Mrs Nicole Coulter? and Australia through US eyes

[Amy Z <lupinesque@yahoo.com>]

Tabouli wrote:

> On the subject of films, I read in an interview with Philip Pullman 
in which he said that he thought Nicole would do well as Mrs Coulter 
in his books, and *there* I agree.  That coolness I don't go for is 
perfect for Mrs Coulter.  Cool, alluring, aloof, sinister.  Just the 
thing.  If they're going for strict from-the-page accuracy she'll 
need a sleek black Uma-Thurman-in-Pulp-Fiction-esque wig, which would 
be a pity with those great red curls, but even so.

She looks about right, to me (can't comment on her acting as I don't 
think I've ever seen one of her movies).  But then, I always think of 
Mrs. Coulter as blond despite the description.  I think it is because 
of the golden monkey and the fact that she reminds Will sharply of 
her blond daughter, especially when she tucks her hair behind her 
ears.  So, hair-tucking gesture-->Lyra's hair-->blond, in my 
illogical mind.

> So, while I'm taking one of my favorite hobby horses (Anglophone 
Contrasts, out of Curiosity by Midnight Message) out for a canter, 
what image *do* people in the USA have of Australia, if any?  Would 
you recognise an Australian accent?

Does it count if I can't tell an Australian from a New Zealand 
accent?  For me, they are both easily distinguished from 
US/Canadian/British/South African/Irish/etc. accents, but not from 
each other.

Images of Australia . . . deserts (California-type, not Lawrence-of-
Arabia-type), kangaroos, aborigines, Crocodile Dundee, machismo 
(Foster's ads), humor.  

Amy Z
whose Subaru has never seen a desert