Now that I (again) have to share space, a typical argument again rises. Having the closed captions turned on or not. Now, if it was up to me (as it should), I’d never turn them off. But I am in the vast minority in this opinion (what else is new?). I guess most people don’t like to read and watch TV. Here are some reasons why I think closed captions are one of TV’s greatest features (right under picture-in-picture).
First let me tell you how I became a lover of Closed Captions (CC). As a youngin’ I suffered (enjoyed) chronic insomnia. I don’t know what the typical bedtime for a 6 year old is, but I went to sleep at roughly 1:00 to 1:30 AM most nights (being a 1st grader doesn’t take much outta me). So, when I got a TV, of course I watched it until I went to bed having nothing better to do (6- year old nightlife isn’t as popping). But nobody likes hearing a TV blare all hours of the night (especially my mom). So, after a certain hour that TV had to be turned down low. So low, I could barely hear it. That’s when CC’s entered my life.
So, on the list of things that I’ve been doing for a long time (video games, watch Phillies, watch/play football) closed captions are up there. So, that help me explain why they are great. First, it made e a faster reader. The captions don’t stay on the screen forever. They are there just long enough to be read (gotta keep up with what’s going on). Add that on top of the fact that you can’t read and watch the actions at the same time. This made watching foreign films, and other things with subtitles much (a billion times) easier, and thus more enjoyable.
Next, captions help expose the writing of the show/movie. With TV it can be easy to focus on the actor/actress playing the role on screen. When the truth of it is that it’s the writers who make things funny or clever or sad. The actor is just the vehicle that the dialogue comes through. In 200 years, from now (IMHO) shows like the Simpsons, and Law and Order will be studied in textbooks, and English/Lit classes. Some of the “best” TV and Movies will love on. But the people who play them probably won’t. Why do I say this? Here is an example. Who wrote “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet”? Easy right? Most people can answer that. Who was the first Romeo or Juliet? In fact name anyone who played that role prior to 1900. Not so easy right? Let’s face it, in 50-100 years Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz” will just be a mid-western redhead instead of Judy Garland.
Now lets stop be abstract. Captions are great because if you cannot hear the TV you can still know what going on. Last night my gf went clean crazy. So the vacuum pretty much drowned out the sound from the show I was watching. However, I didn’t miss a beat because of the captions. Captions serve a purpose and they serve it very well.
