Misuse of "AAVE" term in Casting Calls

What do they mean by that?

Hey casting directors, are you guys guessing on how to ask for an African American voice in your casting calls?

I just saw a casting call seeking an African American female voice. The words "looking for an AAVE female voice" is written in the description. Ok. So far, that's fine. Then I see "Think Viola Davis or Jada Pinkett-Smith."

Huh?

Davis and Pinkett-Smith are not known for speaking in AAVE. Using them as examples of AAVE in a casting call makes me wonder if casting directors know what they're asking for. This isn't the first time I've seen this in a casting call for African American voices.

AAVE stands for African American Vernacular English, and it's the politically correct way to say "talk like a black person in the hood." It's had many names. In the 80's it was "jive talk." In the 90's, "ebonics," and in the 2k's, "urban," but they all mean the same thing: speak the stereotypical broken English of African American culture. Now, I do feel American society has (finally) evolved to a place where people no longer assume AAVE is the default speech for African American people, but there's still work to be done on descriptions in the voice acting world.

African American voices tend to be lower pitched and have a distinct resonance. Consumers respond favorably to these vocal qualities, so they're wanted for a lot of voice over work. I think this is what this particular casting director meant when they referenced Davis and Pinkett-Smith. So then..... just ask for it like that. Something like "We are looking for an AA female voice for the desired tone and resonance. Think Viola Davis or Jada Pinkett-Smith."

Much better. The right voices will audition, increasing the chances of the job being booked quickly.

For voice over work that actually calls for AAVE, I'm not sure a reference is needed. Most voice actors already know what that means. The bigger deal there is how the copy is written, and that's a whole other blog post.

Happy casting!