In Finland we dub only the programs for the kiddies. And why do we do it? Because the poor things can't read yet, so you can't use subtitles. But other than that all other programs are in original language, what ever that may be. With subtitles. In Italy people often ask me why is it that we Finns speak so many languages, and usually we speak English super well. Well duh. First of all when no other nation in the world speaks your language, it's up to you to know as many of the other languages as you can if you want to survive out there. And second of all, if you watch TV in English starting from when you were a little nipper than yeah, you're bound to learn a thing or two.
In Italy, as in most of the European countries, they dub everything. And I mean everything, even the laughs. I apologize already beforehand for making the Italians the example. I can only imagine that the French are even more enthusiastic about dubbing, and what about those poor people in eastern Europe who have to watch the Bold and the Beautiful dubbed by just one person? But I can only talk about first hand experience, so sorry Italy.
Now, I would kinda get it if people were saying "yeah, it's a real shame that we do that", but actually people are really happy about it, and even proud. You see, In Italy you have to go to school to learn how to dub, when in Finland you just send in your demo and if you pass the audition, you're in. It's a real profession in Italy , and these people are highly appreciated for what they do. But there's one thing I just don't get. Italians are constantly telling me how the dubbing here is done really well. Sorry, but what in the name of god does that mean exactly?!? That you don't notice that it's all dubbed? That you don't notice that the mouth of the actor is moving in a different pace than the voice, or that the voice of the actor isn't his/her real voice? Oh, and this brings me to another point.
A few times I've asked people I know doesn't it bother them that they don't know what the actor's real voice sounds like? To me, part of the performance of the actor is his/her voice. Obviously the dubber tries to imitate the style of the actor, but for fuck's sake the Oscar was won by Meryl Streep, not by her dubber, and so when I go to see her film I want to see HER performance, not some dubber's interpretation of it. But an Italian often even prefers the performance of the dubber, seeing as they are used to hearing the Italian voice. Hearing the original one is only confusing. Go figure.
An example. I've always thought that the biggest reason why Morgan Freeman is not half a bad actor is because of his voice. It's very original, deep, and always calming, even when he's angry or exited. That's something you just can't dub. It's the voice that makes Morgan Freeman who he is. To demonstrate better, here are two clips from the movie Shawshank redemption ( or Le ali di libertá in italian). One's from the original movie and the other is dubbed in Italian. And don't tell me there's no difference between them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWQYVYvoqDA&=&feature=fvwrel&app=desktop
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWQYVYvoqDA&=&feature=fvwrel&app=desktop
Another problem is that when you dub things, often you miss out on the jokes and sayings. Of course you got the same problem with subtitles, but at least the good people who have bothered to learn the language spoken in the film have the opportunity to hear the joke in it's original form. But if you got the dubber doing the joke that the translator has decided to offer you, then you're stuck with that. Not to mention that usually the quality of the translated jokes is really bad. And how could it even be good, in my opinion you can't (and shouldn't) translate a joke anyway. A few times I've tried to tell a Finnish joke in Italian, and gotten only blank looks and awkward laughs in return, so really, translating jokes is just a waste of time.
A good sample of this to me has always been Monthy Python. They're brilliant, but so much of the show is based on the characters, their way of speaking, and in order to appreciate their humor you also have to know a thing or two about the British society. But you can't dub culture now can you?Here's the legendary "at the chemist's" sketch, both in original and dubbed in Italian. See what you think.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5xFwqS9s_Q&app=desktop
See if you can spot the mistake in the subtitles in both versions, when they are listing the words that will not be used in the program again (hint Kn*ckers/Kn*ckers). Just to prove my point, jokes are not to be translated, and they are certainly not to be translated by people who aren't native speakers or otherwise bloody well educated in the language and culture in question.
See if you can spot the mistake in the subtitles in both versions, when they are listing the words that will not be used in the program again (hint Kn*ckers/Kn*ckers). Just to prove my point, jokes are not to be translated, and they are certainly not to be translated by people who aren't native speakers or otherwise bloody well educated in the language and culture in question.
The way I see it, watching a dubbed movie or a TV show is like dating someone online. You date this person in the internet for ages, only to find out one day that actually that gorgeous blond chick is a fat construction worker from Ohio with pimples on his arse. You feel cheated, or at least you should. If you prefer dubbing to the original, it's like saying that you know you're dating the dude from Ohio, but you prefer to keep up the illusion because it's more convenient.
But people.....isn't it about time to find real love?
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