The Difference Between Ms. Rachel, Motherese, and Fundie Baby Voice

The Girl Who Told Me to Sit Down

The first time I saw Rachel Accurso, who you may know as Ms. Rachel, it was on a high-def TV, and the first thing I noticed was her crow’s feet. It feels unkind to point this out until I remember what lessons I’ve learned through my deep dive into the Ms. Rachel phenomenon. Then, her crow’s feet become essential. Gold, even.

This was after I saw her as a doll with a pink T-shirt and blue overalls in the baby section of Target, heard my daughters talk about their tolerance levels for “how long we can take Ms. Rachel,” and heard her grab my attention with her very annunciated, “Can we say bay-bee? Bay-beeeeeee. Good job!” sing-song syrup-sweet magnetism.

I’d know that baby-voiced prosody anywhere. Spotlighting women using it in Christian Fundamentalism is my wheelhouse. My head jerked up to look at the TV. What in the Michelle Duggar is going on here?

*post includes receipts for The Girl Who Told Me to Sit Down