Stop obsessing over Elizabeth Holmes’ voice — it’s sexist
What’s behind this ongoing saga over whether she lowered her voice?
Reactions to Holmes’ voice
Whenever Holmes is in the news, some questions always come up:
What’s withthat distinctively low voice? Is she faking it?
I have not been able to find definitive proof, in the form of video or audio recordings, to show that Holmes’ voice is noticeably different in its current form than at some previous time.
One videoclaims to capture Holmes shifting between two very different voice modes.During this interview with Elizabeth Holmes, commenters highlight a vocal switch between the 1:28 and 2:08 marks.
However, it could have been easily edited. And dramatic, sustained pitch changes in speech can be associated with heightened emotional states without indicating a put-on voice. At the same time,people who know Holmes have claimedthat she changed her voice in order to cultivate a persona as a Silicon Valley wunderkind.
Only a clinician like alaryngologistcan make a voice-related medical diagnosis. But since I can’t definitively answer if Holmes’ voice changed intentionally, it is worth considering what natural or medical processes could cause a similar effect. Hormonesdirectly impactthe voice, including pitch and the perception of roughness or hoarseness. Women’s voices tend todecrease in pitch range during menopause.
Holmes’ young age at the time she became known for her voice may rule out an age-related hormonal voice change, but a similar effect could be found withcertain hormone therapy. There are also severalvoice disordersthat impact pitch range.
If she did it … how?
There are all sorts of reasons people seek voice therapy or coaching to address vocal insecurities. Whether they’re concerned about their voice range or simply seeking skills to become better communicators, the voice is resilient and can be developed with training. There are also wonderful resources available forgender-affirming voicesupport for transgender people.
So what is the physiological process at play when someone intentionally lowers their voice.
Engaging a tiny laryngeal muscle called thethyroarytenoidcauses the vocal folds, which are housed inside the larynx (or “voice box”), to relax and become shorter and thicker. Imagine decreasing tension on a rubber band. These shorter, thicker folds vibrate at a lower frequency, resulting in a lower-pitched voice, just as a thicker or more laxguitar stringhas a lower pitch.
It is likely the singular nature of Holmes’ voice is related not only to its low pitch,but also its resonance, the unique tonal quality, and placement of the voice. Holmes might adjust her resonance by consciously lowering the larynx. Doing so creates a longer space above the larynx, which boosts thedeeper, darker tonesin the voice.
Women’s voices subject to scrutiny
In my role as a theatricalvoice coach, I’m sometimes asked to help women actors lower their voices. I’ve encountered directors and producers with a significant distaste for higher-pitched women’s voices, especially when this pitch range is combined withnasal resonance.
In movies and on TV, characters with high-pitched voices are often portrayed as comical, dim-witted, and generally undesirable. Think of Lina Lamont, the character from “Singin’ in the Rain” memorably played by Jean Hagen. Her high, piercing voice became a source of consistent laughs.
Might sexist attitudes about women’s voices causewomen in leadership rolesto feel pressured to adjust their pitch range down?
Former British Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher, nicknamed the “Iron Lady,” famouslydown-shifted her voiceto burnish her stature.Research on perceptions of pitchin women’s voices shows higher ones are associated with physical attractiveness, while lower voices are associated with dominance.
Meanwhile, many womenradio and podcast hostsare barraged with negative listener feedback about “vocal fry,” the creaky mode of speaking made famous by Kim Kardashian.
Yet physiologically, to create this sound, the vocal folds must vibrate at a low frequency, associated with low pitch. This much-maligned vocal feature is at one end of the pitch spectrum. But there’s another equally hated speech feature that is achieved at the other end: the high-rising terminal intonation pattern, or “uptalk.” This feature is noted for the dramatic upward pitch at the end of each thought, whichcan makestatements sound like questions.
The insistence that women in media change the pitch of their voices often comes with little concern for theanatomical and physiological factorsthat will limit how much pitch change is ultimately possible. My current research is investigating perceptions of women’s speaking voices in the performing arts and considering whether it’s time to part ways with some old aesthetic preferences.
Either way, the delicate dance of trying to strike a happy medium – the Goldilocks voice profile, where one can be taken seriously as a leader without being perceived as inauthentic, grating or patronizing – seems to be elusive. Women’s voices are the subject of endless scrutiny at both ends of the range – it seems they just can’t win.
If everything about this story were the same except the gender of Theranos’ CEO, I wonder whether his voice would even be remarked upon. If it were, might thesame vocal qualitiesbe perceived as positive traits befitting a capable, serious-minded leader?
Elizabeth Holmes undoubtedly lacks the practical skills and moral compass to be a great leader. But all the noise about her voice, and the potential that she changed it to get ahead, just may reveal a sexist double standard that women seemingly can’t escape.
This article byKathryn Cunningham, Assistant Professor of Theatre,University of Tennesseeis republished fromThe Conversationunder a Creative Commons license. Read theoriginal article.
Story byThe Conversation
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