Ellen dared Kerry Washington to play the tuba. She had an inspiring reason to happily accept.
On Nov. 12, 2015, Kerry Washington stopped by "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" to celebrate the daytime queen's 2,000th episode.
All images by The Ellen Show/YouTube.
It's always a good time when Washington stops by talk shows, because she knows how to bring a good story and she doesn't take herself too seriously. And that latter trait of hers came in really handy when Ellen offered a wager Washington couldn't refuse.
Ellen offered $10,000 to whatever charity Washington chose if she could play "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" on a mystery instrument.
Washington agreed without hesitation ... but then Ellen revealed the mystery instrument.
Washington probably wasn't expecting this.
Yes, that's a tuba.
And Kerry Washington had no idea how to hold it, let alone play it.
But charity initiatives are near and dear to Washington's heart, and she didn't want to let them down.
If she managed to convincingly play the tuba, Washington decided she wanted to split the prize money between two organizations: Purple Purse and Turnaround Arts.
Washington is an ambassador for Purple Purse, a campaign to help domestic violence survivors create their own safety net through financial empowerment.
1 in 4 women report experiencing domestic violence in their lifetime. Many survivors stay in or return to abusive relationships because they don't have the financial stability to leave for good — leaving home and jeopardizing employment or medical benefits can be too much to overcome.
Purple is the color of choice for domestic violence awareness, and the organization sells purple purse charms and limited edition bags (including one designed by Washington herself) to raise funds. With the money, Purple Purse offers a free comprehensive curriculum on financial management for domestic abuse survivors. And the campaign has invested over $43 million to help women get on safe, secure paths.
Washington also works with Turnaround Arts, a program providing arts education to schools and students in need.
The initiative brings arts education and supplies, (everything from paint to pianos) to students in high-poverty, low-performing elementary and middle schools in 15 states. By integrating more fine art into the curriculum, the committee hopes to address larger challenges, like attendance, motivation, academic achievement, and parent involvement.
Washington is more than the program's celebrity face. She volunteers at schools, presenting workshops, visiting classes, and attending performances.
Kerry Washington performs with students at Savoy School in Washington, D.C., one of the schools selected for the Turnaround Arts Initiative. Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images.
All this to say, Washington was going to play that tuba, darn it. Whether she knew how to or not.
So with a few warm up breaths and a giggle or two, Washington gave it her best shot.
As a tuba player myself, I can tell you tuba's not as easy as it looks, and it's really hard in a dress. But Washington managed to oompah (OK, she pretty much hummed) her way through "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"! Not too bad for a first-timer.
So while she may have looked a little silly, it was well worth it. Not just for the laughs but for $5,000 for two initiatives doing some great work!
If only every tuba solo could be so lucrative!
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.