I hoped Peppa might be a role model for my daughter. But that little piggy is just a brat | Arwa Mahdawi

  (The Guardian) : My very American toddler can pick up a lot of things from the cartoon porker – but not an English accent. I wish I’d known that 12,000 episodes ago When I first moved to the US from the UK, having an English accent was an asset. Back in the pre-Brexit era, it signalled sophistication and intelligence. Now? Not so much. Still, for some deep-seated reason probably best discussed with a therapist, I desperately want my very American toddler to develop an English accent. So, a little while ago, I devised a cunning plan: elongate her vowel sounds via the power of Peppa Pig. This, I’ll have you know, was not a lazy excuse for sticking her in front of a screen. It was a science-based, data-driven decision: there is endless anecdata that suggests American children are acquiring British accents because of the hugely popular TV show. (Linguists have cast doubt on these claims, but who listens to experts, eh?) So why not give it a go? Not to mention, Peppa Pig initially seemed a lot less annoying than American shows such as Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood, which are full of cloying life lessons about how to navigate your emotions. There don’t seem to be any life lessons in Peppa Pig: she just calls her dad fat all the time and jumps in muddy puddles. And, more importantly, she pronounces “to-mah-to” correctly. Continue reading... ..