I could scrape the barrel for some new boring casting story today, or I could share with you this: a news story about Karen Butler of Oregon, a lady who went in for oral surgery and woke up with an Irish accent (or whatever the hell kind of accent she’s doing there). A fast-acting accent disease. This might be my favorite neurological disorder since Tourette’s. As if her spontaneous brogue weren’t amazing enough, prepare yourself for the medical explanation at 1:48 mark: “Karen has an extremely rare neurological condition known as ‘Foreign Accent Syndrome.’”
Whoa, slow down there, Poindexter, what is that, Chinese? I’m going to need some time to research these terms in my medical text.
The culprit may be an extremely rare condition called Foreign Accent Syndrome, which is triggered by a stroke or brain damage, Dr. Ted Lowenkopf, medical director of the Providence Stroke Center in Oregon, said on “Today.” “It’s so rare — less than 100 cases ever reported — that the average neurologist, even a stroke neurologist, would not see a case in their lifetime.”
Not much is understood about the condition, but the best known case is probably of 30-year-old Georg Herman Monrad-Krohn, who picked up a German accent after being hit by a shrapnel in Oslo from a German air raid in 1941, reports The Oregonian, who covered the story last week. [HuffPo]
I wish there was a way to make this condition predictable. Because I would push my mother into traffic if it mean she’d wake up from her coma talking like Jason Statham. “Mom, mom! It’s me! How are you feeling?” “Well Oy’s just been shallacked boy da town fockin’ bus, but ovva den dat Oy’s just Peachy. Now be a good cont an’ bring us somefin ta drink, an Oy don’ mean appew juice.”
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During that whole segment, every time the dude said “oral”, “surgery” was not the word I had following it in my head.
Glen once woke up from oral surgery in Oregon with numbness in his jaw.
Another hot chick pandering to the masses? We don’t care about your mick cred, just show us them titties!!
I like to get oral until I’m Finnish.
Very funny segment Mr. Mancini! One criticism though: SHE DOESN’T HAVE AN IRISH ACCENT!!! She sounds like she’s from Texas but trying to do a crap Scottish accent. This is an Irish accent [www.youtube.com]
PS: I like your blog
If she woke up and started drinking and beating her children I’d have become Catholic again. That’s real Irish.
I NEED people to know that thats not what we Irish actually sound like.
That lady doesn’t sound like any English speaking person, she just sounds silly.
YEAH, FUCK YOU LADY! You’re unfortunate affliction makes you sound like a tool!
Maybe she wanted an excuse for having bad teeth.
The same thing happens to me when I drink Jameson.
The only difference between an irish chick and one of those loud bitches with a gut and skunk hair from the valley is the accent. I’m surprised that this story didn’t end with her constantly getting punched in the mouth by men everyday en route from point A to point B.
“Foreign Accent Syndrome”? Dr. Lowencock? Oral Surgery? I call shenanigans.
After describing her accent as “English” or “British”, the reporter signs off with:
“A new voice that suits Karen and her family … just fine.”
IT SUITS HER TO A ‘TEA’, YOU FUCKING IDIOT!!!
I usually get Grunting Syndrome after oral.
So it’s caused by brain damage? Seems like you would have to drink massive amounts of alcohol to induce it naturally.
But that’s preposterous, right?
As an Irishman I am disgusted by this article, I’ve stood by you through all the hullabulloo about sexism and what not but this is it. Irish and Scottish accents are not interchangeable, also boston accent is not the same as an Irish accent either, every fucking american doing an Irish accent fucks it up… Worst offender is fucking Sons of Anarchy IRA retards.
ps. it sounds like a hybrid of scottish and dutch accents to me
I didn’t think it sounded all that Irish either, I didn’t know what the fuck to call it, so I just went with Irish, which was the headline of the source article. I thought it sounded like a fucked up South African-Welsh. But I chose to go on with my jokes than spend 300 words debating with myself over what the fuck it sounded like.
Icelandic/Faroese-Standard Midwestern.
Meredith freakin’ Viera tagged it as Irish… Curious Medicine‘s time would be better spent explaining her Grinning Jackass Syndrome.
Brain damage, how delightful.
This past St. Patrick’s Day i passed out in an alley behind Molly Malone’s and had two Irish dudes in me.
First of all, an Irish accent is not the same as a British one. They’re from different countries. For a news station, you’d think they’d have their facts right. And secondly, that lady sounds more like a mix of Chinese and Australian than anything although that might be insulting to Australians and Chinese people.
What the f*ck is wrong with her . . . larynx?
Funny, whenever I get oral surgery I wake up with my brogue on the floor.
Hey did you guys hear this bitch isn’t even speaking with an Irish accent? I should know I saw the Boondock Saints, so I’m like Irish squared.
Well Vince if you don’t sacrifice humour for the sake of detail then your comedy website will remain funny but at what cost….
I usually welcome Foreign Access Syndrome…
Steven Seagal taught her how to talk with that accent.
I wonder what it says about me that I won’t watch the posted video because there’s a :30 ad before it, but I will take the time to read 26 comments, log in, and leave this one. Clearly, I have things to do.
Uhh Madonna already did this you copying bitch.
the great get lost. I love that they are admiring an IRISH accent. If I were from Blarney Castle I would say she stole the stone that once belonged to us; and that’s OK!!?@!!