BRITISH ACCENTS ARE SEXY…OR ARE THEY?

The seed of my Brit-lust was sewn early. I remember watching reruns of Doctor Who (a popular BBC series that was resurrected in 2005) with my mom at an early age. Tom Baker was my first Doctor. I wasn’t quite old enough to develop sexual attractions yet, but I think I got the impression of British men as heroes then. My interest sprouted its first leaves when I saw Sean Connery in the first James Bond movie, Doctor No (1962, before I was even born). Cool, sophisticated, well-dressed, and foreign, Bond is the epitome of British style and class (Yes, I know Connery is Scottish).

For a long time, I wasn’t into British television at all. In fact, I missed Faulty Towers and Absolutely Fabulous altogether. But, In my early 20’s, I latched onto Monty Python. My friends and I used to laugh and laugh at the Holy Grail and Life of Brian. And then there was another gap. I divorced myself from British television, convinced that the comedy wasn’t my style. I didn’t understand it; didn’t get the cultural references.

Lately, I’ve been enjoying a rekindling of my romance with British television. Shows like the Great British Bake Off (called the Great British Baking Show in the U.S.), Black Books, and Skins have brought me back into the fold. I defy anyone to watch a Guy Ritchie film and not develop a crush on at least one of the characters. Britain’s seedy underbelly of organized crime - or at least the movie version of it - appeals to me more now than the smooth spy trope does. Now, there are Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston, and Idris Elba on the scene, rocking their hotness from the UK. Swoon!

Then, I watched this YouTube video, in which comedian Russel Howard reads 50 Shades of Grey in regional British accents, trying to prove they’re not sexy at all. It's pretty damn funny, but it got me thinking. I have to admit that maybe my vision of Britain is wholly American. After all, I’ve never been “across the pond” myself. I’ve met some Brits stateside and fawned over their accents, but they were few and far between. It’s possible that I’ve bought into the whole sexy depiction that I’ve been sold by movies all these years.

Now, Amy Pond and the Wee Scottish Lass are turning my attention toward Scotland. That Scottish accent sure is lovely. Maybe I just like the voices of people who still speak my language, but sound just a little bit more exotic speaking it. So what’s your verdict? Are the Brits sexy, or not? What accents are you drawn to?