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☖ Forums → Discussion Forum → English Subtitles
English Subtitles
2007-08-31, 10:51 PM #1


Seriously, one of my biggest pet peaves now are all of the damned English subtitles during TV shows, usually documentary style shows, for people who are speaking freakin' English with a foreign accent! The subtitles always distract me and direct my attention to start reading something I have no problem understanding the people say to begin with. To me it makes Americans look ignorant because the implication is that we need the subtitles because we can't understand someone with an accent. For Christ's sake, they even subtitle Brits speaking the language. Argh!
"I would rather claim to be an uneducated man than be mal-educated and claim to be otherwise." - Wookie 03:16

2007-08-31, 10:52 PM #2
Depends on the accent, but there are some people, mostly Indians, who I just cannot understand..
"it is time to get a credit card to complete my financial independance" — Tibby, Aug. 2009
2007-08-31, 11:02 PM #3
REAL Irish and Scots. They are hard to understand for me. It's so little like what you hear in movies. Very thick and hard to get through when you first hear it. But I haven't seen that in these TV shows that they subtitle.
"I would rather claim to be an uneducated man than be mal-educated and claim to be otherwise." - Wookie 03:16

2007-08-31, 11:36 PM #4
Silly Americans not used to subtitles.
Star Wars: TODOA | DXN - Deus Ex: Nihilum
2007-08-31, 11:42 PM #5
Originally posted by FastGamerr:
Silly Americans not used to subtitles.


We are plenty used to subtitles. I just don't need English subtitles for English dialogue.
"I would rather claim to be an uneducated man than be mal-educated and claim to be otherwise." - Wookie 03:16

2007-09-01, 12:40 AM #6
Originally posted by FastGamerr:
Silly Americans not used to subtitles.


You do realise rarely even over here we see subtitles for people speaking Finnish... Or at least I don't remember ever seeing that, not even for immigrants speaking strange Finnish. However, I kind of understand what Wookie06 is talking about, because when watching American tv shows on tv here, there are the Finnish subtitles and it takes concentration to ignore them and just listen to the people speaking. Concentration I don't normally bother to invest...
Frozen in the past by ICARUS
2007-09-01, 12:44 AM #7
I know what he's talking about, and I don't find it useful unless the speaker has a very poor grasp of the language.
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2007-09-01, 12:46 AM #8
Yeah lassev, but I was just referring to "The subtitles always distract me". Of course I could have included that in my post but I didn't. I don't usually get distracted by subtitles. Then again, I guess they could use them here when people from Savo are talking or something.
Star Wars: TODOA | DXN - Deus Ex: Nihilum
2007-09-01, 12:55 AM #9
Subtiles distract me when the are unnecessary. Why am I fighting the urge to read English subtitles for English dialogue?! Of course I view them differently when they are truly warranted but I view them as insulting when they are displayed in the manner I'm referring to in this thread.
"I would rather claim to be an uneducated man than be mal-educated and claim to be otherwise." - Wookie 03:16

2007-09-01, 1:28 AM #10
I've seen an English show where the guys were... I dunno, from some part in england where the accent was so bad they had subtitles.

And I was thankful for it too, couldn't understand a word they said.
You can't judge a book by it's file size
2007-09-01, 4:37 AM #11
There was once one Indian at the university, and half the time I was only guessing what he was saying and half the time I had to ask him to repeat. Those were painful conversations. It wouldn't have been so bad if he had talked slower, but for some reason he liked to speak at mighty speed.
Frozen in the past by ICARUS
2007-09-01, 4:47 AM #12
Originally posted by Deadman:
I've seen an English show where the guys were... I dunno, from some part in england where the accent was so bad they had subtitles.

And I was thankful for it too, couldn't understand a word they said.

Was it Rab C. Nesbitt? That's Glaswegian. When I was younger I had to watch that with subtitles, myself.
2007-09-01, 5:55 AM #13
I've no idea Livid, it was a long time ago now.
I only remember it because the idea of English people needing English subtitles is hilarious.
You can't judge a book by it's file size
2007-09-01, 5:57 AM #14
But Glasgow isn't in England! D:
Star Wars: TODOA | DXN - Deus Ex: Nihilum
2007-09-01, 11:36 AM #15
Yeah, I watch all TV and movies with captions on, so I can't say I relate to this.
2007-09-01, 12:33 PM #16
Is that because you prefer to read the dialogue?
"I would rather claim to be an uneducated man than be mal-educated and claim to be otherwise." - Wookie 03:16

2007-09-01, 12:52 PM #17
when you're trying to be courteous/to avoid loud commercials, i turn the volume down and put on captions because the volume disparity between programming and commercials is so great that keeping the volume at a reasonable level for the commercials makes it too low for the programming sometimes.

i dont like keeping my hand on the volume button for the entire program i'm watching.

about the same thing for movies, especially action movies. fight scenes and such are so loud you have to turn it down and non fight scenes arent.
My girlfriend paid a lot of money for that tv; I want to watch ALL OF IT. - JM
2007-09-01, 1:10 PM #18
I assume he does so for similar reasons. That just isn't comparable to what I'm talking about. It's one thing to turn subtitles on. It's another when the producers assume their audience is so ignorant that they need them. Of course there are cases where they are necessary. Very thick accents or someone with a disability that makes the English extremely hard to understand but that isn't what I'm talking about either. Using the standards they seem to apply virtually every gang banger, hip hop artist, or rapper needs subtitles when they speak on TV.
"I would rather claim to be an uneducated man than be mal-educated and claim to be otherwise." - Wookie 03:16

2007-09-01, 1:12 PM #19
i actually agree with you on the point, i was just giving reasons for always having captions on.

and yes it is rather annoying.
My girlfriend paid a lot of money for that tv; I want to watch ALL OF IT. - JM
2007-09-01, 1:19 PM #20
After having the History channel on non-stop and watching a continuous flow of foreign films, I just started to either ignore it or pay attention to both text and pictures.
2007-09-01, 1:53 PM #21
I'm just a little boy.
2007-09-01, 2:07 PM #22
:hist101:
2007-09-01, 2:16 PM #23
Originally posted by Wookie06:
REAL Irish and Scots.

Very thick and hard to get through when you first hear it.


This sir, is bollocks.
nope.
2007-09-01, 2:59 PM #24
What?
Ban Jin!
Nobody really needs work when you have awesome. - xhuxus
2007-09-01, 3:17 PM #25
Yeah, it's mainly just so if I have trouble understanding someone I can just look at the caption.

I agree that it's kind of stupid to do automatic captions for accents. As you said, where do you draw the line?
2007-09-01, 5:30 PM #26
language warning


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