Decoding Southern accents, from the 'Durham accent' on HBO's White Lotus, to the Ocracoke Brogue
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Do the Southern accents in the TV show 'White Lotus' measure up?
HBO's hit murder mystery series, The White Lotus, perked Southerners' ears with their third season. North Carolinians have found their Southern drawls prominently featured – but how authentic are the actors’ portrayals of Chapel Hill and Durham accents? We consult a local sociolinguist for answers.
Walt Wolfram, William C. Friday Distinguished University Professor of English at North Carolina State University and the director of the North Carolina Language and Life Project
This segment originally aired in 2025.
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The skinny
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