Nowadays, most Americans watch TV with subtitles due to muddled audio or difficult-to-understand accents. This is what a recent survey by Preply suggests, with Oscar nominee, Tom Hardy being named the most difficult celebrity to follow. He now holds the title of ‘hardest to understand’ celebrity, previously held by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Yes, Tom Hardy came in first place on a list of actors that Americans find the most difficult to understand in a recent poll.
Why are subtitles now so important? The percentage of Americans who use subtitles to better understand accents is 70 percent. It is interesting to note that American viewers still have the hardest time understanding the Scottish accent.
The Preply data is quite fascinating to read on its own, but we will highlight the most important findings here, namely that Tom Hardy, star of Venom: Let There Be Carnage and The Dark Knight Rises, has been crowned the title of ‘hardest to understand’ celebrity.
Arnold Schwarzenegger No Longer The ‘Hardest to Understand’ Celebrity
Tom Hardy is one of Hollywood’s more eccentric leading men, often known for balancing his good looks with unconventional acting choices. But in a recent survey, he was identified as the male celebrity that American viewers find the most difficult to comprehend.
More than 1,500 Americans participated in a Preply study in which they were asked about their use of subtitles when accessing streaming services and online content.
Hardy has surpassed the previous record held by 7 Time Mr. Olympia, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The acclaimed actor has starred in many blockbuster movies but his lines are often been challenging for the audience to understand. According to the latest survey, 51% of Americans say they frequently use subtitles, and 70% of them say they do so to better understand actors with accents.
This time, Tom Hardy was identified by viewers as the male celebrity with the most difficult accent. Then came Colin Farrell and Schwarzenegger.
The American-Colombian actress, Sofía Vergara, best known for her part as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett in Modern Family, is the most difficult female celebrity to understand. Cardi B and Adele came after her.
What TV Shows Are The Most Difficult to Understand?
American viewers found Netflix’s The Crown, Rick And Morty, and Bridgerton to be the most challenging to understand, according to a survey of the most challenging TV shows. Then came Ted Lasso, Modern Family, and Indian Matchmaking.
The survey found that a sizable 51 percent of people mostly use subtitles. This change is being led by women, who use subtitles 61 percent in contrast to men (54 percent), on average.
The study also discovered that almost one in four viewers always watch with subtitles on. A staggering 96% of Gen Z viewers use subtitles, a remarkable increase from the 70% rate just one year ago. This adoption rate is particularly impressive.
Language specialist, Sylvia Johnson made the following statement during the study:
“The usage and effectiveness of subtitles vary due to linguistic, cultural, and technical factors. Differences in sentence structure, cultural nuances, reading speed, character limitations, and localisation challenges all impact subtitle translation and formatting. Translators must often make choices to maintain the overall context and meaning of the dialogue while adapting it to the target language.”
Naturally, we also can’t ignore the fact that Tom Hardy has a history of playing parts that consistently test his abilities. As an example, take his incredibly nuanced portrayal of Bane in The Dark Knight Rises or his demanding role as Eddie Brock / Venom in Venom: Let There Be Carnage.
He will next appear in Gareth Evans’ action thriller, Havoc, also starring Forest Whitaker. The movie is slated for release later this year.
Source- Preply
