Comments on: Mediapro: Allen film only in English and Catalan http://www.thebadrash.com/2008/04/09/mediapro-allen-film-only-in-english-and-catalan/ A blog from Barcelona, Catalonia, covering politics, culture, society and more Sun, 05 Feb 2012 12:18:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Travieso Rovirahttp://www.thebadrash.com/2008/04/09/mediapro-allen-film-only-in-english-and-catalan/#comment-14873 Travieso Rovira Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:09:40 +0000 http://www.thebadrash.com/?p=847#comment-14873 Please do let them be. Just give them the chance to fulfil their twisted sexual fantasies. Sad little people that speak such unfortunate language deserves nothing but compassion. Please do let them be.
Just give them the chance to fulfil their twisted sexual fantasies. Sad little people that speak such unfortunate language deserves nothing but compassion.

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]]> By: Rabhttp://www.thebadrash.com/2008/04/09/mediapro-allen-film-only-in-english-and-catalan/#comment-4184 Rab Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:59:42 +0000 http://www.thebadrash.com/?p=847#comment-4184 Sorry to add another link, but this is spot on: http://www.victoralexandre.cat/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=550&Itemid=1 Quick translation: It is simple: Catalan speakers are obliged to be bilingual so that many Spanish-speakers can remain monolingual. Curious bilinguism this. A type of bilinguism that is founded in the principle of laziness: "talk me in my language, so that I don't need to learn yours". Sorry to add another link, but this is spot on:

http://www.victoralexandre.cat/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=550&Itemid=1

Quick translation:

It is simple: Catalan speakers are obliged to be bilingual so that many Spanish-speakers can remain monolingual. Curious bilinguism this. A type of bilinguism that is founded in the principle of laziness: "talk me in my language, so that I don't need to learn yours".

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]]> By: Tomhttp://www.thebadrash.com/2008/04/09/mediapro-allen-film-only-in-english-and-catalan/#comment-4022 Tom Sat, 12 Apr 2008 09:00:51 +0000 http://www.thebadrash.com/?p=847#comment-4022 Rab - thanks for the links. It's true that for only one film, this seems to be an excessive reaction. On the other hand, this is Barcelona's big advert, made by Woody Allen, so it's unsurprising that there's a lot of interest. As something of an update, I now understand that parts of the dialogue in the film are in Catalan anyway. This obviously changes the matter because no film that is either partially or completely in Catalan should need to be dubbed into Spanish. The Guardian journalist should definitely have made mention of this fact but they obviously chose to follow the wire story more or less to the word, rather than do some actual reporting work. This looks like it's yet another example of the shoddy journalism which now thrives in the UK media. See Flat Earth News. Rab – thanks for the links. It's true that for only one film, this seems to be an excessive reaction. On the other hand, this is Barcelona's big advert, made by Woody Allen, so it's unsurprising that there's a lot of interest.

As something of an update, I now understand that parts of the dialogue in the film are in Catalan anyway. This obviously changes the matter because no film that is either partially or completely in Catalan should need to be dubbed into Spanish.

The Guardian journalist should definitely have made mention of this fact but they obviously chose to follow the wire story more or less to the word, rather than do some actual reporting work. This looks like it's yet another example of the shoddy journalism which now thrives in the UK media. See Flat Earth News.

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]]> By: Rabhttp://www.thebadrash.com/2008/04/09/mediapro-allen-film-only-in-english-and-catalan/#comment-4019 Rab Sat, 12 Apr 2008 08:11:39 +0000 http://www.thebadrash.com/?p=847#comment-4019 What is revealing about the Catalan-bashing is its hypocritical inconsistency and double standards. For many years, I have applied a method I call “reverse argument”, which implies changing or reversing the descriptors used in the debate. This way, only the facts and the underlying principles are analysed, without the superficial (names on things) being a distraction. In this case, the attempt to create controversy about the Allen film does reveal how Catalonophobia is rampant amongst the pro-Spanish media. Every year, there are hundreds (thousands?) of films shown in Catalonia. Of these a minuscule percentage are dubbed or subtitled in Catalan (just a handful of copies with minimum distribution and shown at off-peak times) as well as Spanish. The overwhelming majority of cinemas only show films that are dubbed or subtitled in Spanish. Only and exclusively in Spanish. This is despite Catalan being the official and native language of Catalonia. Yet, when there is one film, just one, that it is going to be available for Catalan cinema distribution in Catalan-language only, the pro-Spanish media (where the Guardian’s dude got his cue) creates a massive row. This is how stupid this debate is: if it is Spanish-only it is alright, normal and non-political. If it is only in Catalan, however, it is discriminatory and a political manoeuvre. And I thought the silly news season was in the summer… There is a piece in today’s Avui about this farce: http://paper.avui.cat/article/dialeg/122737/scarlett/lespanya/decent.html And in Tribuna.cat: http://www.tribuna.cat/Cr%F2nica/Cultura_i_mitjans_de_comunicaci%F3/La_caverna_no_vol_que_Woody_Allen_parli_catal%E0/ For translation into English: http://www.translendium.net:8080/home/text.do The reality of cinema distribution in Catalonia and language discrimination is exposed in this funny video: http://www.plataforma-llengua.cat/cinema/elsGomis.html And for a serious analysis of the issue, there is this report: http://www.plataforma-llengua.cat/doc/cinema.doc (Catalan). Let’s keep this in mind: one film exclusively in Catalan in Catalonia. Just one. What is revealing about the Catalan-bashing is its hypocritical inconsistency and double standards.

For many years, I have applied a method I call “reverse argument”, which implies changing or reversing the descriptors used in the debate. This way, only the facts and the underlying principles are analysed, without the superficial (names on things) being a distraction.

In this case, the attempt to create controversy about the Allen film does reveal how Catalonophobia is rampant amongst the pro-Spanish media.

Every year, there are hundreds (thousands?) of films shown in Catalonia. Of these a minuscule percentage are dubbed or subtitled in Catalan (just a handful of copies with minimum distribution and shown at off-peak times) as well as Spanish.

The overwhelming majority of cinemas only show films that are dubbed or subtitled in Spanish. Only and exclusively in Spanish. This is despite Catalan being the official and native language of Catalonia.

Yet, when there is one film, just one, that it is going to be available for Catalan cinema distribution in Catalan-language only, the pro-Spanish media (where the Guardian’s dude got his cue) creates a massive row.

This is how stupid this debate is: if it is Spanish-only it is alright, normal and non-political. If it is only in Catalan, however, it is discriminatory and a political manoeuvre.
And I thought the silly news season was in the summer…

There is a piece in today’s Avui about this farce:
http://paper.avui.cat/article/dialeg/122737/scarlett/lespanya/decent.html

And in Tribuna.cat:
http://www.tribuna.cat/Cr%F2nica/Cultura_i_mitjans_de_comunicaci%F3/La_caverna_no_vol_que_Woody_Allen_parli_catal%E0/

For translation into English: http://www.translendium.net:8080/home/text.do

The reality of cinema distribution in Catalonia and language discrimination is exposed in this funny video:

http://www.plataforma-llengua.cat/cinema/elsGomis.html

And for a serious analysis of the issue, there is this report:
http://www.plataforma-llengua.cat/doc/cinema.doc (Catalan).

Let’s keep this in mind: one film exclusively in Catalan in Catalonia. Just one.

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]]> By: kalebeul » Allen shite “not a decision even remotely connected with the Generalitat”http://www.thebadrash.com/2008/04/09/mediapro-allen-film-only-in-english-and-catalan/#comment-3951 kalebeul » Allen shite “not a decision even remotely connected with the Generalitat” Thu, 10 Apr 2008 06:58:46 +0000 http://www.thebadrash.com/?p=847#comment-3951 [...] Tom’s being more naive than necessary re the latest Woody Allen crap being in Catalan and English only. Mediapro was a creature of the Generalitat[...] [...] Tom's being more naive than necessary re the latest Woody Allen crap being in Catalan and English only. Mediapro was a creature of the Generalitat[...]

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