Splish-splash, it's a guy thing

[billd91]

And lest you feel that adults making sound effects is limited to role playing games, it's awfully hard not to make engine noises when moving tanks in Advanced Squad Leader.

That said, I think Thornir's observation is a very interesting one. Anyone studying in a childhood development program? We have a thesis for you. Do kids who make sound effects as they play with toys grow up to be adults who continue to make sound effects in creative play?

 

[Voadam]

In my experience female story tellers make sound effects too. Depends on the story and story teller's style though.

I don't have any experience under a female GM to talk about in the RPG context as I've only had female gamers as PCs in games I ran or as fellow PCs in a game. But storytelling seems a relevant analogy.

 

[The_Gneech]

Why stop with sound effects? In my Star Wars game, every ship has its own theme music.

-The Gneech

 

[the black knight]

Almost every woman I've ever met has been good at sound effects.

Wait, we were talking about gaming...

 

[nyrfherdr]

I had this conversation a few years ago with my wife's cousin. I was reading a story to my son while she was visiting and filled it with sound effects. She made that same 'guy thing' statement.

She said that girls couldn't or didn't know how or didn't learn how to make sound effects.
I found that girls did, they were just different.

Her favorite example was that all boys could make the sound of a machine gun.
My favorite example was that all girls could make the sound of kissing.

Hmmmm.
Different sound effects but still manufactured noises to represent other sounds.

I think that everyone can and has made sound effects. It has to do with play as a youngster and whether it was accepted as OK by parents and by other kids.

My son has a book on how to make sound effects. He LOVES it. In reading it with him I found that most of them are pretty universal to the ones I learned or was taught as a kid.

Game ON!
Nyrfherdr

 

[sniffles]

I was told once, as a young girl, that "girls can't make sound effects." As such, I have spent a large portion of my life attempting to perfect various sounds. I'm still not as good as the guys, but I've got talent for a woman.

In the end - I think that it's a guy thing b/c girls just aren't quite as good at it. Something in our genetic makeup prevents us from being the masters of replicating non-human sounds... But - that's made up for with our soft skin and silky hair.

I disagree that we're not as good at it, although I will admit that our different vocal tonal range may have something to do with it. But I think it's mostly that we're discouraged from doing that kind of thing. I never let that stop me, though! I admit my fiancee is much better and sound effects than I am, but I'm not afraid to produce one on demand.

 

[sniffles]

Playing with a toy horse ("pony" in girl-speech), I'd make the whinnying sounds and galloping sounds. I've never heard girls do that.

Quasqueton

Sorry about the double post - I just saw this. I made whinnying and clopping noises too! Only it wasn't just while playing with a toy horse (not "pony", ew! ), it was while pretending to *be* a horse, complete with yarn tail!!

Okay, I was a weird kid.

 

[Desdichado]

Sorry about the double post - I just saw this. I made whinnying and clopping noises too! Only it wasn't just while playing with a toy horse (not "pony", ew! ), it was while pretending to *be* a horse, complete with yarn tail!!

Hey, sometimes my wife and I play that too! I bust out the chaps, and saddle her up! It's great fun!

 

[Gez]

I know a girl who's a great fan of using onomatopoeiaes. (I'm not sure this is the correct way to make a plural out of that word, but I can't find out how to bring in more vowels. )

Like "you're sploshing and splashing in the water" rather than "you're wakling in the water". Or, if somebody's been zapped by a lightning bolt and someone, hurrying to tend to the wounded, asks "can he say something?", she'll answer "he says, «gzzt»".

Not sound effects, though.

 

[Aeson]

Sorry about the double post - I just saw this. I made whinnying and clopping noises too! Only it wasn't just while playing with a toy horse (not "pony", ew! ), it was while pretending to *be* a horse, complete with yarn tail!!

Okay, I was a weird kid.

We were all weird kids. I ran around with a towel pinned around my neck and jumped off of everything I could climb