The Perception of Humour in Dubbing vs. Subtitling: The Case of Six Feet Under

The present study sets out to investigate the effects that different modes of audiovisual translation might have on the way the same audiovisual text is perceived by viewers. In order to do this, the author analysed the dubbed and subtitled versions of one episode of the American TV series Six Feet Under, which depicts the lives of a family of undertakers with a peculiar mixture of dramatic elements, black humour, and surreal events. This study hypothesizes that, partly due to the different audiences targeted by the two versions, the dubbed version of the same episode results in a different product, with noticeably reduced use of swearwords and efficacy of the humorous elements, which are however present in the subtitled version. It is hypothesized that these differences between the dubbed and the subtitled versions are reflected in the way viewers perceive the show according to which version they watch. In order to support this hypothesis, excerpts from a dubbed episode of Six Feet Under were shown to a sample of Italian viewers, while a second sample watched the subtitled versions of the same excerpts. Viewers from both samples were then asked to fill out a purpose-built questionnaire aimed at assessing their appreciation of the scenes they watched. The study helped collect empirical evidence on the possible differences perceived in the two versions, with particular attention to cases in which these differences seem to be brought about by translational choices.