GWC Podcast #108

[dxf]

Would you prefer that they sound like Hogan’s Heroes with the faux Germanglish accent?

Depends… do zey know nussing?

Another language point: In eps 1-2-3, all characters from all languages speak English. Or, at least, that’s what we’re exposed to. But the presence of alien languages in 4-5-6 are one element I think makes the classic trilogy more rich.

Regarding R2-Dialogue, the guy who create WALL-E’s speech (if not dialogue, exactly) is the same guy that created R2D2’s systematic beeps and whistles.

Still making my way through the podcast: Regarding the Yoda-Palpatine fight, when Palpatine is hurling senate chairs and office supplies at Yoda, symbolism isn’t Lucas’s raison detre, but maybe it’s symbolic – like in The Firm movie, Tom Cruise beating the guy with his briefcase?

As far as what happened to Yoda next, maybe he didn’t go directly into hiding. What if he tried to get a job before he settled in on Dagobah?

Yoda’s Job Interview:

[Ext., office on outer-rim planet Scranton-8, shot of a paper company office. Cut to int., office. Yoda is seated at a desk, across from a middle-manager type in a suit. Yoda looks slightly uncomfortable, white hair slicked to the side, dressed in an old navy suit and space tie. The man across the desk holds a résumé.]

Manager: So, Yoda… Is it just Yoda?

Yoda: Yes.

Manager: This résumé is two pages –

Yoda: Taught to do it that way, were we at the Jedi Temple.

Manager: Really? I learned that it should always be one page, period.

Yoda: Much experience have I.

Manager: Yes. It says you were the leader of the Jedi Order for over 75 years. That’s a long time to be at one company… how old are you?

Yoda: Ask that you cannot. Against intergalactic law it is.

Manager: Yes, yes. [Thumbing back and forth between pages] It says the Force is strong with you… Do you know XML?

Yoda: Worked with battle and protocol droids I have. And can build lightsabers.

Manager: We really don’t use lightsabers here. Are you good with Photoshop?

[ Yoda gives a blank stare, then waves hand slowly from left to right ]

Manager: Well, you wouldn’t have to use Photoshop much… These references you have listed here – you know, I was taught that you shouldn’t list references. I always put “available upon request.” Anywho, you say that they’re all dead. Was that part of the Jedi extermination you refered to in your cover letter?

Yoda: Yes, the Emperor’s Order #66. Dead, Qui-Gon is. Gone, he is not.

Manager: Well, yes. My point is, all the people in this Order you ran until recently are dead, and I saw the intergalactic news footage of the temple on fire. As a former manager, I’m sure you can understand why that gives me pause.

[Beat]

Yoda: Good with people, I am.

Manager: Yes, funny you should mention that. This is an amazing coincidence, but after I graduated, I used to share an apartment with Anakin Skywalker on Coruscant. He said you WEREN’T so good with people.

[ Yoda gulps ]

[Aset]

The faux English accent is a real pet peeve of mine in movies. Not in the Star Wars ones so much – I can buy the idea that, apparently, in the 20 or so years between Eps 3 and 4, the nobles and high society and military upper ranks decided that speaking all Brit-y conveyed class and sophistication. OK, now that I’ve said it, it sounds campy.

Just as a side note James Earl Jones is an admitted stutterer, that IS the way he speaks because he is consciously trying not to stutter. THat is not to say Lucas didn’t ask him to play up the way he speaks, but it is not really fake for him.

In other instances I absolutely agree with you. With Vader, that IS the voice of Vader, everyone who hears it knows who it is. Heck when JEJ was doing the VO stuff for CNN I still thought VADER!

[Lady_D]

excellent, dxf! that was hysterical!!!

But the presence of alien languages in 4-5-6 are one element I think makes the classic trilogy more rich.

well, at least until Jedi when Lucas apparently decided that the spoken Huttese we heard should match, syllable for syllable, the translation onscreen.

[GalaxyRanger]

well, at least until Jedi when Lucas apparently decided that the spoken Huttese we heard should match, syllable for syllable, the translation onscreen.

That is weird! IIRC, the original (non-special edition) version of Jedi had subtitles for the Huttese in the German language version but there was no translation for the alien languages in the original English version. I could be mistaken, though.

[ThotFullGuy]

…
Yoda’s Job Interview:

[Ext., office on outer-rim planet Scranton-8, shot of a paper company office. Cut to int., office. Yoda is seated at a desk, across from a middle-manager type in a suit. Yoda looks slightly uncomfortable, white hair slicked to the side, dressed in an old navy suit and space tie. The man across the desk holds a résumé.]

Manager: So, Yoda… Is it just Yoda?

Yoda: Yes.

Manager: This résumé is two pages --…

That was AWESOME dxf! The kind of this I wish I’d thot of
Favorite line: “… It says the Force is strong with you… Do you know XML?”

[Lady_D]

That is weird! IIRC, the original (non-special edition) version of Jedi had subtitles for the Huttese in the German language version but there was no translation for the alien languages in the original English version. I could be mistaken, though.

yup, you are. otherwise how could I have been annoyed all these years? (I didn’t see it in German :D)

well, not all the alien languages had subtitles, but Jabba had them except when 3P0 was translating for him

[Lucky]

So the Storm Troopers are not clones? Am I understanding this correctly? It would explain why they can’t hit the broadside of barn.

Audra is not only the coolest, but she is right on about Obi Wan’s beard. I am always telling my human he needs to trim his beard so he doesn’t look like a wookie, but all I get is a blank stare. Sigh Humans…

[bkitty]

Another student, a young Latina woman, was upset that Spanish speakers looked down on her for not speaking Spanish, even though she was born in the U.S.

Yep, I get that, too.

It makes me crazy! I can understand supposing that someone might speak a language because of a quick glance, but it’s a whole other thing to assume it and then judge the person based on it. What right do people have to tell anyone else what they “should” speak based on how they look?? It makes no sense whatsoever.

I make the effort never to assume. When intruiged, I actually do the courtesy of asking with genuine interest. Never had a bad experience that way.

Oh, and you said “aural immersion.”

heh-heh. uh.

I see a lot of it in the neighborhood where I teach. in some cases, it seems to come from the frustration people feel at the loss of community, of heritage, of connection to family roots and past that is at some level inevitable with immigration that involves a new language. parents see their second-generation children and third generation grandchildren losing more and more of their language and moving further away from the culture the parents identify with (which, of course is what happens with most immigrant groups). encountering someone who “looks like them” but hasn’t maintained their heritage language–for whatever reason–reminds them of what they’re losing.

I can understand that, but I hardly have any control over it. They don’t seem to get that.

and then there are those who think the world revolves around them and that everyone should bend over backwards to accommodate them, but that kind of transcends language (and race, and religion, and economics :))

Oh yeah. Been there, gotten that kind of craaaap.

In one economic instance, I grabbed my collar and examined it closely- then said, “Oh! I didn’t realize my blue collar was showing! Terribly sorry!”

It was pretty funny, and got exactly the reaction I was going for. Never had trouble in that quarter again!

[labcoat]

Would you prefer that they sound like Hogan’s Heroes with the faux Germanglish accent?

well, maybe if they looked like this:
http://gizmodo.com/379128/wwii-star-wars-action-figures

[The_Operator]

this is a conversation i imagined to fill in a gap between ben kenobi and darth vader…( i am sure someone somewhere my have thought of this already but here is my version…keep in mind i have NOT read ANY single star wars book…i have only EVER watched the films…) it is intended to account for vader’s line to luke in return of the jedi “obi wan once thought as you do…” because at the end of revenge of the sith, ben pretty much walked away (leaving anakin amputated, burned and in agony and accepted anakin’s fall…vader’s line in star wars “i’ve been waiting for you obi wan…we meet again at last…” to me, means they have had no contact since mustafar…this conversation takes place after star wars and during empire…you know the meditation chamber? when his helmet comes down and relocks? my thoughts are that ben appears to vader/anakin (i consider him anakin when his mask is off and vader when the mask is on and this is also a nice tie in after ben’s appearance to luke in this same film…)

darth vader enters his meditation chamber during the pursuit of the millenium falcon…in the privacy of his chamber, he removes his helmet to contemplate the expansion of stars extending towards infinity…his feelings have been uneasy of late…the discovery that padme’s child lived…that his SON…lived…introducing himself to the galaxy as luke SKYWALKER…deliberately bringing the attention of the emperor upon himself…he knew the emperor would order him dead…and that it would be his own hand to deliver the deathstrike…it was only a matter of time…but there was also a feeling he had not embraced in more years than he cared to remember…an ambition he misnamed hope…his heart raced…at last! the means to avenge himself upon the emperor…the old desire returned…deeply stirring to his blood…my son…at last a worthy ally…to rule…finally to rule…with my son at my side…OUR son…his thoughts returned to HER more and more over the last few months…as the nights passed, he could sense the force growing stronger within luke…and there he found his obstacle…the ghost of HER words haunted him…help me raise our child…but the choice made all those years ago could not be forsworn…the plan had evolved and now the means lay/lie within his grasp…catch the falcon…use his friends to draw him out…rescue my son from the lies of that old wizard…the dogma of the jedi…help him to see the true nature of the force…

anakin “wipe that stupid look off your face old man! i don’t need your pity…”
ben (in his spectre form) “it’s not pity, anakin…it’s…regret…”
anakin “spare me…as a jedi you were awesome…as a hero? you’re naught but a sentimental fool…”
ben trying to lighten the mood “who’s more foolish the fool or the fool who follows him?”
anakin becomes impatient “WHAT do you want?!”
ben “i’ve come to ask you to reconsider your plan…and let your son find his own path…”

anakin “the path of a jedi is what you mean, you come here to ask me to give my son as lamb to the slaughter upon the alter of jedi teachingsand that, i will never allow…you’re influence is at an end…his heart is twisted…and you would have him become what twisted it…had the jedi order helped ME to explore my powers rather than deny them, who knows what fate would have allowed…they have paid the price for their lack of vision and so now, shall you…the jedi are DEAD…because they could not adapt…”

ben “you’re right, my friend…we…I…did you a great injustice…anakin…you were a good man…even now, i sense the conflict within you…the goodness…you don’t have to do this…(long pause) every moment, you have a choice…to continue on this path or to find a new one…”

general veers enters the chamber…anakin initiates the replacement of his helmet…veers cannot see the visage of ben and his attention is on the scarred, bare skull of LORD VADER…through artificial eyes, anakin glares at ben…his choice is made and with the hissing that is the aching reminder of his lost humanity, he becomes darth vader again…“asteroids do not concern me admiral…i want that ship and not excuses…”

that’s very intersting, however…I think the follwoing may have driven Vader into the chamber

<object width=“512” height=“323”><param name=“movie” value=“http://d.yimg.com/static.video.yahoo.com/yep/YV_YEP.swf?ver=2.2.7.1” /><param name=“allowFullScreen” value=“true” /><param name=“bgcolor” value="#000000" /><param name=“flashVars” value=“id=3800987&vid=1005933&lang=en-us&intl=us&thumbUrl=http%3A//us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/us/sch/cn/v/v2/w901/1005933_320_240.jpeg&embed=1” /><embed src=“http://d.yimg.com/static.video.yahoo.com/yep/YV_YEP.swf?ver=2.2.7.1” type=“application/x-shockwave-flash” width=“512” height=“323” allowFullScreen=“true” bgcolor="#000000" flashVars=“id=3800987&vid=1005933&lang=en-us&intl=us&thumbUrl=http%3A//us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/us/sch/cn/v/v2/w901/1005933_320_240.jpeg&embed=1” ></embed></object>:D

[The_Operator]

this is a conversation i imagined to fill in a gap between ben kenobi and darth vader…( i am sure someone somewhere my have thought of this already but here is my version…keep in mind i have NOT read ANY single star wars book…i have only EVER watched the films…) it is intended to account for vader’s line to luke in return of the jedi “obi wan once thought as you do…” because at the end of revenge of the sith, ben pretty much walked away (leaving anakin amputated, burned and in agony and accepted anakin’s fall…vader’s line in star wars “i’ve been waiting for you obi wan…we meet again at last…” to me, means they have had no contact since mustafar…this conversation takes place after star wars and during empire…you know the meditation chamber? when his helmet comes down and relocks? my thoughts are that ben appears to vader/anakin (i consider him anakin when his mask is off and vader when the mask is on and this is also a nice tie in after ben’s appearance to luke in this same film…)

darth vader enters his meditation chamber during the pursuit of the millenium falcon…in the privacy of his chamber, he removes his helmet to contemplate the expansion of stars extending towards infinity…his feelings have been uneasy of late…the discovery that padme’s child lived…that his SON…lived…introducing himself to the galaxy as luke SKYWALKER…deliberately bringing the attention of the emperor upon himself…he knew the emperor would order him dead…and that it would be his own hand to deliver the deathstrike…it was only a matter of time…but there was also a feeling he had not embraced in more years than he cared to remember…an ambition he misnamed hope…his heart raced…at last! the means to avenge himself upon the emperor…the old desire returned…deeply stirring to his blood…my son…at last a worthy ally…to rule…finally to rule…with my son at my side…OUR son…his thoughts returned to HER more and more over the last few months…as the nights passed, he could sense the force growing stronger within luke…and there he found his obstacle…the ghost of HER words haunted him…help me raise our child…but the choice made all those years ago could not be forsworn…the plan had evolved and now the means lay/lie within his grasp…catch the falcon…use his friends to draw him out…rescue my son from the lies of that old wizard…the dogma of the jedi…help him to see the true nature of the force…

anakin “wipe that stupid look off your face old man! i don’t need your pity…”
ben (in his spectre form) “it’s not pity, anakin…it’s…regret…”
anakin “spare me…as a jedi you were awesome…as a hero? you’re naught but a sentimental fool…”
ben trying to lighten the mood “who’s more foolish the fool or the fool who follows him?”
anakin becomes impatient “WHAT do you want?!”
ben “i’ve come to ask you to reconsider your plan…and let your son find his own path…”

anakin “the path of a jedi is what you mean, you come here to ask me to give my son as lamb to the slaughter upon the alter of jedi teachingsand that, i will never allow…you’re influence is at an end…his heart is twisted…and you would have him become what twisted it…had the jedi order helped ME to explore my powers rather than deny them, who knows what fate would have allowed…they have paid the price for their lack of vision and so now, shall you…the jedi are DEAD…because they could not adapt…”

ben “you’re right, my friend…we…I…did you a great injustice…anakin…you were a good man…even now, i sense the conflict within you…the goodness…you don’t have to do this…(long pause) every moment, you have a choice…to continue on this path or to find a new one…”

general veers enters the chamber…anakin initiates the replacement of his helmet…veers cannot see the visage of ben and his attention is on the scarred, bare skull of LORD VADER…through artificial eyes, anakin glares at ben…his choice is made and with the hissing that is the aching reminder of his lost humanity, he becomes darth vader again…“asteroids do not concern me admiral…i want that ship and not excuses…”

I likes it

course the below would drive anyone into the isolation chamber

http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/71382/detail/

[TighFighter]

What’s cool about that Clip is that Amed Best is actually doing the voice of Jarjar.

Another language point: In eps 1-2-3, all characters from all languages speak English. Or, at least, that’s what we’re exposed to. But the presence of alien languages in 4-5-6 are one element I think makes the classic trilogy more rich.

That’s not not true. There is a lot of Huttese spoken in Episode 1. Besides Sebulba, you have Anakin, Watto, the pod race announcer(one head is speaking english and the other Huttese),market vendor, and Anni’s little Rodian friend all speaking Huttese.

Regarding R2-Dialogue, the guy who create WALL-E’s speech (if not dialogue, exactly) is the same guy that created R2D2’s systematic beeps and whistles.

Yep. Ben Burt did not only create R2-D2’s voice, but practically every sound you hear in all 6 movies was created by Burt. Everything from the blaster shots to the humming lightsaber. He even created all the foreign languages spoken in the movie.

[Casilda]

I know I speak Spanish with more of a mexican accent than anything else, and the colloquialisms I’m familiar with tend to be mexican as well because the vast majority of people I converse with, and from whom I learn, are from Mexico.

my best friend was from guadalahara and had a very thick accent and i asked her one time if they spoke with different dialects in different parts of mexico (kinda of how people in massachussetts speak english a little differently from people in alabama and apparantly i have a california accent to my relatives in utah but they are the ones with the accent!!) maybe vader was around those english imperial officers and just picked up their accent so he didnt sound like such an outsider???

I can definitely see that. I took four years of Spanish in high school. My teacher used a Mexican accent, which was all that I knew at the time (let’s just say my hometown wasn’t particularly ethnically diverse). When I tried to continue in college, the teacher was a native speaker from Madrid. He spoke fast with a Castilian accent, and I couldn’t understand a word he said. Needless to say, my further studies in the language were less than stellar.

Yay for people speaking Spanish!

Of course there are regional varieties, and even within the same geographical area it varies according to class, age, and sometimes gender (oh for the times I’ve been told, um women don’t really use that word, dear).

And it goes beyond “accent,” that is, pronunciation… the vocabulary changes, which is part of why even though I’m a native-fluency Spanish speaker, I can’t understand a lot of Puerto Rican Spanish… and even grammar at times, if we want to talk about the use of the voseo.

The only problem for me with the different accents and usage patterns is that I am so used to my own (and my family’s) that some of the other ones sound kind of funny, particularly because of cultural references. Every time I hear a strong accent from DF, it makes me think of El Chavo del Ocho…

[Casilda]

It makes me crazy! I can understand supposing that someone might speak a language because of a quick glance, but it’s a whole other thing to assume it and then judge the person based on it. What right do people have to tell anyone else what they “should” speak based on how they look?? It makes no sense whatsoever.

Why am I not surprised I agree with you again, Audra?

My favorite thing about the misunderstanding language/someone’s appearance is when people speak Spanish not realizing I understand every single word. Particularly men who like to talk about women’s attributes. And when I turn around and ask them if they’d say those things in front of their wives or mothers, they turn beet red and start apologizing. It’s deeply satisfying.

[frakkintalos]

http://larryslandscape.com/

Shhh. No one tell.

[Rowan]

OMG!!! It’s in Texas too!

[Phil]

http://larryslandscape.com/

Shhh. No one tell.

I smell a lawsuit…

[Leah]

I only speak an american mish-mash of english. This comes from being a military brat stationed in Hawaii, Michigan, New York, California during my formative years- though mostly Californian by now. I still get crap for it.

I wish I spoke spanish- it would make my life a LOT easier- with my face and all. I am Mexican/Spanish born, adopted into Japanese/Mid-Western Caucasian family. My nose is a dead giveaway to my heritage.

I only remember a few Japanese phrases from childhood, but am still devoted to Kikaida! I have learned a bit of spanish, but it seems to get me into more trouble, given my face- especially my nose, lol!

Living in San Diego, so close to the border, most spanish-speakers address me in spanish, first. eep. When I ask “en ingles?”, I get either the affronted or pity look. sigh. I like my nose. Don’t want a nose job. lol!

What’s worse, I tend to pick up the accents of people I speak with, or books I read. The hub can always tell when I’m re-reading Gone With The Wind or any Jane Austen by my accent and speech patterns. It’s worse with aural immersion.

No. I am not making fun of anyone! sigh. go figure…

When I moved from Illinois to Florida I thought I would need a translation book. I feel sorry for anyone trying to learn English from an American. :o

[livia]

I likes it

course the below would drive anyone into the isolation chamber

http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/71382/detail/

ROFL! I LOVE the STAR WARS ROBOT CHICKENS!!!

especially the phone call from vader explaining how the death star has been blown up by a bunch of f**** ing teenagers!!!

“so i threw the senate at him!! THE WHOLE SENATE!! true story!”

although i was not implying that ben’s ghost drove him to the chamber…ben appeared to vader while vader was meditating

[Leah]

It actually said “Ta-tas” and had two pink balloons or hearts smooshed together in the background!

I never get that. I’ve talked about this phenomenon with my students before. One black female student said she was tired of meeting new people who’d automatically try to give her a “fist bump” or hip kind of handshake instead of a regular one. (Please no “terrorist fist-bump” comments!) Another student, a young Latina woman, was upset that Spanish speakers looked down on her for not speaking Spanish, even though she was born in the U.S.

It makes me crazy! I can understand supposing that someone might speak a language because of a quick glance, but it’s a whole other thing to assume it and then judge the person based on it. What right do people have to tell anyone else what they “should” speak based on how they look?? It makes no sense whatsoever.

Oh, and you said “aural immersion.”

My mother lives in south Florida. Since she has brown eyes and dark brown hair many people start speaking to her in Spanish before English. The only Spanish she knows is from two years in school.