Legislation Roundup, Cartoon Villians And Foreign Accents

Air Date:
Heard On Central Time

Ever since viewing “The Lion King” in theaters two decades ago, one sociolinguist has been analyzing language patterns in animated kids’ shows. We talk with the sociolinguist about his work in exploring if and why a pattern of using foreign accents to represent the villains or “bad guys” exists. We also discuss the “straw” gun legislation and take a deeper look at recent legislation as a whole.

Featured in this Show

  • State Senate Bill Would Make 'Straw' Gun Purchases A Felony

    A bill that passed in the State Senate would make it a felony for someone to buy a gun with the intent of giving it to someone else who cannot legally purchase a firearm. The bill is now in the Assembly. We speak with Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) about why she wanted to sponsor this legislation.

  • State Legislature Takes Up Criminal Justice Initiatives, Self-Funding Insurance In Final Days Of Session

    Thursday marks the final session day at the state capitol. Lawmakers have passed bills dealing with a host of issues in the state, including closing controversial juvenile detention centers, allowing small businesses to pool funds to pay for insurance, and deregulating rent-to-own businesses. We speak with WPR State Capitol Reporter Laurel White about the legislature’s final session day.

  • Studying The Villain's Voices In Children's Entertainment

    Have you ever noticed how often the villains in cartoons or television programs have a foreign-sounding accent or dialect? What messages does that send to kids when all the “bad guys” sound different from them?

    We talk to a linguistics expert who has studied language patterns in animated kids’ entertainment, and how dialects are used to present certain traits in various characters.

Episode Credits

  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • J. Carlisle Larsen Producer
  • Karl Christenson Producer
  • Alberta Darling Guest
  • Laurel White Guest
  • Calvin Gidney Guest

Related Stories