Rhode Island Accent 'Worst in the World,' Conan O'Brien Declares

In case you missed it, Conan O’Brien made his opinion known about Rhode Island, and it's less than favorable.

More specifically, the Cranston accent.

Back in 2020, he called out the city for having the worst accent in the entire world.

As a Rhode Island resident and Cranston neighbor, I’m wicked ticked off at this blanket accusation.

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Conan O’Brien Hates the Rhode Island Accent

In October of 2020, O’Brien had Colin Quinn on his Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend podcast. Quinn is a comedian from New York best known for his stint on Saturday Night Live.

Quinn joined O’Brien to discuss his book, Overstated: A Coast-to-Coast Roast of the 50 States, which led to a lively chat about personal stories from each state.

Apparently, O’Brien remembers Rhode Island for all the wrong reasons.

“I maintain that the worst accent in the world is the Cranston accent,” he said.

He shared how he was heading to a wedding once when he stopped off in Cranston for gas.

At this point, O’Brien was a few years into his first late-night talk show on NBC, and even though he was wearing a hat, he could tell a woman had recognized him. He's quite tall, after all.

“This woman, who was wearing all acid wash, stepped out of her car. ... She pointed at me and said, ‘Yeaahhh, I spawted yah!'” he said in his rendition of the accent.

“I said, ‘Oh my God.’ To be discovered and found out and accused by a pirate…”

O'Brien must have some love for the Ocean State. Though he lives mostly in Los Angeles, he owns a home in Westerly, not too far from Taylor Swift's.

No place is safe from O'Brien's humor. In 2022, he had a bunch of jokes about Fall River while interviewing Phil Devitt, a tour guide at The Historic Lizzie Borden House and digital managing editor for Fun 107 and WBSM.

Hey Conan, We Got Beef

Okay, O’Brien, I’ll give it to you. The Rhode Island accent can be a little harsh on the ears. It’s like the Massachusetts accent and the New York accent were put into a blender and out came a hodge-podge of missing vowels and hard R’s where they don’t belong.

But the worst in the world? C’mon now. You’re from Brookline, Massachusetts, a place where the stereotypical “Bahstin” accent reigns supreme.

The next time you’re in town, I’ll show you where the worst accent truly lives.

Have you ever heard of Johnston?

Through the Years: Conan O'Brien Has the Most Fun and These Photos Prove It

Conan O'Brien has had quite the entertainment journey. The Brookline, Massachusetts, native started out as a writer for Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons before landing a late-night hosting gig that catapulted him into fame. Here are some of Coco's colorful moments over the years.