4 ms·

Also see https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/oct/15/homeland-is-racist-artists-subversive-graffiti-tv-show https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2

Also see https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/oct/15/homeland-is-racist-artists-subversive-graffiti-tv-show https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/oct/15/homelan... “In their eyes, Arabic script is merely a supplementary visual that completes the horror-fantasy of the Middle East, a poster image dehumanising an entire region to human-less figures in black burkas and moreover, this season, to refugees.”

marginalia_nu 5y ago
To be fair, this is how pretty much any foreign language is treated in media, not some special treatment of the middle east in particular. You're lucky if they actually used google translate, and didn't just have the actor improvise. Another big thing a lot of people don't realize is that google translate is really awful at some languages (especially those that are not related, and lack a lot of source text). An especially comical one is Latin, you see a lot of slogans and whatever translated to the language using GT, with 'Romanes Eunt Domus'-tier results proudly emblazoned on their corporate headquarters.
- davchana 5y ago
  At my job in Middle East, my British Boss gave me a pdf poster about having some dimensions labeled in INCHES, but in Hindi language (the main language of labour on the ground). I asked him why this word (his google translation for inches) means IN in English? What happened, he input IN in the box, assuming IN as inches, where as IN means like in the water, in the box etc. Hindi doesn't have exact word for INCHES, its always just literal transliteration. My boss said, why would google do this, everybody knows INCHES are written as IN.
  - cafard 5y ago
    I have a ladder in my garage, with safety notices in English and Spanish. The English is dated May 20xy, the Spanish is dated Puede 20xy.

4 ms·

Also see https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/oct/15/homeland-is-racist-artists-subversive-graffiti-tv-show https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2

by AIorNot 5y ago

marginalia_nu 5y ago
To be fair, this is how pretty much any foreign language is treated in media, not some special treatment of the middle east in particular. You're lucky if they actually used google translate, and didn't just have the actor improvise. Another big thing a lot of people don't realize is that google translate is really awful at some languages (especially those that are not related, and lack a lot of source text). An especially comical one is Latin, you see a lot of slogans and whatever translated to the language using GT, with 'Romanes Eunt Domus'-tier results proudly emblazoned on their corporate headquarters.
- davchana 5y ago
  At my job in Middle East, my British Boss gave me a pdf poster about having some dimensions labeled in INCHES, but in Hindi language (the main language of labour on the ground). I asked him why this word (his google translation for inches) means IN in English? What happened, he input IN in the box, assuming IN as inches, where as IN means like in the water, in the box etc. Hindi doesn't have exact word for INCHES, its always just literal transliteration. My boss said, why would google do this, everybody knows INCHES are written as IN.
  - cafard 5y ago
    I have a ladder in my garage, with safety notices in English and Spanish. The English is dated May 20xy, the Spanish is dated Puede 20xy.