of South and Southeast Baltimore is not the only accent spoken in the region. There is also a particular Baltimore accent found among black Baltimoreans: a sub-type of African-American Vernacular English. For example, among black speakers, Baltimore is pronounced more like "Baldamore," as compared to "Bawlmer." Other notable phonological characteristics include vowel centralization before (such that words such as "carry" and "parents" are often pronounced as "curry" or "purrents", and "Aaron earned an iron urn" might sound like "Urrun urned an urn urn") and the mid-centralization of , particularly in the word "dog," often pronounced like "dug," and "frog" as "frug." The African-American Baltimore accent, or a variation thereof, is also shared by many African Americans throughout Maryland, and is present among African Americans in Washington, D.C., Prince George's County, Montgomery County, and other parts of the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area. Although the white Baltimore accent has historically been analyzed and popularized in media more than the African-American Baltimore accent, the latter has gained fame on the internet through internet memes spread through social media, such as the "Baltimore accent challenge", and a video of a Baltimorean barber speaking and singing in an exaggerated Baltimore accent that has become popular as a meme on YouTube. Notable examples of native speakers Lifelong speakers Ben Cardin – Maryland U.S. Senator (2007–present) Mary Pat Clarke – Baltimore City Councilwoman (1975–present) Divine – Actor/Performer Charley Eckman – NBA coach and referee, sportscaster Mel Kiper Jr. – Football analyst for ESPN Barbara Mikulski – Maryland U.S. Senator (1987– 2017) Felicia Pearson – Actress on The Wire Babe Ruth – Baseball Hall of Famer John Waters – Actor/Filmmaker Nancy Pelosi – U.S. House Speaker from Baltimore In popular culture Films The films of John Waters, many of which have been filmed in and around Baltimore, often attempt to capture the Baltimore accent, particularly the early films. For example, John Waters uses his own Baltimore accent in the commentary during his film Pink Flamingos. John Travolta's character in the 2007 version of John Waters's Hairspray spoke with an exaggerated Baltimore accent. Likewise, several of the films of Barry Levinson are set in and around Baltimore during the 1940s-1960s, and employ the Baltimore accent. Michael Tucker who was born and raised in Baltimore, speaks with a West Baltimore accent. Television Television drama series Homicide: Life on the Streets and The Wire are both set in Baltimore and in