# What's the story with foreign english speakers being subtitled on American TV? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 5, 2004, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-foreign-english-speakers-being-subtitled-on-american-tv/222817 "2004-01-05T15:16:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-foreign-english-speakers-being-subtitled-on-american-tv/222817/61 "2004-01-09T04:14:15Z")
> [@](#): > > **Libertarian** : Have you ever watched _Billy Elliot?_ If you’re an American, try it without subtitles and report back. Okay, I just got around to watching _Billy Elliot_ tonight, and I have a hard time understanding why an English-speaking American would need subtitles. There’s very little in the way of arcane idiom, and the Northern English accents seem pretty clear to me. Some of the vowels drift a little bit from what you might expect to hear in, say, Maine, but it’s so slight. Granted, the line “I’ll show you my fanny if you want” might not be as effecting as intended. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kmg365](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ec9cab/32.png) [@kmg365](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kmg365)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-foreign-english-speakers-being-subtitled-on-american-tv/222817/62 "2004-01-09T04:56:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Larry Mudd \* > \*\*Okay, I just got around to watching _Billy Elliot_ tonight, and I have a hard time understanding why an English-speaking American would need subtitles. There’s very little in the way of arcane idiom, and the Northern English accents seem pretty clear to me. \*\* Fuck _Billy Elliot_. Try watching _Trainspotting_ without the English subtitles and then report back. ---
**Author:** ![kmg365](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ec9cab/32.png) [@kmg365](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kmg365)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-foreign-english-speakers-being-subtitled-on-american-tv/222817/63 "2004-01-09T05:01:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ruadh \* > \*\*I should probably let Mehitabel speak for himself, but I don’t see why you think that’s a reference to a green card. \*\* For the uninitiated, the U.S. government does not issue any type of “card” per se that says you are an American citizen. However, the U.S. government does issue Green Cards to Aliens. So, the expression “card-carrying American” as used by **mehitabel** is oxymoronic at best, or a misrepresentation at worst. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-foreign-english-speakers-being-subtitled-on-american-tv/222817/64 "2004-01-09T05:03:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mogiaw \* > \*\*I saw Ripley’s Believe It or Not last night and it had subtitles for a guy from England. On VH1 when they have foreign english-speaking rockstars etc. on they often subtitle them. Is the American television-watching public that dense that it can’t make out what the people are saying? \*\* Oh, that’s nothing. I was watching a program on the Discovery channel about voodoo religions last year. They had a snake handler on there speaking, and they subtitled him. Where was he from? Lousiana 😃 Some stations are more subtitle happy than others. ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-foreign-english-speakers-being-subtitled-on-american-tv/222817/65 "2004-01-09T06:53:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kmg365 \* > \*\*For the uninitiated, the U.S. government does not issue any type of “card” per se that says you are an American citizen. However, the U.S. government does issue Green Cards to Aliens. So, the expression “card-carrying American” as used by **mehitabel** is oxymoronic at best, or a misrepresentation at worst. \*\* Most reasonable people would read this as a _joke_. “Card-carrying American” is obviously play on labels such as “card-carrying Communist” and “card-carrying pro-choicer”. … but then again, I refer to reasonable persons; you appear to have a stick up your arse over this issue. Nonetheless, **mehitabel** was clearly making a minor joke–a recurring one on the SDMB, at that. ---
**Author:** ![kmg365](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ec9cab/32.png) [@kmg365](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kmg365)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-foreign-english-speakers-being-subtitled-on-american-tv/222817/66 "2004-01-09T08:33:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jervoise \* > \*\*Most reasonable people would read this as a _joke_. “Card-carrying American” is obviously play on labels such as “card-carrying Communist” and “card-carrying pro-choicer”. > > … but then again, I refer to reasonable persons; you appear to have a stick up your arse over this issue. Nonetheless, **mehitabel** was clearly making a minor joke–a recurring one on the SDMB, at that. \*\* The correct metaphor for “card-carrying” would be a “card-carrying Democrat” or a “card-carrying Asshole”, for example, to describe individuals such as yourself. **Mehitabel** is mixing his metaphors when he uses “card-carrying” with “American”. To introduce yourself by saying “I’m a card-carrying American” to other Americans is tacky and would draw quizzical looks as it makes no sense, is an obvious mixed-metaphor, is not humorous, implies ignorance and suggests that you probably meant that you are a card-carrying “Alien” and not American. Regardless, what do you know and what do you care? By your usage of the term “arse” you are obviously not an American and therefore do not understand the subtle differences. So do us a favor and bugger off. ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-foreign-english-speakers-being-subtitled-on-american-tv/222817/67 "2004-01-09T09:00:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kmg365 \* > \*\*The correct metaphor for “card-carrying” would be a “card-carrying Democrat” or a “card-carrying Asshole”, for example, to describe individuals such as yourself. **Mehitabel** is mixing his metaphors when he uses “card-carrying” with “American”. To introduce yourself by saying “I’m a card-carrying American” to other Americans is tacky and would draw quizzical looks as it makes no sense, is an obvious mixed-metaphor, is not humorous, implies ignorance and suggests that you probably meant that you are a card-carrying “Alien” and not American. > > Regardless, what do you know and what do you care? By your usage of the term “arse” you are obviously not an American and therefore do not understand the subtle differences. So do us a favor and bugger off. \*\* You’re an idiot. First you fly off the handle over a harmless joke, and now you claim to be the Metaphor Police. In both matters, you should develop some expertise before opening your pie hole and exposing your yawning pit of ignorance. Don’t give me this “correct metaphor” bullshit (as if such a thing exists); the Merriam-Webster even cites the example of “card-carrying Communist”, which I employed. Coupled with your failure to grasp even minor instances of humour, you also display ignorance of what a mixed metaphor is. I’ll leave it to you to look it up, but here’s a hint: coupling “card-carrying” with the NOUN (in this case) “American” does not constitute anything close. For further illustrations of how humorous usages of “card-carrying [noun]” are COMMONLY used on the SDMB, and why you’re an idiot: [please](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=4429341&highlight=cardcarrying#post4429341) [refer](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=4356759&highlight=cardcarrying#post4356759) [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=4354671&highlight=cardcarrying#post4354671) [at](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=4334133&highlight=cardcarrying#post4334133) [leisure](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=4312264&highlight=cardcarrying#post4312264). … so to answer your questions: _What do I know?_ More than you, apparently. _What do you care?_ This is the SDMB, the bastion of unsolicited opinions. Welcome. ---
**Author:** ![Kegg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Kegg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kegg)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-foreign-english-speakers-being-subtitled-on-american-tv/222817/68 "2004-01-09T09:17:51Z")
I work in a hotel, and one day last yeat a woman called and ask to speak with Mr/Mrs Shore. Well I couldn’t find any guest named Shore, and after mush looking and fumbling I asked her how she spelled the name, she said "S-H-A-W Shor * * * Spelling and grammer subject to change without notice. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-foreign-english-speakers-being-subtitled-on-american-tv/222817/69 "2004-01-09T10:30:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kmg365 \* > \*\*The correct metaphor for “card-carrying” would be a “card-carrying Democrat” or a “card-carrying Asshole”, for example, to describe individuals such as yourself. **Mehitabel** is mixing his metaphors when he uses “card-carrying” with “American”. To introduce yourself by saying “I’m a card-carrying American” to other Americans is tacky and would draw quizzical looks as it makes no sense, is an obvious mixed-metaphor, is not humorous, implies ignorance and suggests that you probably meant that you are a card-carrying “Alien” and not American. > > Regardless, what do you know and what do you care? By your usage of the term “arse” you are obviously not an American and therefore do not understand the subtle differences. So do us a favor and bugger off. \*\* I’m an American and it made perfect sense to me. And, I frequently use the term “arse”. And you _really_ need to chill. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-foreign-english-speakers-being-subtitled-on-american-tv/222817/70 "2004-01-09T10:47:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kmg365 \* > The correct metaphor for “card-carrying” would be a “card-carrying Democrat” or a “card-carrying Asshole”, for example, to describe individuals such as yourself. Pot. Kettle. > [@](#): > > To introduce yourself by saying “I’m a card-carrying American” to other Americans is tacky and would draw quizzical looks as it makes no sense, is an obvious mixed-metaphor, is not humorous, implies ignorance and suggests that you probably meant that you are a card-carrying “Alien” and not American. I don’t know where you get this - I’ve heard that very expression before used by the native-born with nary a quizzical look from anyone, or any misunderstanding about immigration, aliens, greencards, or anything else. > [@](#): > > Regardless, what do you know and what do you care? By your usage of the term “arse” you are obviously not an American and therefore do not understand the subtle differences. So do us a favor and bugger off. This, from someone posting from Korea? Chill, dude. What, did someone wee-wee on your cornflakes or something? ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-foreign-english-speakers-being-subtitled-on-american-tv/222817/71 "2004-01-09T10:50:01Z")
Come to think of it, I wouldn’t consider “bugger off” a particularly American expression either 😕 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-foreign-english-speakers-being-subtitled-on-american-tv/222817/72 "2004-01-09T10:56:53Z")
I reckon **kmg365** is subtly revealing his identity: **K** i **M** Jon **G** Il (our Beloved Leader makes the sun rise **365** days a year). The Seoul part is just a smokescreen. I challenge you to defy me, since I am a card-carrying bullshitter. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-foreign-english-speakers-being-subtitled-on-american-tv/222817/73 "2004-01-09T14:55:35Z")
So we’re not talking about subtitles anymore?😕 ---
**Author:** ![gluteus\_maximus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f17d59/32.png) [@gluteus\_maximus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gluteus_maximus)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-foreign-english-speakers-being-subtitled-on-american-tv/222817/74 "2004-01-09T15:46:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kmg365 \* > \*\*For the uninitiated, the U.S. government does not issue any type of “card” per se that says you are an American citizen. \*\* Not _yet_ … maybe after the next election. ---
**Author:** ![gluteus\_maximus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f17d59/32.png) [@gluteus\_maximus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gluteus_maximus)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-foreign-english-speakers-being-subtitled-on-american-tv/222817/75 "2004-01-09T15:49:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elfkin477 \* > \*\*So we’re not talking about subtitles anymore?😕 \*\* Subtitles are great! I prefer subtitles to dubbing when I watch foreign (to me) language films. ---
**Author:** ![kmg365](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ec9cab/32.png) [@kmg365](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kmg365)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-foreign-english-speakers-being-subtitled-on-american-tv/222817/76 "2004-01-09T16:29:10Z")
Ooooh! I love it when the cockroaches come out to play at night!!! Bring it on baby!! > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jervoise \* > \*\*You’re an idiot. \*\* Nope. You are an idiot. And quit your trolling, pull your head out of your ass and say something intelligent for once. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Broomstick \*\*\* > This, from someone posting from Korea?_\* And this from someone posting from “NW Indiana”? (Read: filthy and smelly Gary, IN.) And exactly what is your point about Korea? Do you know anything about Korea? Have you ever been here? FYI, there are a quite a few Americans here, and I happen to be one of them. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Broomstick \*\*\* > I don’t know where you get this - I’ve heard that very expression before used by the native-born with nary a quizzical look from anyone, or any misunderstanding about immigration, aliens, greencards, or anything else._\* That’s b/c you’re probably from Gary where the high levels of lead and mercury in the air go straight to the head thereby making it impossible to think or talk straight. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by jjimm \*\*\* > I reckon kmg365 is subtly revealing his identity: KiM JonG Il (our Beloved Leader makes the sun rise 365 days a year). The Seoul part is just a smokescreen. > I challenge you to defy me, since I am a card-carrying bullshitter…_\* God you are immature. I thought the Irish were more intelligent than that. Oh, sorry – all the _smart_ ones left during the potato famine. And btw, I’m card-carrying U.S. Army, so stuff it. I’m not even amused. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by ruadh_\*\* > Come to think of it, I wouldn’t consider “bugger off” a particularly American expression either\*\* Neither would I. Thank you so much for pointing that out. ---
**Author:** ![gluteus\_maximus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f17d59/32.png) [@gluteus\_maximus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gluteus_maximus)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-foreign-english-speakers-being-subtitled-on-american-tv/222817/77 "2004-01-09T19:31:10Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Mehitabel_ > **Card-carrying American here and I hardly EVER see this.** > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by kmg365_ > **For the uninitiated, the U.S. government does not issue any type of “card” per se that says you are an American citizen. However, the U.S. government does issue Green Cards to Aliens.** I am a card-carrying American. I am required by law to carry the Japanese Ministry of Justice Certificate of Alien Registration identification card on my person at all times, and to produce it upon demand, to any cop on the beat, or if I want to get a membership card at a video rental shop or gym, or open a bank account or exchange currency, or if I want to pick up a package from home at the post office, or otherwise just basically exist as a foreign resident here in Japan. I’m not complaining, just stating the facts. However, strange as it may seem, I do not have to show or declare this card when I make statements about ordinary daily experiences, such as what I like to eat, or what type of music I prefer, or which brand of toilet paper I purchase, or what I see or don’t see on TV or in movie theaters. If I were in the United States, I would _never_ say, “I’m a card-carrying American.”, because, for one thing, it sounds too much like “I’m a card-carrying member of the N.R.A.”, and, for another thing, because it just sounds stupid. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-foreign-english-speakers-being-subtitled-on-american-tv/222817/78 "2004-01-09T19:59:04Z")
**kmg365** and **Jervoise** , your posts are in violation of the rules of GQ. If, henceforth, you continue this behaviour in any thread in GQ, you shall be banned from the SDMB. Consider yourselves warned. _Note to others:_ Since this thread is not really addressing the OP anymore, I’m closing it. Please continue your discussions in the appropriate forum(s). - **xash** General Questions Moderator [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-story-with-foreign-english-speakers-being-subtitled-on-american-tv/222817.md?page=3)