# Voice impressions: You know you can do em! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 10, 2003, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-impressions-you-know-you-can-do-em/174264 "2003-05-10T03:37:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-impressions-you-know-you-can-do-em/174264/41 "2003-05-12T02:55:36Z")
I can do Goofy’s “Hyuk!” laugh. I can also do Will Ferrell’s Harry Caray. “If you were a hot dog, and you were starving, would ya’ eat yourself?” If I concentrate, I can do a singing Load/ReLoad era James Hetfield. Same for a post-Alice in Chains Jerry Cantrell. ---
**Author:** ![TVGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/82dd89/32.png) [@TVGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-impressions-you-know-you-can-do-em/174264/42 "2003-05-12T03:55:54Z")
Another Marvin the Martian here - I make people blow milk out of their noses when I do that one. “The Eludium Q-38 Explosive Space Modulatoorrr! That creature has stolen my SPACE MODULATORRRR!!!” Beyond Marvin, I do a pretty fair job with Jimmy Stewart, Henry Kissinger (especially when he did the weather on CBS that once…) Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, George Bush Sr. and a conglomerate of Kennedys (Jack, Bobby, Ted - they all pretty much sound the same) I can do a selection of other movie stars in character - Brad Pitt from _Fight Club_, Jack Nicholson from _The Shining_ and _One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest_ - wait, Jack Nicholson in pretty much anything sounds pretty much the same, doesn’t he? I do Kate Hepburn in _On Golden Pond_ “You Old POOP!” Mostly, though, I do a much better job at generic dialects. I can easily pass for a Brit among the English, a Southerner in Alabama, a New Yorker in the Heart of Brooklyn and a Bostonian in downtown Charlestown (OK, that last one’s a bit easier - I did grow up south of Boston…) “I’m going to DIS-integrate you!” \ ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-impressions-you-know-you-can-do-em/174264/43 "2003-05-12T14:16:32Z")
My normal singing voice (which has been described as a Cajun Elvis) isn’t far off from Louis Armstrong so that one’s pretty easy for me. Sometimes I even do him unintentinally, I have a wav of me singing “Jambalaya” in which I drifted into Satchmo at the end. I can do Fat Albert, too. I just take Louis Armstrong down about an octave. I do John Wayne about as good as anyone on “Whose Line”. Given my nomal nasally speaking voice, Sly Stallone as Rocky isn’t much of a stretch. I can sing the Alphabet Song (a b c d, e f g…) as Bob Dylan. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Marko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/58956e/32.png) [@El\_Marko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Marko)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-impressions-you-know-you-can-do-em/174264/44 "2003-05-12T14:47:23Z")
Well, let’s see. First I’ll start with actual impressions: Homer Simpson - in certain situations Grampa Simpson Apu - I have a friend who always want me to do Apu for him “Ah, the seering kiss of hot lead, how I have missed you. I mean, Help, I think I am dying.” Marvin Martian The Sea Captain (from Simpsons) Then there are my generic accents: Scottish about 3 different english accents (cockney, high british, etc… anyone who’s been to England can tell you that they have LOTs of different accents there) Russian “old jewish guy” Most of the distinctive “american” accents (southern, New England, Minnesota, Cali Surfer dude, New York Italian(i.e. “mobster”)) I’m sure there’s more, but those are the ones that come to mind immediately. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-impressions-you-know-you-can-do-em/174264/45 "2003-05-12T17:08:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SPOOFE \* > \*\*I’m a master of doing the King of Town, Homsar, Strong Mad, Bubs, and Coach Z. And ANYBODY can do The Cheat, Strong Bad, or Strong Sad. \*\* I have no doubt that you do a great JEEEEOOOORRRRRBB! ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-impressions-you-know-you-can-do-em/174264/46 "2003-05-12T21:33:46Z")
I also do a clucking chicken, a meowing cat, a Scottish accent (if I watch _Trainspotting_ first to get in the mood), a couple of British accents, and Forrest Gump. ---
**Author:** ![lightingtool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/57b2e6/32.png) [@lightingtool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lightingtool)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-impressions-you-know-you-can-do-em/174264/47 "2003-05-12T21:52:10Z")
I’ve been told that my Neil Diamond impersonation is pretty good. I also do a decent Tom Waits, esp. after a night of drinking scotch, smoking, shouting at the moon, reading Bukowski, hanging out with hookers, etc. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-impressions-you-know-you-can-do-em/174264/48 "2003-05-12T23:06:26Z")
I do a dead-on Leon Redbone. This skill is very rarely appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-impressions-you-know-you-can-do-em/174264/49 "2003-05-13T04:19:45Z")
Cartoon characters: Marvin the Martian Bugs Bunny (fair, not as authentic as I would like to) Sylvester Rocky and Mugsy Beavis and Butthead Rocky and Bullwinkle Barney Rubble Snagglepuss Yogi Bear Boo Boo Tennesee Tuxedo Hank from King of the Hill Real people (or their characters): Ross Perot The Church Lady Howard Cosell Ted Koppel Tom Brokaw (somewhat) Robert Stack Ronald Reagan As a side note: I used to have a co-worker whose voice I could imitate perfectly, enough to fool other workers into thinking it was him whenever I used his voice (when they couldn’t also see me, of course). It was good for him that he was on my good side. If he had been an employee I didn’t like I could have gotten him into all sorts of trouble. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-impressions-you-know-you-can-do-em/174264/50 "2003-05-13T06:05:50Z")
Some more of the list: Marvin the Martian Fat Albert John Wayne Kate Hepburn Bob Dylan John Cameron Swazye Jerry Lewis Popeye Horton the Elephant Fozzy Bear Beaky Buzzard Yogi Bear Boo boo Snagglepuss Barney Rubble Fred Flintstone Alfred Hitchcock’s “Goot Evening” Bela Lugosi Peter Lorre Adolph Hitler Desi Arnaz Lucille Ball Sergeant Schultz Werner Klemper Walter Brennan Eric Idle The Cowardly Lion **Animals** : Perfect wolf howl Dog bark Sheep bleat Lamb bleat Goat bleat Kid bleat Duck quack Chicken cluck Chicken squawk Turkey gobble Pigeon cooing Crow cawing Cow mooing Puppy yapping Cat yowling Panting dog Pig grunting Pig squealing Frog croaking Wildcat Cat spitting Cat hissing Cat growling Crickets Mosquito Hummingbird Kookaburra Chimpanzee Monkey **Objects** : Creaking hinge Klaxon horn Most voices of the standard car alarm Uncorking a bottle ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-impressions-you-know-you-can-do-em/174264/51 "2003-05-13T07:38:47Z")
Kermit the frog Lilo (or is it stitch? I’ve never seen the movie) from same movie Howard Cosell passable Jimmy Stewart some random Jim Carray bits generic Beatles voice ---
**Author:** ![Sock\_Munkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Sock\_Munkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sock_Munkey)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-impressions-you-know-you-can-do-em/174264/52 "2003-05-13T12:29:14Z")
Apu (very well) Mush-mouth fom Fat Albert (even better than Bill Cosby did) The Jackalope (perfect imitation) Steve Irwin the croc hunter (almost made a girl laugh hard enough to pee herself with that one) Various cat sounds Dental drill An ok Jimmy Stuart and Louis Armstrong ---
**Author:** ![mallocks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f4b2a3/32.png) [@mallocks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mallocks)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-impressions-you-know-you-can-do-em/174264/53 "2003-05-13T13:09:55Z")
**MonkeyMensch** you can do James Earl Jones? nice, he’s got an awesome voice. Me? Practically nothing. ---
**Author:** ![pestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e5b9ba/32.png) [@pestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pestie)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-impressions-you-know-you-can-do-em/174264/54 "2003-05-13T16:33:50Z")
Oh, god, I love doing voices! Nothing would make me happier than to quit my day job and become a voice actor for cartoons. As far as voices I can do, I spent _way_ too much time doing Beavis & Butt-head back in their heyday, so I’m pretty good at that. Lately it’s been any number of Homestar Runner characters - I know “anybody can do Strong Bad,” but that doesn’t make it any less fun. I think my Tennessee Tuxedo and Chumley are pretty much dead-on. Being the fan of stupid humor that I am, I can do a number of Jerky Boys characters (Saul Rosenberg and Tarbash being my favorites). Sometimes I like doing animal calls, too - I used to freak out my cat by making the “kitten-in-distress” call when she had kittens. She’d come into the room and give me this look like, “WHERE’S MY BABY?!? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!?” I can do a passable croc/gator baby distress call, too, but that’s likely to get me killed if I’m not careful. Still, I doubt I could resist trying it on an adult. I’ve tried to get the hang of some bird calls, but as they’re mostly whistles they’re trickier, often exceeding my whistling range at the high or low end. ---
**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-impressions-you-know-you-can-do-em/174264/55 "2003-05-13T17:16:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by FairyChatMom \* > \*\*I’m not a very good mimic, but when he’s in the right moods, my husband can do a dead-on Cartman: “Screw you guys, I’m going home.” \*\* This is my impression, too. I get compliments on it. Michael Myers doing the Scottish accent… “Oh, now he’s gonna cry 'imself ta sleep on his huge pilla.” And I can imitate pretty much any accent. My Texan friend hates it when I imitate hers; I’m not making fun, I just subconciously practice the accent. My dear German friend doesn’t mind when I exaggerate hers. “My Gott I chust vant to buy some cheans!” ---
**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-impressions-you-know-you-can-do-em/174264/56 "2003-05-13T17:25:15Z")
Just remembered. There’s a .wav file that some people use for “error” on their computers that sounds like a very high-pitched “Uh-oh!” I can imitate it perfectly. And I do a dead-on Luciano Pavarotti, specifically when he sings Christmas songs in English on The Three Tenors Christmas album. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-impressions-you-know-you-can-do-em/174264/57 "2003-05-13T17:36:48Z")
Homer Simpson Mr. Burns Barney Gumble Bill Clinton Dr. Phil Richard Nixon Shaggy Scooby Barney Rubble Peter Lorre Alfred Hitchcock Yogi Bear Squidward Elmer Fudd Beavis Butthead (much harder than Beavis to get right) Bullwinkle Olive Oyl Popeye Mickey Mouse Jan Brady Singing: Johnny Cash Elvis (both young and old0 Gordon Gano (Violent Femmes) Lou Reed Louis Armstrong (until my throat shreds) ---
**Author:** ![Grimace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3e96dc/32.png) [@Grimace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grimace)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-impressions-you-know-you-can-do-em/174264/58 "2003-05-13T17:45:17Z")
Oh man, I love doing voices. It’s something i’m always doing, in one way or another. Among them are the following: Marvin the Martian Bobcat Goldwaith (this one flat out slays everyone when I do it.) Wakko Warner Yogi Bear Barney the dino (usually done in some sick perverted way) Mickey Mouse (same as above) Jimmy Stewart Sean Connery (still working out the kinks on this one) Ross Perot George H Bush John Wayne (the above three I do in succession, one leading into another…learned that trick from watching Robin Williams one night on the Tonight Show) Lt. Worf (got the voice and inflection down, but cannot get volume on it for the life of me) Elmer Fudd Jackelope Kermit Apu (or generic middle eastern “joke accent”) Beavis Bob and Doug MacKenzie Barney (from The Simpsons) Popeye ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-impressions-you-know-you-can-do-em/174264/59 "2003-05-13T18:12:29Z")
I can do a pretty good William S. Burroughs, and a fairly decent Louis Armstrong. Both of them eventually hurt like hell if I keep ‘em up for any length of time, though – especially the Satchmo deal. For some reason, after a drop of the creature, it sometimes amuses me to sing hillbilly jug-band type songs in the Louis Armstrong voice-- especially the Holy Modal Rounders’ _Glue’s in the Bottle_. > [@](#): > > \*Glue’s in the bottle, > Glue’s in the bottle, > But there ain’t none for you– > > Glue’s in the bottle, but there ain’t none for you. > I can’t abide no woman, who goes around sniffin’ glue.\* Reciting _Jabborwocky_ in the Burroughs voice is good for a giggle, too, or parts of _Father William_, 'natch: > [@](#): > > _‘In my youth,’ Father William replied to his son, ‘I feared it might injure the brain-- but now that I’m perfectly sure I have none, why I do it again and again.’_ ---
**Author:** ![100watts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/b487fb/32.png) [@100watts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/100watts)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-impressions-you-know-you-can-do-em/174264/60 "2003-05-13T21:54:51Z")
> [@](#): > > Leon Redbone. This skill is very rarely appreciated. I would appreciate it. Especially if you sing “Frosty the Snowman.” I can say “propane and propane accessories” like Hank Hill. I tend to mimic cadences more than vocal sounds. Female comediennes especially. I find myself slipping into Paula Poundstone talking about the cats more than I mean to. And there’s a professor here that I do a fairly good imitation of. I was talking to another professor one day and slipped into the impression without realizing it while discussing the other professor. The professor I was talking to said, “Does he know you can do him?” I realized what I’d done and said, horrified, “Oh no! And please, please don’t tell him.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-impressions-you-know-you-can-do-em/174264.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-impressions-you-know-you-can-do-em/174264.md?page=4)