36 "2012-12-13T00:55:31Z")
> [@Ximenean](#): > > I was more confused by the man shouting “we serve under the pleasure of her majesty the queen” at the end. I don’t understand that bit. Doesn’t it mean that Dewar’s is an official purveyor to the Royal Family? (Is it? I really don’t know.) 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2012, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-the-new-dewars-ad-featuring-an-englishwoman-doing-a-scots-accent-okay/643727/37 "2012-12-13T00:57:16Z")
> [@Ximenean](#): > > I was more confused by the man shouting “we serve under the pleasure of her majesty the queen” at the end. I don’t understand that bit. It’s a reference to Scottish independence. “Angus” is making a declaration for maintaining ties to the monarchy, and shitty accent lady is sipping scotch whiskey and declaring her defiant independence. That’s my take. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2012, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-the-new-dewars-ad-featuring-an-englishwoman-doing-a-scots-accent-okay/643727/38 "2012-12-13T01:10:44Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Doesn’t it mean that Dewar’s is an official purveyor to the Royal Family? (Is it? I really don’t know.) 😕 Ah right, the little crest thingy that appears on some products. Although I don’t remember it being as shouty as that. It usually says something very dry like “By appointment, W. H. Dewar & Sons, suppliers of beverages.” **Leaffan** , I dunno, that doesn’t seem like a likely marketing angle, unless the question of Scottish independence is a lot more interesting to North American viewers than I would have guessed. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2012, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-the-new-dewars-ad-featuring-an-englishwoman-doing-a-scots-accent-okay/643727/39 "2012-12-13T02:16:13Z")
I thought I was listening to World of Warcraft dwarves! ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2012, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-the-new-dewars-ad-featuring-an-englishwoman-doing-a-scots-accent-okay/643727/40 "2012-12-13T02:41:18Z")
Not to derail, but is Dewars even palatable? My few experiences with blends have convinced me to stick to single malts – even Glenfiddich 12, “the budweiser of scotch”, has decent personality compared to the insipid abominations that are blends. No wonder they have to advertise aggressively. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-the-new-dewars-ad-featuring-an-englishwoman-doing-a-scots-accent-okay/643727.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scots-the-new-dewars-ad-featuring-an-englishwoman-doing-a-scots-accent-okay/643727.md?page=3)