Frak me!
You gotta love Battlestar Galactica. For a space opera, it's remarkably low-tech. The characters still wear eyeglasses, use phones with cords, and shoot guns that fire real bullets. Indeed, sometimes it seems that the only real innovation they've seen since the 20th century has been to invent a new word for fuck.
Some BSG viewers find the constant use of the term frak and its many derivatives distracting. So did I, at first, but now I'm sort of used to it, and I've found the expletive creeping into my own daily vocabulary as a result. All in all, I think it's far less distracting than some of the ridiculous dub jobs I used to see on network television while growing up in the 80's.
Remember those? Burt Reynolds saying, "Gosh damn you, you son of a buck!" or Henry Fonda exclaiming "For rice cakes!" It can't get any more distracting than that, especially when their lips are flapping all wrong. Anyone have any favorite bad dub jobs to share? I think my one of my all-time favorites, just because it was so bizarre, was in the TV version of The Big Chill. In the original, Jeff Goldblum said his magazine's editorial policy was not to write anything longer than the average person could read during the average crap. The TV version came out "...longer than the average person can read during the average you-know." First of all, what's wrong with crap? Second, couldn't they have done better than you-know? Dump, maybe?
These days I guess they're getting a bit more sophisticated about it. Still, I'm so curious about A&E's new sanitized version of The Sopranos that I just may have to watch it. I mean seriously, what's it going to be? If you take out all the sex, violence, nudity and profanity from The Sopranos, what's left? Maybe it'll be a series of 5-minute shorts, sort of like when the Simpsons were on the Tracy Ullman show.
Comments
BNJ: "You gotta love Battlestar Galactica. For a space opera, it's remarkably low-tech. The characters still wear eyeglasses, use phones with cords, and shoot guns that fire real bullets. Indeed, sometimes it seems that the only real innovation they've seen since the 20th century has been to invent a new word for fuck."
BSG doesn't take place in the future, it takes place in the distant past, before even the invention of the lava-lamp.
BNJ: "Anyone have any favorite bad dub jobs to share?"
Sonny Corleone (as they prepare for a meeting between Michael, Captain McCluskey and Sollozo at which the Corleones plan revenge: "I don't want my brother coming out of the bathroom with just a stick in his hand."
Posted by: withoutfeathers | October 20, 2006 10:25 AM
Lol! Great one. :-) Where's he going to get a stick in the loo?
And although it doesn't really count (since it's parody) there's always this classic from SNL's "The Exorcist" parody: "Your mother sews socks that smell."
Posted by: BNJ | October 20, 2006 10:32 AM
Die Hard for T:
"Yiipy-kay-yeah Mr. Falcon"
Actual:
"Yiipy-kay-yeah mother fucker"
Posted by: Malcolm | October 20, 2006 11:18 AM
Bill Murray, in "Ghostbusters" - original line "Yes, it's true...this man has no dick"
- network version "He's some sort of rodent - I'm not sure which."
I love the new BSG. Before I started watching it, I watched a few episodes of the 70's version, so I could compare. Boy, was that ever an exercise in tedium. Pretty much unwatchable.
I, too, have found "frak" creeping into my vernacular. Usually when driving.
I keep expecting to hear "feldercarb" ("bullshit") on the new BSG. I hope I haven't missed it while being distracted by Tricia Helfer's legs or evening wear or something.
Posted by: Tracy Miller | October 23, 2006 12:12 PM
> "He's some sort of rodent - I'm not sure which."
God, what a classic! How could I have forgotten that one? In the same exchange, "Dickless" also became "Willie Wick," IIRC. What a memory you have. :-)
Posted by: BNJ | October 23, 2006 12:21 PM