alexandraerin

Talk is a big thing in a much more broad fashion. For instance, let's take Left 4 Dead 2, and look at the two white characters in that: Nick and Ellis. Nick, per his character description and behavior, is the gangster type character- as in Miami Vice, Mafioso style gangster, with a white suit, slick hair, and constantly annoyed expression. He speaks without a recognizable accent. And he's generally considered very competent- if not the sort of guy you'd want to cross. Ellis, by comparison, is the group idiot. He's constantly saying things and ends up in situations in the opening trailer where he's naive, incompetent, absentminded, or just flat out stupid. And he's got a thick Southern drawl.

It's fairly rare to find someone in films who sounds like a 'hick' yet is entirely competent. When they show up, there's usually either some immediate display of competency to disprove the accent, or their displays of competency will be the surprise twist in a scene. And the same thing happens with other accents- think about the California surfer dude, or the valley girl, or someone from Boston or New York. The accent is so associated with a certain conglomeration of traits that it's a twist when someone doesn't match those characteristics. The only consistent displays of competency and respect you'll find in movies are with regards to characters who have no accent.