Textual Poaching

Artist's Statement: 

I was born in Fargo, North Dakota. When I found out about this assignment, I immediately wanted to explore the Cohen Brothers film, Fargo. Besides being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this is the aspect about myself that I find the most unique. Often when people first meet me, they tell me that they’ve never met anybody from North Dakota. This makes sense, considering that there are fewer than 700,000 of us.

The problem with this is that because people do not know anybody from North Dakota, they turn to the only media which has exposed them to this great state. Most often it is the infamous film from 1996. However, Fargo makes people think that everybody talks in a ridiculous accent, which is only partly true. In my project, I wanted to show that having been born and raised in North Dakota, I do not speak in the dialect influenced by the Scandinavian forefathers of the Northern Plains. I used the kidnapping from Fargo to create a new scenario where I corrected the ridiculous accents of the kidnappers. However ridiculous the accents are, however, there is an element of truth. Most of the dialogue in this video is word-for-word the exact conversation I have had with my friends back in Bismarck.

The creators of Fargo have said that the accent was a character in and of itself in their film. This certainly has been true of the accents role in my life. It truly has become its own entity, a friend with which I have a love/hate relationship. In this way, I can totally relate to the story of the Velveteen Rabbit, which was discussed in our reading for this week. It has taken on its own significance throughout my life, and I'm not sure if home would be home without that silly way that the natives talk.  

I remember growing up and trying to emulate the accent as a small child, because I thought that was the proper way to speak. However, I grew up and observed the language of movies and TV. I listened to the inflection of my parents, who are non-native North Dakotans. I realized that people had their own dialogue and intonation which was unique to the location.

I began to loathe it and resist it, but after spending so much time away from home, the accent almost seems endearing. And I have to admit that on an extremely rare occasion, the accent slips back. I tried to show that in the very end of the video. In that closing scene, I also gratefully accept some kuchen, which is a popular German dessert, only found in North Dakota. As much as I don’t like to admit it sometimes, there is a part of the folksy North Dakotan culture that will always be a part of me. It is just one part of who I am, but I have finally learned to embrace and celebrate the fact that I come from the Peace Garden State.