 Aye Carumba! What did they do to my Simpsons!
For about two weeks, I've been trying to adjust to school life. Let's just say, it's not
going well. Getting up early, struggling to survive in the harsh world of Economics, (for
those who are Econ freshmen, take my advice and cherish your first year-life will never be
the same again!) and coping with a hectic schedule is not included in the dreams of a
person who practically spends her whole summer in cinema lounges (ya, that's me). This
year it was more difficult leaving the cinema, and heading to class given all the
top-rated, high-budget movies that came out; like “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's
Chest,” “Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix,” etc. They peaked in movie charts
and kept me stuck in the theatre seats. But of all the movies released this summer, it is
safe to say that none were as popular as “Simpsons: The Movie.”
--Warning! This might contain spoilers!!---
Being the most famous family on the TV screen for 18 years now, it was about time that the
producers hit us with some serious Simpsons movie-action. This was the summer that they
delivered. “Simpsons: The Movie,” blasted it's way into cinema lounges around the
world, and, of course, Turkey was no exception. A lot of Simpsons fans, like me, bought
tickets in advance for the big show. We were pumped! We were psyched! We were excited! And
then, the movie started. Collectively, you could see jaws drop, and knew one phrase was on
everyone's mind: “Aye Carumba!” Unlike the series broadcast on CNBC-E, the film was
dubbed rather than subtitled. As it turns out, the distributors of the movie, Özen Film,
decided to include subtitles on only one copy, while the eighty others in circulation were
dubbed.
We all know that what completes the animation is the original voices that recreate and
humanize the animated characters. How many of us would still admire the show if we
couldn't hear Homer's, "D'oh?" Could we love the series just as much if Bart
didn't say, "Aye Carumba!"? What's the point of Tom Hanks being cast in the
original movie if someone else dubs his part for him?
Why would the distributors even dare to categorize and market “Simpsons: The Movie” as
a child-animation as they have chosen to do? It is everything but! What 7-year old pupil
could possibly understand most of Homer's remarks, the little joke about Green Day's
drowning, and the gospel version of "American Idiot?" Let’s face it; some
scenes are horribly offensive to adults, never mind kids! Besides, “The Simpsons” is
an institution for people who take great delight in the subtleties of western pop culture.
Despite what the distributors might think, this does not describe your average school-kid
in Turkey.
So, yes, I for one missed the original dubbings, and the hilarity of
"Spider-Pig" and "Harry Plopper" suffered for it! There is still time
for people to learn from their mistakes, however. If the South Park crew decides to pay a
visit to Turkey's lounges, and someone decides that the audience might enjoy the film
dubbed by Turkish actors, the negative reaction may be much stronger than “Aye
Carumba!”
Farewell! Stay tuned.
Iţýl Kutluay (ECON/II)
i_kutluay@ug.bcc.bilkent.edu.tr
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