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Howdy Y’all: Texan English in Dallas Buyers Club

Setting the Scene: Introduction

The Texan English accent is well known for its distinguishing linguistic features and vocabulary, synonymous with words such as “howdy” and “y’all” that many associate with the cowboys of the Lone Star state. A type of Southern American English, the Texan accent has several variations. Actor Matthew McConaughey, originally from East Texas, has served as a representation of the Texan drawl in media for years, a reflection of his many starring Hollywood roles as a native of his home state. The film Dallas Buyers Club, set in Dallas, Texas in the 1980s, provides an interesting context in which to study the Texan accent. It would be difficult to prove that McConaughey’s accent in the film is further exaggerated due to the fact that he is immersing himself as a character in the 1980s and thus support the argument that the Texan accent has changed over time through a character study of his role in Dallas Buyers Club.  However, one can reasonably compare McConaughey’s current natural accent with that of his character Ron Woodroof’s in the film in order to further understand his role in the HIV/AIDS crisis and within and outside of his community of practice as head of the Dallas Buyers Club.

This paper will address first, the ways in which Matthew McConaughey’s accent in Dallas Buyers Club exemplifies the traditional “Texas drawl” and second, how McConaughey adapted his accent to fit that of the time period and social context in which the movie is set.

Setting the Scene: Film Overview

Dallas Buyers Club is a biographical drama set in Texas at the peak of the 1980s AIDS crisis in the United States. The film’s protagonist, Ron, was shocked and angry when he was initially diagnosed with HIV. As a heterosexual male, Ron could not comprehend how he could contract a disease that in his opinion only infected “faggots.” Told he only had thirty days left to live, he acted violently towards his doctors. Ron turned to prostitutes, excessive drinking, and illegal drugs to ignore his reality.

Ron’s strong will to continue living was just as intense as his anger towards his diagnosis. After coming to the conclusion that the “useless fuckers” (his doctors) would not help him and that the medication he was being prescribed (AZT) was not only ineffective but also poisonous, he began to seek help elsewhere. Ron conceived a plan to smuggle illegal drugs to treat the symptoms of HIV/AIDS into the U.S to help fellow Americans, the majority of whom were homosexual, also suffering from HIV. He partnered with and ultimately befriended a transgender man named Rayon who connected him with multiple HIV patients interested in receiving the illegal medication through gay/lesbian clubs and support groups. Ron ultimately created the Dallas Buyers Club, in which he sold memberships in exchange for unlimited supplies of his medications and vitamin and aloe supplements. Through his journey over the course of the film, Ron transformed from a homophobic, ultra ‘masculine’ person into an advocate for HIV victims and unconventional friend of the LGBTQ community in Dallas.

The Texan Accent: Literature Review

The traditional Texan accent, a dialect of Southern American English, is characterized by a flattened monophthong vowel, utilizing the “ah” sound for the “i” vowel in words such as pie (“pah") and light (“laht”) etc., and specific vocabulary such as “howdy” and “y’all”. The status of the Texan accent, “Texas drawl” or “Texas twang” as its variants are commonly known, is a point of controversy in the field of linguistics. Many argue that the Texan accent is disappearing due to urbanization and increased migration of Northerners to Texan cities. Conversely, others contend that while the Texan accent has changed over time and will continue to, it is by no means disappearing or becoming less differentiated. According to an episode of NPR’s “Around the Nation” series titled Texas Twang Fixin’ to Ride Off Into the Sunset, the Texas accent sounds much different now than it did in the 1980s but is not necessarily disappearing. The “Texas twang” is no longer an automatic part of growing up in the Lone Star state, but instead something that changes based on social context. The Texas English Project at the University of Texas at Austin has chronicled the history and current status of the Texas accent, recording linguistic nuances and changes over time. In the 1980s, when the project began, 80% of Texans interviewed were said to have traditional Texan English accents. This number has decreased by about 50% to a mere 33% in the past few years. According to a 2013 LA Times article holding the viewpoint that Texan accents are becoming less distinctive, “talking Texan” is a “distinctive twang and drawl that almost becomes an attitude, from the first ‘howdy’…” therefore while it may change over time and depending on social context, the accent will not disappear because one associates it with his or her identity as a Texan. Professor Hinrichs of the University of Texas at Austin, the head of the Texas English Project, summarizes the sociolinguistic component of the Texan accent succinctly: ‘“Although the dialect is far less prominent…people will still speak it…it depends on who they’re talking to, what they’re talking about, and whether it triggers their Texas pride’”. This claim rings true in Dallas Buyers Club as Ron’s dialect also changes depending on who he is conversing with, what he is discussing and the identity he wishes to portray (rodeo cowboy, respectful caregiver, or priest).

One of the Texas English Project’s findings relates to perceptual dialectology regarding the Texas accent, arguing that the “Texas twang” is more emphasized among speakers who are resistant to the migration of speakers from across the country into Texas. Those who are more accepting of this migration and urbanization are more likely to use the phrase “you guys,” while those who adhere to the local customs and resist migration have stuck to “y’all” (Texas English Project). Therefore, the extent to which the Texas accent is used can depend on social context. Later in this paper, I will discuss whether this claim holds true in Dallas Buyers Club.

As part of the Texas Linguistics Forum, researchers from the University of North Texas investigated perceptual dialectology with relation to Texans and variations of Texan English. The researchers collected over 350 maps from individuals of all ages and found that a drawl was associated with southern Texas, whereas most individuals pointed to western Texas for what they perceived as a twang. The Texan drawl is characterized by long vowels as well as diphthongs, whereas twang is characterized by nasal sounds and higher vowels. In this study, the researchers concluded that what is perceived as Texan English actually has many variations. This argument provides context for McConaughey’s performed accent in the film, which one can reasonably classify as a drawl based on the above criteria.

A Long, Tall Texan: A Character Study of Ron in Dallas Buyers Club

Several distinct features, including particularly drawn out vowels, diphthongs, pace, and vocabulary characterize Ron Woodroof’s Texan accent in Dallas Buyers Club. In the film, Ron’s vowels are frequently drawn out, a feature that is characteristic of the Texan drawl. For example, the “I” sound becomes “ahh” in the word vitamins, which he pronounces “vahhtamins” as well as in the word life, which he pronounces “lahhhfe.” Ron also employs diphthongs in the pronunciation of several words including “a” and “i” vowel sounds in particular, such as drip, which he pronounces “dre-hip” when referring to his morphine drip.

In contrast, during interviews following the film’s production about his character and performance in the film, Matthew McConaughey’s Texan accent is significantly less distinctive. When speaking naturally, his vowels are less drawn out and he does not drop the endings of his words. He does draw out his “o” vowels but they are lower than those he uses in the film. This observation could be viewed in relation to the claim that the Texan accent is dying out, as McConaughey clearly exaggerated his accent to set himself back 30+ years for his role in the film.  

Howdy, Y’all: Ron’s Vocabulary

Ron often uses “y’all” as a collective pronoun when referring to his other, specifically the doctors and nurses at the Dallas hospital and his gay patients. Interestingly, he does not use the same phrase when referring to groups of his rodeo friends. Upon his diagnosis, he says to his doctors, “Let me give y’all a little news flash. There ain’t nothin’ out there can kill…Ron Woodroof in 30 days.” Similarly, he addressed policymakers and governmental officials at an FDA meeting with the same collective pronoun, “I mean, goddamn, people are dyin’. And y’all are up there afraid that we’re gonna find an alternative without you.”

In the film, Ron also frequently uses the classic colloquial Texan “howdy” for hello. When showing someone his hotel room where he hosted the club, he greeted his friend, “Howdy counselor! This is my business partner.” There are also several unconventional uses of “howdy,” such as when Ron returns to the hospital a year after his diagnosis yelling at his doctors, “Well howdy fuckin’ doody because it’s a year later and looky who’s still here.” In this instance, he uses the word more as mockery than as a greeting.

Rodeo Cowboys: Ron’s Community of Practice

Ron, a self-proclaimed cowboy, often competed in the rodeos in Dallas before he became too ill to do so. His occupation was an oilrig technician. Ron’s strong Texas accent is noticeably more pronounced when he is with his homophobic, abrasive, and radical rodeo cowboy friends. Unsurprisingly, this specific community of practice (“collection of people who engage on an ongoing basis in some common endeavor”) lends itself to his exaggerated Texas drawl. The common interest that drew the men together in this specific case is the drug rings they partake in and their investment in the rodeo scene. When socializing with his rodeo friends, Ron is often doing drugs, visiting prostitutes and discussing alcohol, sex and other elicit topics. In this context, his accent is especially noticeable. For example, when talking to one of his friends after the rodeo, Ron says, “You gon be gettin’ boned by a hundred dolla hooker before ya can scrape the bullshit off your boots brotha.” Here, McConaughey drops the ending of almost all his words and his vowel sounds are extended. This vowel shift is further exemplified when he tells his friend TJ of his original diagnosis, “They’re tryin’ to tell me I got some HIV… Vaahhhrus.” As evidenced by the linguistic patterns of Ron in this film, it is clear that when immersed in his community of practice, Ron’s Texas drawl is accentuated. When he is performing his rodeo cowboy identity, Ron often shortens his word endings and uses words such as “ain’t” that he does not use in other contexts in the film: “Look at me. I ain’t no faggot…What do ya see? The goddamn rodeo is what ya see.”

It is not until later in the movie when he is empowered to save his own life and those of others that he becomes more open. His attitude changes from complete denial and aggression to a strong will to help his patients and friends and with this attitude shift comes a change in his language. In contrast, when Ron is no longer among that community of practice and dresses up as a priest to get through the Mexican border and into the United States smuggling illegal drugs, he shifts towards a more standard American English accent. Here, he is removed from his community of practice; he is alone and has essentially changed his identity to disguise the drugs he is smuggling. In this instance, Ron does not drop the endings on his words nor does he draw out any vowels. When responding to the border patrol agent, he states, “And a blessed day to you sir.” He enunciates each word and utilizes a very standard American dialect that could be construed as Midwestern. Interestingly, there is no trace of a Texan drawl or twang in his voice. In the following quote the bolded words illustrate the points of differentiation between Ron’s traditional Texas accent and the one he uses when impersonating a priest: “As I was telling [tellin’] the gentleman earlier. I am a sick man. I take 33 pills a day [daye]…that is a non-toxic protein serum.” Ostensibly, the social context in which Ron is engaged impacts his linguistic choices in terms of accent, emphasis and pronunciation.

Compared to the other characters in the film, Ron’s Texan drawl accent is the most amplified and intense. Ron’s transgender friend Rayon, who helps him run the Dallas Buyers Club, also has a slight Texan accent but his accent is much more neutral. One noticeable contrast in the film is that between Ron’s accent and the speech of all of his doctors at Dallas Mercy Hospital. Ron’s social identity as a working class rodeo cowboy and his community of practice within that social group separates him from the doctors who treat him, who are clearly part of a much different social network. Interestingly, all of the doctors in the film depict a very neutral mainstream American accent. This serves to further isolate Ron in terms of social identity and may have contributed to his aggressive reaction to his diagnosis.

The Credits: Conclusion

Dallas Buyers Club provides a previously underrepresented perspective on the American AIDS crisis of the 1980s and the community’s reaction to it, as well as a fascinating social setting in which to study language. Matthew McConaughey’s character, Ron, is a true standout in every way. His thick Texan drawl both establishes and accentuates his identity as a working class rodeo cowboy. Just as language serves as a way to perform one’s identity in different social contexts, McConaughey utilizes a different version of his own Texan accent in the film and varies that accent depending on the community of practice and social situation.