Ruin My Week
As the world hurtles from one disaster to the next it’s easy to get caught up in vital big-picture issues like political upheavals and climate change.
So it’s inspiring to see that some people out there are still making time for minutiae and arguing passionately about things that absolutely don’t matter at all. The latest such totally insignificant but passionately contested division to bubble up online? Netflix subtitles. Are they good? Are they bad?
You know what they say about opinions and assh*les: everyone’s got one and most of them stink.
The controversy was kicked off by a viral tweet from Twitter user @ulovemee who implored others to imagine the pain of falling for a subtitle user.
https://twitter.com/uIovemee/status/1151175927587647488
Team Subtitle hit back HARD.
Tf y’all have against subtitles ? 🙄🙄🙄
— gabrielladriana (@gabrielladriana) July 17, 2019
imagine not using subtitles pic.twitter.com/Q2yB9tZFby
— notsookieee (@notsookieee) July 17, 2019
does that mean you never watched a foreign movie before? pic.twitter.com/vHiR3Bynwf
— Bee Monné (@beemonne) July 17, 2019
Subtitles makes whatever you’re watching more funny or intriguing
— MamiMoreBucks (@Luscious420s) July 18, 2019
— Freja 🖤 (@xofreja) July 17, 2019
are u just sad because you can’t read
— sasuke uchiha (kin) day (@amxtsuki) July 19, 2019
People had many different reasons why they like subtitles and were confused by the hate.
i usually draw while i’m watching netflix and if i miss something the character said i can quickly look up and read what was said
and that’s just me
there’s many reasons why to have subtitles on ?¿— ⋆̵̧̢̡̯͉̰̮̙͕̺͔̋̉̚✪BEA Elizabeth✪‘̴̥̘̙̓̀͌̇ (@Artsy_Chaos) July 16, 2019
I often need subtitles in order to keep up with what’s going on whenever I watch English movies. Try watching a Norwegian movie (or any other movie with a language you didn’t grow up with) without subtitles then maybe I’ll care
— Caroline Fosse (@Caroline_Fosse) July 17, 2019
I use subtitles because of when I’m munching on snacks i can’t hear
— Guadalupe Nunez (@nunezg08) July 16, 2019
Because I don’t want to miss out on any details. If a pin drop I want that sound subtitled 💁🏼♀️
— BAMIDELE (@datblarkboi) July 17, 2019
some of us are deaf you know
— Nathalie (@fendiwalsh) July 17, 2019
Though it probably wasn’t the original poster’s intent the tweet could also be read as “imagine falling in love with a deaf person” and some did not take kindly to that interpretation.
Imagine taking the piss out of people with a disability on the Internet.
If my partner was deaf I’d be happy to watch TV with subtitles if it meant they got to enjoy the programme equally.
It must be such a burden for you to have nothing wrong and be perfect in every way.
— ANDY GIBSON | JOURNALIST (@AndyGibsonTV) July 16, 2019
— Quinn👂 (@DistractedNDeaf) July 17, 2019
Does she not know that deaf and hard of hearing people exist? Or people w/ adhd who need the subtitles because they have a hard time processing info?
— lemon_pancakes (@lemon_pancakes1) July 18, 2019
I have adhd and can’t watch anything without subtitles otherwise I can’t process it but go off I guess
— abortions for some, mini american flags for others (@_ghostcredit) July 17, 2019
I grew up with a father who was hearing impaired. Watching shows without subtitles seems foreign
— Jonathan Morris (@JonatelloM) July 17, 2019
My Girlfriend turned the subtitles on, and I actually love it. Sometimes its annoying reading it before they say something, but most of the time its a godsend not having to go “what the F did they just say”?
— Seth “Galushi” (@GalushiTheDwarf) July 18, 2019
I’m autist and I have a hard time processing what I’m listening, so subtitles help even if I’m fluent in the language being spoken!!
— Nova | ✨Giveaway result on Pinned!!✨ (@duskianfae) July 17, 2019
Deaf people exist
— Toad (@big_ol_bi) July 17, 2019
Others simply wondered why anyone cares how other people like to watch their TV shows:
Imagine falling in love with someone just to find out they are judgemental jerks who judge people just because they use subtitles.
— Mugdha Redkar (@LazynLameNerd) July 17, 2019
Imagine mixing shallow behavior and love up. pic.twitter.com/09DIknBjiV
— Shikamaru (@ChefffJeff) July 17, 2019
God forbid something exist that you personally don’t need pic.twitter.com/l9Tc4XEFOI
— *screaming* (@spoicypepper) July 18, 2019
This tweet makes no sense. Like no one cares about this 😂
— Gehazi Whitehurst (@g_hazi_white) July 18, 2019
In the end, there was no controversy at all….people really like subtitles. Long may those helpful, illuminating little lines of text reign.
