If we look at the existing publications addressing topics related to the audiovisual translation mode of subtitling and the rendering of humour into another language, we shall notice that there has been an undeniable growth within these branches of translation studies. Nonetheless, this statement does not apply to the specific field of translation of stand-up comedy humour by means of interlingual subtitles. The literature related to this research field reveals a significant gap especially when the focus is on how audiences respond to this type of translated audiovisual products, and when the source language and the target language are respectively British English and Italian.
The present PhD project was designed to fill the aforementioned research gap and, in order to attain this purpose, some sketches selected from three of Eddie Izzard’s stand-up comedy shows (Dress to Kill, Circle and Stripped, for which Italian subtitles are available in the official DVDs) were played to a sample of 103 Italians based in Italy so as to observe their reaction.
In order to study the specific research field outlined above, the project was made even more original and innovative by adopting a twofold methodology that combines the use of a survey questionnaire with the eye-tracking technology for the data collection.
The ultimate aims of this research project were to discover: 1) whether the import of audiovisual products involving British stand-up comedy humour with interlingual subtitles can be deemed as successful in a dubbing country like Italy; 2) the role played by factors such as age, level of English and habit of watching video material in English in the Italian participants’ degree of appreciation of this type of product, as well as in their attention distribution between subtitles and images; and 3) whether a triangulated methodological approach can help to obtain more reliable findings.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Premise
1.2 The Experiment
1.3 The Research Questions
1.4 The Structure of the Dissertation
2 Translation of Humour, Subtitling and Reception Studies
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Humour and Translation Studies
2.3 Subtitling (of Humour)
2.4 Reception Studies and Eye Tracking
2.5 Conclusions
3 Eddie Izzard, the Shows and the Clips
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Eddie Izzard’s Humour: The Media Reception and His Own Perception
3.2.1 A note on Italian humour
3.3 The Shows and the Selected Clips
3.3.1 Dress to Kill
3.3.2 Circle
3.3.3 Stripped
3.4 A Comparative Analysis of English Audio Scripts and Italian Subtitles
3.4.1 Cultural references
3.4.2 Bad and strong language
3.4.3 Blasphemy
3.4.4 Puns
3.4.5 Idioms
3.4.6 Polysemy
3.5 Conclusions
4 Methodology I: Tools and Sample
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Online Survey Questionnaire
4.3 Eye Tracking
4.4 The Sample of Participants
4.5 Conclusions
5 Methodology II: Pilot Study
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Questionnaire Data
5.3 Eye-Tracking Data
5.4 Consequences of the pilot study: issues and amendments
5.5 Conclusions
6 Data Analysis: The Online Survey Questionnaire I
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Dress to Kill
6.2.1 I found it funny
6.2.2 I found it offensive
6.2.3 I found it different from Italian humour
6.3 Circle
6.3.1 I found it funny
6.3.2 I found it offensive
6.3.3 I found it different from Italian humour
6.4 Stripped
6.4.1 I found it funny
6.4.2 I found it offensive
6.4.3 I found it different from Italian humour
6.5 Conclusions
7 Data Analysis: The Online Survey Questionnaire II
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Dress to Kill
7.2.1 Attention to subtitles/images and further comments
7.3 Circle
7.3.1 Attention to subtitles/images and further comments
7.4 Stripped
7.4.1 Attention to subtitles/images and further comments
7.5 Other questions on the viewing experience
7.5.1 Following the subtitles
7.5.2 Enjoying the viewing experience
7.6 Conclusions
8 Data Analysis: The Eye-Tracking Data
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Dress to Kill
8.2.1 Greater focus on subtitles
8.2.2 Greater focus on images
8.2.3 Similar focus on subtitles and images
8.3 Circle
8.3.1 Greater focus on subtitles
8.3.2 Greater focus on images
8.3.3 Similar focus on subtitles and images
8.4 Stripped
8.4.1 Greater focus on subtitles
8.4.2 Greater focus on images
8.4.3 Similar focus on subtitles and images
8.5 Conclusions
9 Conclusions
9.1 Findings: Questionnaire Data
9.2 Findings: Eye-Tracking Data and Questionnaire Data
9.3 Concluding remarks
Research Objectives and Topics
This thesis examines the perception and reception of British stand-up comedy by Italian audiences when viewed with interlingual subtitles. By employing a triangulated methodology that combines an online survey questionnaire with eye-tracking technology, the study investigates how different viewers engage with the verbal and non-verbal humor of British comedian Eddie Izzard.
- Analysis of subtitling strategies for humor and their impact on audience reception.
- Investigation of the relationship between English proficiency and enjoyment of translated video material.
- Application of eye-tracking technology to assess attention distribution between subtitles and visual stimuli.
- Evaluation of the effectiveness of a twofold methodology (qualitative and quantitative) in translation studies.
- Contextualization of stand-up comedy as a specific audiovisual genre within the Italian cultural landscape.
Excerpt from the Book
3.4.1 Cultural references
Eddie Izzard’s humour is often built upon cultural references (for an extensive discussion, see Pedersen 2011), which are frequently used in the sketches that focus on history. For instance, Dress to Kill presents a reference to the rise of Fascism in Italy, which, according to Eddie Izzard, happened in a very smooth way, with the Italians agreeing on Mussolini’s decision almost with indifference, while enjoying life as films like Roman Holiday (1953, William Wyler) depict it. In this regard, it is interesting to observe how the sample of participants responds to this description that consists of a contradiction between the authoritative and totalitarian nature of Fascism and Eddie Izzard’s idea of a very relaxed reaction shown by the Italians. Moreover, there is an over-adaptation of the original when, in the sentence ‘they’re into football and life’, ‘life’ is translated as dolce vita (‘sweet life’), which stands for the life style that mainly characterised the 50s and the 60s in Italy and, especially, in Rome.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: This chapter outlines the research gap regarding the subtitling of stand-up comedy humour into Italian and introduces the twofold methodology applied to the study.
Translation of Humour, Subtitling and Reception Studies: This chapter discusses the theoretical foundations of the study, covering humor in translation, subtitling techniques, and reception studies within an interdisciplinary framework.
Eddie Izzard, the Shows and the Clips: This chapter introduces the case study, providing background on Eddie Izzard’s style and the selection of sketches from his shows for the experiment.
Methodology I: Tools and Sample: This chapter details the design of the online questionnaire and the technical specifications of the eye-tracking hardware used for data collection.
Methodology II: Pilot Study: This chapter presents the preliminary study conducted on a smaller sample to refine the methodology and ensure the feasibility of the final experiment.
Data Analysis: The Online Survey Questionnaire I: This chapter interprets the questionnaire data concerning how participants found the comedy of the clips in terms of funniness, offensiveness, and perceived difference from Italian humor.
Data Analysis: The Online Survey Questionnaire II: This chapter explores further questionnaire data, focusing on participants’ viewing behavior, their attention to subtitles versus images, and other factors affecting their overall viewing experience.
Data Analysis: The Eye-Tracking Data: This chapter presents the quantitative eye-tracking data, mapping viewer attention and testing the reliability of self-assessed viewing behavior against eye movement measurements.
Conclusions: This chapter synthesizes the main findings across all methodological stages and answers the central research questions, confirming the effectiveness of the triangulated approach.
Keywords
Audiovisual translation, Subtitling, Stand-up comedy, Eddie Izzard, Italian audience, Reception studies, Eye-tracking, Triangulated methodology, Humor, Cultural references, English competence, Cognitive effort, Media reception, Translation studies, Audience design.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research project?
The research explores the reception and perception of British stand-up comedy—specifically the shows of Eddie Izzard—by Italian audiences when presented with Italian interlingual subtitles.
What are the primary themes investigated in the study?
The study examines the translation of cultural references, the impact of humor on foreign audiences, the role of audience fluency in the source language, and the distribution of viewer attention during subtitled viewing.
What is the ultimate goal or main research question?
The central goal is to determine if interlingual subtitles can successfully reproduce the humorous effects of British stand-up comedy for an audience in a "dubbing country" like Italy, while also evaluating the reliability of audience self-assessment.
Which scientific methods were utilized in the study?
The author employed a "triangulated methodology," combining traditional qualitative online survey questionnaires with quantitative eye-tracking technology to obtain more reliable, objective data.
What is addressed in the main body of the work?
The main body covers the theoretical background of humor and translation, detailed descriptions of the selected Eddie Izzard clips, the methodology behind the participant survey and eye-tracking setup, and extensive data analysis of that survey and eye-tracking information.
How would you describe the relevant keywords for this paper?
Key terms include audiovisual translation, subtitling, stand-up comedy, reception studies, eye-tracking, and triangulated methodology.
How does the "flicked Hitler’s head off" remark function regarding religion and blasphemy?
The author uses this as an example of Eddie Izzard’s atheistic comedy. It acts as a blasphemous element that tests how religious Catholic participants in Italy perceive and interpret such irreverent historical humor.
Why did the author specifically choose to combine questionnaire data with eye-tracking?
The author argues that self-assessment in questionnaires is often subjective and potentially unreliable. Comparing these subjective answers against eye-tracking data allows the researcher to see if users actually watched what they claimed to be watching.
What was the result of the eye-tracking data analysis regarding attention distribution?
The eye-tracking data showed that many participants underestimated their reliance on subtitles for comprehension, confirming that reading subtitles is a significant cognitive task even for those who might feel they are ignoring them.
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- Teresa Filizzola (Autor:in), 2016, Italians’ Perception and Reception of British Stand-Up Comedy Humour with Interlingual Subtitles, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1297098
