Vocal Fry and Other Speech Trends

Josh and Chuck dive into the contentious world of vocal fry - that creaky, low voice quality that's sparked heated debates about how young women speak. They explore the science behind vocal fry and upspeak (that questioning tone at the end of statements), examine whether criticism of these speech patterns is really about language or something deeper, and discuss how women often face scrutiny for their voices in ways men rarely experience. The hosts don't shy away from calling out what they see as thinly veiled sexism in the vocal fry debate while exploring the fascinating role young women play as agents of linguistic change.