The 'Gbagauns' of Yoruba Nollywood

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Thursday, October 11, 2012

Did I once mention that the inability to construct correct English is fast becoming comedy in Naija entertainment? Oh yes it is. In fact comedians like Funke Akindele and Princess have suceeded in creating characters whose laughter inducing prowess lies in the ability to butcher the English language.

 

But that is comedy based on deliberate shotguns of English and it is quite understandable.

 

Meanwhile there is undeliberate destruction of the English language that is rampant in Yoruba Nollywood  movies. You find yourself watching scenarios which are meant to be serious or suspenseful but just can't help laughing when you read the crazy 'gbagauns' in the subtitles. ('Gbagaun' is a Naija slang that refers to gramatical errors or lexicon typos).

 

I'm forced to wonder...with all the so-said development taking place in Nollywood, is getting someone who can actually translate properly a hard thing?

 

Though I will still credit some other Yoruba movies which have proper subtitling and even do an accurate job but the ones that don't are numerous. You might have seen some of these on the internet...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can always catch some of these ridiculous subtitling on Africa Magic Yoruba on DSTV or any other means by which you can watch yoruba movies. The first few scenes in some cases should tell you whether its a properly subtitled movie or not.

 

I still laugh when I read the gbagauns above. How can it be this bad? Is this not a way of letting the International viewership know that some of our movie makers no sabi English?

 

Which one do you find most hilarious of them all?