Paula Deen's accent: why does she say "ole" for "oil," but "pie-yan" for "pan"?

LOL… I don’t see the “pan” being so pronounced

She’s from the south. She has a rich, old school southern accent. Extra syllables get added, vowels take on completely different sounds. It’s like another language.

I completely believe that her accent is exaggerated. I mean, I’m sure she has a southern accent…I just think she pushes it to the extreme for her television personna.

Also, her son Bobby is secretly gay, and FN blurred out a picture of him and (presumably) his partner that is in her house. No lie!

Just another Paula Deen topic for discussion.

She probably does exaggerate it for TV, though I have known a number of older women who grew up in certain segments of the south. They sound just like her. I don’t think it’s a typical southern accent, but there are areas where the southern accent is quite a bit different. She sounds exactly some of the people I knew when I lived down south. All were older and all had a very distinctive southern accent that was little more hoity toity.

Her accent reminds me of someone I knew from Texas. I just love that accent. Whole lot better than my Hawaiian Pidgen English. LOL!
When I encounter another Hawaiian we start to talk different, and people look at us like we’re from another planet. LOL! I even notice some of that in Obama’s speeches. Ya just can’t eleminate the Hawaiian completely.

These are both examples of the Southern Vowel Shift. It’s about dipthongization. If you notice, “oil” actually contains a dipthong (2 different vowel sounds in a row), and “pan” doesn’t, but she switches which one has a dipthong and which one doesn’t.

I could give you a million awesome links with even more info, but I found out not that many people care that much. If you happen to be someone who actually cares, just google the phrase. I wouldn’t be surprised if you came across these very words.

Who?

I live in North Carolina; however, as we go to Charleston, SC or Savannah, GA (that is where Paula Deen’s restaurant is) – other areas, too, you will hear that accent, and pretty thick – like hers! It’s mostly, like Mamasu referenced, old south accents.

I am sure she hams it up a bit, for the camera, that’s part of what people love about her – is she is very southern and appears to be the epitome of southern charm.

@La chica gomela- great answer! Lurve to you!!

She had a great bit part in the movie Elizabethtown – accent was perfect for her character! And she was cooking! :) She did a good job in the movie – very believable.