More than her decision to write and direct a film when she hasn't shown any acting competence, the grandmommy of all pop stars, Madonna, is taking shots from critics for an amazingly bad aspect of her latest performance:

Her faux-British accent.

While critics haven't been very kind to Filth and Wisdom -- the tender story of a Ukrainian immigrant who finances his dreams of rock stardom by working as a cross-dressing dominatrix -- much of the coverage from its debut at the Berlin Film Festival last week centered on the odd British accent Madge has developed since marrying Brit director Guy Ritchie.

Like a true talent-challenged actress, Madonna has trouble maintaining the cadence. Watch this publicity interview she conducts for the film and note how her accent floats in and out, simultaneously ranging from the refined tones of an upper-class Britisher to a more working class lilt, to nothing at all:

And she's not the only celebrity to dabble with the idea of changing accents to sound more sophisticated.

Britney Spears began flashing a British accent around Hollywood not long before her last hospitalization; perhaps as result of spending too much time with her new paparazzo-turned boyfriend, British import Adnan Ghalib.

The trend even landed on this year's edition of American Idol, when overconfident young singer Josiah Leming -- a kid who was living in his car before earning a spot in Idol's Hollywood auditions -- employed the accent during his first tryouts.

It's hard to know what these folks have in common -- other than very high-profile examples of identity crises. Are they Anglophiles angling for more pop culture credibility? Or reality-challenged wannabes who somehow think sounding British -- even when everyone who hears them knows they are NOT -- makes them cooler?

Feel free to list your fave faux-British accents here, along with any better theories as to why performers employ them. It's more fun and less disturbing than the press' last celebrity obsession; tracking starlets who go commando in public.   

Bri