: Spanish subtitles sometimes struggle with the show’s blunt or "rude" humor. While Spanish (specifically Peninsular) often uses colloquialisms to enhance relationships, translating American sarcasm can occasionally result in subtitles that seem unnaturally blunt or lose the pragmatic features of the original script. 3. Cultural Adaptation: The Fez Paradox
That ’70s Show is deeply rooted in a specific era of American history, relying on 1970s pop culture and colloquialisms to drive its humor. For translators, the primary hurdle is "cultural translation," where direct linguistic equivalence often fails to capture the intended comedic effect.
This paper explores the complexities of audiovisual translation (AVT) in the context of That ’70s Show (1998). It specifically analyzes how Spanish subtitles manage 1970s American slang, high-frequency cultural references, and the character of Fez, whose "foreignness" is a central comedic pillar. By examining translation strategies—ranging from literalism to cultural adaptation—this study highlights the balance required to maintain humor across linguistic barriers. 1. Introduction