Why Alaskan Bush People Fans Are Puzzled By The Family's Accent

With 12 seasons over the course of six years, viewers just can't seem to get enough of Alaskan Bush People. The series follows the Brown family as they survive out in the wilderness, hunting for food and finding clean vegetation to eat. While how "remote" the Brown family actually lives is open to interpretation (they've been known to stay at a nearby hotel when not filming), it makes for good television. In a modern age when people are always connected via computers and smartphones, it's interesting to see how society would have to function if we had to go without those luxuries. 

Throughout the series, however, there have always been lingering questions, such as how the family makes their money and why they have peculiar accents. It seems as though there's a fairly straightforward explanation about the latter, and the truth ultimately comes down to the family never really paying attention to how they spoke. 

A 2018 article from In Touch Weekly touched on fan speculation concerning the Brown family's accent. Many fans simply thought the accent was old-fashioned. Others believed it to be the result of a hereditary speech impediment or dental problems affecting the way the brood spoke. Speculation ran so rampant that several members of the Brown family actually responded to the concerns. 

First, it's important to note that Billy and Ami, the parents on the show, are originally from Texas. As a result, they have a bit more of a southern accent. You can still hear hints of that southern twang in the kids, but it's a bit more subdued, likely as a result of the family living out in the middle of the wilderness in Alaska (and later Washington). 

Billy Brown addressed the accent concerns in an interview, and it's pretty anticlimactic. Brown stated, "We never realized that anybody in the family had an accent ... I don't guess we heard it." Bear Brown also chimed in with, "I don't hear anyone in my family to have an accent."

The way the Brown kids talk seems to be derivative of their parents' accents, which has southern influences. Of course, living out in the woods with minimal interference from regular society will also likely affect the way anyone talked over time. At least fans can rest easy knowing the accent isn't a result of any medical issues.