Transformers: Prime

[lunatron]

You know what would be neat? If Raf and Bumblebee both 'spoke' correct American Sign Language, and then there were subtitles for what they were 'saying'. Sign Language doesn't get a lot of portrayal in mainstream media. Then Raf could explain that one of his siblings is deaf or something, so his family knows ASL. They could do it in a way that is mildly educational but not preachy. Then, at least, they'd be addressing a real world issue in a respectful way, and the subtitles would let everyone else know what is going on.

(As for why Bumblebee is using ASL.... uh... he learned it from the internet.)

Comments

[dunmurderin.livejournal.com]

That would be so cool. And easy to do.

[lunatron.livejournal.com]

It depends how good a job they wanted to do with the ASL.

If it did not matter to them if the ASL was understandable, yeah, it would be easy.

If it mattered for the ASL to be understandable, they'd have to have pretty good hand and arm models, and they'd have to be careful about how the characters are posed so that viewers could see what was going on.

However, even half-afted nonsense ASL would be an improvement over the beeping in my book, because it would still be addressing a real world issue, it would make how Raf understands Bumblebee more plausible than Raf just magically understanding alien beeping, and the subtitles would let the viewers get to know Bumblebee better.

[dunmurderin.livejournal.com]

I had a longer response that got eaten by Yahoo!mail. But, suffice to say, you are right and I didn't think beyond the superficial when I made my comment.

Unfortunately, I can see the PTB considering the beeping to be the cheaper option in terms of animation and never mind that it doesn't make *sense* that Bumblebee should have to beep when there are other non-ASL options that would make as much sense and allow the character to be understood by others. Hell, even if the beeping was something stupid like Morse code it'd make sense that a human would be the only one to understand (though creatures who can teach themselves languages on the Internet could learn Morse code or ASL or use freakin' text messages to talk to each other).

But even sticking with the beeping, why don't they use subtitles for that? I can understand that nobody in the episode can understand him but why can't the audience be clued in?

Though, on the whole, man I would like them to use ASL. It'd give Bee a chance to display some emotion and get some more characterisation and it would introduce kids to the idea that some people communicate differently. And it'd maybe be a nice Easter egg for kids (and adults) who use ASL themselves.

[lunatron.livejournal.com]

Boo, Yahoo!mail. :(

Yeah, even Morse code would be better, though the problem with Morse code is that it is fairly slow, so Bumblebee would have trouble saying anything information-dense with Morse code in a timely fashion.

Prime, in some ways, sets itself up as a very dramatic, serious series, compared to other Transformers cartoons. So when it does things that challenge plausibility, I have to question if those things are worth it. Raf magically understanding Bumblebee challenges plausibility, and I am not sure that incident is actually worth it, especially because it doesn't really add anything to the show and takes things away from the show in some ways. Raf and Bumblebee could still be close friends if Bumblebee could speak normally. Bumblebee could still feel isolated and broken for other reasons. Also, there are other ways to get across that Bumblebee can't speak and that Raf can still understand him without relying on Raf just magically knowing, such as ASL or Morse code or texting Raf's dang cellphone, which would not strain plausibility as much.

You're right that they could subtitle the beeping. Movies often subtitle the bad guys speaking in German or Russian or whatever, so why not subtitle the beeping good guy? Without subtitles, it makes him come across as the... cat or dog. No one subtitles the pet, because unless it is a Disney movie, the pet is not speaking a coherent language.

The one other glitch with Bumblebee with using ASL would be in car mode. He has no hands and arms there. However, maybe he could scroll text messages on his dash or something.

Though, on the whole, man I would like them to use ASL. It'd give Bee a chance to display some emotion and get some more characterisation and it would introduce kids to the idea that some people communicate differently. And it'd maybe be a nice Easter egg for kids (and adults) who use ASL themselves.

Quoted because you said it so well. :)

[wingus.livejournal.com]

I support this idea.

[lunatron.livejournal.com]

:)

[earthscorch.livejournal.com]

Surely that would cut into the lowbrow gags associated with Bumblebee! We mustn't do that!

[lunatron.livejournal.com]

Prime Bumblebee is not associated with lowbrow gags the way that Bay Bumblebee is. He just beeps instead of speaking, and Raf is the only one who understands him. The animation models in Prime are not very expressive and have something of a plastic-like, Botox-like quality to them. So caring about Bumblebee as a character is difficult, because he does not 'say' anything that the viewer can understand and he is not very expressive. Bumblebee using ASL with subtitles would make him easier for the viewer to relate to, because we would finally know what he is 'saying'. Plus, it would be a nice acknowledgment on television that ASL exists.

[earthscorch.livejournal.com]

Oh, I see! Seriously, though, that is a good idea. :)