Badmovies.org Forum

OK, I'm going to make myself look like an idiot and ask this question, which I think millions of Americans want to know.

As you probably are aware, a lot of Americans confuse the Cockney and Australian accents. I thought I could tell the difference, but there's a character in advertisements whose accent I just can't decide. It's a gecko used by the insurance company Geico. A lot of people refer to him as Cockney, my wife and I are convinced it's Australian (or at least supposed to be).

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=geico+gecko&search_type=&aq=f

Which is it? Or is it something else? Or is it just a very bad version of Australian done by an American? Or what?

The gecko is voiced by Englishman Jake Wood (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_Wood).

As for the differences in accents, I can easily tell them apart.  I spent a month in Australia and dated an Aussie chick, so the Aussie accent is very familiar to me.

Which doesn't completely answer the question as to what accent he's doing, since actors aren't necessarily doing their native accent. But I suppose the "East Enders" credit suggests Cockney.



And so your verdict on the gecko is...?

It sounds like he's doing both accents.
In one sentence, it sounds like an English accent.  In the next it sounds like Aussie.

Cockney, man I hate cockney's too  :hatred:

Ever notice that the gecko had a more sophisticated accent, then adopted the Cockney?  .  Historically, the East End accent was not the accent fo the well-to-do or educated.  Culturally, its akin a spokes lizard adopting a brooklyn plumber's accent to sell you insurance
-Ed

Definitely British, not Aussie.  It's all about the upper inflections: the Brit cockney accent has more up tones in it and the slang and terms, whilst easily adopted by anyone really, is a very British way of speaking.  Or at least in the one I saw.