A A Gill on James Nesbitt playing Dr Jekyll, in the Sunday Times

[devi]

"I suspect the Irish accent has a lot to do with the success of his characterisation. It is a Jekyll-and-Hyde voice. He's blarney and craic and Terry Wogan, but also the voice from behind the balaclava, the code-word warning and sectarian bile."

Wait, what?

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_kent/]

It's almost as if he thinks he's reached some intellectual tipping point beyond which casual, thoughtless prejudice becomes so appalling that he couldn't possibly have meant it that way, and so it becomes a detached intellectual commentary on casual, thoughtless prejudice. I think he kids himself.

[bluedevi.livejournal.com]

I think he does too. All the same, I was entertaining myself by substituting in different nationalities and ethnic groups and wondering if he'd get away with it then.

"Chiwetel Ejiofor's accent is perfect. On the one hand it's good old friendly Uncle Tom with his great sense of rhythm; on the other it's Zulu headshrinkers throwing spears at my pith helmet."

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

I suspect A A Gill's accent is on the one hand hearty Presbyterian housemaster administering a good thrashing to ward away filthiness of mind, and on the other hand smug chinless laird spurning starving crofters with his boot.