Describing Marvin the Martian's Voice

[savebender]

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[CWatson]

Well, as a singer/vocalist, I can tell you that part of it is that he swallows his voice. A lot of vowel production (and, if you're a singer, your vibrato) has to do with where in the mouth you phonate: if you talk forward, behind the teeth (or between them), you get a clear, enunciatory sound, whereas talking back over your throat (or down inside it) gets you a wide vibrato and the sort of growly, R-inflected sound we commonly associate with opera singers. Marvin doesn't do it quite as much as Pavarotti, but all his vowels are lightly colored with R's.

The other aspect of it is his inflection, and that's harder to describe. You'll notice his voice generally changes pitch between each syllable, sometimes within them. To me, this can only be described as "fruity"--not in the modern sense of "related or pertaining to homosexuals," but in the classic sense of "related or pertaining to fruit". Unfortunately, most readers will assume the former meaning, which sort of leaves us trapped. And spending time describing the character's inflection, in detail, is frankly a waste of words.

That's all I got. Hope some of it helps. (I can't figure it out.)

 

[savebender]

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[emap]

Maybe I shouldn't bother but to me he sounds more like silk over gravel.

I mean think about it, he has a very smooth voice, but when he's speaking he gets a little feedback type effect going. Watch a looney tunes with him again sometime, easy smooth words come out sounding like a singer, tougher words come out sounding more like he needs to clear his throat.

 

[savebender]

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[Guest]

The discussion in grad school was that we would defend our theses using the Marvin the Martian voice.

Don't know how that helps, but it always made us laugh.

 

[rgraham666]

"I think man is the most interesting insect on Earth."

One of my favorite lines of all time.

 

[champagne1982]

I think Grover from Sesame Street sounds a lot like Marvin...

 

[DesertPirate]

I can't describe it, but I can do it

 

[Hooper_X]

phlegmy and constipated (i.e. verklempt sans the emotion)