Just realized that the newest trailers in the U.S. for the film "Bend it Like Beckham" have dubbed over the word, "football" and put in "soccer". I wonder if they've killed off other Britishisms, too. In that case, it would make sense to replace Beckham with Landon Donovan - perhaps through digital imaging - so the film can appeal even more to young U.S. soccer fans.
LOL...ok seriously thats ridiculous and insulting to our intelligence...although when i saw it they kept in the word "football"...
FWIW, they ran the Americanized trailers back in February while the dialogs film itself remained untouched. I noticed that they started advertising again this week though.
Wow, I didn't know the dubbed version of the trailer had played earlier. I've seen other BILB trailers that didn't have it. I wonder if they just rotate it through occasionally, just to catch some people who don't realize, despite all the footage of soccer, that the film is actually about soccer. Until of course, they hear the word. "Oh, damn! All this time I thought that Indian girl wanted to play football! Like, be a quarterback or something."
Soccer is not the most popular sport in American and by and large American sports fans don't know much about it. But I really think people go overboard in their estimations of just how little knowledge there is of soccer here. And as for Bend it Like Donovan, I think at this point far more Americans know who Beckham is that Donovan.
Blasphemy! Many Americans know Baby Jesus - we hold elaborate ceremonies for Landon every December. Even more of them are beginning to know GO(aDu). Beckham is just some Anglo-Saxon false prophet or something.
I could be wrong, but I don't remember a TV spot that actually used the word "football". I don't think it's that big a deal. Yeah, they show soccer footage in the trailer so there shouldn't be any confusion - though to the unintiated, it could be confusing at first. As they say in politics, you can't underestimate the audience enough, and clarity is often more important than correctness. As long as the language in the actual movie isn't changed, it's probably best to leave no room for confusion. It sounds awkward to us more sophisticated types only because we're expecting to hear "football" and "soccer" just sounds weird with an Indian-English accent.
I first saw the BILB preview in the theater before a movie. I've seen it twice since then. IIRC, the movie ones do NOT have the word "soccer". That might be why I've imagined that I saw a "football" TV spot as well. Perhaps. All I know is that I did a double take in front of my TV - it sounded so weird - "soccer" and not just because of the accent. The dubbing (like almost all dubbing) throws off the timing and sound. And of course, the lips don't match what she's saying. I just think it's funny, especially considering the film itself isn't changed. Why bother?
Like I said, I think it sounds awkward too, for multiple reasons. But I can see why the studio did it this way. With the theaterical trailer, they have two whole minutes to explain the background, the characters, etc. In a TV trailer, they have less than 30 seconds and there's no time to set up the story. The studio perhaps thought "football" might be confusing without any context, if only on the first mention. Most people would get that the movie's set in England and they call it "football" over there, but during a 30 second spot, they want the audience to be paying attention to what's on the screen, not thinking "Football? Oh, right, they're British and..." Anyway, not a big deal I think. I don't think it turns away potential viewers and eases any possible confusion.
And lest we forget, contrary to popular opinion on Bigsoccer, they do say soccer from time to time in Britain. I haven't seen the movie but I wouldn't be surprised if somewhere in the "football versions" the word soccer is used.
Been there. Its on Carnaby Street, which will ring a bell for those of us who remember micro skirts and white plastic boots as the height of fashion.
I can confirm the word "soccer" is used frequently over here. Both "football" and "soccer" are used by the media.
I remember that scene - in fact, I mentioned it later to my boyfriend as proof that "soccer" is used there. However, I've racked my brain, and can't remember a character once saying the word. Even when they mention the WUSA, they say, "women's league", etc. Though I think the announcer on the WUSA tape does say "soccer" Oh, well.
What's interesting about this article on the Santa Clara site is that it reveals they've NEVER recruited international players, even though they were ranked #1 in the country when the movie was made. http://santaclarabroncos.ocsn.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/052003aaa.html Jules and Jess would have been real pioneers. And yes, I know this has nothing to do with the dubbing - I was just curious about how the film reflected reality in other ways.
I think your second statement if patently false. I think that "by and large" most American sports fans know about soccer. The problem is that they don't all follow the same soccer product. Some follow their kids playing, others follow womens soccer, MLS, foreign leagues, or just national teams. The market is very segmented, but the sport itself is quite well understood.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/06/13/1055220764850.html Guess messing with foreign accents on TV trailers is par for the US.
That's more ot less what I'm saying. People underestimate the level of soccer knowldege in this country. Relative to many other countries knowledge of soccer in the US is rather low, but the idea that Americans are competely ignorant about the sport, which is still widely believed, is not true.