Not to be argumentative, but Reba's persona as exemplified by her accent is as artificial as Tara Reid's boobs.
But, the idea that her persona is anything less than 100% authentic shouldn’t be such a shock. This is show business after all. I'm not saying she's a liar or that she's totally invented--I really can't speak to that. I can speak to the issue of her accent and how it isn’t like anything I’ve ever heard coming from a native Oklahoman.
I'm not even saying that it reflects on her as a person. I've got a good pal that's on her road crew and he seems to think the world of her.
As far as her Family is concerned, I'm don't doubt the stuff listed by Hank is true. But, it doesn't speak to the authenticity of her accent. In fact, one of the puzzlers about this is that I’ve heard members of Reba’s family speak before and they don’t sound like her.
Instead of enduring a lengthy description of the various linguistic nuances of Oklahoma, just listen to other prominent Oklahoma performers and see if you still think Reba sounds like an Oklahoman.
Start with Carrie Underwood who comes from Checotah which is the same basic linguistic region as Reba. Does she sound like Reba? I don’t think so. Actually, she doesn’t sound much like people from Checotah either, but that’s not unusual if you come from an educated family which Carrie does.
How about Garth Brooks, Toby Keith, Wayne Coyne, Vince Gill? These guys are all emblematic of the variety of accents around central OK none of which sound like Reba.
Go back a generation to Byron Berline, Leon Russell, Roger Miller, Hoyt Axton, Mason Williams, Jimmy Webb, Mary Kaye Place, or a ways back further to Woody Guthrie, Jim Garner, or Will Rogers. Once again, there’s a range of accents, but they all sound like people from Oklahoma.
Reba does not.
That’s all I’m saying. The accent seems to be part of her persona that is invented. If Reba didn’t invent it, she has a very odd speech impediment that she’s made work for her.
I've not barrel raced but my wife did in her younger days and she has about zero cowboy cred. My Father, an insurance executive in OKC, was a team roper. He grew up with horses back when they actually used them on his family farm and he had serious cowboy in him although is the least redneck of anybody I know.
This moneyed aspect is fairly typical of horse people in OK. Horses, unlike dogs, are a serious luxury that have only superflous utility on around actual cattle.
I grew up around my Grandfather's ranch and did most every cowboy job that exists, none of which involved horses. Horses are still used around cattle but only as expensive anachronisms. Tractors/utility vehicles, pickups, and a good herd dog is all one needs for managing cattle.
But, this is irrelevant as well to Reba's accent or her credibility. I don't doubt she did rodeo and all that other stuff and that's something, I guess.
But, her accent embarrasses me because it's so artificial and over the top.
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