Don't Like - Musical Subtitles

A compromise I’ve made this year is to start watching things with subtitles because it makes it easier for my girlfriend to understand what people are saying in movies and shows.* I’m not a fan of subtitles in general but I’m pretty good at ignoring them and if they’re too distracting or if a movie doesn’t need them, I’ll ask if we can have them off. What I like least about subtitles is that they’re enemies of subtext that too often give away punchlines or otherwise break the tension in service of legibility. However, I know that people love closed captioning now and this isn’t “a battle to be won.” With that said, I would love it if there was a subtitle option that didn’t include anything for the music. I understand that they’re there for accessibility purposes but they really take you out of the viewing experience (note: by “you” I am referring to me). There’s a wild cognitive dissonance that flares up when words tell you what the music is doing and how it’s supposed to make you feel. It’s like, “Ah yes, the menacing industrial synth music is certainly menacing. That’s the word I was looking for!” Imagine if you went to a rave and there were captions for the party that said, “Cool techno music playing.” Wouldn’t that make you laugh? I know I’d chuckle.

*Editor’s Note: She’d like this to say “because my girlfriend enjoys understanding what people are saying in movies and shows” refusing to believe that this is her fault.