Annoying Things

[kripke]

Lots of things annoy me, too many perhaps, but this one is becoming more commonplace and it really gets to me: unnecessary and racially offensive sub-titling.

I was watching a crime programme last night, where they were interviewing a British Asian man (a doctor, in fact), speaking in English. For no apparent reason, they subtitled him. But I could understand everything he was saying perfectly well without looking at the subtitles. To check, I even closed my eyes...and I could still understand him, no problem at all.

So then they switched to someone else, a Scottish gentleman. And do you know what, I couldn't understand a single word he said, not one. He could've been speaking in Urdu for all I knew. But here's the point: they didn't sub-title him.

I've noticed this phenomenon before, but it's always been in US-made programmes, where for example they sub-title perfectly understandable Australian speakers, but provide no translation for their own southern hicks, some of whom appear to communicate principally via a series of clicks and distorted guttural inflections...so in the past, I've just shaken my head in disbelief and put it down to the usual yank mental laziness, lack of experience of foreign cultures and general crass insensitivity. But this was a Brit-made show, and we really should know better.

What do you all think about this, and what other things irk you?

Edited March 11, 2013 by kripke

[chillumpuffer]

There is a thread already that tackles this:

http://forums.ledzeppelin.com/index.php?/topic/17929-things-that-irk-you-about-society/

[Amstel]

Horrible drivers

Sloppiness

Liberals

Arrogance

& women that are bad in bed!

Edited March 11, 2013 by Amstel

[shnflacwav]

what other things irk you?

Siblings, especially after a parent dies. They become vultures.

[Ace Of Spades]

Lots of things annoy me, too many perhaps, but this one is becoming more commonplace and it really gets to me: unnecessary and racially offensive sub-titling.

I was watching a crime programme last night, where they were interviewing a British Asian man (a doctor, in fact), speaking in English. For no apparent reason, they subtitled him. But I could understand everything he was saying perfectly well without looking at the subtitles. To check, I even closed my eyes...and I could still understand him, no problem at all.

So then they switched to someone else, a Scottish gentleman. And do you know what, I couldn't understand a single word he said, not one. He could've been speaking in Urdu for all I knew. But here's the point: they didn't sub-title him.

I've noticed this phenomenon before, but it's always been in US-made programmes, where for example they sub-title perfectly understandable Australian speakers, but provide no translation for their own southern hicks, some of whom appear to communicate principally via a series of clicks and distorted guttural inflections...so in the past, I've just shaken my head in disbelief and put it down to the usual yank mental laziness, lack of experience of foreign cultures and general crass insensitivity. But this was a Brit-made show, and we really should know better.

What do you all think about this, and what other things irk you?

I agree with your irk. The subtitles are generally not needed. Sometimes I have difficulty with the Scottish speakers, but can figure it out due to the context.

But the reason that more and more subtitles are being used for English speakers on TV is because here in the US there are more and more people who are not first generation Americans. An ever larger Hispanic subculture means that even if they may understand English, they are unable to understand dialects which they aren't used to. In college one of my professors was from London. I had no problem with understanding her at all; to me she sounded like like Mary Poppins. But half of my class was Mexican American and they always asked her to repeat herself. She was obviously annoyed, as were the rest of us who could understand plain English. But here is the really strange thing about this: I also had an instructor who was Spanish (Spain) and the same students had trouble understanding him as well.

But it gets even worse. Go into any grocery store or Walmart west of the Mississipi and all of the aisle signs are in Engish and Spanish now. So where the sign on the aisle says "soup", right underneath the sign it says "sopa" (the Spanish word for soup). Who can't figure that one out? Who doesn't know what a can of soup or a box of cereal looks like? If they left the signs in English only, don't you figure someone might learn something new everytime they go to the store? I'm pretty certain that I could figure out where the wanton noodles are at a store in Hong Kong without a sign in English. Just look down the aisle where all the packages of noodles are. Hint: it's probably not on the aisle where the bleach and dog food are.

In math it's called the lowest common denominator.

[Lake of Shadows]

Lots of things annoy me, too many perhaps, but this one is becoming more commonplace and it really gets to me: unnecessary and racially offensive sub-titling.

I was watching a crime programme last night, where they were interviewing a British Asian man (a doctor, in fact), speaking in English. For no apparent reason, they subtitled him. But I could understand everything he was saying perfectly well without looking at the subtitles. To check, I even closed my eyes...and I could still understand him, no problem at all.

So then they switched to someone else, a Scottish gentleman. And do you know what, I couldn't understand a single word he said, not one. He could've been speaking in Urdu for all I knew. But here's the point: they didn't sub-title him.

I've noticed this phenomenon before, but it's always been in US-made programmes, where for example they sub-title perfectly understandable Australian speakers, but provide no translation for their own southern hicks, some of whom appear to communicate principally via a series of clicks and distorted guttural inflections...so in the past, I've just shaken my head in disbelief and put it down to the usual yank mental laziness, lack of experience of foreign cultures and general crass insensitivity. But this was a Brit-made show, and we really should know better.

What do you all think about this, and what other things irk you?

*click* *click click* *clay-eck clay-eck* (I thought everybody knew that was the proper suthen pronunciation of "click"). Oops, I meant to say *gutteral grunt*

FWIW, I finally put on the subtitles option on my tv. The action seems to always be loud and the dialogue is too quiet or mumbled to the point that I can't understand half of what anybody says, regardless of accent.

I would say more but I'm too mentally lazy to bother... except to say that I sometimes find sweeping generalizations and stereotyping to be quite annoying. *translates to grunt click gruuunt*

[redrum]

women that are bad in bed!

That can be construed either way, I think. :^)

I hate when I get a tiny sliver in the bottom of my foot.

:^(

[redrum]

FWIW, I finally put on the subtitles option on my tv. The action seems to always be loud and the dialogue is too quiet or mumbled to the point that I can't understand half of what anybody says, regardless of accent.

I just watched Rossellini's 'PAISAN' with subtitles for the Italians & Germans but the screen was blank when the Americans spoke. Hey, wussamatta? :^)

[Charles J. White]

When someone forgets to squeeze the toothpaste tube correctly

[Charles J. White]

That really small round switch/dial on hotel room dresser lamps

[weslgarlic]

There is a thread already that tackles this:

http://forums.ledzeppelin.com/index.php?/topic/17929-things-that-irk-you-about-society/

People who do this instead of contributing to the thread

[sam.e138]

Scottish peepul speek english tae ya basturdz! I know where ye're coming frae though, ay? I hate hearing thick Scottish accents oan tha telly, 'specially Glaswegians, we aw sound thick!

[joe (Liverpool)]

I dislike rude and ignorant people who don't listen to anybody elses opinion.

[chillumpuffer]

I dislike rude and ignorant people who don't listen to anybody elses opinion.

Been on the phone to Murdoch TV Joe?

[Knebby]

People who do this instead of contributing to the thread

Why? The point is that people who do this are telling you there is already a similar thread in progress - they don't intend to contribute, they are trying to help the forum run properly. It's more irritating when people start a thread without searching.

[chillumpuffer]

PEOPLE LIKE WES

[fishhead]

Why? The point is that people who do this are telling you there is already a similar thread in progress - they don't intend to contribute, they are trying to help the forum run properly. It's more irritating when people start a thread without searching.

agreed.

I think I did it once, was corrected by Sam, and from then on, I always search before starting something new...no big deal...did not take it personally....all part of learning.

You are dead-on the money Knebby......Wesl will get it going on soon enough.

[fishhead]

PEOPLE LIKE WES

lol...Maybe Wesl is just misunderstood CP?

He does try.

[redirtuo]

Horrible drivers

Sloppiness

Liberals

Arrogance

& women that are bad in bed!

So you've met my ex-wife? I'm terribly sorry. Don't giver her the car keys whatever you do and watch out for those teeth.