Why is the Boston accent so darned difficult?

[xiphias]

It's well-known that good Boston accents in films are few and far between. When you list actors who can do it, you've got Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Seth McFarland, Dennis Leary. Even Eliza Dukshu is only okay. And they're all FROM Boston. Heck, I can't do a good Boston accent, and I've lived here my entire life.

It's easy to list movies with terrible Boston accents -- but are there any actors who can do good Boston accents who aren't from Boston?

Comments

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

This is silly. If you are FROM Boston, you talk with a Boston accent. It may not be the one you prefer, but it's a Boston accent.

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

I disagree. Not every Bostonian's accent is a Boston accent. Plenty of Bostonians are immigrants, for instance. Then there are second and third generation accents -- Jimmy Tingle had a great bit where he does an Italian immigrant accent, then a first-generation Italian accent, then a second-generation Italian accent.

They are, of course all accents of Bostonians, but I wouldn't call them Boston accents exactly.

Well, the second-generation Italian one is a Boston accent, because it's particular to Boston, but the first-generation one is more universal.