Hi ABL!
I was wondering if you had any posts about the use of sound effects in BL - the slide whistle for checking people out/boners simply gets me every time.
Perhaps it鈥檚 because I鈥檝e watched so much American produced media and tuning out the same concept / soundscape since I鈥檓 so used to it.
I鈥檓 also always surprised that with this love of sound effects, there hasn鈥檛 been the classic echoing noise that鈥檚 heard across oceans when they open lube!
Anyway I love your blog! It鈥檚 been an incredible resource in appreciating BL in all its glory :)
Hi!
Why All those Sound Effects in BL RomComs?
I don't have a specific post. I mention it in some of my guidance and warning posts about Thai and Taiwanese stuff in particular, in general I am not wild about it... but I have grown accustomed to it. It can certainly be off putting to new watchers.
One of the worst offenders was Lovely Writer. I think I docked a whole point off that show because the sound was SO intrusive and jarring within the context of the drama.
These days the more comedy and the more pulp, the more likely and frequent the sound effects. Also Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Japan are the biggest offenders.
It's simply a comedic tradition. I think of it as similar to panto or commedia dell'arte. It's certainly true that a lot of ancient Greek and Roman plays likely had sound effects, as indeed would have Shakespeare. No to mention Kabuki theater. In fact, it's like throughout the history of stagecraft, sound effects were more common than not.
However, it's not particularly common or popular in American modern cinema out of Hollywood because it's associated with children's performances and clownishness. Like the voice overs, cartoon sound effects now are seen as somewhat clumsy and childish, not to say old fashioned.
There is an element of mistrusting the actors not to convey the correct emotion. Like the actors need audio help to do their jobs properly. But also like the audience can't be trusted to understand and so we feel "talked down to" by the sound effect. At least I do.
Yes I am aware this is a personal hang up.
Instead I think it's meant more as a communal nudge, like "we all together are responding in a certain way to this." Isn't it funny?
I also wonder if it's the influence of anime et al. (I'm really not an anime person partly because of the soundscapes. But then I don't like cartoons. Or Disney. Just not into kid's stuff. Never have been. Even when I was a kid.)
Here's someone else's perspective on Thailand's use of sound effects.
And Japan's.
I would say I'm accustomed to it now, but I still don't ever enjoy it. In fact, I often appreciate the "gritty" drama BLs like The Eighth Sense or I Told Sunset About You or Eternal Yesterday BECAUSE at least high angst means no sound effects.
Also less likely to sing.
All hail dark BL's good side? The silver lining.
For the record and to show my "history of BL creds" I'm gonna give a shout out to the SINGLE best use of a sound effect in a BL-adjacent piece of media....
THE BEST BL SOUND EFFECT EVER AWARD!
drum roll please
THE POP SOUND
Made by Pree pulling out of Ram's ykw just just after railing him.
Series: What The Duck
(can't remember if it's season 1 or 2, and I will never rewatch that cray cray)
Country: Thailand
I am aware I am being crass but this moment was honestly, truly, hilarious. It's a very sexy scene and then that sound. So funny.
I expect a comment from those few of you who remember this moment.
(source)
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The maintenance聽man fixing my sink: Cool shirt! I like the duck.
Me: Thanks, I made it myself.
Maintenance: Nice! It reminds me of this video game, uhh... There鈥檚 uhm... There鈥檚 a knife?
Me: Untitled Goose Game?
Maintenance: Yeah!
Me: Yeah, that鈥檚 a cool game. Thanks for the compliment!
Me, internally: It鈥檚 a bootleg knockoff of a t-shirt from a Thai BL about BDSM and illegal motorcycle racing...
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What the duck! I'm on my next rewatch of SPN and now I read that A****n P. will kick it out on December 15th? 馃槴馃槴
Not cool. Not cool at all.
I won't pay to watch it, you idjits. I got them all on Blu-ray.
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loki 2x6 spoilers!!!
ok so like?? no more bad mischievous loki?? does he not fakingly die anymore?? what happens now?? and what about mobius?? did loki just sacrifice himself so people can live happily?? marvel what happens now?? is there not gonna be any more loki?? WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT SHIT??? he's just encased in a tree for all of eternity???????????????
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