Disney World actresses taking on the role of Merida, the new Highland princess from the upcoming animated 'Brave' film, are facing criticism for their not-quite Scottish accents.
After seeing the online videos of two women playing the character at the Florida amusement park, many viewers are saying the accent is Irish not Scottish.
“Dear, dear God. That accent is part-Irish, part-Indian," commented one YouTube viewer, according to the Daily Record.
Another said: “Oh dear, the accent is all over the place. There’s a mix of Irish and even Welsh in there.”
A third stated: “Holy bejesus. That’s the worst fake Irish accent I’ve ever heard. Someone had better tell her she’s supposed to be doing a Scottish one though.”
'Brave,' which premieres this summer, is about a princess, skilled in archery, who refuses to find a suitable husband and invokes and ancient curse before going on an adventure around the kingdom. In the film, Merida is voiced by Scots star Kelly Macdonald. (Oddly enough, Macdonald plays an Irish character in HBO's hit series 'Boardwalk Empire.')
Disney launched a nationwide search for lookalikes to meet and greet guests at their amusement parks. The unnamed actresses in the videos are just two in a team of Meridas to be featured at the theme parks.
Some viewers were supportive of the young actresses' efforts.
“Aww, she’s so new. You could tell she was having a little trouble with the improv and body language…give her a few weeks and she will become Merida!” said one.
Andrea Singer, a spokeswoman for Walt Disney World, said: “What we try to do is make sure Merida in the theme park has the same accent as Merida in the movie.
“We really try to preserve the magic. We treat our characters as real characters.”
Here are videos of the two actresses:
And:
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