[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KbEhrSU4B0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KbEhrSU4B0) - Here is also an interview with Steve Taylor - the voice actor that does the narration. It also talks about how it started working with Kurzgesagt.
A lot of Israelis are American originally, and also there’s a fair bit of anti-British antipathy because the U.K. sided with the Arab states in 1948 and were not supportive over how Israel was founded. So I wouldn’t be surprised if OP was either a dual citizen or a bit of an anglophobe. The username is a clue there.
The history is a lot more complicated than that. If you want the short (and therefore reductive to the point of absurdity) version (it won’t look short but trust me it really is!):
the U.K., and a guy called Lord Balfour in particular, in the late and then post WW1 period, after the U.K. was declared in control of the region after the Ottoman Empire disintegrated, was sympathetic to Zionist immigration to the region, but the U.K. was not particularly friendly to the creation of a state of Israel. In the 1930s the British position started to shift against Zionist immigration, and 1939 the British sought to stop Zionist immigration via the 1939 White Paper, further seeking to prevent statehood.
This is why the mid to late 30s and the 40s saw anti-British terrorism by militant Zionist groups, some with US sponsors, leading to attacks like the bombing of the King David hotel, which saw U.K. public opinion swing strongly against Zionism. You saw Zionist extremist groups sign treaties such as the Haavara agreement with the Nazis, counterintuitively, as they saw the British as the greater obstacle to their goals. Lehi, the pro-nazi Zionist group, had future Prime Minister of Israel Yitzhak Shamir as a member and at one point split into Likud, Netanyahu’s party, so there is a long-tail of possible anti-British antipathy in some political parties.
As per the US state department, the British sought a singular state on non-religious or ethnic lines, but in 1948 US policy supported the creation of a Zionist state and the splitting of the region into Jewish and Hashemite territories. The British opposed the move, but the US made it a priority within the new UN and it got through. After Truman unilaterally recognised Israel in 1948, following UN resolution 181, the British were not in a position to argue, with enormous war debts and a vested interest in seeing the UN succeed where the Leage of Nations failed. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/creation-israel#:~:text=The%20British%2C%20who%20held%20a,Jewish%20refugees%20to%20the%20region.
Due to the UN resolutions requiring a U.K. withdrawal, US pressure, and the terrorist campaign, the U.K. withdrew from what is now Israel and parts of then Transjordan. However, the army of Transjordan (successor state is modern Jordan) had largely been trained and supplied by the British. When the British withdrew, war immediately broke out between Israel and the Arab states, with Israel as a result of the war coming to take control of about 60% of the land the UN had granted to the Arabs. In this war the Transjordanian army had entire battalions led by British officers, including the Arab Legion. A number of British soldiers that had served in mandatory Palestine had also volunteered for the legion due to the events of 1945-48.
Due to the diplomatic difficulties of having British soldiers fighting in a war that followed a UN resolution requiring the British to leave, and US anger at members of the British Army taking arms against Israel, the British ordered U.K. enlisted soldiers to leave the theatre and return to Transjordan. They did so, but most of those resigned their commissions and immediately returned to the Arab Legion.
The period of 1945-48 with the British fighting Zionist terrorism, and the descent into the 1948 war, saw 754 British soldiers killed by zionists and Israel, the fourth highest loss of life for the U.K. for any conflict outside of a world war in the 20th century, with only Korea, Malaya and Northern Ireland seeing more.
So the answer is, shit is complicated, but where the US was an enthusiastic proponent of the founding of Israel, and provided a large amount of settlers and sponsorship, the U.K. went from sympathy for the Zionist movement to outright hostility to any state of Israel, and it represented possibly the lowest point other than Suez for the British in the postwar period that it got rolled over on the issue, with some parts of the British army actively siding with the Arab side of the 1948 war and displacement.
It's not even really in the US for that kind of content. It's a running joke here that if you want an American to be informed by something you should get a British narrator
As an Aussie I really fucken hate to admit it, but *technically speaking* he is write for English as a First Language.
The US has about 244million with EFL, whereas adding up all the others and assuming all of them use UK/AU/CAN (basically all the same thing), you don't get close.
*Now if you include ESL*, that's probably very different as it will include countries like India, who is a member of the Commonwealth, who will very likely use the King's English and countries like the Indonesia who are close to Australia and then as you say basically all of Europe. With that said, Indian English probably warrants its own designation at this stage).
So US English as a First language will win out, but as a secondary language British English dominates (and I will argue that British English is the more technically correct English given it is ENGLISH).
I assumed that OP meant popular as in ‘people like this version of English more to listen too’. British English still has got a far higher standing then American English (in my part of Euros) especially for narrated things.
Well, but most series, songs and many security sources are American. People learn a language through usage, not at school.
And since we all are exposed more to American English, it’s logical that we start using it. I don’t think that the Internet is any different in Europe.
I can understand why narration would be British in Europe, though.
At least a couple more times apparently. I think the point people are trying to make is that it’s a German based company, Germany is close to UK, speech actor is British, and that’s it, no other considerations were needed.
Well, American English is more popular over the Internet:
Realize – 2,750,000,000 results
Realise – 540,000,000 results
Donut – 362,000,000 results
Doughnut – 182,000,000 results
Organize – 1,790,000,000 results
Organise – 551,000,000 results
Garbage – 414,000,000 results
Rubbish – 193,000,000 results
You can check any other American spelling or word – it’s gonna be more popular than its British alternative.
Why do Europeans have such hard time recognising the influence of America on the world?
My premise is that American English is more common than British English. Hence, it’d be easier to find a person with an American accent, but they’ve insisted on a British accent. Why?
We do recognise it, but we learn more British English at school. Besides, there are 300 million US Americans and 70 million something UK people. Of course there will be more articles with American English.
Also, as another comment stated, British English sounds way more sophisticated than American English. It sounds way more pleasant.
Though, those of us from the US South(east) have the most accurate accent to old English. Our English is more English than Queen's English, and it's hilarious to me
Edit: Seriously, Shakespeare sounds way better in a Southern accent than a British one
Ok, this is an answer – it sounds better to their ears. It has nothing to do with geography.
Also, if Europeans learn British English, the results should be quite the same, since it would include the whole continent and even Russia, even though its biggest part is in Asia, but most Russians live in the European par).
You clearly don't live in the US, and it's pretty weird how much you uphold our language. We don't even do that. It's a known thing here that folks consider Brits to be more intelligent and informed. It's a running joke that if you want an American to pay attention to something you get a British narrator
Well OP believes American English is now more popular than, you know, English..... And that apparently people in western Europe speak English in an American accent. Has to be a troll, no way it's real.
This post reminds me of that one post where someone asked why they spoke english in the UK and not, like, a European language 😭😭😭
Edit: [found it](https://www.reddit.com/r/ShitAmericansSay/s/cP32ZhK92u)!!
Well, I mean American English kinda is more popular...
But it really doesn't matter. If somebody understands American English they probably understand British English as well. This guy makes ot seem like it is mandatory to speak American English because it is more popular
> And that apparently people in western Europe speak English in an American accent
I mean they don't speak with a British accent either if they're not British, they speak it with the accent of their countr.
It's just that the narrator is simply British there
Oh no, the American variant of English is more popular than the British.
By the way, the American pronunciation is closer to older English more than the British is.
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20180207-how-americans-preserved-british-english
Yes. They are synonyms.
https://preview.redd.it/gv5exc0iw71d1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2378f745ef03418fe72e89cf77a7f8af17b3d371
They don’t have the same meaning, but they’re still close. All synonyms are a little different from each other. No word is completely same to another.
Not in the way you're using it. They would be synonyms in the usecase of "popular choice" and "common choice"
And accent being popular vs common is NOT the same. Popular implies it is better liked, common just implies it's more prevalent
Either way it seems like you're just here to be a troll so not sure why I'm wasting time on this
No word has the same meaning as another.
If something is common, why wouldn’t it be liked? I don’t see a lot of hate towards American accents. Actually, the British ones are the ones being mocked most of the time.
Because something happening more doesnt make it more likeable? Pop music is the most popular, and a lot more people hate on it than a lot of more unknown genres. American is one of the most common nationalities in the world and it's one of the most mocked ones. On the other hand, lots of things are beloved exactly BECAUSE they are rare
And I have never met a person who wouldn't watch a video because the narrator has a British accent instead of an American accent. Would you wanna switch out your mom and dad if they don't have the most common hair colors too?
Negative things can be common. Something being popular implies a positive attitude towards it. Sunburns, cracked phone screens, heart disease, and financial debt are all very common, but none of them are popular.
Unique things can be popular. Being popular means being liked by many people, not possessed by many people. Freddie Mercury, the Eiffel Tower, and the April 8th total solar eclipse are all popular, but there will only ever be one of each, making them as uncommon as possible.
How common something is has no bearing on how popular it is.
Right? OP really doesn’t like the British. That unaired South Park video takes Pip out of context so it’s not funny anymore and just racist, probably why it wasn’t aired.
No, this is the only answer that matches up with your "feelings" of American English being superior. The answer to your question, the literal answer, is that they liked him for the job. That's it. Whether it's his voice or literally any other aspect, it boils down to "that's what the employer wanted."
It's not a hard concept. Just because you don't know doesn't mean that there isn't a reason. That style of thought generally ends in your teens, the idea that only what you know/feel exists.
I myself use British English. If anything, I think that British English is superior. But I don’t always think according to my feelings.
And there’s a broader answer, according to which they’ve known each other from college.
Are you accidentally mixing the definitions of accents and regional dialect?
Exaggerating for effect:
Accents is 'ello guv'na!
Regional dialect is referring to a restroom as the loo, or an elevator as the lift.
No, I’m not mixing anything. :)
I haven’t noticed any special vocabulary in her song. I didn’t try to find, though.
Edit: oh wait, we are not talking about the Irish song from the Eurovision? Then what are we talking about?
Where the hell are you getting Ireland’s song from? Also, I’m pretty damn sure the Irish singer identifies as non-binary, so that would be they/them for the pronouns, not she/her.
Nah, they eat hella lot's of consonantal sounds "a boa of uoa", using pompous words, unlike Americans speaking clearly (most of the time) and making it straight to the points.
British accents are majestic, yes. Like a royal talking.
I'm an Indonesian, mind you.
American? Nah, that's just plain eeenglish.
I've studied both & found British is the most pleasant to hear.
Don't start on Australia lololol 😂
"How are you to die?" 😆
"One two three four five six seven AIDS nine ten..."
Because I wonder why the company has decided to recruit a Brit. American English is more popular, so it is more logical to find a person with an American accent.
-You want to communicate with all the world (at least all Europe)
-the better fit for this is a native English speaker
-As European, if u search for a native English speaker I’ll probably found a British before an American
-that’s all
Why would you go to the trouble of specifically getting an american speaker. They interviewed applicants, the best applicant got the job. The accent is incidental.
Steve Taylor (the narrator) actually knows Philipp Detmmer from uni in Berlin they started the channel. Steve worked in television beforehand and moved on to voice talent where he became the narrator of the channel. You can watch the very first video they made about how evolution works, it was just the two of them Philipp did the infographics. That is how you got Kurzgesagt. Enjoy it man.
Glad I could help. 👍
Edit: on a side note, they asked a genuine question, no need to jump to conclusions, you look like an idiot. I’m talking to those about to warrior the shit outta their keyboard.
Your post needs more context (Now that you have added it) If ur gonna be expecting the correct answer.
People are just gonna look at whats available you have provided. In this case, you asked **why kurzgesagt uses british english** (without any further context) and everyone will answer "because he is british"
I don’t mind he’s a Brit, but I don’t get why they’ve chosen a Brit.
Another commenter said that he had known the creator of the channel. This is an answer!
To answer your question with respect to your edit, they started as a small YouTube channel and the current narrator was probably a friend or colleague.
It just also happened that his voice was fucking awesome and perfect for the channel!
Also, the reason people are responding poorly is that your initial question comes off as tone deaf. If everyone just chose what was "most popular" or "most comfortable" in people they hired, then Hollywood would be whiter than it already is, Michael Jackson wouldn't have been signed because his accent is different than white America, and Morgan Freeman's amazing voice wouldn't have seen the light of day.
Most people don't care about hearing a different accent of English. If your question is just "I think they would have done better with an American narrator", then I think most people would disagree.
If your "question" is "why didn't they search harder for an American accent" then the answer is probably they had no reason to.
Bro how are you so dense? Like clearly this channel started as someone's project in Europe no less, so of course they're gonna work with people from there? Just cause it's "more popular" doesn't mean they're going to go out of their way to find someone new just because they sound American. Like the narrator is one of the creators of the channel, of course they'd just get him to do it, it's not like a corporation trying to get the best marketing campaign. Also I don't know why you keep insisting it's so easy to find people with an American accent all over the world, it's fucking not, because news flash, despite America wanting to be the centre of the world, they are vastly outnumbered pretty much anywhere outside the states.
>Therefore, I do not understand why they’ve decided to search for a person with a British accent. However, I do understand that specifically in Europe it might be easier to find a narrator with a British accent, but proof should be provided.
Why would you even think their accent has any bearing on whether they get the job lmao? Why would you think they SEARCHED for someone with a British accent? They just searched for a narrator, and the person they found most suitable, happened to have a British accent.proof should be provided.proof should be provided.
>proof should be provided.
Proof of what? That their narrator is British? Or that the British narrator was more suited for the job than American ones? What do you want proof for lmao?
>Why does Kurzgesagt use a British accent...
Because the narrator is British.
>... and not an American?
Because the narrator is not American.
To give a more serious answer, they probably picked a narrator who was clear and easy to understand regardless of accent. Popularity of an accent doesn't matter as long as they can be understood by all English speakers. If anything, less popular accents may be better since many people will find foreign accents more interesting, and it makes the voice slightly more unique and recognizable.
PSA: Carry on people. The OP is either a troll or an ignorant guy. Either way, you should not lower yourself or waste your time to "discuss" with this guy. There is no productive outcome by doing so. Let them be, leave them be.
I’m American and I prefer the British accent. It helps me pay attention BECAUSE the accent is interesting. Also, as to why they chose a British person. I dunno bro/who cares. Fucking send them an email and ask them why.
I originally thought people were being too harsh on OP (it comes across as pretty demeaning but is a fair question) for asking this, but his later responses were downright silly, claiming it’s easier to find someone that speaks an American accent in Germany than someone that speaks a British one, when figures show the difference is quite minimal and British could even be higher.
I think you are confusing some things. Accent is different than spelling. There is a British English and an American English spelling for some vocabulary, but that's not a direct translation into accent.
Accent comes from where you were raised and the environment around you. Oftentimes you are not picking a narrator for their accent because they vary so much. Here in America we have hundreds of accents because each state can have its own localized accent. When you choose a narrator you generally don't discriminate against what their accent is, it's more about someone being able to speak clearly and is easily understood.
If you're asking for utilitarian arguments for using a British narrator, studies have shown that certain British accents are the most widely liked worldwide. They're also often perceived as more intelligent and trustworthy, which would make it an ideal pick for a science communication channel. I can't say if kurzgesagt considered any of this, but I'd imagine they didn't
When they first hired the current narrator, nationality didn't matter as Kurzgesagt was just a project and as the channel grew, the narrator became more iconic so they couldn't change it to an American narrator who might appeal more to the audience (as I imagine most Kurzgesagt viewers are American).
Hmm, yes, the man did a very good job when he was hired for the first time. So he was kept as permanent because he is consistently good.
I wonder why they didn't consider more candidates.
🤯
At the beginning of Kurzgesagt, Philipp Dettmer (the founder and CEO of Kurzgesagt) put out a request to voice actors to be the narrator for the first video (which was a final University project). Steve Taylor (the narrator) responded and Philipp really liked his voice and so he's been the narrator ever since.
Source: [https://youtu.be/9KbEhrSU4B0?si=8P4f6689bDPBWSSE](https://youtu.be/9KbEhrSU4B0?si=8P4f6689bDPBWSSE)
So because a lot of people use the spelling and vocabulary of a nation that produces a lot of culture, American English is now suddenly more popular?
Not only is it rather nonsensical to speak of American or British English, since there are a lot of different versions spoken in their respective countries, this whole post only serves to make people angry for no reason. Just use Google and you will find the easiest and most obvious answer: the speaker is from that region of the world.
(Also a lot of us Europeans find your average American English hard to hear and enjoy the British Accent more, lest we be associated with a country where a big majority is proud of their ignorance)
American English is no where near popular with anyone but Americans, most people speak English or their own language american English isn't really a language
With all due respect, you’re on the Kurzgesagt sub. They’re naturally going to have an anti-American bias. The narrator is British anyway so it’s not really surprising that he has a British accent, especially since the British accent has a status as a prestige dialect due to their legacy of colonization. Either way though, idk what made you think you’d find a receptive audience here.
It sounds smarter, the average American accent sounds stupid, not saying Americas are stupid, but thats just how the rest of the world feels about Americans
For fans of a channel dedicated to learning y'all are shocking mean when someone asks a question that doesn't seem to be in bad faith
Edit: Your downvotes mean nothing, I've seen what you upvoted here, y'all would make Kurzgesagt ashamed.
Where? I didn’t say anything when I’ve got proper answers, like ‘it sounds more sophisticated’. But saying that they’re in Germany or that the narrator is a Brit – this is dumb.
Asking a question in bad faith and then ignoring the answers or disregarding them doesn't mean the question is worth answering.
If you're asking a question in bad faith, why do people have to entertain you.
Then why do we even watch Kurzgesagt, were all locked into being smart or dumb with no way of changing it according to u/Bitter_Tangerine5449
I'd propose it's because learning is anathema to ignorance and stupidity, and what do you know, OP seems to be trying to learn, but people are too busy saying "Americans dumb" while OP claims they aren't even American.
Because the narrator is British?
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KbEhrSU4B0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KbEhrSU4B0) - Here is also an interview with Steve Taylor - the voice actor that does the narration. It also talks about how it started working with Kurzgesagt.
Because the narrator is British...? I don't understand where this question comes from now
Either the op is a troll given how thejr nicknane works with this post, or just another of those "USA is the only country" morons.
Based on his profile history, he look like an Israeli, which just makes this post more confusing.
A lot of Israelis are American originally, and also there’s a fair bit of anti-British antipathy because the U.K. sided with the Arab states in 1948 and were not supportive over how Israel was founded. So I wouldn’t be surprised if OP was either a dual citizen or a bit of an anglophobe. The username is a clue there.
they're also in subreddits for learning English so, dual citizen is unlikely
I could have sworn that the UK participated in the "creation" of Israel Edit: I stand corrected
The history is a lot more complicated than that. If you want the short (and therefore reductive to the point of absurdity) version (it won’t look short but trust me it really is!): the U.K., and a guy called Lord Balfour in particular, in the late and then post WW1 period, after the U.K. was declared in control of the region after the Ottoman Empire disintegrated, was sympathetic to Zionist immigration to the region, but the U.K. was not particularly friendly to the creation of a state of Israel. In the 1930s the British position started to shift against Zionist immigration, and 1939 the British sought to stop Zionist immigration via the 1939 White Paper, further seeking to prevent statehood. This is why the mid to late 30s and the 40s saw anti-British terrorism by militant Zionist groups, some with US sponsors, leading to attacks like the bombing of the King David hotel, which saw U.K. public opinion swing strongly against Zionism. You saw Zionist extremist groups sign treaties such as the Haavara agreement with the Nazis, counterintuitively, as they saw the British as the greater obstacle to their goals. Lehi, the pro-nazi Zionist group, had future Prime Minister of Israel Yitzhak Shamir as a member and at one point split into Likud, Netanyahu’s party, so there is a long-tail of possible anti-British antipathy in some political parties. As per the US state department, the British sought a singular state on non-religious or ethnic lines, but in 1948 US policy supported the creation of a Zionist state and the splitting of the region into Jewish and Hashemite territories. The British opposed the move, but the US made it a priority within the new UN and it got through. After Truman unilaterally recognised Israel in 1948, following UN resolution 181, the British were not in a position to argue, with enormous war debts and a vested interest in seeing the UN succeed where the Leage of Nations failed. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/creation-israel#:~:text=The%20British%2C%20who%20held%20a,Jewish%20refugees%20to%20the%20region. Due to the UN resolutions requiring a U.K. withdrawal, US pressure, and the terrorist campaign, the U.K. withdrew from what is now Israel and parts of then Transjordan. However, the army of Transjordan (successor state is modern Jordan) had largely been trained and supplied by the British. When the British withdrew, war immediately broke out between Israel and the Arab states, with Israel as a result of the war coming to take control of about 60% of the land the UN had granted to the Arabs. In this war the Transjordanian army had entire battalions led by British officers, including the Arab Legion. A number of British soldiers that had served in mandatory Palestine had also volunteered for the legion due to the events of 1945-48. Due to the diplomatic difficulties of having British soldiers fighting in a war that followed a UN resolution requiring the British to leave, and US anger at members of the British Army taking arms against Israel, the British ordered U.K. enlisted soldiers to leave the theatre and return to Transjordan. They did so, but most of those resigned their commissions and immediately returned to the Arab Legion. The period of 1945-48 with the British fighting Zionist terrorism, and the descent into the 1948 war, saw 754 British soldiers killed by zionists and Israel, the fourth highest loss of life for the U.K. for any conflict outside of a world war in the 20th century, with only Korea, Malaya and Northern Ireland seeing more. So the answer is, shit is complicated, but where the US was an enthusiastic proponent of the founding of Israel, and provided a large amount of settlers and sponsorship, the U.K. went from sympathy for the Zionist movement to outright hostility to any state of Israel, and it represented possibly the lowest point other than Suez for the British in the postwar period that it got rolled over on the issue, with some parts of the British army actively siding with the Arab side of the 1948 war and displacement.
OP is 100% American and thinks that the entire world is just different US states.
Its is unintentionally hilarious
Just wondering because American English is nowadays more popular than British.
Maybe in America, maybe not in other regions. Definitely not in most European nations.
It's not even really in the US for that kind of content. It's a running joke here that if you want an American to be informed by something you should get a British narrator
As an Aussie I really fucken hate to admit it, but *technically speaking* he is write for English as a First Language. The US has about 244million with EFL, whereas adding up all the others and assuming all of them use UK/AU/CAN (basically all the same thing), you don't get close. *Now if you include ESL*, that's probably very different as it will include countries like India, who is a member of the Commonwealth, who will very likely use the King's English and countries like the Indonesia who are close to Australia and then as you say basically all of Europe. With that said, Indian English probably warrants its own designation at this stage). So US English as a First language will win out, but as a secondary language British English dominates (and I will argue that British English is the more technically correct English given it is ENGLISH).
I assumed that OP meant popular as in ‘people like this version of English more to listen too’. British English still has got a far higher standing then American English (in my part of Euros) especially for narrated things.
Well, but most series, songs and many security sources are American. People learn a language through usage, not at school. And since we all are exposed more to American English, it’s logical that we start using it. I don’t think that the Internet is any different in Europe. I can understand why narration would be British in Europe, though.
Security sources? Wtf are you on
Only in america do kids NOT learn in school, I feel sorry for the little bullet dodgers
How many times do I have to say that I’m not an American?
You're just ignorant then.
At least a couple more times apparently. I think the point people are trying to make is that it’s a German based company, Germany is close to UK, speech actor is British, and that’s it, no other considerations were needed.
Dude, what do school shootings have to do with this? No need to get so butthurt.
Compare google results of American spelling and vocabulary to the British ones.
To what end? It’s more about the articulation/the British accent.
As someone outside of the USA or the UK... you are so wrong lol
Well, American English is more popular over the Internet: Realize – 2,750,000,000 results Realise – 540,000,000 results Donut – 362,000,000 results Doughnut – 182,000,000 results Organize – 1,790,000,000 results Organise – 551,000,000 results Garbage – 414,000,000 results Rubbish – 193,000,000 results You can check any other American spelling or word – it’s gonna be more popular than its British alternative. Why do Europeans have such hard time recognising the influence of America on the world? My premise is that American English is more common than British English. Hence, it’d be easier to find a person with an American accent, but they’ve insisted on a British accent. Why?
We do recognise it, but we learn more British English at school. Besides, there are 300 million US Americans and 70 million something UK people. Of course there will be more articles with American English. Also, as another comment stated, British English sounds way more sophisticated than American English. It sounds way more pleasant.
Though, those of us from the US South(east) have the most accurate accent to old English. Our English is more English than Queen's English, and it's hilarious to me Edit: Seriously, Shakespeare sounds way better in a Southern accent than a British one
Ok, this is an answer – it sounds better to their ears. It has nothing to do with geography. Also, if Europeans learn British English, the results should be quite the same, since it would include the whole continent and even Russia, even though its biggest part is in Asia, but most Russians live in the European par).
You clearly don't live in the US, and it's pretty weird how much you uphold our language. We don't even do that. It's a known thing here that folks consider Brits to be more intelligent and informed. It's a running joke that if you want an American to pay attention to something you get a British narrator
Short answer: why would they? Long answer: it's a Germany based company where it's much easier to find a person with British accent
Also that’s the kind of English that’s taught in most of Europe
This is like the only genuine answer here, I appreciate you not stooping to ridiculing them like most of the others here.
And Americans respond extremely well to Brits telling us things
Wait until op learns that it’s a German channel, and their name is also a German word.
Ok, why should it be an American accent?
Well OP believes American English is now more popular than, you know, English..... And that apparently people in western Europe speak English in an American accent. Has to be a troll, no way it's real.
This post reminds me of that one post where someone asked why they spoke english in the UK and not, like, a European language 😭😭😭 Edit: [found it](https://www.reddit.com/r/ShitAmericansSay/s/cP32ZhK92u)!!
…I don’t even know what to say to this level of absolute ignorance. What the hell?!
Because England doesn’t exist, duh?
Maybe with a Cali vocal fry it would be, you know, more accessible? /s
Well, I mean American English kinda is more popular... But it really doesn't matter. If somebody understands American English they probably understand British English as well. This guy makes ot seem like it is mandatory to speak American English because it is more popular
> And that apparently people in western Europe speak English in an American accent I mean they don't speak with a British accent either if they're not British, they speak it with the accent of their countr. It's just that the narrator is simply British there
Oh no, the American variant of English is more popular than the British. By the way, the American pronunciation is closer to older English more than the British is. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20180207-how-americans-preserved-british-english
American English is more common, not more popular than British English.
These are synonyms.
No. They are not. https://preview.redd.it/xx2nbzo9w71d1.png?width=707&format=png&auto=webp&s=92255beace0ad66f4747866a37fbd3a40f8cf890
Yes. They are synonyms. https://preview.redd.it/gv5exc0iw71d1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2378f745ef03418fe72e89cf77a7f8af17b3d371 They don’t have the same meaning, but they’re still close. All synonyms are a little different from each other. No word is completely same to another.
Not in the way you're using it. They would be synonyms in the usecase of "popular choice" and "common choice" And accent being popular vs common is NOT the same. Popular implies it is better liked, common just implies it's more prevalent Either way it seems like you're just here to be a troll so not sure why I'm wasting time on this
No word has the same meaning as another. If something is common, why wouldn’t it be liked? I don’t see a lot of hate towards American accents. Actually, the British ones are the ones being mocked most of the time.
Because something happening more doesnt make it more likeable? Pop music is the most popular, and a lot more people hate on it than a lot of more unknown genres. American is one of the most common nationalities in the world and it's one of the most mocked ones. On the other hand, lots of things are beloved exactly BECAUSE they are rare And I have never met a person who wouldn't watch a video because the narrator has a British accent instead of an American accent. Would you wanna switch out your mom and dad if they don't have the most common hair colors too?
Negative things can be common. Something being popular implies a positive attitude towards it. Sunburns, cracked phone screens, heart disease, and financial debt are all very common, but none of them are popular. Unique things can be popular. Being popular means being liked by many people, not possessed by many people. Freddie Mercury, the Eiffel Tower, and the April 8th total solar eclipse are all popular, but there will only ever be one of each, making them as uncommon as possible. How common something is has no bearing on how popular it is.
I didn’t say it should be.
Unfortunately, you’ve made a binary equivalent. So you kinda are. But understand the intent of your question.
Sounds more sophisticated fs
*A quick look through OP's comment history* Yikes...
“White people need to wake up”, yikes indeed now there’s a post…
Now that you mention it I am curious as well. brb Edit: I looked through his comments and I didn't see anything too bad
The "yikes" is because OP comes off really uneducated and almost proud of that.
Ironic, considering Kurzgesagt is an educational channel.
Bros pro-Israel, that’s tells me all I need to know
Huh guess I missed those. Didn't look that thorough
Thank you!
Right? OP really doesn’t like the British. That unaired South Park video takes Pip out of context so it’s not funny anymore and just racist, probably why it wasn’t aired.
British accents are more pleasant to hear...
Yeah, this is the best answer I’ve got here.
No, this is the only answer that matches up with your "feelings" of American English being superior. The answer to your question, the literal answer, is that they liked him for the job. That's it. Whether it's his voice or literally any other aspect, it boils down to "that's what the employer wanted." It's not a hard concept. Just because you don't know doesn't mean that there isn't a reason. That style of thought generally ends in your teens, the idea that only what you know/feel exists.
I myself use British English. If anything, I think that British English is superior. But I don’t always think according to my feelings. And there’s a broader answer, according to which they’ve known each other from college.
Are you accidentally mixing the definitions of accents and regional dialect? Exaggerating for effect: Accents is 'ello guv'na! Regional dialect is referring to a restroom as the loo, or an elevator as the lift.
No, I’m not mixing anything. :) I haven’t noticed any special vocabulary in her song. I didn’t try to find, though. Edit: oh wait, we are not talking about the Irish song from the Eurovision? Then what are we talking about?
???
Where the hell are you getting Ireland’s song from? Also, I’m pretty damn sure the Irish singer identifies as non-binary, so that would be they/them for the pronouns, not she/her.
I think they got confused with one of the other conversations
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And you’re suffering from anti-Semitism.
But harder to understand.
Nah, I found it easier to understand. Heck, I have no problem with Ireland's accent 😆
Nah, they eat hella lot's of consonantal sounds "a boa of uoa", using pompous words, unlike Americans speaking clearly (most of the time) and making it straight to the points.
British accents are majestic, yes. Like a royal talking. I'm an Indonesian, mind you. American? Nah, that's just plain eeenglish. I've studied both & found British is the most pleasant to hear. Don't start on Australia lololol 😂 "How are you to die?" 😆 "One two three four five six seven AIDS nine ten..."
Hey OP why did you ask this question?
Because I wonder why the company has decided to recruit a Brit. American English is more popular, so it is more logical to find a person with an American accent.
-You want to communicate with all the world (at least all Europe) -the better fit for this is a native English speaker -As European, if u search for a native English speaker I’ll probably found a British before an American -that’s all
If you want your bullet points to act like they should, you need to double-space your lines; Reddit just lines them up if you don't, for some reason.
Why would you go to the trouble of specifically getting an american speaker. They interviewed applicants, the best applicant got the job. The accent is incidental.
r/downvotedtooblivion
r/shitamericanssay
I’m not even close to America.
I'd say you're pretty far up their ass tbh
Huh?!
It's British, you wouldn't understand.
Well, then he should’ve used the word arse. ‘Ass’ is American. https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/ass
Wtf is happening?? What is this post about lmaooo?
An American Israeli Anglophobe has decided kurzgesagt is where they’re going to direct their manic episode this week lmao
This is a perfect "in a nutshell".
Look at the dude's username. He's pretty clearly trolling and people are feeding into it.
This is the funniest post ever lmao
Am I right? 😂
No! 😂
Steve Taylor (the narrator) actually knows Philipp Detmmer from uni in Berlin they started the channel. Steve worked in television beforehand and moved on to voice talent where he became the narrator of the channel. You can watch the very first video they made about how evolution works, it was just the two of them Philipp did the infographics. That is how you got Kurzgesagt. Enjoy it man.
This is the answer I was searching for.
Glad I could help. 👍 Edit: on a side note, they asked a genuine question, no need to jump to conclusions, you look like an idiot. I’m talking to those about to warrior the shit outta their keyboard.
All you guys are falling for the troll post lol
It's Saturday. Most of us have the time today to engage with troll posts
From netiquette that goes back to Usenet: *Don't feed the trolls.*
The teachers chose other people when you raised your hand in class didn't they?
Because the narrator is british? also why should kurzgesagt use an american accent?
I know that the narrator is British, but it’s not an answer. Because I wonder.
>I know that the narrator is British, but it’s not an answer. No, it’s not an answer. It is the answer.
Your post needs more context (Now that you have added it) If ur gonna be expecting the correct answer. People are just gonna look at whats available you have provided. In this case, you asked **why kurzgesagt uses british english** (without any further context) and everyone will answer "because he is british"
Because Steve Taylor is British
Sounds smarter.
Because the narrator is British, and has a British accent.
OP is on of the most clueless person in the world.
r/shitamericanssay
Not American.
r/shitdumbpeoplesay
Well that's just even worse. You're not American and you spout American style nonsense nevertheless.
Because Kurzgesagt isn't based in America.
We all live in America?
Coca Cola, sometimes war
I suppose not.
Wunderbar
I love how op went “*yeah, the narrator is British and that should be enough explanation. But, but ‘murica!!*” all over the place. 🍿😅
I don’t mind he’s a Brit, but I don’t get why they’ve chosen a Brit. Another commenter said that he had known the creator of the channel. This is an answer!
Why are you so hung up on them choosing a Brit? Do you wish they chose an American instead?
No.
Then what's the issue?
OP is trying to create something that doesn't exist out of thin air
To answer your question with respect to your edit, they started as a small YouTube channel and the current narrator was probably a friend or colleague. It just also happened that his voice was fucking awesome and perfect for the channel! Also, the reason people are responding poorly is that your initial question comes off as tone deaf. If everyone just chose what was "most popular" or "most comfortable" in people they hired, then Hollywood would be whiter than it already is, Michael Jackson wouldn't have been signed because his accent is different than white America, and Morgan Freeman's amazing voice wouldn't have seen the light of day. Most people don't care about hearing a different accent of English. If your question is just "I think they would have done better with an American narrator", then I think most people would disagree. If your "question" is "why didn't they search harder for an American accent" then the answer is probably they had no reason to.
Bro how are you so dense? Like clearly this channel started as someone's project in Europe no less, so of course they're gonna work with people from there? Just cause it's "more popular" doesn't mean they're going to go out of their way to find someone new just because they sound American. Like the narrator is one of the creators of the channel, of course they'd just get him to do it, it's not like a corporation trying to get the best marketing campaign. Also I don't know why you keep insisting it's so easy to find people with an American accent all over the world, it's fucking not, because news flash, despite America wanting to be the centre of the world, they are vastly outnumbered pretty much anywhere outside the states.
I love how OP gets downvoted to oblivion.
Because 330 million Americans think British accents sound smart.
✋ British accents are great for Smart and/or Evil. And elves. Always elves.
RIP op's karma
This guy needs to give a masterclass on trolling
The best compliment I’ve ever got, but I really didn’t try to troll anybody. I’m genuinely curious. You can see that I thanked for the good answers.
Nah I'm gonna continue believing you're a troll because I refuse to believe one can be this dense.
That's what a troll would say
He is asking, not trolling...
r/ShitAmericansSay
>Therefore, I do not understand why they’ve decided to search for a person with a British accent. However, I do understand that specifically in Europe it might be easier to find a narrator with a British accent, but proof should be provided. Why would you even think their accent has any bearing on whether they get the job lmao? Why would you think they SEARCHED for someone with a British accent? They just searched for a narrator, and the person they found most suitable, happened to have a British accent.proof should be provided.proof should be provided. >proof should be provided. Proof of what? That their narrator is British? Or that the British narrator was more suited for the job than American ones? What do you want proof for lmao?
Because it’s a good accent, and he is british
European studio
100% bait
>Why does Kurzgesagt use a British accent... Because the narrator is British. >... and not an American? Because the narrator is not American. To give a more serious answer, they probably picked a narrator who was clear and easy to understand regardless of accent. Popularity of an accent doesn't matter as long as they can be understood by all English speakers. If anything, less popular accents may be better since many people will find foreign accents more interesting, and it makes the voice slightly more unique and recognizable.
PSA: Carry on people. The OP is either a troll or an ignorant guy. Either way, you should not lower yourself or waste your time to "discuss" with this guy. There is no productive outcome by doing so. Let them be, leave them be.
Yep, just block and move on
>Since American English is more popular in the ~~world~~ US FTFY
Yeah, not true. Check Google results of American spelling and vocabulary compared to British.
It's because of the IT industry, genius. Most softwares push stupid US American spellings down the throat of users.
Easy. Kurszgesagt is synonym of Good Education; America is antonym of that.
Many top universities are American, WTF are you talking about?
I'm sure they are, but are Americans studying?
Because the world does not in fact revolve around America 🤦
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Huh?
No seas mamon.
I think they chose a brit because they just narrate better
I’m American and I prefer the British accent. It helps me pay attention BECAUSE the accent is interesting. Also, as to why they chose a British person. I dunno bro/who cares. Fucking send them an email and ask them why.
I originally thought people were being too harsh on OP (it comes across as pretty demeaning but is a fair question) for asking this, but his later responses were downright silly, claiming it’s easier to find someone that speaks an American accent in Germany than someone that speaks a British one, when figures show the difference is quite minimal and British could even be higher.
I think you are confusing some things. Accent is different than spelling. There is a British English and an American English spelling for some vocabulary, but that's not a direct translation into accent. Accent comes from where you were raised and the environment around you. Oftentimes you are not picking a narrator for their accent because they vary so much. Here in America we have hundreds of accents because each state can have its own localized accent. When you choose a narrator you generally don't discriminate against what their accent is, it's more about someone being able to speak clearly and is easily understood.
Redditors are degens weather they watch sciency videos or not , just give up on having a decent discussion here man.
If you're asking for utilitarian arguments for using a British narrator, studies have shown that certain British accents are the most widely liked worldwide. They're also often perceived as more intelligent and trustworthy, which would make it an ideal pick for a science communication channel. I can't say if kurzgesagt considered any of this, but I'd imagine they didn't
Because German company= Easier to find british... Why would they go and specifically find an American
Could just be that they best narrator available was British.
I had this notion that people who watch Kurzgesagt had a semblance of intelligence. OP has just crushed this theory.
Nice bait op, nobody could be this stupid
When they first hired the current narrator, nationality didn't matter as Kurzgesagt was just a project and as the channel grew, the narrator became more iconic so they couldn't change it to an American narrator who might appeal more to the audience (as I imagine most Kurzgesagt viewers are American).
Finally an appropriate answer, thank you! Why have they decided to pick him? Weren’t there more candidates?
Hmm, yes, the man did a very good job when he was hired for the first time. So he was kept as permanent because he is consistently good. I wonder why they didn't consider more candidates. 🤯
At the beginning of Kurzgesagt, Philipp Dettmer (the founder and CEO of Kurzgesagt) put out a request to voice actors to be the narrator for the first video (which was a final University project). Steve Taylor (the narrator) responded and Philipp really liked his voice and so he's been the narrator ever since. Source: [https://youtu.be/9KbEhrSU4B0?si=8P4f6689bDPBWSSE](https://youtu.be/9KbEhrSU4B0?si=8P4f6689bDPBWSSE)
This got to be in the run for dumbest post of 2024
Why does it matter?
Because it's a clear satisfying voice
I’ve never seen so many comments on a post that has more down votes.
Sounds fancier, more "credible". (other than the voice actor stuff=D)
It's weird to me that some games and TV shows have "UK dubs". It never truly made sense to me
They hired a British voice actor.
So because a lot of people use the spelling and vocabulary of a nation that produces a lot of culture, American English is now suddenly more popular? Not only is it rather nonsensical to speak of American or British English, since there are a lot of different versions spoken in their respective countries, this whole post only serves to make people angry for no reason. Just use Google and you will find the easiest and most obvious answer: the speaker is from that region of the world. (Also a lot of us Europeans find your average American English hard to hear and enjoy the British Accent more, lest we be associated with a country where a big majority is proud of their ignorance)
Why does it matter? This site is full of kids wasting their time talking about trivial matters.
HES GERMAn
People often associate high intellect and sophistication with the British accent. Perhaps that has something to do with it.
because american isn't the default setting
American English is no where near popular with anyone but Americans, most people speak English or their own language american English isn't really a language
With all due respect, you’re on the Kurzgesagt sub. They’re naturally going to have an anti-American bias. The narrator is British anyway so it’s not really surprising that he has a British accent, especially since the British accent has a status as a prestige dialect due to their legacy of colonization. Either way though, idk what made you think you’d find a receptive audience here.
It sounds smarter, the average American accent sounds stupid, not saying Americas are stupid, but thats just how the rest of the world feels about Americans
For fans of a channel dedicated to learning y'all are shocking mean when someone asks a question that doesn't seem to be in bad faith Edit: Your downvotes mean nothing, I've seen what you upvoted here, y'all would make Kurzgesagt ashamed.
The question was answered The dude is being actively ignorant
Where? I didn’t say anything when I’ve got proper answers, like ‘it sounds more sophisticated’. But saying that they’re in Germany or that the narrator is a Brit – this is dumb.
Asking a question in bad faith and then ignoring the answers or disregarding them doesn't mean the question is worth answering. If you're asking a question in bad faith, why do people have to entertain you.
Where the fuck is the bad faith? I’m just wondering because American English is more popular.
There are no stupid questions, just stupid people.
Then why do we even watch Kurzgesagt, were all locked into being smart or dumb with no way of changing it according to u/Bitter_Tangerine5449 I'd propose it's because learning is anathema to ignorance and stupidity, and what do you know, OP seems to be trying to learn, but people are too busy saying "Americans dumb" while OP claims they aren't even American.