Do Germans laugh at this sort of thing?
January 7, 2010 3:15 PM Subscribe
How are ethnic jokes and the like on Family Guy (et al) translated for the joked-about audience?
I was watching Family Guy the other day, a show that has lots of international translations, and was wondering how tv shows that make, or make light of, ethnic humour/stereotypes/accents when the butt of the joke is the group that the show is translated for. For example, what do they do with the Toshii character from American Dad in Japan? What about the "Road to Germany" episode of Family Guy, in Germany? What does Klaus (from American Dad) sound like, in Germany? What do they do with the Mexican jokes on Family Guy's Spanish version (we don't have Spanish SAP in Canada so I have to ask)?
I don't need these concrete questions answered (though I'd welcome them) but would love anecdotes around this topic. Thanks!
I was watching Family Guy the other day, a show that has lots of international translations, and was wondering how tv shows that make, or make light of, ethnic humour/stereotypes/accents when the butt of the joke is the group that the show is translated for. For example, what do they do with the Toshii character from American Dad in Japan? What about the "Road to Germany" episode of Family Guy, in Germany? What does Klaus (from American Dad) sound like, in Germany? What do they do with the Mexican jokes on Family Guy's Spanish version (we don't have Spanish SAP in Canada so I have to ask)?
I don't need these concrete questions answered (though I'd welcome them) but would love anecdotes around this topic. Thanks!
Shows sold in syndication are often sold in packages of shows that include the popular and not-so-popular episodes. Very often, this is done with little to no regard for the show's continuity -- if you see Friends in syndication, for example, it will be televised out of order; you'll watch Ross and Rachel fall out of and into love in all kinds of haphazard fashion.
Some episodes will never be sold in syndication, for a variety of reasons. Try finding a re-run the "master of your domain" episode from Seinfeld on U.S. TV, for example.
This syndication model is also carried over for "evergreen" shows like Family Guy when syndicated abroad. There's not much episode-to-episode continuity to follow.
Which is a long way of saying, some of these episodes you mention will never be aired abroad, because they don't have to be. They may not even be valuable to purchase, if they didn't previously prove to be popular episodes, ratings-wise.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 3:24 PM on January 7, 2010
Some episodes will never be sold in syndication, for a variety of reasons. Try finding a re-run the "master of your domain" episode from Seinfeld on U.S. TV, for example.
This syndication model is also carried over for "evergreen" shows like Family Guy when syndicated abroad. There's not much episode-to-episode continuity to follow.
Which is a long way of saying, some of these episodes you mention will never be aired abroad, because they don't have to be. They may not even be valuable to purchase, if they didn't previously prove to be popular episodes, ratings-wise.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 3:24 PM on January 7, 2010
I can't speak for Family Guy in particular, but sometimes the answer is just changing the ethnicity/language they are making fun of.
For instance, in Futurama, while in the original English episodes, they made French an extinct language, when they aired the episodes in French, it was German that was extinct.
posted by piratebowling at 3:25 PM on January 7, 2010
For instance, in Futurama, while in the original English episodes, they made French an extinct language, when they aired the episodes in French, it was German that was extinct.
posted by piratebowling at 3:25 PM on January 7, 2010
Sometimes they change it to what we would consider a closely-affiliated group, which the target audience also makes fun of.
For example, on The Simpsons, the exchange student Üter (who's German in the US version) is Swiss, and all the jokes still pretty much work for the German audience.
posted by rkent at 3:25 PM on January 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
For example, on The Simpsons, the exchange student Üter (who's German in the US version) is Swiss, and all the jokes still pretty much work for the German audience.
posted by rkent at 3:25 PM on January 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: To answer one of my own questions, looks like Klaus has a Saxon accent on the German version, which is funny to Germans because it makes him sound like a Stasi agent. Keep 'em coming!
posted by ethnomethodologist at 3:32 PM on January 7, 2010
posted by ethnomethodologist at 3:32 PM on January 7, 2010
Try finding a re-run the "master of your domain" episode from Seinfeld on U.S. TV, for example.
It airs constantly.
posted by drjimmy11 at 3:32 PM on January 7, 2010 [4 favorites]
It airs constantly.
posted by drjimmy11 at 3:32 PM on January 7, 2010 [4 favorites]
I'm also sure I've seen the mast of your domain episode in syndication, but I'm in Canada.
Also, I imagine that there are some jokes that just stay the same (all the ones about Canadians, it seems!). Some of the stereotypes joked about are more or less benign (e.g. Canadians always apologize, the Japanese are polite) and some are kind of negative but the sort of foibles that people from the relevant countries also think of themselves as having.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 4:01 PM on January 7, 2010
Also, I imagine that there are some jokes that just stay the same (all the ones about Canadians, it seems!). Some of the stereotypes joked about are more or less benign (e.g. Canadians always apologize, the Japanese are polite) and some are kind of negative but the sort of foibles that people from the relevant countries also think of themselves as having.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 4:01 PM on January 7, 2010
Try finding a re-run the "master of your domain" episode from Seinfeld on U.S. TV...
...and you will very likely succeed, because that episode ("The Contest") is one of the most frequently rerun episodes in the United States.
posted by Jaltcoh at 4:03 PM on January 7, 2010
...and you will very likely succeed, because that episode ("The Contest") is one of the most frequently rerun episodes in the United States.
posted by Jaltcoh at 4:03 PM on January 7, 2010
Just a data point: They probably don't air "Road to Germany" in Germany, considering media with Nazi paraphernalia is illegal.
"Media with Nazi paraphernalia" is not illegal in Germany. In fact, there have been several German films in recent years about the Nazi period, and all of the Nazis in those movies are dressed like Nazis. Even.... Hitler!
posted by mr_roboto at 4:11 PM on January 7, 2010
"Media with Nazi paraphernalia" is not illegal in Germany. In fact, there have been several German films in recent years about the Nazi period, and all of the Nazis in those movies are dressed like Nazis. Even.... Hitler!
posted by mr_roboto at 4:11 PM on January 7, 2010
I seem to remember "The Little Mermaid" used an Italian accent for the French chef Louis when it aired in France.
posted by amicamentis at 4:43 PM on January 7, 2010
posted by amicamentis at 4:43 PM on January 7, 2010
They show Hogan's Heroes in Germany. I don't think it's illegal.
posted by bink at 4:45 PM on January 7, 2010
posted by bink at 4:45 PM on January 7, 2010
For instance, in Futurama, while in the original English episodes, they made French an extinct language, when they aired the episodes in French, it was German that was extinct.
Could that change be less about being (not) offensive and more about clarity? If the characters are speaking French then how could it be an extinct language?
posted by ian1977 at 4:45 PM on January 7, 2010
Could that change be less about being (not) offensive and more about clarity? If the characters are speaking French then how could it be an extinct language?
posted by ian1977 at 4:45 PM on January 7, 2010
Carla on Scrubs is from the Dominican Republic, and the show mined the English/Spanish divide for jokes. In Spanish subs, Carla and her family are from Brazil, and the jokes are about the Spanish/Portuguese divide.
posted by infinitewindow at 4:46 PM on January 7, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by infinitewindow at 4:46 PM on January 7, 2010 [3 favorites]
Could that change be less about being (not) offensive and more about clarity? If the characters are speaking French then how could it be an extinct language?
I was using that example more in context of the "For example, what do they do with the Toshii character from American Dad in Japan?" Question. In the case of Toshii, he speaks only in Japanese and none of the characters really understand him. If American Dad airs in Japan, dubbed in Japanese, how would they explain Toshii not being understood. The Futurama example was meant to highlight how such an issue is tackled.
posted by piratebowling at 4:54 PM on January 7, 2010
I was using that example more in context of the "For example, what do they do with the Toshii character from American Dad in Japan?" Question. In the case of Toshii, he speaks only in Japanese and none of the characters really understand him. If American Dad airs in Japan, dubbed in Japanese, how would they explain Toshii not being understood. The Futurama example was meant to highlight how such an issue is tackled.
posted by piratebowling at 4:54 PM on January 7, 2010
"Media with Nazi paraphernalia" is not illegal in Germany. In fact, there have been several German films in recent years about the Nazi period, and all of the Nazis in those movies are dressed like Nazis. Even.... Hitler!
Wait...really? Maybe it's just that you're not allowed to wear Nazi paraphernalia. Maybe that's it. I know that a quite a few video games get heavily censored in Germany regarding Nazi-stuff, though.
posted by InsanePenguin at 5:34 PM on January 7, 2010
Wait...really? Maybe it's just that you're not allowed to wear Nazi paraphernalia. Maybe that's it. I know that a quite a few video games get heavily censored in Germany regarding Nazi-stuff, though.
posted by InsanePenguin at 5:34 PM on January 7, 2010
Okay, after a quick wiking I came up with this:
"Membership in a Nazi party, incitement of hatred against a segment of the population (Volksverhetzung) and Holocaust denial are illegal in Germany. Publishing, television, public correspondence (including lectures), and music are censored accordingly, with harsh legal consequences, including jail time."
So I guess it's cool so long as you're not advocating the Nazi agenda.
posted by InsanePenguin at 5:37 PM on January 7, 2010
"Membership in a Nazi party, incitement of hatred against a segment of the population (Volksverhetzung) and Holocaust denial are illegal in Germany. Publishing, television, public correspondence (including lectures), and music are censored accordingly, with harsh legal consequences, including jail time."
So I guess it's cool so long as you're not advocating the Nazi agenda.
posted by InsanePenguin at 5:37 PM on January 7, 2010
In a slightly different vein, when King of the Hill airs (aired?) in Quebec, it apparently takes place not in Arlen, Texas but in a small town in Quebec. I only saw the one episode, so I don't know how they deal with stories like visiting the Alamo or freaking out over a light dusting of snow.
posted by mhum at 5:38 PM on January 7, 2010
posted by mhum at 5:38 PM on January 7, 2010
In the '70's, I used to watch American TV dubbed in Spanish. Normally, this worked okay, but I remember an odd scene in a western. An Indian chief (maybe Geronimo?) was meeting with a cavalry officer. Cavalry officer spoke English, Geronimo spoke Spanish, so a cavalry sergeant translated back and forth. But since this was dubbed, everybody was speaking Spanish. Result: officer speaks, sergeant rephrases what the officer said; then Geronimo speaks and the sergeant rephrases what Geronimo said. And so on.
posted by bentley at 6:45 PM on January 7, 2010
posted by bentley at 6:45 PM on January 7, 2010
This doesn't exactly answer your question, but seems somewhat related. I saw the dreadful John Travolta movie Phenomenon in a movie theater in Brazil. The audience thought it was hilariously jarring when halfway through the movie he started speaking terrible phonetic Portuguese (supposedly after learning it in a half hour).
posted by umbú at 7:01 PM on January 7, 2010
posted by umbú at 7:01 PM on January 7, 2010
On the Seinfeld tangent: an example of an episode that actually doesn't show in syndication is the Puerto Rican Parade episode. So sometimes objectionable episodes just don't run in syndication.
posted by Hello, Revelers! I am Captain Lavender! at 7:30 PM on January 7, 2010
posted by Hello, Revelers! I am Captain Lavender! at 7:30 PM on January 7, 2010
I remember watching an episode of Roseanne in Germany and being perplexed at her sweet voice in their translation. It was somehow even less funny.
posted by togdon at 7:38 PM on January 7, 2010
posted by togdon at 7:38 PM on January 7, 2010
As people have said, it varies.
Transferring the joke example: Manuel the comic-relief Spanish waiter from Fawlty Towers. Italian in the Spanish dub, apparently Mexican in the Catalonian dub
Owning the joke example: Bender B. Rodriguez, the comic-relief Mexican robot from Futurama: proudly Mexican in the Latin American dub, with "comedy servant" voice right out of a bumblebee-related sitcom.
posted by ormondsacker at 8:41 PM on January 7, 2010
Transferring the joke example: Manuel the comic-relief Spanish waiter from Fawlty Towers. Italian in the Spanish dub, apparently Mexican in the Catalonian dub
Owning the joke example: Bender B. Rodriguez, the comic-relief Mexican robot from Futurama: proudly Mexican in the Latin American dub, with "comedy servant" voice right out of a bumblebee-related sitcom.
posted by ormondsacker at 8:41 PM on January 7, 2010
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posted by InsanePenguin at 3:23 PM on January 7, 2010