The world of voice over work, at large, is often unrecognized or altogether overlooked. Despite the field playing a crucial role in all types of media, advertising, and sources of information, the average person puts little thought into the real person behind the voice over. One aspect, in particular, that gets even less attention from the general public toward the field of voice over work is that of gender representation.
It’s important to consider why consumers are drawn to certain voices, taking into account the customs and societal constructs that have factored into the current climate of voice over work. It is also beneficial to remember the success stories and pioneers in the field who paved the way for greater gender representation, so that we may pay homage to their work and be reminded of the importance of continuing in that direction.
Preference for Female Voices?
Does the public have a preference in terms of gender when it comes to the voice over in the media they consume? This is a question that is relatively limited in terms of research and has produced fairly inconclusive results.
According to a study from the University of Glasgow, psychologist Phil McAlee found that people tend to associate female voice over voices as being more trustworthy than their male counterparts. Specifically, the two main components that factored into these viewpoints were pitch and inflection. Based on the results, the higher pitch from female voices provided greater assurance, while low-pitch male voices brought about feelings of suspicion. Furthermore, the inflection of female voices in terms of articulation at the end of phrases promoted greater trust, while the timber of male voices had the opposite impact.
An Adweek Media/Harris Poll on male vs female voices also uncovered a preference for female voices from those interviewed. However, the results were relatively less apparent and contained slightly different reasons compared to the Glasgow study. The Harris Poll found that nearly half of Americans consider a male voice to be more forceful and a female voice to be more soothing, but almost half of all the participants stated that it makes no difference to their decision-making—whether that be watching a film trailer, commercial, educational video, etc.
Challenging Customs (and Customers)
Since the field of voice over work reaches many different modalities, one sector that remains prevalent with female voices is that of technological gadgets—specifically, in terms of computerized voices. Notable examples include Apple’s Siri and most GPS systems. While the rationale for these trends are certainly mystifying, they remain the norm and continue to serve as the benchmark for computer voices when new products emerge.
Some researchers believe the phenomena might be a public reaction against the fear-mongering that was first promulgated from Hal 9000’s eerie male voice over in the Stanley Kubrick classic 2001: A Space Odyssey. Another factor might simply be the preexisting cultural norms and expectations that continue to permeate society and reinforce market research.
Many marketers, programmers, and producers might be reluctant to dive into the minutiae of the complex science behind sound, and instead merely opt for continuing to do whatever has become accustomed to the public—for no greater reason than because it’s merely the way that voice over work has been done for so long.
Let’s Get Animated
While voice over work encompasses many different industries (commercials, film trailers, instructional videos, etc.), one sector in particular that female voice actors have had a profound impact on is that of animation. Here are a few notable female voice over professionals in the field of animation that certainly deserve recognition. The list could certainly go on much longer, but these professionals and trail-blazers provide an excellent foundation for anyone wanting to gain more information on female voice actors throughout the industry that have made successful careers in animation.
June Foray was a pioneer for female voice over in animation. She’s been called “The First Lady of Animated Voicing” and “The Cartoon Queen,” voicing hundreds of cartoon characters throughout the years. Foray even has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Because of her vast portfolio in the early days of animation and continued success throughout a long career in the field, she is often seen as a female counterpart to Mel Blanc (the male voice actor behind Looney Tunes, among others).
Tara Strong is another prominent female voice actor who’s voiced countless cartoon characters from the late 1980s and continues up through today. She is best known for having a very versatile voice that enables her voice over work to have incredible range—from cartoon animation, video games, to even the occasional live-action role.
Even this extremely brief list would be incomplete without at least mentioning the famous voice of Bart Simpson: Nancy Cartwright. Her portfolio ranges from Hanna-Barbera to the Simpsons, and she continues to be a cultural icon and presence on social media as well as other online outlets still to this day.
Progressing Forward
Now that you’ve gained more insight into the dynamics of gender representation in the voice over industry, keep an eye out for female voice over professionals shaping the field and making a positive impact for the future.
