She was not on stage but was unveiling a ‘blue’ memorial plaque at the long-time home of fellow thespian, Sir John Gielgud when she lamented the current generation of apathetic, lazy young actors whom she accused of ignoring their artistic heritage and of mumbling their speeches.
They seemed not to care whether they could be heard speaking, she said. She could have added that the same may be said of those appearig on stage and in movies along with television shows.
Now this past week, the health newsletter produced by the UK Saga company for seniors highlighted the problems many television viewers experience while attempting to hear what they watch!
Below are the edited highlights:
· Lack of speech clarity
· Unfamiliar and impenetrable accent or dialect
· Poor audio recordings
· Overloud background music and background noise
· A poor quality television set
· Domestic background noise
The feature first published in 2013 is by consumer journalist Siski Green who is unable to resist adding that it may all be viewers’ own fault!
“If you are worried that you may have hearing loss, see your GP (family doctor). You may simply have wax build-up or have suffered some damage to your ear that is causing the problem. And if you do have hearing loss, you can discuss the possibility of finding a hearing aid that would work best for you”.
You don’t say!
But what about when you possess said aids and you still can’t understand what’s being said, even as part of an often over amplified recording at a movie theatre?
I think I prefer to take advice from Dame Judi any time!
© Natalie Wood (29 August 2018)
