Foreign language dubs.
Anybody in the western world over the age of 5 can read, presumably.
If you don't, you can't even read this rant, so bollocks to you.
So why do a lot of media still shun that miraculous invention known as subtitles?
Seeing an Indian archeologist explain his cultural heritage on NatGeo or Discovery, his Hindi speech overdubbed by an Apu Nahasapeemapetilon impersonator because the general public is presumably too thick to read subtitles and watch the screen at the same time ticks me off.

I thank my lucky stars that over here in Belgium practically everything, except kids' cartoons, is subtitled.
And even being in this privileged situation, a lot of Flemish don't speak French, a lot of Walloons don't speak Dutch, while this is really the only difference between both...
Hell, it's even cost-cutting, isn't it, they have to hire less voice actors!
(Caustic Armadillo consists at least 30% out of custard, Sun 4 May 2008, 12:15, 8 replies)

tell me about it.
Here in spain, Spanish TV is dubbed. They dont subtitle anything! They play loads of english and american shows and movies but overdub it. Why dont they leave the original sound track?
France is the same.. Ooh soo proud of their language :D
(Miggyman, Sun 4 May 2008, 12:24, closed)

Watch Akira in the American dubbed form, then the European subtitled form.
One is some kind of nonsensical abortion of a kids cartoon that looks pretty but makes little sense, the other an earthy, clever and well scripted animated movie, I'll let you decide which is which.
( ..wil, Sun 4 May 2008, 12:39, closed)

Normally I Would Agree
But I will make exception for old, dodgy martial arts films.
Anyone ever seen 'Story of Ricky'. Watch it with subtitle - decent gorefest.
Watch it with dubbing - hilarious! All the names have, for some mystifying reason changed to Allan and James.
( Boss Keloid Got your mother's maiden name tattooed on my arm, Sun 4 May 2008, 12:42, closed)

You
wanna fight? You fight me
(magic the cat will someone please think of the kittens, Sun 4 May 2008, 13:01, closed)

what about the blind?
Since they can't read subtitles, don't they deserve to listen to a movie in their own language?

Wait... what?
( bnt what, me worry?, Sun 4 May 2008, 13:36, closed)

They got that covered, you know
We have special screenings for the blind with narrators over here, though it sounds rather silly.

Oh, and of course kung fu movies and Godzilla are a most pleasant exception.
(Caustic Armadillo consists at least 30% out of custard, Sun 4 May 2008, 13:49, closed)

Does that include
the blammo and kapow parts of Batman
(magic the cat will someone please think of the kittens, Sun 4 May 2008, 13:52, closed)

This is why I (get Mr Maladicta to) download all my anime
The dubs are always horrendous; it takes no effort to read the subtitles!
( Maladicta, Mon 5 May 2008, 16:21, closed)