Parrot Jane sounds |just like ... everybody

MAKE FUN OF the social networks and their legions of addicts all you want, but you have to admit it would have been a shame not to know about Nong Jane. The latest of the many sprouting talents “discovered” amid the idle chit-chat, Nong Jane is a brilliant mimic who became the talk of the town this week when word spread of her YouTube video, “Future voice artist – cute”. Uploaded just last Friday, it’s already had almost 250,000 views.
Nong Jane turns out to be Prapatsara “Jane” Wichaisorn, who can speak in a multitude of voices, as she demonstrates in the 99-second video. “I’m Jane,” she greets viewers (in Thai) in exactly the kind of affected voice you hear dubbed over foreign TV series. “You see me in university uniform here, but I didn’t skip class. I’m here in my friend’s room in Charansanitwonge.” And there’s her friend loafing on the bed in the background. Jane then switches effortlessly through a host of other “typical” dubbing voices, and it’s hilarious, as well as clever.
So the clip went viral and Nong Jane was suddenly a social-media sensation. “It got so widespread that I’m really amazed,” she told Sorrayuth Suthassanachinda on his morning show on Tuesday after he managed to lure her out of the “anonymous” video, something not everyone could so.
Yuthana “Pa Ted” Boonorn of Gay Ray had tried, saying on Facebook, “She’s so good! Come to me and I’ll hire you. Anyone knows her, please pass this message.”
“Let’s see which TV channel gets her on a show first,” Nation TV reporter Noppajak Attanon said on Facebook. “Looks like all channels have approached her.” Invitations to appear on different TV shows continued to pour in via Facebook after the social-media “detectives” tracked her down there. The folks behind those online games now want her voice(s) too.
Channel 3’s Sorrayuth took the direct route, announcing right on air on Monday that he’d love to have Jane come in for a chat. “Any friend of Jane watching the show, please contact us,” he said. The next day, there she was – a Thai TV scoop. “I’ve been imitating various character’s voices since I was young,” she told her richest new fan.
Her personal favourite is the Japanese cartoon character Doraemon, but when Sorrayuth begged her to imitate his inimitable baritone, she declined to even try on live television, explaining that she’d had a go earlier and it “didn’t work”. He was quite flattered to be told his voice is unique.
As a reward for being such a good scoop, Jane was offered a contract with Channel 3 – not bad for a freshman (at Siam University). Invited to react by saying something to her friends who were watching, she said, “Krian jon dai ruang!” by which she meant, “Look where all that naughtiness got me!”
Okay, this isn’t exactly the role-model scenario we were hoping the country’s youth would see, but we do wish Jane well. Talent comes in strange forms, after all, and mimicry is the sincerest form of flattery, so we’re told.