Italians’ Perception and Reception of British Stand-Up Comedy Humour with Interlingual Subtitles

Table of Contents

1 Introduction

1.1 Premise

1.2 The Experiment

1.3 The Research Questions

1.4 The Structure of the Dissertation

2 Translation of Humour, Subtitling and Reception Studies

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Humour and Translation Studies

2.3 Subtitling (of Humour)

2.4 Reception Studies and Eye Tracking

2.5 Conclusions

3 Eddie Izzard, the Shows and the Clips

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Eddie Izzard’s Humour: The Media Reception and His Own Perception

3.2.1 A note on Italian humour

3.3 The Shows and the Selected Clips

3.3.1 Dress to Kill

3.3.2 Circle

3.3.3 Stripped

3.4 A Comparative Analysis of English Audio Scripts and Italian Subtitles

3.4.1 Cultural references

3.4.2 Bad and strong language

3.4.3 Blasphemy

3.4.4 Puns

3.4.5 Idioms

3.4.6 Polysemy

3.5 Conclusions

4 Methodology I: Tools and Sample

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Online Survey Questionnaire

4.3 Eye Tracking

4.4 The Sample of Participants

4.5 Conclusions

5 Methodology II: Pilot Study

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Questionnaire Data

5.3 Eye-Tracking Data

5.4 Consequences of the pilot study: issues and amendments

5.5 Conclusions

6 Data Analysis: The Online Survey Questionnaire I

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Dress to Kill

6.2.1 I found it funny

6.2.2 I found it offensive

6.2.3 I found it different from Italian humour

6.3 Circle

6.3.1 I found it funny

6.3.2 I found it offensive

6.3.3 I found it different from Italian humour

6.4 Stripped

6.4.1 I found it funny

6.4.2 I found it offensive

6.4.3 I found it different from Italian humour

6.5 Conclusions

7 Data Analysis: The Online Survey Questionnaire II

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Dress to Kill

7.2.1 Attention to subtitles/images and further comments

7.3 Circle

7.3.1 Attention to subtitles/images and further comments

7.4 Stripped

7.4.1 Attention to subtitles/images and further comments

7.5 Other questions on the viewing experience

7.5.1 Following the subtitles

7.5.2 Enjoying the viewing experience

7.6 Conclusions

8 Data Analysis: The Eye-Tracking Data

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Dress to Kill

8.2.1 Greater focus on subtitles

8.2.2 Greater focus on images

8.2.3 Similar focus on subtitles and images

8.3 Circle

8.3.1 Greater focus on subtitles

8.3.2 Greater focus on images

8.3.3 Similar focus on subtitles and images

8.4 Stripped

8.4.1 Greater focus on subtitles

8.4.2 Greater focus on images

8.4.3 Similar focus on subtitles and images

8.5 Conclusions

9 Conclusions

9.1 Findings: Questionnaire Data

9.2 Findings: Eye-Tracking Data and Questionnaire Data

9.3 Concluding remarks

Research Objectives and Topics

This thesis examines the perception and reception of British stand-up comedy by Italian audiences when viewed with interlingual subtitles. By employing a triangulated methodology that combines an online survey questionnaire with eye-tracking technology, the study investigates how different viewers engage with the verbal and non-verbal humor of British comedian Eddie Izzard.

• Analysis of subtitling strategies for humor and their impact on audience reception.
• Investigation of the relationship between English proficiency and enjoyment of translated video material.
• Application of eye-tracking technology to assess attention distribution between subtitles and visual stimuli.
• Evaluation of the effectiveness of a twofold methodology (qualitative and quantitative) in translation studies.
• Contextualization of stand-up comedy as a specific audiovisual genre within the Italian cultural landscape.

Excerpt from the Book

Summary of Chapters

Introduction: This chapter outlines the research gap regarding the subtitling of stand-up comedy humour into Italian and introduces the twofold methodology applied to the study.

Translation of Humour, Subtitling and Reception Studies: This chapter discusses the theoretical foundations of the study, covering humor in translation, subtitling techniques, and reception studies within an interdisciplinary framework.

Eddie Izzard, the Shows and the Clips: This chapter introduces the case study, providing background on Eddie Izzard’s style and the selection of sketches from his shows for the experiment.

Methodology I: Tools and Sample: This chapter details the design of the online questionnaire and the technical specifications of the eye-tracking hardware used for data collection.

Methodology II: Pilot Study: This chapter presents the preliminary study conducted on a smaller sample to refine the methodology and ensure the feasibility of the final experiment.

Data Analysis: The Online Survey Questionnaire I: This chapter interprets the questionnaire data concerning how participants found the comedy of the clips in terms of funniness, offensiveness, and perceived difference from Italian humor.

Data Analysis: The Online Survey Questionnaire II: This chapter explores further questionnaire data, focusing on participants’ viewing behavior, their attention to subtitles versus images, and other factors affecting their overall viewing experience.

Data Analysis: The Eye-Tracking Data: This chapter presents the quantitative eye-tracking data, mapping viewer attention and testing the reliability of self-assessed viewing behavior against eye movement measurements.

Conclusions: This chapter synthesizes the main findings across all methodological stages and answers the central research questions, confirming the effectiveness of the triangulated approach.

Keywords

Audiovisual translation, Subtitling, Stand-up comedy, Eddie Izzard, Italian audience, Reception studies, Eye-tracking, Triangulated methodology, Humor, Cultural references, English competence, Cognitive effort, Media reception, Translation studies, Audience design.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the core focus of this research project?

The research explores the reception and perception of British stand-up comedy—specifically the shows of Eddie Izzard—by Italian audiences when presented with Italian interlingual subtitles.

What are the primary themes investigated in the study?

The study examines the translation of cultural references, the impact of humor on foreign audiences, the role of audience fluency in the source language, and the distribution of viewer attention during subtitled viewing.

What is the ultimate goal or main research question?

The central goal is to determine if interlingual subtitles can successfully reproduce the humorous effects of British stand-up comedy for an audience in a "dubbing country" like Italy, while also evaluating the reliability of audience self-assessment.

Which scientific methods were utilized in the study?

The author employed a "triangulated methodology," combining traditional qualitative online survey questionnaires with quantitative eye-tracking technology to obtain more reliable, objective data.

What is addressed in the main body of the work?

The main body covers the theoretical background of humor and translation, detailed descriptions of the selected Eddie Izzard clips, the methodology behind the participant survey and eye-tracking setup, and extensive data analysis of that survey and eye-tracking information.

How would you describe the relevant keywords for this paper?

Key terms include audiovisual translation, subtitling, stand-up comedy, reception studies, eye-tracking, and triangulated methodology.

How does the "flicked Hitler’s head off" remark function regarding religion and blasphemy?

The author uses this as an example of Eddie Izzard’s atheistic comedy. It acts as a blasphemous element that tests how religious Catholic participants in Italy perceive and interpret such irreverent historical humor.

Why did the author specifically choose to combine questionnaire data with eye-tracking?

The author argues that self-assessment in questionnaires is often subjective and potentially unreliable. Comparing these subjective answers against eye-tracking data allows the researcher to see if users actually watched what they claimed to be watching.

What was the result of the eye-tracking data analysis regarding attention distribution?

The eye-tracking data showed that many participants underestimated their reliance on subtitles for comprehension, confirming that reading subtitles is a significant cognitive task even for those who might feel they are ignoring them.