Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 20
June 28, 2023
Why Is Everyone Watching TV With the Subtitles On?
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
During the early days of film, text proved a must. Movies were silent, so dialogue delivery required the written word. The first intertitles did little more than fill in the blanks. That said, they also facilitated increasingly sophisticated storylines. By the 1930s, sound hit film, rendering intertitles obsolete. By the early 1970s, television paved the way for a new kind of screen text: the subtitle.
One of the first TV personalities to benefit from subtitles was Julia Child, famed for her lilting accent. Also known as closed captions, subtitles marked a welcome tool for accessibility. Whether an antidote for a hearing disability or difficult accents. In recent years, subtitle use has exploded. Why is everyone watching TV with the subtitles on?
Keep reading for the skinny on closed captioning and why so many people love it.
Subtitles by the NumbersA recent study by YouGov revealed something astonishing. Sixty-one percent of media viewers aged 18 to 25 use subtitles, hearing impairment or not. And the stats don’t end there.
Netflix reported in 2022 that 40 percent of their global users keep subtitles on all the time. Moreover, 80 percent of viewers switch on their closed captioning at least once a month!
There are many different reasons for this. But they all point to the same reality. Today’s TV viewers are reading (as much as listening to) their fave programs and movies.
Mumbling ActorsTheories abound about why people worldwide increasingly opt for closed captions. At the top of the list are practical considerations like mumbling actors. Ironically, as sound technology has improved, actors have become increasingly lazy about delivering easy-to-hear lines.
Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'UJWDyWH2QuRGWq8wQ_OJ8A',sig:'QkH1t8WYk0OPmhoJRJ2HO11q3EANdkUruVEkzSOfVr4=',w:'594px',h:'395px',items:'690403732',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});Gunter Sics, the sound mixer on Moulin Rouge and Thor: Ragnarok, explains, “There’s a new style with young actors — it’s like they just talk to themselves. That might work in a cinema, but not necessarily when it gets into people’s lounge rooms.”
But this new breed of actors shouldn’t shoulder all the blame. As it turns out, the popularity in subtitles stems from a perfect storm of auditory, technological, and cultural influences.
Sophisticated AudioFor starters, new sound tech has muddied the waters of audio. Once upon a time, TVs relied on small, tinny speakers to emit sound. Sure, you didn’t enjoy a surround sound experience. But the treble focus worked fantastically for delivering the human voice.
Today, the sound focus is much broader. Dialogue alone isn’t enough. Now, movie makers want sound effects for everything, from the turning of a doorknob to the sound of a barking dog in the distance.
Coupled with soundtrack music and other potential ambient noise, today’s on-screen entertainment contains a cacophony of noise. And all of it is vying for a viewer’s attention. Often simultaneously.
Bad SetupsBesides background noise and mumbling actors, people must also contend with sophisticated audio systems. These can be difficult to set up.
Unlike the tiny speakers of old that required no special installation, today’s sound systems are sophisticated. When you get them wrong, dialogue and audio balance suffer.
Sics argues, “[A sound system’s] various frequencies bounce off the walls and confuse what you’re listening to. If you set it up in a room with no carpet and just floorboards, it’s going to sound like crap.”
Growing Up on Social MediaPractical considerations aside, closed captions also appeal to a generation raised on social media. Because of apps like Instagram and TikTok, young people worldwide are accustomed to watching captioned videos.
Some social media mavens claim they can’t focus on the content they’re watching without words at the bottom of the screen. Others argue subtitles help them catch pithy one-liners and scenes that make for good memes. Or they appreciate subtitling fails worth a good laugh. For example, Real Housewives is infamous for flashing the words “speaking indistinctly” over dialogue.
Still another group appreciates the extra information now provided by subtitles. What does this additional info include? Everything from featured song titles to nearly inaudible sounds like off-camera dialogue, scratching noises, etc.
Subtitles Are Here to StayCaptions help with thick accents. They allow viewers to watch videos quietly to avoid disturbing those around them. Subtitles are handy when dealing with noisy appliances and ambient noise from airports and busy thoroughfares.
Of course, not everyone’s thrilled by the steady ribbon of text at the bottom of the screen. Among the most disgruntled individuals are sound techs for TV shows and movies. After all, they put their hearts and souls into crafting engaging audio backgrounds to complement on- and off-screen action.
They despise the thought of people turning off the volume and turning on the captions. “It feels awful,” Sics confirms. He believes it’s time to address sound quality issues impacting how people hear (or don’t hear) movies and programs. But there may be more to it than audibility. Jason Kehe, writing for Wired, asserts that seeing is believing. Apparently, this applies to characters’ words, too.
By Engrid Barnett, contributor for Ripleys.com
EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON! Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!
June 27, 2023
2023… The Year Of The Ocean’s Revenge?
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
The catastrophic implosion of OceanGate’s Titan submarine has skyrocketed the ocean to the top of the news cycle recently. Many people have weighed in, including James Cameron. The director of 1997’s Titanic, Cameron is no stranger to the ocean, the siren call of the Titanic, or the dangers of deep-sea exploration.
On March 26th, 2012, Cameron completed a record-breaking solo dive aboard the Deepsea Challenge. He descended 35,787 feet to the bottom of the Mariana Trench! He’s also made 33 dives to the Titanic and suggests “arrogance and hubris” played a big part in the Titan disaster.
But the ocean’s destructive forces haven’t ended there. A group of killer whales on a boat-sinking mission are also vying for attention. Here’s everything you need to know about these orca ambushes and why some have declared 2023 the “Year of the Ocean’s Revenge.”
The Year of the Ocean’s Revenge?While a destructive pod of orcas might sound crass compared to the Titan tragedy, the killer whales have wrought severe damage. They’ve sunk three boats off Europe’s Iberian Coast and show no signs of slowing down.
Although scientists continue searching for answers, an overarching narrative has emerged. Scientists hypothesize one traumatized killer whale likely initiated the first assault on a boat. From there, other members of its pod quickly followed.
The episodes illustrate a negative example of what researchers have known about for a while, the capacity of orcas to modify their behaviors through social learning.
An Organized AssaultReports of aggressive actions by orcas against boats navigating the Strait of Gibraltar date to May 2020. But in recent months, they’ve become more brazen and organized.
For example, one attack happened on the night of May 4th, 2023. According to eyewitness accounts, three orcas struck a yacht, targeting the rudder. Werner Schaufelberger explained, “There were two smaller and one larger orca. The little ones shook the rudder at the back while the big one repeatedly backed up and rammed the ship with full force from the side.”
Perhaps most alarming, Schaufelberger claimed the smaller orcas imitated the actions of the larger one. Soon, all were ramming into the boat. Fortunately, tragedy was averted by the Spanish coast guard. They saved the crew and attempted to tow the yacht back to shore. But it sank at the entrance to the port of Barbate.
No More Mr. Nice ShamuOnce upon a time, most people associated killer whales with Sea World’s beloved Shamu. But the 2013 documentary Black Fish made many reassess the treatment of these marine mammals in captivity.
Now, the boat-sinking episodes have people wondering what’s next. After all, Schaufelberger wasn’t the only individual to deal with black-and-white whales bent on mayhem. A couple of days prior, six orcas attacked another vessel. Like Schaufelberger, one of the passengers, Greg Blackburn, watched a mother whale teaching her calf how to attack the ship.
And Captain Dan Kriz of Reliance Yacht Management now claims the orcas attacked his vessels twice. “I was sailing with my delivery crew through the Strait of Gibraltar delivering a yacht when I was surrounded [by] a pack of eight orcas, pushing the boat around for about an hour. We were one of the first boasts experiencing this very unusual orcas’ behavior.”
Putting Killer Whale Behavior in PerspectiveSome people have sworn to take matters into their own hands. Borrowing from the Wild West, they’re gearing up to shoot aggressive orcas. But marine biologists have called for a more measured approach. They point out that most encounters between orcas and ships since 2020 have been harmless.
Alfredo López Fernandez of the University of Aveiro in Portugal provides the following stats for context. “In more than 500 interaction events recorded since 2020, there are three sunken ships. We estimate that killer whales only touch one ship out of every hundred that sail through a location.”
López Fernandez also rejects the notion adult orcas are teaching their calves to be yacht sinkers. While he admits that some youths have likely picked up the behavior by watching adults, this doesn’t decry a calculated effort. So, while 2023 has brought us stories that point to the importance of respecting the marine world, a deeper sea-based plot to punish humanity isn’t likely at the root of all the chaos.
That’s not all that’s happening in the great blue, be sure to check out all the other strange underwater happenings of 2023!
By Engrid Barnett, contributor for Ripleys.com
EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON! Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!
June 26, 2023
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June 23, 2023
Ripley’s Round Trip: The Most Forbidden Places on Earth
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
From remote islands to top-secret government facilities, join me as we discover the secrets and stories that make these places entirely off-limits. So get ready to challenge your imagination as we venture into the most forbidden places on earth!
The North Sentinel IslandThe North Sentinel Island, located in the Bay of Bengal, is home to one of the last uncontacted tribes in the world, the Sentinelese. The tribe is fiercely protective of their way of life and has been known to attack outsiders who have attempted to visit or interact with them. The Indian government has recognized the vulnerability of both the tribe and any outsiders who may venture onto the island and as a result, North Sentinel Island has been declared off-limits to visitors. The island remains one of the most isolated places on Earth, with few people having ever set foot on its shores. The Sentinelese are left to live out their lives in relative isolation, as they have for thousands of years.
Coca-Cola VaultWhat secrets may be hiding inside the forbidden Coca-Cola Vault? Well, as you may have guessed, this is where the company keeps its secret formula. The formula, which has remained a closely guarded secret for over 100 years, is located in Atlanta, Georgia and is heavily guarded by security. While only a few people have ever been allowed inside, the mystery surrounding the formula has spawned countless conspiracy theories.
The Vatican Secret Archives, located in Vatican City date back to the 17th century and contain millions of documents related to the history of the Catholic Church. Despite their name, the archives are not actually secret, but are generally only accessible to scholars and researchers with a specific research project. However, the archives have spawned countless myths and rumors about hidden knowledge and conspiracies. If you have any, share them below.
Snake IslandOne of the most dangerous places in the world is Snake Island, located off the coast of Brazil. The island is home to thousands of venomous snakes, including the golden lancehead, one of the deadliest snakes in the world. The Brazilian government has declared the island off-limits to visitors, in order to protect both the snakes and humans. A scientist once said that if you are on Snake Island, you are “never more than three feet away from death.” However, the island’s rarity and danger have only increased its allure to adventurers and thrill-seekers, but don’t get any ideas!
This off limits destination takes us to China, home of the Mausoleum of the First Emperor. Located in the city of Xi’an is the final resting place of Shin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China. The mausoleum is famous for its terracotta army, thousands of life-sized statues that were buried with the emperor. However, attempts to excavate or explore the mausoleum have been difficult with concerns about damaging the site or disturbing the emperor. Opening the tomb may also pose immediate and lethal threats. According to an account by an ancient Chinese historian, the tomb is rigged with booby traps meant to eliminate any trespassers.
A big destination no-no is the Lascaux Caves in France. Dating back 17,000 years, the caves contain some of the earliest and most stunning examples of Paleolithic art, with vivid depictions of animals and human figures adorning the walls and ceilings. The intricate details and striking use of color and perspective in these paintings were a revelation to art historians and anthropologists alike, providing a glimpse into the lives and beliefs of our ancient ancestors. However, the caves have been closed to the public since 1963 due to concerns about damage to the paintings from tourism and environmental factors. But don’t worry travelers, a replica of the caves is available for visitors to view nearby.
Area 51Now we can’t have an off-limits list without discussing Area 51, the highly classified United States Air Force facility located in the Nevada desert. The base’s existence was only acknowledged by the US government in 2013, and its purpose remains shrouded in secrecy. The site has been at the center of countless conspiracy theories, with many believing that it is a location for extraterrestrial technology and research. Despite the base’s highly restricted access, there have been numerous attempts by conspiracy theorists to breach its security and uncover its secrets.
And that concludes our journey to some of the world’s most forbidden places. These off-limits destinations continue to captivate our imaginations and fuel our curiosity. So until next time, happy adventuring and keep exploring the world around you, but make sure you abide by the signs that read “keep out”.
EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON! Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!Source: Ripley’s Round Trip: The Most Forbidden Places on Earth
Police Set Up Cameras at Vegas Home After Family Reports Alien Sighting
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Police officers in Las Vegas recently set up video cameras on a family’s property following claims that aliens crashed into their backyard, according to ABC7 Eyewitness News. The residents reported last month that they saw an eight-foot-tall figure with “big eyes” that was “not human.”
Abducting the ImaginationThree men were working on a truck on May 1, 2023 when they felt a crash on their property. One of the men called 911 and reported that a UFO landed next to their house with creatures inside of it. The caller explained to the dispatcher that he, his father, and his brother saw something in the sky with their peripheral vision. The object had lights, and the caller described feeling “an energy” from it.
He added that they heard what sounded liked footprints and saw “an eight-foot person beside it and another one inside, and it has big eyes and it’s looking at us.” He described the figures as “very large” and “100-percent” not human.
Police officers responded to the scene and conducted a preliminary investigation but found no evidence of alien life. However, police body camera footage also recorded an object falling from the sky. It is unclear if the police footage was taken during the same timeframe as the family’s reported incident.
A Serious ResponseSources close to the investigation say officials are not treating the incident like a hoax and set up cameras on the family’s roof. They did so because the family is “afraid for their safety,” reports Fox News.
The police wrote in a statement: “After the initial contact with LVMPD, the family at the residence reported they heard noises in their yard and were afraid for their safety. We offered to put cameras up to help ease their concerns of someone coming to harass or harm them.”
Doug Poppa, a Las Vegas-based independent investigative journalist and a self-described skeptic, interviewed the family and found their report to be credible. And he believes the police’s response is more than meets the eye. He told The Post: “But I can tell you right now. Cops don’t come out and put up expensive video equipment up like that — and they certainly wouldn’t for someone calling in a report about a UFO.”
Extraterrestrial ExtravaganzaMeanwhile, the House Oversight Committee reportedly plans to hold a hearing about UFOs in response to claims that the United States has uncovered crashed alien spacecraft and is withholding information from Congress. The Pentagon refutes these claims.
David Charles Grusch, former National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) official, is a whistleblower who purports that the government has not only recovered debris from alien spacecraft but is also examining the technology in an effort to reverse engineer it, according to The Debrief.
While other intelligence officials have made similar claims, on and off the record, Grush’s account has not been publicly confirmed. He also has his critics, including House Republican and intelligence chairman Mike Turner, who questions the claim that the U.S. government has found remnants of UFOs.
Grusch allegedly submitted evidence of a deeply covert program about alien spacecraft to Congress and the Office of the Inspector General for the Intelligence Community.
By Noelle Talmon, contributor for Ripleys.com
EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON! Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!Source: Police Set Up Cameras at Vegas Home After Family Reports Alien Sighting
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