Parodic dubbing in Spain. Digital manifestations of cultural appropriation, repurposing and subversion

This paper sets out to explore the phenomenon of parodic dubbing by examining its origins and situating it in its current context. Parodic dubbing symbolises the union of two loathed but highly influential forms of artistic and cultural appropriation, used innovatively in the current digital era. The aim is also to investigate how parodic dubbing reflects the politics of audiovisual translation in general, and of dubbing in particular, revealing similarities and divergences with official dubbing practices. This is done drawing on examples from two different Spanish parodic dubbings from an iconic scene from Pulp Fiction (Tarantino 1994). Throughout this work, theoretical perspectives and notions through which parodic dubbing can be examined (among others, rewriting, ideological manipulation, cultural and textual poaching, participatory culture or fandubbing) are presented, framing this phenomenon in the current discussion of fan practices and participatory culture, and drawing on theoretical perspectives and notions developed within Translation Studies and Media Studies. The investigation of the relationship between parodic dubbing, translation and subversion has illustrated that this and other forms of cultural appropriation and repurposing challenge our traditional understanding of notions such as originality, authorship and fidelity. In addition, it has revealed how such practices can be used as a site of experimentation and innovation, as well as an ideological tool.