Funny Subtitles

Hilarious and funny subtitling errors
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As important as subtitles are, they are not always accurate. Sometimes, they are out of sync so you have to listen to the speaker first and see the subtitle later. There have also been instances of completely incorrect subtitles showing up on screen accidentally. Subtitle fails occur more often during live telecasts. But the fails also occur when there is a mix-up of files and the subtitles of one movie go over the other. Many times, the fails can create funny subtitles that end up becoming memes on the internet. Hilarious and funny subtitling errors read further…

What are Subtitles and Why are They Needed?

Subtitles are texts that appear at the bottom of the screen. They are serviced from the script or screenplay of a movie or TV show. Generally, they display the dialogues spoken on the screen in the same language. But they can also be used to watch foreign-language content. For instance, if an English speaker wishes to watch a Korean movie, they can do so with the help of subtitles. They don’t have to turn to the dubbed version of the movie. They can watch it with the original sound, as long as they have access to the subtitles.

Subtitles make it possible for people to access the content of their choice without having to worry about the language barrier. Whether it is a foreign YouTuber that you follow or a foreign language movie that was hyped up by everyone on Twitter, you can understand the content with the help of subtitles. Through subtitles, we make sure that people can access quality entertainment regardless of the language it was produced in. Translation has helped us understand different mediums of arts, there was no way it was going to leave us on our own when it came to movies and TV shows.

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Hilarious and Funny Subtitling Errors:

As important as subtitles are, they are not always accurate. Sometimes, they are out of sync so you have to listen to the speaker first and see the subtitle later. There have also been instances of completely incorrect subtitles showing up on screen accidentally. Subtitle fails occur more often during live telecasts. But the fails also occur when there is a mix-up of files and the subtitles of one movie go over the other. Many times, the fails can create funny subtitles that end up becoming memes on the internet.

Here are some hilarious and funny subtitling errors:

  1. Nature Documentaries:

Everyone loves nature documentaries, especially if they are narrated by David Attenborough. But if you are not a native speaker of English or you want to munch on snacks while watching the documentary, you will need subtitles. Subtitles will make it easier for you to understand what is being spoken on the screen. But a hilarious fail occurred when a Netflix glitch replaced the subtitles on a nature documentary with those of a standup comedy special by Aziz Ansari. While two wolves were walking in a field, the subtitles read: “Let me buy you a drink” “No, I’m fine,” which could be exactly what the animals on the screen were saying, we never know.

  1. Live Broadcasts:

BCC and its live broadcasts have gained a reputation for their bad subtitles. Whenever the auto-captioning is turned on for broadcasts, hilarity ensues. Many such instances have blessed the internet with hilarious memes. One example of this is when the hosts of a show were talking about Benedict Cumberbatch, the Sherlock star, and the subtitle read “Benedict couple beer batch.” But the difficult spellings of Mr. Cumberbatch’s surname can confuse anyone, so BBC should be forgiven for this. Another hilarious fail occurred when the Queen and the Duke were traveling and the subtitle read “cabbage” instead of “carriage.”

  1. Sports:

Many people follow different sports around the world. Some of them not only watch the matches but also the after-match broadcasts and pre-match reports. If you have ever used subtitles with these broadcasts, you must have witnessed a few captions fails. One such instance is when a bad subtitle showed up on BBC during a football show. When the panel was talking about the midfielder Adnan Januzaj, his name showed up as “Janet jazz jazz jam” in the subtitle. During a Wimbledon broadcast, when journalist Dan Walker was speaking, the subtitle read as “We might be bad at some things in the UK, but we are so good at killing.” The trait of the British people that Dan Walker was praising is ‘queuing’, not ‘killing.’

  1. Weather Reports:

Weather forecasts can be very useful to us. If you have to travel the next day, knowing the weather in advance can be helpful. You can also figure out what clothes to take with you on a trip based on the weather reports. But sometimes, the weather reports can also turn into a joke when a subtitle fail occurs. In one such instance, when Sue Charles was narrating the weather report, the subtitle read as “Bringing some rain along the Nazi ghosts.” Although the subtitle was pretty scary, what Sue Charles said was not. What she actually said was “bring some rain along the north sea coasts.”

  1. Closed Captions:

Closed captions are mostly used in the movies. The biggest problem with closed captions is they are not often synced correctly, but sometimes, there are also other errors with these files. One example of this is when the Doctor was fixing his bowtie in an episode of Doctor Who and the caption read as “Angrily fixes bowtie.” Another example is from Star Trek where once the closed caption read as “sobbing mathematically.”

How to Avoid Bad Subtitles?

When subtitles are inaccurate, it can make it impossible for viewers to understand what is being said on the screens. Sometimes, when the error is obvious and limited to only one word, it can be ignored. People can understand which word was written incorrectly when it is a simple error. But if the subtitle errors are huge or they are completely inaccurate, people will not be able to understand the content they are watching.

The best way to avoid incorrect subtitles is to hire a qualified linguistic expert. It is also important to review a subtitle before it is made public. When it comes to live broadcasts, even the most highly qualified professional can make a mistake. Time is a problem when it comes to live broadcasts. The only way to avoid inaccurate subtitles is to be more cautious when writing them. A proofreader can be hired to work with the subtitle writer so the chances of errors can be reduced.

If you turn to qualified professionals for help with subtitles, they will make sure you get accurate and error-free results. So, hire professionals instead of relying on automated captions.

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