# Worst dubbing ie butchering of a movie for TV to cut out foul language or adult stuff **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 30, 2002, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-dubbing-ie-butchering-of-a-movie-for-tv-to-cut-out-foul-language-or-adult-stuff/116683 "2002-06-30T08:15:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-dubbing-ie-butchering-of-a-movie-for-tv-to-cut-out-foul-language-or-adult-stuff/116683/81 "2002-07-15T15:17:24Z")
The worst censorship I’ve ever seen was when CBS showed John Carpenter’s version of **The Thing** for the first time on non-cable TV. They butchered it beyond belief, cutting out all but the briefest glimpses of The Thing. All of the special effects shots with the creature were _gone_. (“It’s _gone_ MacReady!”). Not only that, but they re-arranged scenes, taking some from the middle and sticking them at the end (!!). I think that if you’d never seen the movie before, you’d be hard-pressed to tell what was going on, or why people were so scared. The weird thing, of course, is that nothing in those scenes violated any network codes. There was no sex, no nudity, and no human blood. Only monster blood and general grossness. When the movie showed on syndicated and local networks, it fared better. They didn’t butcher it the same way. The _BEST_ case of network dubbing was a line in the original **The Godfather** where James Caan, as Sonny, comments on their plan for Michael to do the hit on corrupt police chief Sterling Hayden and the other capo. He’s supposed to pick up a gun when he goes to the men’s room during a meeting in an Italian restaurant. Original Line: “I don’t want him coming out of the room with _his dick_ in his hand!” Edited Line:“I don’t want him coming out of the room with _a stick_ in his hand.” Only a minor sound edit. It’s clear what the real line should be, and even the altered version makes sense without being insulting to the viewer’s intelligence. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-dubbing-ie-butchering-of-a-movie-for-tv-to-cut-out-foul-language-or-adult-stuff/116683/82 "2002-07-15T18:25:47Z")
The Comedy Central cut of _Office Space_ doesn’t dub–they just blanked out the words and/or cut the scenes. The scene right at the beginning where Michael Bolton is in his car singing along to the profane rap song is really a wonder of bad editing. But my favorite scene with the words cut out is this: Peter Gibbons: He’s going to ask me to work on Sunday and I’m going to do it, because I’m a, which is why I work at Initech in the first place. Michael Bolton: Hey, I work at Initech and I don’t consider myself a. Samir: Yes, I am also not a. Samir’s line just cracks my “stuff” up. I am also not a! I need to watch the whole thing on TV sometime just to see what they’ve done to it. p.s. I’ve only seen _Half Baked_ on Comedy Central. I ought to rent it just to see what I’ve been missing. ---
**Author:** ![jab1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee7513/32.png) [@jab1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jab1)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-dubbing-ie-butchering-of-a-movie-for-tv-to-cut-out-foul-language-or-adult-stuff/116683/83 "2002-07-15T18:37:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by WSLer \* > Jab1, > > John Belushi **did NOT** die before Blues Brothers finished production. He may have done enough drugs during the shoot to kill a large horse, but he survived long enough to give us the travesty that is 1941. **bdgr** has it right. And _1941_ came before _The Blues Brothers_, not after. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-dubbing-ie-butchering-of-a-movie-for-tv-to-cut-out-foul-language-or-adult-stuff/116683/84 "2002-07-15T19:11:42Z")
The funniest instance I know of involves Sylvester Stallone’s cop vs. terrorist flick, “Nighthawks.” Rutger Hauer plays a Wolfgar, a German terrorist who has just taken a bunch of people on the Roosevelt Island tram hostage. He has a personal grudge against Detective Deke Da Silva, played by Stallone. Wolfgar is communicating with the negotiator, Detective Fox, played by Billy Dee Williams. The dialogue is supposed to go something like this: Hauer: I will exchange one of the hostages for a policeman. Williams: I’ll be right there. Hauer: NOT you, Fox! I … want… that BASTARD! Williams: What bastard? Stallone (listening in on conversation): Me. \*\* Instead, what we heard was… Williams: I’ll be right there. Hauer: NOT you, Fox. I… want… that \<“buzzard”\> " Williams: What \<“buzzard”\>? Stallone: Me. \*\* What made it so hilarious is, the voice that said the word “buzzard” sounded EXACTLY like the helium-sucker who used to say “butter” in the old Parkay margarine commecials! ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-dubbing-ie-butchering-of-a-movie-for-tv-to-cut-out-foul-language-or-adult-stuff/116683/85 "2002-07-15T20:40:29Z")
Whenever _Starship Troopers_ shows up on basic cable, it’s edited to remove all of the female toplessness in the shower scene and in the love scene between Dina Myer and Casper Van Diem, with those scenes either cropped or blurred. But none – and I mean **none** – of the graphic violence is removed. Dismemberment, decapitation, brain sucking, or whatever, is all left in. It certainly plays right into the hands of the people who say the U.S. has screwed-up views on violence and sex. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-dubbing-ie-butchering-of-a-movie-for-tv-to-cut-out-foul-language-or-adult-stuff/116683/86 "2002-07-15T23:46:02Z")
Made it to the end, and nobody has mentioned my favorites: [ul] [li] **Weird Science**.[/li]Chet’s Original line: “But first, let me…_butter yer muffin!_” Chet’s TV line: “But first, let me…_better know ya, muffin!_” [li] **Caddyshack**.[/li]Al Czervik’s Original line: “Hey everybody! We’re all gonna get laid!!” Al Czervik’s TV line: “Hey everybody! We’re all gonna _take a shower!!_” [li] **Sixteen Candles**.[/li]Long Duck Dong’s Original line: “No more yankee my wankee!!” Long Duck Dong’s TV line: “No more yankee _rum drinkee!!_” [/ul] As for **Casino** on USA, my friends and I use the overdubbed lines from that movie constantly. The absolute BEST thing about it is that they have Sharon Stone’s character exclusively using “freak” for fuck. So you get classics like: “FREAK YOU, YOU FREAKIN’ MOTHERFREAKER!!” ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-dubbing-ie-butchering-of-a-movie-for-tv-to-cut-out-foul-language-or-adult-stuff/116683/87 "2002-07-16T00:27:57Z")
I’ve heard that the Coen brothers really get into the edited versions of their movies, which is why the dubbings are so odd. _Fargo_ has some delightfully weird ones. My favorite is “Frosted Snow Demons!” Oh yeah, and the worst ever is in the Die Hard In An Airport Movie when Bruce Willis sets the plan on fire and says “Yippee-ky-yay, Mr. Falcon!” I mean, that’s the tagline for the whole series! Everyone knows what he’s saying anyway. I watched this on one of those movie shows with hosts, like Dinner and a Movie, or Movies for Guys who Like Movies, and after this denouement, they go back to the hosts, one of whom looks puzzled and says “I don’t get it, who’s Mr. Falcon?” The other one looked pained and whispered something in Host A’s ear. Host B said “_Oooohhhhhhh_.” When the networks themselves are making fun of the dubbing, you know it’s bad. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-dubbing-ie-butchering-of-a-movie-for-tv-to-cut-out-foul-language-or-adult-stuff/116683/88 "2002-07-16T00:29:28Z")
Do you see what happens when you **kiss** a stranger in the **Alps**? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-dubbing-ie-butchering-of-a-movie-for-tv-to-cut-out-foul-language-or-adult-stuff/116683/89 "2002-07-16T03:13:14Z")
This reminds me of a bit from Eddie Murphy’s _Delirious_ concert (horribly misquoted from memory): Eddie: So, I got a call from Bill Cosby and he’s talking about his kids saw my act, and he’s all (Cosby voice) “The kids came back and they said you said _filthin’ foul foul filthin’ filthin’ foul._” (Normal voice) So I said, "Bill, I never said _filthin’ foul_.’ (Cosby voice) I know what you said, but I say _filthin’ foul foul filthin’ foul_. (normal voice) But I never said _filthin’ foul_. So I called up Richard Pryor and asked him about it, and he said (Pryor voice) “Tell Bill to have a coke and a smile and shut the fuck up.” ---
**Author:** ![grendel72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/91b2a8/32.png) [@grendel72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grendel72)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-dubbing-ie-butchering-of-a-movie-for-tv-to-cut-out-foul-language-or-adult-stuff/116683/90 "2002-07-16T05:59:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pldennison \* > \*\*It certainly plays right into the hands of the people who say the U.S. has screwed-up views on violence and sex. \*\* I swear that I once saw The Texas Chain-Saw Massacre uncut on broadcast TV. It was in the late 80s-early 90s on the Los Angeles ABC affiliate. That same station showed Last Tango in Paris _very_ heavily edited. [sub]When I lived in that part of the country I worked late and watched the late movie most nights.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![aquariusrhimme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f05b48/32.png) [@aquariusrhimme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aquariusrhimme)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-dubbing-ie-butchering-of-a-movie-for-tv-to-cut-out-foul-language-or-adult-stuff/116683/91 "2002-07-16T14:28:21Z")
For just plain stupid dubbing that does make sense in the movie: In Goonies, when the older kid was supposed to say ‘shit’, the dubbed version replaced it with ‘stuff’, and the mother got mad at him for saying ‘stuff’. ---
**Author:** ![av8rmike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@av8rmike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/av8rmike)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2002, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-dubbing-ie-butchering-of-a-movie-for-tv-to-cut-out-foul-language-or-adult-stuff/116683/92 "2002-07-17T15:45:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pldennison \* > \*\*But none – and I mean **none** – of the graphic violence is removed. Dismemberment, decapitation, brain sucking, or whatever, is all left in. It certainly plays right into the hands of the people who say the U.S. has screwed-up views on violence and sex. \*\* I just caught _Braveheart_ last night on the USA Network (or at least, the first 3 hours before going to bed). They changed Stephen’s great line to: “The Almighty tells me he can get me out of this mess, but he’s pretty sure you’re _floosed_!” :rolleyes: They _did_, however, cut out the really bloody parts of the battle scenes, and since there’s no soundtrack there, you’d hardly notice. ---
**Author:** ![Intaglio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71e660/32.png) [@Intaglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intaglio)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-dubbing-ie-butchering-of-a-movie-for-tv-to-cut-out-foul-language-or-adult-stuff/116683/93 "2002-07-24T01:25:32Z")
I have to agree with Starship Troopers. VH1 played Showgirls recently and it was changed or dubbed either visually and hearing alot. Why even show it on TV. When I was in the Navy in the Persian Gulf (United Arab Emirates and Bahrain) the USO played a very much edited Basic Instinct, instead of a 1 hour and 30 minute movie, it was cut done to about 45 minutes, I missed the violence and the sex, that was the only good parts. ---
**Author:** ![ScriptAnalyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@ScriptAnalyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScriptAnalyst)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2002, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-dubbing-ie-butchering-of-a-movie-for-tv-to-cut-out-foul-language-or-adult-stuff/116683/94 "2002-07-24T05:40:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bob Scene \* > \*\*“Heineken? Freak that crap! Pabst Blue Ribbon!” \*\* Ah, my favorite line from BLUE VELVET, butchered for television! ---
**Author:** ![Iacob\_Matthew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Iacob\_Matthew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iacob_Matthew)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-dubbing-ie-butchering-of-a-movie-for-tv-to-cut-out-foul-language-or-adult-stuff/116683/95 "2005-10-29T00:40:50Z")
> [@pldennison](#): > > It certainly plays right into the hands of the people who say the U.S. has screwed-up views on violence and sex. Radio, but my favorite example- Back when I lived in Columbus, OH, there was a certain “local alternative station” which I listened to consistently until I the following incident occured. They were playing _Sublime_’s “What I Got”- There’s a line that’s supposed to go “I got a dalmation, and I can still get high I can play the guitar like a mother fucking riot” It’s altered to be "I got a dalmation, I can still get _fwiff_ I can play the guitar like a mother _fwiff\*\*fwiff_- just a wooshing sound, no attempts at redub “Don’t get angry when my mom smokes pot.” Becomes “Don’t get angry when my mom _fwiff_” However, the next line “Hits the bottle and goes right to the rock” is fine. And, with “Santaneria”, they don’t bother with any mention of “smack[ing] her head around” or a mention of killing a new boyfriend. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-dubbing-ie-butchering-of-a-movie-for-tv-to-cut-out-foul-language-or-adult-stuff/116683/96 "2005-10-29T00:59:17Z")
> [@Fish](#): > > And while in the hospital I saw the edited version of Blazing Saddles. So much was blanked out I wondered if I’d accidentally found a Jerry Springer show. Then you were lucky. The words they dubbed in instead of blanking parts out were just atrocious. After Gene Wilder sobers up, Cleavon Little asks him what he likes to do. Gene: “Playing Cards. Screwing.” Cleavon: “Lets play cards” The Bowdlerized version has Wilder saying “Saloon.” Also, the “It’s twoo! It’s twoo!” is cut out. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-dubbing-ie-butchering-of-a-movie-for-tv-to-cut-out-foul-language-or-adult-stuff/116683/97 "2005-10-29T01:38:18Z")
I recently watched some of Lifeforce on a local station. I don’t know if they got the movie that way or they chopped it up themselves but it was so badly cut that it ended several minutes before it really ended. They didn’t even bother to show credits. I guess they just had a lot of trouble editing around the naked woman. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-dubbing-ie-butchering-of-a-movie-for-tv-to-cut-out-foul-language-or-adult-stuff/116683/98 "2005-10-29T01:46:41Z")
> [@Fionn](#): > > WTF? Why isn’t the word “clitoris” suitable for the viewing audience? I might just be totally out of touch with Uptight America, but it’s a proper word. Who decided it would be better for any kiddies or sheltered viewers to turn to their friends or parents and say “What’s a climax?” than “What’s a clitoris?” Oooo, this one makes me really really mad. As if enough men didn’t know where/what the clitoris was to start with. Grrr… :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-dubbing-ie-butchering-of-a-movie-for-tv-to-cut-out-foul-language-or-adult-stuff/116683/99 "2005-10-29T01:52:32Z")
When I saw [Sideways](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375063/) on an airplane in Japan, the word “asshole” was replaced(by the actors) with “Ashcroft”. While it’s funny, I found it a bit annoying and distracting. Oh, and “fuck” became “push”. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-dubbing-ie-butchering-of-a-movie-for-tv-to-cut-out-foul-language-or-adult-stuff/116683/100 "2005-10-29T02:06:59Z")
_Young Frankenstein_ The part where Gene Wilder is describing his creation and Teri Garr asks him if the creature will have _everything_ in proportion. Wilder agrees with that assessment. Teri Garr Movie: “Well then he would have an enormous schvanstucker!” Teri Garr TV: “Well then he would have an enormous …personality!” :eek: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-dubbing-ie-butchering-of-a-movie-for-tv-to-cut-out-foul-language-or-adult-stuff/116683.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-dubbing-ie-butchering-of-a-movie-for-tv-to-cut-out-foul-language-or-adult-stuff/116683.md?page=6)