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AIBU?

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Original poster

to find it offensive Stephen Hawkin's Universe...

28 replies

Valpollicella · 25/09/2010 23:43

...is not told in his voice, but is being 'narrated' but someone else? Ie it's Stephen Hawkin's words, and him speaking, but they have chosen to use someone else to speak his words Hmm

And when they switched from Stephen Hawkin doing the intro, they kind of morphed his voice, into the person speaking his word,s that that was also just a bit crass?

OP posts:
2shoes · 25/09/2010 23:44

yanbu, but I hate it when they put subtiles on the tv when disabled people/people with strong accents are talking.

thelunar66 · 25/09/2010 23:44

Isn't he too ill to speak though?

Original poster
Valpollicella · 25/09/2010 23:47

Agree 2shoes re the subtitles. Hideous

Thelunar, that's a fair point. But if that were the case I kinda would have thought a disclaimer of some kind, not 'clever' Hmm morphing from Stephen to someone speaking 'for him'

OP posts:
BonniePrinceBilly · 25/09/2010 23:49

Does it matter? I mean, he must have approved it himself, why would you have a problem with it if he doesn't?

DilysPrice · 25/09/2010 23:50

I'm not sure what the distinction is between words that he's typed that are read by a machine, and words that he's typed that are read by an actor. It's not as if it's his voice in either case, and machine-read text would be pretty tiring to listen to for an hour.

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 25/09/2010 23:50

Maybe it was too much for him?

I had heard that it takes huge effort and an enormous amount of time for him to be able to speak, and I'm sure his illness must be worse than it was 10 years ago.

I didn't watch it, but it does sound as if they tried to make it sound like it was him speaking, which is a bit weird.

tethersend · 25/09/2010 23:51

I hate to tell you, but... that's not his real voice Wink

2shoes · 25/09/2010 23:52

I hate to tell you but it is........

it is the only one he has

tethersend · 25/09/2010 23:53

But it's no more his than an actor's voice.

piprabbit · 25/09/2010 23:53

When Terry Pratchett delivered the Richard Dimbley lecture this February, on the subject of Alzheimer's and assisted dying, he made the introduction and then handed over to his friend Tony Robinson to read his words.

I assume that he felt that there was a risk that his medical condition could have got in the way of communicating some very important ideas.

I think it depends who makes the decision to use another voice. If Stephen Hawking was part of making that decision and is not offended, then there is no reason for you to be offended either.

BonniePrinceBilly · 25/09/2010 23:54

And its Hawking.

Original poster
Valpollicella · 25/09/2010 23:56

I really do appreciate that it might have been too much for him, I don't know, it just seems crass to morph from his voice to that of someone else.

Bonnie, I see what you're saying but (and excluding the point that he may well not have been well enough to narrate the programme) I have a 'problem' with it because it just seems a bit odd - none of us know for a fact it was too much for him to narrate the whole thing. Hence why without some kind of disclaimer at the beginning, I think it's odd at the least having someone speak his words

OP posts:
tethersend · 25/09/2010 23:58

Have I slipped into a parallel universe?

2shoes · 25/09/2010 23:58

tethersend it is his voice, not going to get in a big row, but a VOCA is the persons voice.

Original poster
Valpollicella · 25/09/2010 23:59

Thanks for that very important point, which is so very relevant to my OP Bonnie.

OP posts:
DilysPrice · 26/09/2010 00:03

2shoes I can see your point, but SH is not actually obliged to feel that way - he may treat it as a simple mechanical tool.

AgentZigzag · 26/09/2010 00:04

I didn't see the prog, but Stephen Hawkings computer voice is one of the most recognisable voices ever, I can't believe they would take the decision not to use it without asking the bloke himself.

Was it wrong of me to laugh at the subtitling of the strong Scottish accent in Trainspotting 2shoes?

I probably could have understood it without them, but was laughing really at what the American audience would have made of such a great accent.

2shoes · 26/09/2010 00:05

he may well, but it wasn't him who was saying it wasn't his voice.
using a VOCA or such equipment, takes a lot of effort, so chances are sadly he couldn't do it it himself.

DilysPrice · 26/09/2010 00:08

Sorry to be ignorant, but why would VOCA take more effort than writing the script (clearly a huge effort) and giving it to an actor. Genuine curiosity here.

hellsbells76 · 26/09/2010 00:09

he doesn't just see it as a 'tool' though - he's turned down offers of upgrades over the years that would have given him a less mechanical-sounding voice because he felt that was his voice.

2shoes · 26/09/2010 00:10

wel I can only use dd as an example, but she uses a head switch and so it scans and she the selects each word/phrase.
I am sure someone like SH has a more advanced programme(as he has been using it so long) but it would still take a lot of effort.

BonniePrinceBilly · 26/09/2010 00:11

I though it relevant, since your point is about it being crass to replace his voice, its a little crass to get the mans name wrong too.

He's a world class thinker, not a voice-over artiste. Why would he want to spend his time and energy on that? I really have no idea why it would bother anyone?

Original poster
Valpollicella · 26/09/2010 00:11

I appreciate that 2shoes and I'm really sorry if I may have caused any offence. From what I know of VOCA I do know it would take a lot of effort to do an hour programme. Sorry

Maybe I should have rephrased my OP to singularly about the voice morphing point, I did just find it really strange

OP posts:
2shoes · 26/09/2010 00:11

hellsbells76 thanks that is what I meant by it is his voice.

2shoes · 26/09/2010 00:12

Valpollicella no offence taken, we are still new to it and it is amazing how hard it is to learn

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