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Sabina Bedek
REFERENCE NA AMERIŠKO KULTURO V
NADALJEVANKI NADNARAVNO: ANALIZA
IZBRANIH EPIZOD
MAGISTRSKO DELO
REFERENCES TO AMERICAN CULTURE IN
THE TV SERIES SUPERNATURAL: ANALYSIS
OF SELECTED EPISODES
MASTER’S THESIS
Maribor, september 2019
Sabina Bedek
REFERENCE NA AMERIŠKO KULTURO V
NADALJEVANKI NADNARAVNO: ANALIZA
IZBRANIH EPIZOD
MAGISTRSKO DELO
REFERENCES TO AMERICAN CULTURE IN
THE TV SERIES SUPERNATURAL: ANALYSIS
OF SELECTED EPISODES
MASTER’S THESIS
Maribor, september 2019
I
REFERENCE NA AMERIŠKO KULTURO V
NADALJEVANKI NADNARAVNO: ANALIZA
IZBRANIH EPIZOD
MAGISTRSKO DELO
REFERENCES TO AMERICAN CULTURE IN
THE TV SERIES SUPERNATURAL: ANALYSIS
OF SELECTED EPISODES
MASTER’S THESIS
Študentka: Sabina Bedek
Študijski program: magistrski študijski program 2. stopnje Poučevanje
angleščine in Slovenski jezik in književnost
Smer: dvopredmetni program, pedagoška smer
Mentorica: doc. dr. Katja Plemenitaš
Lektorica: Lea Golub, mag. prof. slov. jez. in knjiž. in mag.
prof. ped.
CC BY‐NC‐ND
II
Special thanks to my mentor, doc. dr. Katja Plemenitaš, for her valuable advice
and professional guidance.
I am also extremely grateful to my family for their support and love.
III
Reference na ameriško kulturo v nadaljevanki Nadnaravno:
analiza izbranih epizod
Ključne besede: popularna kultura, kulturne reference, Nadnaravno, analiza referenc, analiza
vprašalnika
UDK:
Povzetek
Zaradi napredne tehnologije postaja svet vedno bolj povezan. Televizija, internet in drugi
komunikacijski mediji v našem vsakdanjem življenju nas povezujejo s preostalim svetom in
rušijo mostove med kulturami. Mediji prinašajo druge kulture v našo, še posebej popularno
kulturo, ki je svetovno priljubljena. Med njimi še posebej izstopa ameriška kultura. Vsak dan
pridemo v stik z ameriškimi filmi, nadaljevankami in glasbo na naših televizijskih ekranih,
radiu in v ostalih medijih. Med njimi je tudi nadaljevanka Nadnaravno, ki je nastala leta 2005
in je najdlje predvajana ameriška fantazijska nadaljevanka v Združenih državah Amerike. V
glavnih vlogah sta brata Sam in Dean, ki sledita očetovim stopinjam in lovita nadnaravna bitja,
kot so volkodlaki, duhovi in vampirji. V nadaljevanki se pojavlja veliko kulturno-specifičnih
elementov, ki predstavljajo reference na ameriško kulturo. Namen magistrskega dela je najti in
raziskati uporabo teh referenc v izbranih epizodah ter ugotoviti, kako jih razumejo študenti
študijskega programa Angleški jezik in književnost na Filozofski fakulteti Univerze v
Mariboru. V nadaljevanki se pojavlja veliko referenc na ameriške filme, glasbene skupine,
pesmi, slavne osebe in ostale kulturne elemente. V prvem delu magistrskega dela so
predstavljeni termini kultura, popularna kultura, teorija množične kulture in prevajanje
kulturno-specifičnih elementov kot teoretična podlaga za analizo referenc. Poleg tega so
predstavljene še televizijska nadaljevanka Nadnaravno in njene značilnosti.
Teoretičnemu delu sledi empirični del, ki je razdeljen na dva dela. V prvem delu je analiza
referenc iz izbranih epizod, ki vključuje kontekst, v katerem se pojavijo, njihovo razlago in
poznavanje ali nepoznavanje s strani slovenskega gledalca. Preverjeno je tudi, ali obstaja
prevod v slovenski jezik, saj je prevajanje kulturno-specifičnih elementov lahko problematično,
ker ima vsaka kultura svoje vzorce in ozadje. Prevajanje je medkulturna komunikacija in
IV
prevajalec mora poznati obe kulturi; biti mora mediator med dvema skupnostnima. Predvsem
v neprofesionalnih podnapisih je najdenih precej neustreznih prevodov ali celo neprevajanje
referenc.
Analiza je pokazala, da je večina referenc povezana s popularno kulturo; največ s televizijsko
industrijo in glasbo (skoraj 70 % vseh referenc). Analiza je v glavnem osredotočena na ameriške
kulturne reference, ampak vključuje tudi nekaj svetovno znanih neameriških kulturnih
elementov, ki so postali svetovno znani s pomočjo ameriške popularne kulture (npr. Cate
Blanchett, Romeo in Julija). Ostale kategorije, ki se še pojavijo, so literatura, splošna ameriška
kultura in šport.
Glasbenih referenc je 8 %. Naslovi epizod so pogosto reference na pesmi (naslovi pesmi ali pa
verzi, vzeti iz pesmi). Lik Dean obožuje rock glasbo in kadar se z bratom predstavljata kot
agenta FBI, velikokrat uporabi imena ali vzdevke slavnih rock glasbenikov (agenta Bonham in
Copeland, agenta Page in Plant – vsi so člani slavnih glasbenih rock skupin).
Najpogostejše so reference na televizijo in film (58 %). To so reference na risanke (Looney
Tunes, Smrkci), filme (Past za starše, Vojna zvezd, Charlie in tovarna čokolada, Somrak),
igralce (James Dean, John Belushi), nadaljevanke (Dosjeji X, Dinastija) in otroške oddaje
(Sezamova ulica). V izbranih epizodah so tri reference na literaturo; prva je referenca na
biblijsko himno, druga na Shakespearovo tragedijo Romeo in Julija ter tretja na otroško knjigo
Bambi, ki je svetovno zaslovela s pomočjo ameriškega studia Walt Disney, ki je po njej posnel
animirani film. Tretjino vseh referenc predstavljajo reference na splošno ameriško kulturo in
vsakdanje življenje (reference na časopise, ameriško zgodovino in druge kulturne elemente).
Le ena referenca je povezana s športom (ameriški bejzbolski igralec Bill Buckner).
Namen večine referenc je nagovarjanje širšega občinstva, vzpostavljanje hudomušnega ozračja
in oznaka osebe. Za Deana je še posebej značilna uporaba referenc, kar ga naredi šaljivega,
zabavnega, duhovitega in privlačnega za občinstvo. Te reference gradijo njegov lik. Po drugi
strani je njegov brat Sam realističen, razumen in preudaren. Analiza pokaže, da je Dean izrekel
56 % vseh referenc, njegov brat Sam pa le 10 % (ostale reference so izrekli drugi liki ali pa so
naslovi epizod).
Le v določenih primerih, kot je na primer v epizodi Fallen Idols, so kulturni elementi del
vsebine, saj celotna zgodba temelji na njih (to je zgodba o ameriškem igralcu Jamesu Deanu in
skrivnostnih dogodkih, ki so se dogajali okrog njegovega avtomobila z vzdevkom »Mala
baraba«). V tej epizodi liki celo razložijo reference, da jih gledalci razumejo, medtem ko v
V
ostalih epizodah niso razložene in dejstvo, da jih gledalec ne opazi, ne vpliva na njegovo
razumevanje vsebine.
Drugi del empiričnega dela sestavlja analiza vprašalnikov, ki so bili izročeni študentom prvega
in tretjega letnika študijskega programa Angleški jezik in književnost na Filozofski fakulteti v
Mariboru. Z vprašalnikom so bili preverjeni poznavanje in razumevanje izbranih referenc in
razlike med razumevanjem študentov prvega in tretjega letnika. Vprašalnik je bil sestavljen iz
desetih vprašanj izbirnega tipa. Ugotovljeno je bilo, da anketiranci najbolje poznajo reference
na sodobno popularno kulturo filma in televizije (npr. Vader iz Vojne zvezd 98 %, Hulk 92 %).
Manj pravilnih odgovorov je bilo na vprašanja, povezana s popularno kulturo 80. in 90. let 20.
stoletja (Thelma in Louise, Dinastija) ter s splošno ameriško kulturo in zgodovino.
Rezultati ne kažejo opaznih razlik med pravilnostjo odgovorov študentov prvega in tretjega
letnika, vendar so študenti prvega letnika dosegli malo večji delež pravilnih odgovorov. V
povprečju so imeli študenti prvega letnika 59 % pravilnih odgovorov, študenti tretjega letnika
pa 56 %.
Nadaljnje raziskave bi lahko bile narejene v povezavi s podnaslavljanjem referenc in iskanjem
najboljših možnih prevajalskih rešitev. Nadaljnja raziskava bi lahko bila narejena tudi v
povezavi z razumevanjem referenc s strani splošnega slovenskega občinstva.
VI
References to American Culture in the TV Series
Supernatural: Analysis of Selected Episodes
Key words: popular culture, cultural references, Supernatural, reference analysis,
questionnaire analysis
UDK:
Abstract
The main aim of this master's thesis is to look into the use of references to American culture in
the selected episodes of TV series Supernatural. The empirical part is divided into two parts.
In the first part, there is an analysis of references in the selected episodes, which includes the
context in which they appear, explanation and possible understanding or misunderstanding by
the Slovene viewers. The analysis shows that most of the references are connected to popular
culture, especially TV, movies and music. Other cultural categories which appear are literature,
general American culture and sport. The purpose of the most references is to appeal to the
broader audience, set the humoristic mood and identify the character.
The second part of the empirical part is questionnaire analysis. Questionnaires were handed out
to first- and third-year students of English Language and Literature on Faculty of Arts in
Maribor. With this questionnaire, the level of understanding of selected references and possible
differences between the results of first-year and third-year students have been be examined. The
questionnaire contained 10 multiple-choice questions. The results show no significant
deviances in the correctness of the answers of third- and first-year students; however, the first-
year students reached slightly higher percent of correct answers. The students performed better
on questions related to present American popular culture (Hulk, Star Wars, The Parent Trap).
Questions with the least correct answers were those on American general culture, especially
cultural items that are not present in the Slovene culture (for example, GED and historic cultural
elements).
VII
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................1
1.1 Research Objectives .................................................................................................1
1.2 Research Hypotheses ................................................................................................2
1.3 Research Methods ....................................................................................................2
2 CULTURE .....................................................................................................................3
2.1 Definition of Culture .....................................................................................................3
2.2 Components of Culture .............................................................................................3
2.3 Popular Culture ........................................................................................................7
2.3.1 Definition of Popular Culture .................................................................................7
2.3.2 Mass Culture Theory ..............................................................................................8
2.3.3 Mass culture and Americanisation ..........................................................................9
2.3.4 American Popular Culture and Anti-Intellectualism ............................................. 10
2.4 Cultural Translation ................................................................................................ 10
3 CONTEXT AS REGISTER AND GENRE ................................................................... 15
4 SUPERNATURAL ......................................................................................................... 17
4.1 About Supernatural .................................................................................................... 17
4.2 Genre Merging ............................................................................................................ 19
4.3 Meta Fiction ............................................................................................................... 19
5 EMPIRICAL PART ...................................................................................................... 22
5.1 ANALYSIS OF REFERENCES TO POPULAR CULTURE IN SELECTED
EPISODES ....................................................................................................................... 23
5.2 SUMMARY OF THE ANALYSIS ......................................................................... 46
5.3 QUESTIONNAIRE ANALYSIS ............................................................................ 49
6 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................ 59
7 WORKS CITED ........................................................................................................... 61
8 APPENDIX .................................................................................................................. 68
VIII
INDEX OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Sam and Dean Winchester from: https://tvline.com/2016/07/29/supernatural-spoilers-
season-12-sam-taken-dean-reunion/. ..................................................................................... 18
INDEX OF CHARTS
Chart 1: Share of References in Episodes .............................................................................. 46
Chart 2: Types of References ................................................................................................ 47
Chart 3: Question 1 ............................................................................................................... 49
Chart 4: Question 2 ............................................................................................................... 50
Chart 5: Correct Answers to the Third Question ................................................................... 51
Chart 6: Correct Answers to the Fourth Question .................................................................. 52
Chart 7: Answers to Question 5 ............................................................................................ 53
Chart 8: Answers to Question 6 ............................................................................................ 54
Chart 9: Correct Answers to Question 7 ................................................................................ 55
Chart 10: Answers to Question 8 .......................................................................................... 56
Chart 11: Answers to Question 9 .......................................................................................... 57
Chart 12: Answers to Question 10 ........................................................................................ 58
INDEX OF TABLES
Table 1: References in Episode 1: Sympathy for the Devil .................................................... 23
Table 2: References in Episode 2: Good God, Y'All ............................................................. 26
Table 3: References in Episode 3: Free to Be You and Me .................................................... 28
Table 4: References in Episode 4: The End ........................................................................... 33
Table 5: References in Episode 5: Fallen Idols ...................................................................... 35
Table 6: References in Episode 6: I Believe the Children Are Our Future ............................. 42
1
1 INTRODUCTION
Because of advanced technology, the world is getting increasingly connected. Television, the
internet and other communication media are in our everyday lives, connecting us to the other
world and bridging different cultures. Media are bringing other cultures into ours, especially
the popular culture which is widely favoured. One of the most popular and dominant cultures
is American popular culture. Every day, there are American TV shows, films and music on our
televisions, radios and other media.
1.1 Research Objectives
The main aim of this master’s thesis is to look into one of the most popular American TV series
entitled Supernatural, and to find and analyse the references to American culture. Throughout
the series, there are many references to American movies, music bands, famous people and
other cultural items as tools to complement or develop the plot, identify characters, set the mood
and pace of the scenes and to appeal to the broader audience.
The first part of the master thesis is the theoretical part, which aims are:
- to present and define the term “culture” and its components,
- to present the definitions of popular culture and mass culture theory,
- to look into the cultural translation,
- to examine the context as register and genre, and
- to present the TV series Supernatural.
The empirical part is divided into two parts:
I. Analysis of references in the selected episodes
The references from selected episodes are analysed from the following perspectives: context in
which they appear, explanation and possible understanding or misunderstanding by the Slovene
viewers.
In the summary of the analysis, the references are counted and categorized into groups
according to the cultural aspect they express (music, TV and movies, literature, general
American culture, everyday life and sport).
2
II. Questionnaire analysis
The aim is to examine the understanding of American culture references by Slovene students
of English language and literature. Ten random references from the analysis were chosen and
the students were asked to answer multiple-choice comprehension questions.
1.2 Research Hypotheses
The following hypotheses contain some assumptions to be confirmed or dismissed based on the
collected data in the thesis.
1. Most of the references to American culture are popular culture references. Supernatural
is a popular fantasy series with a mass audience and its creators aim to attract and appeal
to as many viewers as possible.
2. The purpose of most references is to appeal to the audience and are not vital for plot
development.
3. The Slovene viewers understand most of the references to the American popular culture
because of the influence it has in the world.
The limitation of the research is the sample size and the fact that the questionnaire will be given
to the students of English who may be more familiar with American culture than the average
Slovene viewer is.
1.3 Research Methods
In the thesis, the following research methods are used:
1) Descriptive method (theoretical overview);
2) Quantitative method (questionnaire analysis, references types);
3) Method of classification and analysis (categories of references, analysis of references);
4) Method of synthesis (synthesis of results, testing of hypotheses).
3
2 CULTURE
2.1 Definition of Culture
The word culture is derived from the Latin word cultura, meaning ‘a cultivating, agriculture’.
The figurative meaning of cultura was ‘care, culture, an honouring.’ The noun was derived
from past participle stem of colere ‘to tend, guard; to till, cultivate.’ In the beginning of the 19th
century, the meaning ‘the intellectual side of civilization’ was first recorded. The meaning
‘collective customs and achievements of a people’ is from 1867 (Online Etymology Dictionary,
access on www.etymonline.com).
Macionis defines culture as the values, beliefs, behaviour and material objects that constitute a
people’s way of life. Culture includes what people think, how they act and what they own.
Macionis agrees that culture is both a bridge to the past and a guide to the future (62).
Nonmaterial culture is distinguished from material culture. Nonmaterial culture is the
“intangible world of ideas created by members of a society that span from a wide range from
altruism to zen” (62). On the other hand, the material culture constitutes the tangible things
created by the members of a society (Macionis 62).
Margaret J. King, a cultural analyst, says that culture is “the mental DNA of the human race
and the longest-running invention of humankind”. Culture allows people to think and act in
socially productive ways, therefore she sees it as a problem-solving device ever since language
and the first material objects of culture (jewelry) were invented (J. King 28). Language and
material objects are among the other cultural components.
2.2 Components of Culture
There are many cultures across the world; however, they are all built on five major components.
According to Macionis, these are the following: symbols, language, values, norms and material
objects (67).
2.2.1 Symbols
Symbols are anything that carries a particular meaning recognized by people who share culture.
A symbol can convey different meanings in different cultures. For example, in one culture it
conveys interest or understanding, but in other it can be understood as an insult. Symbolic
meanings vary even within one culture. For someone, wearing a fur coat represents wealth and
success in life, for others it may represent inhumane treatment of animals. Cultural symbols
also change over time. For example, blue jeans were created as an inexpensive clothing for
4
physical labourers. They were a symbol of a working class. Nowadays, they are just a
comfortable apparel, worn by people of all statuses (Macionis 67-68).
Fraim quotes a well-known researcher of symbols and symbolism Carl Liungman who said that
“any object can be called a symbol as long as a group of people agree that it means more than
just itself” (40). Fraim claims that symbols have been applied to consumer culture and the major
part in this had America since it is the world’s greatest producer and consumer of products.
Symbols are in all areas of culture and since the twentieth century they are representations of
popular culture (40-44).
2.2.2 Language
2.2.2.1 Language and cultural reality
Language and culture are connected in multiple and complex ways (Kramsch 3). Language can
be considered as the key to the world of culture since it allows members of society to
communicate with each other. It is a system of symbols which appear in spoken and written
form (Macionis 68). In addition, language is a social convention (Kellogg 3). When people utter
words, they refer to their experience and their personal and social lives. They refer to a stock
of knowledge about the world the other people share, their beliefs and values. In other words,
language expresses cultural reality (Kramsch 3).
Moreover, members of a certain culture do not only express their experience, but they also
create experience through language. They give meaning to it through the medium they choose
(for example, telephone, speaking in person or sending an e-mail). The way in which people
use language (either spoken, written or visual medium) itself creates meanings that are
understandable to the group they belong to (for example, through accent, body language,
writing style). In this way, language embodies cultural reality.
Language as a system of symbols itself has a cultural value. Members of different cultures
identify themselves and others through their use of language; language is a symbol of their
social identity. In this way, language symbolizes cultural reality (Kramsch 3).
People who identify themselves as members of a social group acquire common ways of viewing
the world through their interactions with other members of the same group (in family, at the
school, workplace, church and other places). These common attitudes, beliefs and values are
reflected in the way members of this group use language. In this way, Kramsch writes about
discourse communities when referring to the common ways in which members of a social
group use language to meet their social needs. One social group differentiates from another in
5
grammatical, lexical and phonological features of their language; moreover, also the topics they
talk about, the way they present information and interaction style differ from one social group
to another. Kramsch defines this as their discourse accent (6-7). Through time also
languages change. Kellogg believes that language changes happen because cultures and
societies change (4).
2.2.2.2 Meaning as sign
Language can mean in two fundamental ways which are linked to culture: through what is says
or what it refers to as an encoded sign (semantics1) and through what it does as an action in
context (pragmatics2). Humans have a capacity to create signs that mediate between them and
their environment. This action cosists of two elements: a signifier and a signified. For example,
the word “rose” is a signifier for a concept related to an object in the real world. However, the
signifier itself is not a sign unless someone recognizes it as such and relates it to a signified. In
this case, for a non-English speaker, the word “rose” is not a sign, but only a meaningless word.
Therefore, a sign is not a word itself or the object it refers to, but the relation between them
(Kramsch 15). This relation is defined as “arbitrary relation” between linguistic signs and the
objects they are related to, meaning that they “do not, in any way, ‘fit’ the objects they denote”
(19). This language property is called arbitrariness (Yule 18-19).
Every sign has a denotative and connotative meaning. The meaning, which can be looked up
in the dictionary, is denotative. Connotations are meanings that people associate with the sign
(for example, a rose might be associated with love, passion and beauty). The third meaning that
words can entertain with their objects is iconic. This means that signifiers not only point to or
associate with a signified but they can also be images or icons of them. Example of this is
onomatopoeia, which imitates emotions or actions (“Whack!”). As Yule notices, onomatopoeic
animal sounds often appear as non-arbitrary since there seems to be “a clear connection between
the signifier and the signified animal sound (19).
All three types of meaning correspond to ways in which members of a discourse community
encode their experience. Code is not separated from its meanings. Different signs denote reality
by cutting it up in different ways. Words table, Tisch and mesa denote the same object (a piece
1 Semantics is the study of meaning. The word origins from Greek noun sema, meaning 'sign, signal'
and the verb semaino, meaning 'signal, mean'. Semantics deals with questions why certain words and
phrases can form semantically acceptable constructions, while others cannot (Aitchison 82). 2 Pragmatics deals with how the speakers use language in ways which cannot be predicted from linguistic knowledge alone (Aitchison 97). It explores how the speakers successfully convey the message across
to the listeners (Aitchison 97).
6
of furniture), but whereas the English sign table denotes all tables, Polish encodes dining tables
as stol, coffee tables or telephone tables as stolik. German encodes the whole leg from the hip
to the toes through one sign (das Bein); in this case, “Mein Bein tut weh” might mean “My foot
hurts”; however, English encodes it with three words (hip, leg or foot). Different cultures also
evoke different associations with linguistic signs; moreover, they may even connote a different
concept. Even within the same speech community, signs might have different semantic values
for people from different discourse communities. These differences are differences in the code
and also in the semantic meanings, which are attributed to these different encodings. These
meanings make the linguistic sign into a cultural sign (Kramsch 16-18).
2.2.3 Values and Beliefs
Sociologists define values as “culturally defined standards by which people assess desirability,
goodness, and beauty, and which serve as guidelines for social living” (Macionis 71-72). In
other words, values describe what ought to be. Beliefs are “specific statements that people hold
to be true.” Cultural values and beliefs colour the way people see their surroundings and form
the core of their personalities. People learn from their families, schools, religious organizations
how to think and act according to principles approved by society, to pursue goals which are
considered worthy, and to believe cultural truths while rejecting alternatives as false (Macionis
71-72).
2.2.4 Norms
Macionis defines norms as “rules and expectations by which a society guides the behaviour of
its members”. Norms are either proscriptive or prescriptive. Proscriptive norms are mandating
what people should not do; on the other hand, prescriptive norms spell out what people should
do (for example, parents expect obedience from children) (Macionis 74).
2.2.5 Material objects
Every culture encompasses a wide range of intangible elements such as values and norms, and
tangible human creations which sociologists define as artifacts (for example, chopsticks in
China, knives and forks in Europe). Material cultures differ from one culture to another just as
norms, values and languages. Artifacts reflect cultural values and reveal a society’s technology.
Technology is a cultural element that can also vary within one culture. For instance, in the
United States of America some people cannot imagine life without computers and smartphones,
but others, such as the Amish, live in small farming communities and reject all technology
(Macionis 75-76).
7
2.3 Popular Culture
2.3.1 Definition of Popular Culture
The word “popular” is derived from the Latin populus which originally referred to people.
Nowadays it has four meanings: ‘well liked by many people’, ‘inferior kinds of work’, ‘work
deliberately setting out to win favour with the people’ and ‘culture actually made by the people
for themselves’ (Williams 237). Popular culture is culture which is widely favoured or well
liked by many people. However, Storey (5) points out that it is hard to decide what is widely
favoured or well liked by many people unless we agree on a figure over which something
becomes popular, and below which it is just culture.
Second way of defining popular culture may be deciding what is high culture and then all texts
and practices which would fail to meet the required standards would be defined as popular
culture. As Storey notes (5), this definition of popular culture is supported by the claims that
high culture deserves a moral and aesthetic response being the result of an individual act of
creation, whereas popular culture is mass-produced commercial culture. However, sometimes
the cultural division beween high and popular culture is not so obvious.
Third way of defining popular culture is as mass culture. That means that it is mass produced
for mass consumption. In this way, this culture is seen as formulaic and manipulative and as
culture which is “consumed with brain-numbed and brain-numbing pasitivity” (Storey 6).
Storey’s fourth definition contends that popular culture is the culture which originates from the
people. In this way, popular culture is seen as folk culture: a culture of the people for the people
(7).
Fifth definition of popular culture is explained from the perspective of hegemony theory,
developed by Marxist Antonio Gramsci who believed that rulling classes in society manipulate
the subordinate groups, their beliefs and values, so that they accept their worldview as a cultural
norm. Theorists, who define popular culture with this approach, see popular culture as:
“a site of struggle between the ‘resistance’ of subordinate groups and the forces of
‘incorporation’ operating in the interests of dominant groups. Popular culture in this usage is
not the imposed culture of the mass culture theorists, nor is it an emerging from below,
spontaneously oppositional culture of ‘the people’, it is a terrain of exchange and negotiation
between the two …” (Storey 8).
8
Finally, all definitions have in common one thing, i.e. that popular culture is culture that only
emerged following industrialization and urbanization (Storey 10).
Macionis defines popular culture in a similar way as Storey. He explains it in connection to
high culture, which, he says, refers to cultural patterns that distinguish a society’s elite; on the
other hand, popular culture designates cultural patterns that are widespread among a society’s
population (Macionis 78).
2.3.2 Mass Culture Theory
Strinati observes that the 1920s and 1930s are significant points in the study and evaluation of
popular culture since that is when cinema, radio, the mass production and consumption of
culture started to be the themes in various debates. Culture was starting to be reproducible
because various techniques of industrial production developed. Due to mass production
techniques in film making industry, and the mass consumption afforded by cinemas, films were
regarded as commercial products. That is when cultural products were not authentic and
genuine works of art anymore. The first modern mass media which emerged were popular press,
cinema and radio (5-10).
Strinati believes that popular culture is in fact mass culture; moreover, he uses the term
“commercial culture” because it is marketed for profit to a mass public of consumers. In his
opinion, this started because industrialization and urbanization gave rise to a mass of people
which were ready for manipulation. The main goal is the profit the production and marketing
can make from its potential mass market. He compares material and cultural production, the
production of cars and the production of films. The products of mass culture are standardised,
formulaic and repetitive, and they are the result of routine, specialised, assembly-line types of
production. On the other hand there is art, which cannot be produced in this way because it
requires aesthetic complexity, creativity, experiments and intellectual challenges. Moreover, art
depends on individual artists who do not use tried and tested formulas and standard techniques
of mass culture (Strinati 10-11).
The audience for mass-produced cultural products is, as Strinati discovers, understood to be
passive, open to manipulation and commercial exploitation of the mass media. These people
accept mass culture and mass consumption without thinking or reflecting. Strinati believes they
lack the intellectual and moral resources to do otherwise. Mass culture has bland and
standardised formulas which are made to sell things to this mass and to appeal to everyone
9
because every person in this culture is open to manipulation. The audience is prepared to have
its emotions and sensibilities manipulated (Strinati 11).
From this point of view, Strinati defines mass culture as “standardised, formulaic, repetitive
and superficial culture, one which celebrates trivial, sentimental, immediate and false
pleasures at the expense of serious, intellectual, time-honoured and authentic values” (Strinati
12). It lacks intellectual challenge and stimulation and is satisfied with undemanding ease of
fantasy and escapism. The audience does not think for itself and the responses are given to them
(Strinati 12).
2.3.3 Mass culture and Americanisation
Strinati recognizes America as the home of mass culture since very much mass culture comes
from it. Americanisation is therefore a threat not only to aesthetic standards and cultural values
but also to national culture. Britain recognized this threat already in the nineteenth century,
before the mass production and consumption of culture were even fully realised (Strinati 19-
20). Critics then identified mass democratic populism and feared that it would allow the masses
to run the government and lower cultural standards. In the second half of the 20th century, this
debate became more significant and quarrelsome. American popular culture which includes
Hollywood films, advertising images, clothes and music offers a rich iconography, a set of
symbols, objects and artefacts. Different cultural groups then assemble and reassemble these
artefacts and symbols in many combinations (jeans, rock records, Tony Curtis hair styles, bobby
socks etc.). Consumers do not construct their own culture but rather use the popular cultural
materials available. That is seen in distinct subcultures (Strinati 29-32).
In 1998, American producers of TV shows, films and music sold more programming overseas
than the United Stated sold in agricultural products or weapons and even more than powerful
brands such as McDonald’s, Levi’s and Starbucks. What made American popular culture a
global phenomenom were the new technologies (the Internet, mobile phones, satellite television
systems, tablets etc.) (Crothers 2).
Olster (94) states that by 1918 more than 80% of movies in British theathers were American
and this number has not changed until today. European countries were concerned about losing
the uniqueness of their mother tongue and national identity. In France, a bill was passed in 1993
which forced radio stations to play at least 40% French music. The Spanish parliament went
even further and put in place a law that limited the projection of American films. In towns with
more than 125,000 inhabitants, two days when cinemas project American films must be
10
followed by one day for European films. In smaller towns, three days of American films must
be followed by one day of European films (Cohen 1993).
2.3.4 American Popular Culture and Anti-Intellectualism
Bradbury mentions anti-intellectualism in American culture by noting that the American
historian Richard Hofstadter was the one who recorded the existence of anti-intellectualism in
American society in his 1963 Pulitzer Prize-winning book Anti-intellectualism in American
Life. In Hofstader’s opinion, America has been anti-intellectual from its birth. However, he
explains that intellectualism is not a synonym for intelligence. Intellect begins with intelligence,
but it pursues deeper analysis and more critical evaluation. He defines anti-intellectualism as
“a resentment and suspicion of the life of the mind and of those who are considered to represent
it; and a disposition constantly to minimize the value of that life” (Hofstader in Bradbury 4).
Hofstader believes that America supports the pursue of intelligence but on the other hand it
fears, mocks and resents intellect. He believes this has roots in religion and politics. Bradbury
concludes that he strongly believes that popular culture has a great influence on contemporary
anti-intellectualism (Bradbury 4-5).
2.4 Cultural Translation
Specific cultural references in the text can present problems for translation into other languages
with a different cultural background. Translating a text from one language to another is
challenging because each culture has its own cultural patterns. Translation can be defined as
cross-cultural communication and the translator must be familiar with both cultures. Newmark
(95) states that the translator’s role is to be a transcultural mediator between communities. The
study of translation and cultural studies must therefore be intertwined. Translation scholars have
given a big focus to cultural knowledge and differences between cultures. In the past, translation
consisted only of replacing textual material in one language by the equivalent in another
language (Durdureanu 54). However, cultural item can be specific to one culture and therefore
may not have an equivalent in other language and consequently many scholars have claimed
that it is impossible to translate such terms. Moreover, as Durdureanu states (55), Friedrich
Schleiermacher was determined that not a single word has an exact correspondent in another
language.
11
In 1920s, Walter Benjamin wrote the essay The task of the translator in which he explained the
concept of cultural translation as it is understood today. This concept arose out of its radical
criticism rather than out of traditional translation theory. For Benjamin, translation’s purpose is
not to carry meaning. He used a metaphor of a tangent for explaining the relation between the
original and translated text: “translation is like a tangent which touches the circle (i.e., the
original) at one single point only, thereafter to follow its own way” (Buden, Nowotny, Simon,
Bery and Cronin). This means that neither the language of the original text nor the language of
the translation are fixed or enduring categories (Buden et al.).
Translation is especially difficult for culturally specific expressions, also called culture-bound
items. The meaning of culture-bound terms is strongly linked to the specific cultural context
where the text originates and therefore they may not be easily rendered into target language
(Armellino). Durdureanu has reviewed some of the techniques for translating culture-bound
terms; Brislin wrote a guide on ‘backtranslation’, which is translating the translated text back
into the original language and then comparing both versions and reviewing the translation.
Second technique was written by Werner and Campbell in 1970 and consisted of altering
together the original and the translated text for improving both text (Durdureanu 53).
In 2000, Graedler saw a solution in coining a new word or explaining the meaning of the
original word. He also agreed that the translator can preserve the original word intact or use a
similar word that has the same ‘relevance’. Harvey suggested four strategies; using a functional
equivalence, the formal equivalence, transcription and descriptive translation. In the first
strategy, the translator uses a term in the target language that has a similar function to that of
the original term. Theorists do not agree on this method; some find it appropriate and others
think it should be avoided. The second strategy is in fact a word-to-word translation. Thirdly,
transcription or borrowing means that the original term is reproduced or tranliterated. This
strategy includes translator’s explanations and notes. The last strategy is self-explanatory
translation and consists of using a generic term when word-to-word translation is not clear
enough (Durdureanu 57).
Theorists, such as Vermeer, Reiss, Nord and Witte agree that culture is bound to translation. In
every communication, there are particular text functions assigned to texts and culture-specific
texts are produced. Nord and Holz-Mänttäri researched the process of translation and the
cultural exchanges involved. Other theoristis, such as Hervey and Higgins believe that
translators should consider both opposite poles, i.e. exoticism and cultural transplantation
(Durdureanu 58). Exoticism has strong elements of the source language and culture and
12
includes minimal adaptation. On the other hand, cultural transplantation has no elements of
source language; whole text is rewritten in target language but there are still some common
cultural connotations (Mizani).
Mary Snell Hornby in 1990 uses a metaphor ‘the cultural turn’ for the move from translation as
text to translation as culture. In the same year, the collection of essays Translation, History and
Culture by Susan Bassnett and André Lefevere was released and since then the cultural turn has
had a considerate place in translation studies. They examine the interaction between translation
and culture. In 1992, André Lefevere in his Translation, Rewriting and the Manipulation of
Literary Fame explains that power, ideology, institution and manipulation are “the factors
which influence the reception, acceptance or rejection of literary texts” (Durdureanu 59). In his
opinion, the translators are in fact “rewriters”of texts; they rewrite the text to make it more
suitable for their culture (Durdureanu 59).
Peter Newmark also agrees that there are translation problems when it comes to cultural focus
because of the “cultural ‘gap’ or ‘distance’ between the source and target language”
(Newmark 1988: 94). However, he does not agree with theorists (such as Macionis) who claim
that language is a component of culture because then translation would be impossible. He notes
that most culture-bound terms are easy to detect because they cannnot be literally translated.
However, many culture-bound customs are described in ordinary language (for example, ‘mud
in your eye’, ‘topping out a building’) and therefore “a literal translation would distort the
meaning and a translation may include an inappropriate descriptive-functional equivalent”
(Newmark 95).
Newmark (95) categorised the culture-bound terms (adapting Nida’s categorisation) and
provided some examples:
(1) Ecology: flora, fauna, winds, plains, hills: ‘honeysuckle’, ‘tundra’, ‘plateau’, ‘selva’;
(2) Material culture (artefacts):
a) Food: ‘sake’, ‘zabaglione’;
b) Clothes: ‘anorak’, ‘sarong’, ‘dhoti’;
c) Houses and towns: ‘kampong’, ‘bourg’, ‘low-rise’;
d) Transport: ‘bike’, ‘ricksaw’, ‘cabriolet’;
(3) Social culture (work and leisure): ‘ajah’, ‘reggae’, ‘rock’
(4) Organisations, customs, activities, procedures and concepts
a) Political and administrative;
b) Religious: ‘dharma’, ‘karma’, ‘temple’;
13
c) Artistic
(5) Gestures and habits: ‘cock a snook’, ‘spitting’.
Newmark identifies two opposite methods for translating culture-bound terms; transference and
componential analysis. Transference, “usually in literary texts, offers local color and
atmosphere, and in specialist texts enables the readership (some of whom may be more or less
familiar with the SL) to identify the referent – particularly a name or concept – in other texts
(or conversations) without difficulty” (Newmark 96). He agrees that transference is brief and
concise, but he also believes it blocks comprehension since it does not communicate, it
emphasises the culture and ignores the message. Transference keeps the cultural names and
concepts and some theorists do not even consider it as a translation procedure. The opposite
method is componential analysis, which is, in Nemark’s opinion, “the most accurate translation
procedure, which excludes the culture and highlights the message” (Newmark 96). This
translation method includes a component which is common to both original and target language
(for example, dacha ‘house’, dom, to which you add the contextual distinguishing components,
‘for the wealthy’, ‘summer residence’). Newmark admits that this strategy is not economical
and the translation does not have “the pragmatic impact of the original” (Newmak 96).
Newmark (cited in Mizani) proposes seven strategies for translating culture-specific terms:
1) Naturalization
The culture-specific element is left in its original form.
2) Couplet or triplet and quadruplet
Translator uses more than one strategy for dealing with a culture-specific term.
3) Neutralization
Neutralizing means paraphrasing the culture-specific term by using culture-free terms.
4) Descriptive and functional equivalent
Descriptive equivalent defines the size, colour and composition. The functional
equivalent defines the purpose of the culture-specific term.
5) Explanation as footnote
Giving extra information about the culture-specific term in a footnote.
6) Cultural equivalent
Translator uses a translated cultural equivalent.
14
7) Compensation
When translator encounters a loss of meaning, sound effect, pragmatic effect or
metaphor in one part of a text, then the word or concept is compensated in other part of
the text.
15
3 CONTEXT AS REGISTER AND GENRE
When analyzing culture-specific expressions, we have to take into account that these
expressions are part of discourse that exists in situational and cultural context. Discourse does
not consist only of single clauses but social contexts develop a chain of meanings which
constitute a text. Each text manifests an interaction between speakers and/or writers and readers
and/or listeners. Consequently, each text also manifests the speaker’s culture. A clause, a text
and a culture are not objects, “but social processes that unfold at different time scales. Culture
unfolds through uncountable series of situations, as our lives unfold through such situations as
learners, speakers and actors, producing texts that unfold as sequences of meaning” (Martin &
Rose 1). For example, each clause in Lakota Woman, memoir of Mary Crow Dog, is an instance
of a story of Mary Crow Dog and her story is one instance of the Native American culture and
the conditions in which Lakota tribe lived in the reservation. However, cultures are not just
combinations of texts and texts are not just combinations of clauses. Each of these phenomena
have a different level of abstraction, culture being the most abstract and clauses the least. These
three levels of language are connected through “realization”, which embodies symbolism,
encoding, expression, manifestation etc. (Martin & Rose 5-6). For example, clauses, taken one
by one, may describe what happened in Mary’s story, but when they are taken together, they
explain it.
In social context, language has three general social functions:
a) the interpersonal metafunction to enact relationship
b) the ideational metafunction to represent experience
c) the textual metafunction to organize text.
All three functions are interwoven and all can be achieved simultaneously, meaning that every
part of discourse can be looked at from any of these perspectives (Martin & Rose 6-7).
In social contexts, it can be learned to predict how the situations will likely to unfold and how
to interact in various situations because of genres. Martin and Rose define genre as “different
types of texts that enact various types of social contexts” (7). It is “a staged, goal-oriented social
process” (7). By interacting, people learn to recognize consistent patterns and distinguish the
typical genres of their culture. Such predictable genres are, for example, greetings, jokes,
arguments and small talk (Martin & Rose 7). Culture-specific references thus have to be
interpreted in the wider context of culture and have different functions depending on the specific
genres in in which they are used.
16
Besides genre, other construct for modeling context is register. Register analysis has three
dimensions: field, tenor and mode. These three taken together constitute the register of a text.
Tenor is realized by the interpersonal metafunction of language and is concerned with
relationships between participants, their statuses and roles. Field is realized by ideational
metafunction and is concerned with the nature of the social activity that is happening. Mode is
realized by textual metafunction of language and is concerned with the role of language, the
status that is has and its function in the context (Martin & Rose 242-243). Each of these
dimensions vary and therefore they are called register variables.
Register realizes genre and their relationship is similar to that between language and context,
and among levels of language. Genre is a pattern of register patterns and register variables are
a pattern of linguistic patterns (Martin and Rose 254). Culture-specific references play a role in
all the three variables of situation – they contribute to and are a reflection of the field, tenor and
mode of the text.
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4 SUPERNATURAL
4.1 About Supernatural
Supernatural is the TV channel CW's sci-fi/fantasy show, which was created by Eric Kripke in
2005. There have been 14 seasons so far and it has been announced that it will end with season
15 which will air in fall 2019 (Harp). It was first released on September 13, 2005. With its 11th
season, the series was announced as the longest-running American live-action fantasy TV series
(Rocha). The show is about two brothers, Sam and Dean Winchester (starring Jensen Ackles
and Jared Padalecki), who follow their father’s footsteps and fight evil supernatural creatures.
They are so-called “hunters” and hunt monsters, ghosts, vampires, shapeshifters, witches,
werewolves, angels, demons and other supernatural beings. The series is inspired by urban
legends, mythology and folklore. The episodes are circa 44 minutes long and each season has
16-23 episodes. Altogether there are 307 episodes in 14 seasons.
With its fantasy horror premise and witty main characters fighting demons and vampires, the
show is clearly inspired by the influential TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer created by Joss
Whedon in the 1990s. Another American fantasy drama with similar elements is Charmed from
1998; three sisters are using their supernatural powers to protect the innocent people from
demons and warlocks.
Firstly, Kripke planned the series for three seasons, but then expanded it to five. After 5 seasons,
the main storyline was concluded and Kripke stepped down as a showrunner (Ausiello). After
Kripke, the showrunner was Sera Gamble (seasons 6 and 7) and then Jeremy Carver took the
reins in season 8 (Goldman). After 11th season, he stepped down and focused on another CW
show Frequency and the new co-showrunners are Robert Singer and Andrew Dabb (Ausiello,
Gelman).
The main characters are brothers Sam and Dean who are road-tripping from town to town in
America. Their mission started in search for the demon that killed their mother and on the way
they come across various monsters, from ghosts to werewolves, demons, poltergeists, angels.
Even after they avenge their mother’s death, there are other evil monsters to be handled with.
Among them is Lucifer, the king of hell, who controls the demons. In season three, an angel
named Castiel joins them and helps them fight the devil and a strong friendship is formed among
them. The viewers watch a tense war between good and evil, between angels and demons, but
even though the series has a Christian basis, it transcends and subverts religious conventions
18
and dogmas. The angels can be as evil as demons, God is absent and when he finally shows up,
he is unwilling to help in stopping the apocalypse. Moreover, he has a sister, while other angel
proclaims himself as God. There are many other twists and turns in the story that shock the
viewers. Supernatural’s God has a name – Chuck, and he left the Earth for several millennia,
his image being the exact opposite to the image of the God of Christianity.
Figure 1: Sam and Dean Winchester from: https://tvline.com/2016/07/29/supernatural-spoilers-season-
12-sam-taken-dean-reunion/.
As Gonçalves states, television does not play a mere passive role, but it also has a part in
constituting society and affecting culture. In the TV series, the characters discuss everyday life
and they become a part of the daily life of the viewers themselves. Moreover, a TV series can
influence everyday life by creating new trends in social behaviour and Gonçalves notes that
Supernatural is one of those series. The show has a constant dialogue with contemporary
society, cultural products and agents (Gonçalves 2). This dialogue is reflected in the references
to popular culture, the analysis of which is the main subject of this master thesis.
19
4.2 Genre Merging
Supernatural is a TV series that mainly belongs to the horror genre; however, the series also
incorporates various other genres, such as fantasy, drama, thriller, the road movie, comedy and
even cartoon.
The 18th episode of season 6 was a Western episode entitled Frontierland in which sci-fi was
combined with a western. With time travel, the brothers jumped to the Old West in 1861 and
found themselves in a small town with a saloon, whiskey, guns, cowboy hats, a duel and other
features typical of a western.
In the 8th episode of season 5, entitled Changing Channels, there is a mixture of various genres
in the form of the meta-genre of parody. The so-called Trickster sends the characters in different
TV shows; the first one is a hospital drama Dr. Sexy M.D., a parody on Grey's Anatomy which
was airing on Thursdays, the same day as Supernatural (IMDb). The scenes include
melodramatic dialogue, romances and tense atmosphere among doctors. The second TV show
was a crime drama series. They referenced directly to CSI: Miami and its main character,
Horatio Cane, by mimicking his mannerisms (taking off his sunglasses and turning to his
profile). This show was also airing on Thursdays at that time (IMDb). The third show they
appeared in was a sitcom in which they played themselves – they were actors Jensen Ackles
and Jared Padalecki playing Sam and Dean Wincester. There was a live audience, cheers,
applauses and laughs. They also referenced the action drama Knight Rider which started to run
again in 2008 (the original series is from 1982). One of the brothers is transformed into Impala,
the artificially intelligent automobile.
Another genre overlap happened in episode 16 of season 13, called Scoobynatural, where the
whole episode was animated. The characters got stuck in an episode of Scooby-Do, a popular
children’s cartoon. In this episode, the creators of the show once again transcended genre
boundaries and successfully merged a cartoon and a live-action show.
4.3 Meta Fiction
In Supernatural, there are many instances of metafiction. Metafiction can be defined as an
occurrence when a fictional text, or in this case a TV show, intentionally draws attention to
itself being an artefact in order to arise questions about the relationship between fiction and
reality. In this way, the creators examine the fundamental structures of fiction and explore the
possible fictionality of the world outside their own (Waugh 2). Waugh states that the increased
20
awareness of meta levels of discourse may be because of increased social and cultural self-
consciousness. Moreover, it also “reflects a greater awareness within contemporary culture of
the function of language in constructing and maintaining our sense of everyday reality” (Waugh
3).
Characters often demonstrate that they are aware that they are fictional. In some cases, that is
done indirectly with a hint in a dialogue, for example 23rd episode of season 8, where a
character admits that they are in fact a part of a TV show:
Castiel: Do you really think it's wise to be drinking on the job?
Dean: What show you been watching?
Another example of meta reference is in the last episode of season 7 where the writers
announced via character’s lines that the next season will be filmed:
Alpha Vampire: Right, right, your flesh is crawling. All you want to do is kill me now. You
hate having to wait and come back, and try again...
Dean: Pretty much. I wouldn't leave that head too close to that body for too long.
Alpha Vampire: See you next season.
Dean: Looking forward to it.
A character greets another character by saying: “Castiel, haven’t seen you all season. You the
cavalry now?”
They often refer to the day the show was airing in that particular season, for example:
Dean: Awesome. Another Horseman. Must be Thursday.
Dean: Since when do you give a crap about vampires?
Crowley: Since... What's today, Friday? Since, let's see... Mind your business.
Some episodes can be referred to as “meta episodes” since the whole story circles around
metafiction. In episode 18 of season 4, Sam and Dean find out that they are in fact living a life
of characters from book series Supernatural, written by Carver Edlund. Carver Edlund is a
21
combination of Supernatural’s writers’ last names (Jeremy Carver and Ben Edlund). Characters
realize that they have many fans and even meet the author of their novels.
In episode 15 of season 6 (The French Mistake), Sam and Dean appear in alternate reality. They
realize that they are on the set of a TV show Supernatural and that the show is about their lives.
Everyone mistakes them for the main actors of the show – Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki
(the real names of the actors). There are even some details from their real lives, for example,
Dean is shocked when he finds out that he (Jensen) played in Days of Our Lives; they are
shocked when they realize they are in Canada, not America (“Where the hell are we, anyway?
Dude, we're not even in America”) since Supernatural was filmed in Vancouver, but the
characters are traveling across America in the show; there is an actual photo of Jared’s wedding
that was published in Sun Valley Magazine in 2010 and taken by Kirsten Schultz3.
As a celebration of the 200th episode of Supernatural, they made another meta episode (season
10, episode 5 – Fan Fiction) which was “pure fan service” (Hughes). It was meant to celebrate
the show’s history and focus on its fans. In this episode, the main characters come to a high
school searching ghosts, but they find out that there will be a performance of a play
Supernatural: The Musical. The musical is based on the previously mentioned book series
Supernatural.
3 Also available online in the article The Perfect Winter Wedding. Genevieve Cortese & Jared Padalecki
by Martha Liebrum (on https://sunvalleymag.com/articles/the-perfect-winter-wedding/).
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5 EMPIRICAL PART
The aim of the study is to look into the use of specific references to American culture in the
selected episodes of TV series Supernatural. The references are employed in the series as a
device to complement or develop the plot, identify characters, set the mood and pace of the
scenes and to appeal to a broader audience. Thus they contribute to the register variables of
field, tenor and mode in the text, and at the same time contribute to the TV genre of popular
culture. The references analysed mainly belong to social culture (see the definition by
Newmark, chapter Cultural Translation, pp. 12), such as references to TV and film, music,
historical figures, events, newspapers, sport and etc. The analysis focuses on American culture,
but also includes some references to globally known non-American works and figures, which
came to general attention through American popular culture (e.g. Romeo and Juliet, Cate
Blanchett).
The empirical part is divided into two parts:
1. Analysis of references in the selected episodes (season 5, episodes 1-6): this analysis
includes the context in which the references appear, explanation and possible
understanding or misunderstanding by the Slovene viewers.
2. Questionnaire analysis: the aim is to examine the understanding of American culture
references by Slovene students of English language and literature. Ten random
references from the analysis were chosen and the students were asked to answer
multiple-choice comprehension questions.
In the empirical part, the following hypotheses will be examined:
6 Most of the references to American culture are popular culture references. Supernatural is
a popular fantasy series with a mass audience and its creators aim to attract and appeal to
as many viewers as possible.
7 The purpose of most references is to appeal to the audience and are not vital for plot
development.
8 The Slovene viewers understand most of the references to the American popular culture
because of the influence it has in the world.
The limitation of the research is the sample size and the fact that the questionnaire will be given
to the students of English who may be more familiar with American culture than the average
Slovene viewer is.
23
5.1 ANALYSIS OF REFERENCES TO POPULAR CULTURE IN
SELECTED EPISODES
For the first part of the empirical part, the first 6 episodes from season 5 were selected. The
lines in which the references appear are in the left column of the table and in the right column,
the reference is explained and analyzed. The explanations explain the context and potential
problems for the comprehension of the references by Slovene viewers.
I. Episode 1 (Sympathy for the Devil)
Plot: Sam and Dean awake on a plane without any explanation after releasing Lucifer from hell.
Somehow, they were beamed to the airplane on which Looney Tunes cartoon is playing. They
meet their friend Bobby and they make a plan to find Michael's sword to destroy Lucifer.
Table 1: References in Episode 1: Sympathy for the Devil
REFERENCE EXPLANATION
THE TITLE:
Sympathy for the Devil4
The title of this episode can be interpreted as
a reference to the Rolling Stones song with
the same title.
DEVIL:
What the devil is your name?
YOSEMITE SAM:
Sa-Sa-Sa-Sa-Yo-Yosemite Sam.
DEVIL:
Yosemite Sam?
Yosemite Sam is a Looney Tunes character,
the opponent of Bugs Bunny. The Slovene
public knows this character by the name of
“Sam Pištolca”. In the non-professional
Slovene subtitles, the translator did not use
the Slovene name but the original (“Yosemite
Sam”).
Sam and Dean were trying to escape the
beam of light which appeared as Lucifer was
rising from his cage in hell. The next scene is
a cartoon, a devil sitting in his high chair,
reading Yosemite Sam his last judgement.
Yosemite Sam is scared of the devil and his
voice is trembling, just as Sam Winchester is
afraid of the Lucifer that in reality rose from
4 The references explained are in bold type.
24
hell. It turns out that this cartoon is playing
on the plane they were “beamed to” by
angels.
DEAN:
All right, well, first things first. How did we
end up on Soul Plane?
SAM:
Angels, maybe? I mean, you know, beaming
us out of harm's way?
“Soul Plane” is a comedy from 2004 which
takes place on a plane. A man sues an airline
because of humiliation that he experienced
on a plane and after the settlement, he creates
his own airline with sexy stewardesses, good
music, dance club etc. (IMDb).
Sam and Dean suddenly appear on a plane
after running from the beam that appeared as
the Lucifer rose from hell. The plane is a
refuge for them, a safe place and for this
reason Dean refers to it as “Soul Plane”. The
Slovene public knows this movie by the name
of “Noro letalo”. The viewers who have not
watched the movie would not understand the
reference, so the translator would have to
consider avoiding it. The title “Noro letalo”
does not give the association to the joy,
happiness and feeling of safety Sam and
Dean feel after escaping Lucifer without the
viewer knowing the content of the movie.
In the non-professional Slovene subtitles, the
translator avoided the reference by
transforming the question in “How did we
end up on an airplane?” (“Kako sva pristala
na letalu?”).
CHUCK:
You went, like, full-on Vader5.
Your body temperature was one-fifty. Your
Darth Vader is a character from the movie
series Star Wars. He is probably one of the
most famous villains in movies. Chuck
compared Sam to Darth Vader because of
5 The familiarity of this cultural term was checked in the questionnaire.
25
heart rate was two hundred. Your eyes were
black.
Sam’s actions: he used his supernatural
abilities to kill demons and with this he
stepped over to “the dark side”. He was
angry, his eyes turned black. Darth Vader
was also the one who crossed over to the dark
side, had temper and enjoyed in killing.
DEAN:
You weren't followed, were you?
BOBBY:
You mean by angels, demons, or Sam's new
superfan?
SAM:
You heard.
BOBBY:
I heard, Romeo.
Romeo is a character from Shakespeare’s
tragedy Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet
are world-famous love couple and their name
give associations to love and romance.
Sam had a fan who was madly in love with
him and Bobby made a joke about it.
DEAN:
You kidding me? Tough? That guy looks like
Cate Blanchett.
Cate Blanchett is an Australian actress, most
famous by her role as queen Elizabeth I.
Dean disagrees with Bobby’s claim that
Michael is the toughest archangel and says
that he has a feminine face like Cate
Blanchett.
BOBBY:
And how are we supposed to do all this,
genius?
DEAN:
I got no idea. But what I do have is a GED6
and a give-'em-hell attitude, and I'll figure it
out.
GED is short for General Equivalency
Diploma, tests which provide certification for
high-school-level academic skills in USA or
Canada.
Slovenia does not have similar tests, just
night schools (“večerne šole”) in which high-
school education can be finished.
6 The familiarity of this cultural term was checked in the questionnaire.
26
II. Episode 2: Good God, Y’All
Plot: Sam and Dean are asked to help a town in which a villain (one of the Four Horsemen of
the Apocalypse – War) spelled the townspeople to hallucinate that they are demons and caused
them to kill one another. They are also trying to find God to help them beat Lucifer.
Table 2: References in Episode 2: Good God, Y'All
REFERENCE EXPLANATION
THE TITLE:
Good God, Y'All
The title of this episode is a reference to the
song by Edwin Starr, titled “War”. The title
is a line, taken from this song (the whole line:
War! Good God, y'all! What is it good for?)
In this episode, War is one of the Four
Horsemen of the Apocalypse and the main
villain.
Translating the title in the Slovene language
would lose the reference to the song;
furthermore, it can be predicted that this
cultural item is not known to most Slovene
viewers of Supernatural.
AUSTIN:
So, you think that all this comes from outer
space?
DEAN:
This isn't X-Files, pal.
X-Files is a science fiction TV series that
aired from 1993 to 2002 and it was renewed
for a new season in 2016. It revolves around
two FBI agents who investigate strange and
unexplained things (IMDb).
On Slovene televisions, it was aired as
“Dosjeji X”.
Dean used this reference because Austin was
implying that all the weird happenings were
caused by aliens.
DEAN:
So, pit stop at Mount Doom?
Mount Doom is a fictional place from book
and film series Lord of the Rings. It is a
volcano in which “the Ring” was forged and
ultimately also destroyed.
27
The main villain in Supernatural – War, was
defeated when Sam and Dean cut off his
finger on which he was wearing the ring that
gave him all the power. Similarly, the main
villain of Lord of the Rings was defeated –
they cut off his ring. That is why the character
used this reference to this series as a
humorous remark.
The reference to The Lord of the Rings can be
translated as “Gora Pogube” for the reference
to be understood by the Slovene viewers
familiar with the novel.
WAR:
Please. Last week, this was Mayberry. Now
these people are stabbing each other's
children.
This is a reference to The Andy Griffith Show,
a sitcom that aired from 1960 to 1968.
Mayberry is a fictional town in North
Carolina where characters of this show live.
It is a town with no crimes (IMDb).
War made this reference because before his
arrival that had been an idyllic town and then
he had turned the townspeople into
murderers.
The cultural term “Mayberry” would
probably not be understood by the Slovene
viewers, so the translator would have to find
an appropriate term to replace it.
In the non-professional subtitles, the
translator avoided the reference by
substituting it for “small town” (“Prejšnji
teden je to bilo majhno mesto.”) which may
not be the best possible solution. A better
translation would be “an idyllic town”.
28
CASTIEL:
Yes. He isn't in Heaven. He has to be
somewhere.
DEAN:
Try New Mexico. I hear he's on a tortilla.
CASTIEL:
No, he's not on any flatbread.
Dean and Castiel are wondering where God
is. The term “he’s on a tortilla” is a reference
to the reported sightings about Jesus Christ
appearing on tortillas.
III. Episode 3: Free to Be You and Me
Plot: Sam and Dean are living separately since Sam does not trust his ability to control his desire
for demon blood. Sam works in a bar as a busboy when another hunter Tim walks in and wants
him to use his powers to kill the demons. Dean is on the road with Castiel trying to find the
archangel Raphael.
Table 3: References in Episode 3: Free to Be You and Me
REFERENCE EXPLANATION
THE TITLE:
Free to Be You and Me
The title of this episode is a reference to
children’s music record and movie Free to
Be... You & Me from 1974 (IMDb).
DEAN:
Eat it, Twilight.
Dean made a reference to a romance fantasy
movie Twilight about a vampire that falls in
love with a teenage girl.
In this scene, Dean is killing a vampire and
he refers to him as “Twilight”.
The Twilight Saga is a series of five movies
which were very popular across the whole
world. The Slovene public knows this movie
by the name of “Somrak”.
CASTIEL:
Archangel. The one who killed me.
“A teenage mutant ninja angel” is a reference
to popular children’s cartoons Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles which started as comic
29
DEAN:
Excuse me?
CASTIEL:
His name is Raphael.
DEAN:
You were wasted by a teenage mutant ninja
angel?
books in 1983 and later gained world-wide
success in cartoons, video games and movies
(Greenberg 1990). The latest movie was
released in 2016 and the latest cartoon in
2018 (IMDb).
Dean refers to Raphael, the angel who killed
Castiel, as a “teenage mutant ninja angel”
because the name of one of the four ninja
turtles is Raphael; however, he uses a play on
words since he refers to an angel and not a
turtle.
The Slovene public knows this cartoons as
“Ninja želve”, so the translation would be
“Ubil te je mutirani najstniški ninja angel?”
The Ninja Turtles franchise is well known in
the Slovene culture as the cartoons were often
shown on Slovene TV channels and the
movies in the cinema.
DEAN:
So, what, I'm Thelma and you're Louise7
and we're just going to hold hands and sail
off this cliff together?
Give me one good reason why I should do
this.
This is a reference to the movie Thelma and
Louise from 1991. He explicitly refers to the
last scene of the movie in which two best
female friends hold hands and drive off a cliff
to escape from the police (IMDb).
On Slovene televisions it was aired as
“Thelma in Louise”.
LINDSEY:
You finished that crossword puzzle in the
kitchen?
SAM:
Uh, I guess. Why?
Lindsey made a reference to The New York
Times Saturday crossword because they are
the hardest to solve (Amlen and Ezersky
2017) and in this way she pointed out Sam’s
intelligence.
7 The familiarity of this cultural term was checked in the questionnaire.
30
LINDSEY:
The New York Times Saturday crossword?
Slovene viewers would probably not
understand this reference, so the translator
would have to adapt it.
DEAN:
Let me guess, he just vanished into thin air?
FRAMINGHAM:
No, Kolchak. He's down at Saint Pete's.
Framingham refers to Dean as “Kolchak”,
which is a reference to American TV series
that aired between 1974 and 1975 Kolchak:
The Night Stalker. The series was about a
reporter who investigated paranormal
occurrences. Framingham used this reference
because he made fun of Dean who asked him
whether a person vanished into thin air.
No information on this TV series ever airing
on Slovene televisions was found, so it may
be predicted that most Slovene viewers
would not understand the reference.
DEAN:
Let me tell you something. There are two
things I know for certain. One, Bert and
Ernie8 are gay. Two, you are not gonna die a
virgin. Not on my watch. Let's go.
Dean made a reference to children’s TV show
Sesame Street which was first aired in 1969
and was the longest-running children’s TV
show on television. Bert and Ernie were one
of the main characters. The Slovene public
knows this show by the name of “Sezamova
ulica” (Crnič 2009).
Dean made a reference to the rumors which
are swirling around about Bert and Ernie
being a gay couple (Usborne 2009).
LINDSEY:
So your parents were drunk when they named
you and you shoot Bambi?
Lindsey made a reference to Bambi, famous
young deer from American animated Disney
movie from 1942 based on a book by Felix
Salten (IMDb).
Sam said that he is a hunter and Lindsey
asked him if he shot Bambi. She used this
reference as a metaphor of animal’s
8 The familiarity of this cultural term was checked in the questionnaire.
31
innocence and in this way she expressed
dissent with his occupation.
Bambi is well-known in Slovene culture both
as a movie and as a book.
CASTIEL:
Where is he?
RAPHAEL:
God? Didn't you hear? He's dead, Castiel.
Dead.
The expression “God is dead” is a reference
to the statement made by German
philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.
This is not a reference to American culture;
however, understanding this reference
requires certain knowledge of the viewers on
philosophy.
SAM:
I don't know—jeez. Are you okay? Where are
Reggie and Steve?
TIM:
Oh, Steve's good, he's, uh, his guts are lying
roadside outside the Hawley Five and Dime.
“Hawley Five and Dime” is a store selling
inexpensive items. The appropriate term in
the Slovene language would be “diskont”.
DEAN:
I mean there were times when I was looking
for my dad when all logic said that he was
dead, but I knew in my heart he was still
alive. Who cares what some ninja turtle says,
Cas, what do you believe?
This is another reference to Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles and Dean is again referring to
angel Raphael.
TIM:
Here's what's gonna happen. You're gonna
drink this, Hulk out9, and you're gonna waste
every one of the demon scum that killed my
best friend.
“To Hulk out” is a verb consisting of name of
a fictional character from American
superhero movie Hulk (2003) which was
based on Marvel Comics. Hulk turns into
raging green monster who embarks on a spree
of violence and destruction when he gets
angry. So the meaning of this verb is ‘to
9 The familiarity of this cultural term was checked in the questionnaire.
32
become enraged, to lose one’s temper and
become violent’.
Tim wanted Sam to drink demon blood which
turned him to an uncontrollable monster to
kill other demons for revenge.
In Slovene language, the appropriate term for
this may be “postati Hulk” ali “spremeniti se
v Hulka”.
DEAN:
Hi. Alonzo Mosely, FBI. This is my partner,
Eddie Moscone.
Alonzo Mosely and Eddie Moscone are the
names of the characters from the movie
Midnight Run (1988) (IMDb).
LINDSEY:
You blow into town last week, you don't talk
to anybody, you're obviously highly
educated. You're like this...
SAM:
Riddle wrapped inside an enigma wrapped
inside a taco?10
“Riddle wrapped inside an enigma wrapped
inside a taco” is a reference to a quote made
by Winston Churchill in 1939 when he
referred to Russia as “a riddle, wrapped in a
mystery, inside an enigma”.
With this reference, Sam confirmed
Lindsey’s opinion on him being mysterious.
He also proved his intelligence to her by
citing this quote, and wit by adapting it to
taco.
DEAN:
Hi, Detective Bill Buckner.
Dean presents himself as Bill Buckner, who
was the first baseman for Boston Red Sox
and became infamous after making a terrible
error at a game.
Since baseball is not a popular sport in
Slovene culture, the viewers would not
understand the implied reference.
10 The familiarity of this cultural term was checked in the questionnaire.
33
IV. Episode 4: The End
Plot: Angel Zachariah takes Dean in his dreams five years in the future in a world which exists
because Dean did not want to help the angels fight Lucifer. Dean meets future himself and his
brother who is not himself anymore but a vessel for Lucifer’s soul.
Table 4: References in Episode 4: The End
REFERENCE EXPLANATION
DEAN:
I thought I smelled your stink on this Back to
the Future crap.
Angel Zachariah takes Dean five years into
the future so Dean could see the
consequences of not helping the angels. This
reference is uttered by Dean when Zachariah
appears next to him and he realizes what is
going on.
Back to the Future is a movie from 1985 in
which a high school student is sent back into
past in a time-travelling machine (IMDb).
Dean compared his journey to his.
The Slovene public knows this movie by the
name of “Vrnitev v prihodnost” (IMDb).
DEAN:
Yes. I got a camp full of twitchy trauma
survivors out there with an apocalypse
hanging over their head. The last thing they
need to see is a version of The Parent Trap11.
So, yeah, you stay locked down.
The Parent Trap is a comedy from 1998 in
which identical twins, separated at birth and
raised separately, find each other at a summer
camp. This reference was made because
Dean was sent to the future and met the future
himself. The futuristic Dean did not want to
confuse others by seeing two identical
people.
On Slovene televisions it aired under the
name of “Past za starše.”
DEAN:
You know, it's kind of funny. Talking to a
messenger of God on a cellphone. It's, you
Hell’s Angels is a motorcycle club whose
members are known by riding Harley
Davidson motorcycles.
11 The familiarity of this cultural term was checked in the questionnaire.
34
know, like watching a Hell's Angel 12ride a
moped.
DEAN:
So, you're his vessel, huh? Lucifer's wearing
you to the prom?
SAM:
That's what he said.
DEAN:
Just when you thought you were out, they
pull you back in, Sammy?
This is a reference to the movie Godfather:
Part III from 1990. Dean used this line from
the movie because of the similarity of the
situation; just like Michael Corleone wanted
to leave mafia lifestyle but was forced to
continue retaliate, so Sam wanted to quit
being a hunter, but the circumstances would
not have allowed it.
If the reference is not identified by the
viewer, the content is still undisturbed and
comprehended.
DEAN:
So, what, you're just gonna walk back in and
we're gonna be the Dynamic Duo again?
The Dynamic Duo is a nickname for Batman
and Robin partnership.
The Slovene translation would be “dinamični
duo”, but it would not be associated to
Batman and Robin by the Slovene viewers.
ZACHARIAH:
We've been making inspirational visits to the
fringier Christian groups. They've been given
your image, told to keep an eye out.
DEAN:
The Bible freak outside the motel. He, what,
dropped a dime on me?
ZACHARIAH:
Onward, Christian soldiers.
Phrase “Onward, Christian soldiers” is the
title of the biblical hymn by Sabine Baring-
Gould about Christian soldiers marching
together against the enemies of Jesus Christ.
Dean asked Zachariah who snitched him out
and Zachariah answered with “onward,
Christian soldiers”, meaning that they have
followers everywhere around the world.
The literal translation of the term would not
be meaningful in the Slovene language, so
the translator would have to avoid the
reference.
12 The familiarity of this cultural term was checked in the questionnaire.
35
V. Episode 5: Fallen Idols
Plot: Sam and Dean are again hunting together and their next case is in a town whose inhabitants
are being killed by famous dead people and legends (Abraham Lincoln and James Dean’s car).
When they think they know how to crack the case (souls of the dead being tied to the objects
they possessed), two girls start claiming that their friend was kidnapped by Paris Hilton and
brothers find themselves clueless.
Table 5: References in Episode 5: Fallen Idols
REFERENCE EXPLANATION
DEAN:
Agents Bonham and Copeland.
Sam and Dean used aliases “agents Bonham
and Copeland”. John Bonham was the
drummer for the British rock band Led
Zeppelin and Stewart Armstrong was the
drummer for the British rock band The
Police.
Slovene viewers, interested in rock music,
would recognize the reference. However, not
recognizing it does not affect the
comprehension of the plot.
JIM:
I mean, I heard about the curse, but, I just
thought it was a load of crap.
DEAN:
Curse, what do you mean, curse?
JIM:
The car. Little Bastard.
DEAN:
Little Bastard? As in the Little Bastard?
The episode revolves around the car called
“Little Bastard” whose owner was the
American actor James Dean. The urban
legend says that the car was cursed because
of the strange events that had happened after
James Dean’s death – after the accident, the
car rolled off the back of a truck and crushed
mechanic’s legs; after selling its parts, the
cars in which the parts were transplanted
were involved in deadly crashes; the truck
carrying the car’s chassis had an accident in
which the driver was killed; the remains of
the car vanished and have not been found
ever since (HISTORY). The series
36
Supernatural adapted this story and
continues it after the car was found again
killing people.
Translation, found for this cultural item in the
Slovene language is “Mala baraba”
(newspaper Večer); in most cases the term is
untranslated (RTVSLO). In the non-
professional subtitles, the translator used the
phrase “Mali pankrt”.
The whole episode revolves around the actor
James Dean and his car; he is very famous in
the USA and worldwide; however, younger
generations may not know his work
(similarly as the character Sam, who asked
his brother for the explanation). On the other
hand, not recognizing the cultural reference
does not present a comprehension problem as
the story is explained to the viewers by the
character Dean himself.
SAM:
Wait, wait, wait, wait, what's Little Bastard?
DEAN:
It's James Dean's car. It's the one he was
killed in.
James Dean was an American actor who died
in 1955 in a car accident, driving his Porsche
Spyder (Little Bastard).
SAM:
So, what, this is, like, Christine?
DEAN
Christine is fiction. This… This is real.
Sam made a reference to the novel by
Stephen King in which a possessed car
named Christine is killing people. A movie
was filmed by John Carpenter in 1983 (Terzič
2017).
Sam made a reference to this novel/movie
because they were investigating a case in
37
which they suspected the car for killing its
owner.
The viewers who have seen the movie or read
the novel would understand the reference.
For others, not recognizing it does not affect
the comprehension of the plot.
DEAN:
So, you wanna be an actress, huh?
BARTENDER:
Yeah.
DEAN:
That is so funny because I am actually an
agent for William Morris Endeavour.
William Morris Endeavour is a famous
American talent agency and Dean presented
himself as one of the agents because he
wanted to impress the girl.
The agency is known world-wide, in
Slovenia as “agencija William Morris”.
CARNEGIE:
Professional killer.
SAM:
Come again?
CARNEGIE:
Well, CIA, NSA, one of them trained
assassins, like in Michael Clayton.
“Michael Clayton” is the title of an American
movie from 2007 about a professional killer
trying to kill a lawyer (IMDb).
Not understanding the reference does not
affect the comprehension of the plot.
CONSUELA:
Un sombrero alto. Muy alto!
DEAN:
What, you mean like a stovepipe hat?
CONSUELA:
Sí.
There are a few references in this episode to
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the
United States (1861–1865) who is most
known by bringing about the emancipation of
the slaves (Current).
38
DEAN:
Oh yeah, like Abraham Lincoln.
CONSUELA:
Sí. El Presidente Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln
kill Mister Hill!
SAM:
Professor Hill was a Civil War nut. He dug
Lincoln.
In this line, there is another reference to
president Abraham Lincoln. There is also a
reference to the American Civil War (1861–
1865), which was the war between the United
States and eleven Southern states that formed
the Confederate States of America (Hassler,
Weber).
SAM:
Gandhi was a great man.
DEAN:
Yeah, for a Smurf.
Sam and Dean were in a wax museum and
stopped by the figure of Gandhi. Dean gives
a remark about Gandhi being short and Sam
answered that he had been a great man.
Gandhi was known as a leader of nationalist
movement against the British rule of India.
Some consider him as the father of India. He
is internationally known by his doctrine of
nonviolent protest to achieve political and
social progress (Nanda).
Dean referred to Gandhi as “Smurf”. Smurfs
are fictional creatures from Belgian series of
cartoon and American movies (The Smurfs).
They have distinct appearance – they are tiny,
and blue. In Slovene culture, they are known
as “Smrkci”.
Dean referred to Gandhi as “a Smurf” after
seeing his wax figure and realizing that he
was not tall.
39
SAM:
Uh, well, we are writing a piece for Travel
Magazine.
Travel Magazine is magazine focused mainly
on traveling themes, including articles,
reviews and blogs.
The appropriate Slovene term would be
“Popotniški časnik”.
OWNER:
Ooh, yeah. Got his keychain. We got a bunch
of stuff, uh, Gandhi's bifocals, FDR's iron
lung. This.
In this line, there is another reference to
Gandhi and to FDR, which stands for
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd president of
United States.
For Slovene subtitles, surname or whole
name would be more suitable.
SAM:
And who did that belong to?
OWNER:
The Fonz. Seasons two through four!
“The Fonz” is a reference to American sitcom
Happy Days which was airing from 1974 to
1984. Fonzie (The Fonz) was at first a
secondary character, but due to his popularity
he became a lead character. He was so-called
greaser with a leather jacket and a
motorcycle.
At the time it was one of the most watched
TV series in the USA and later world-wide
(IMDb).
Sam and Dean are in the wax museum and
talk to the owner who points to his jacket and
says that it belonged to “The Fonz” who had
worn it from season two to season four.
DEAN:
I'll go grab East of Eden's keychain.
Dean uses the phrase “East of Eden” to refer
to James Dean as this is the title of the movie
he starred in. The Slovene public knows this
movie by the name of “Vzhodno od raja”
(IMDb), but it is impossible to use this phrase
in possessive form in Slovene language, so
therefore the reference would have to be
adapted.
40
For example, in the non-professional
subtitles, the translator avoided the reference
(“Grem po njegov obesek za ključe.”).
DEAN:
I still think we got some trust building to do.
SAM:
How long am I gonna be on double secret
probation?
“Double secret probation” is a term used in
colleges in USA when someone is put on
academic probation for a second consecutive
term with the possibility of being dismissed
in case he or she does not bring up his or her
GPA. The person on probation does not want
the others to know that he or she is on
probation and wants to keep partying, thus
the word “secret”. The term originated in the
movie Animal House (Urban Dictionary).
LESHI:
No, you, you people, you're the crazy ones.
You used to worship gods. But this? This is
what passes for idolatry? Celebrities? What
have they got besides small dogs and spray
tans?
You people used to have old-time religion.
Now you have US Weekly.
“US Weekly” is a reference to a magazine
with latest celebrity and entertainment news.
The appropriate term in Slovene text would
be “rumeni tisk” or a title of a well-known
Slovene tabloid. The reference would be
understood even with the English title of the
magazine title as the character explained very
well her animosity towards celebrities.
DEAN:
I don't know, I'm more of a Penthouse
Forum man myself.
Dean replied to Leshi with a joke after she
complained about people nowadays
worshiping celebrities and reading yellow
press. He replied that he prefers “Penthouse
Forum” which is an adult magazine.
The suitable Slovene phrase would be “raje
imam erotične revije” to avoid mentioning a
specific.
LESHI:
There's still a lot of yummy meat on those
bones, boy.
In this episode, a pagan god Leshi is turning
into famous people and killing their fans.
Sam and Dean find her in Paris Hilton’s
41
DEAN:
Well I hate to break it to you, sister, but you
can't eat me. See, I'm not a Paris Hilton
BFF. I've never even seen House of Wax.
body. Paris Hilton is an American
entrepreneur and actress.
Dean made two references to Paris Hilton.
The first one is to her reality show Paris
Hilton's My New BFF in which people are
competing to become her friends.
The second reference is to her movie House
of Wax from 2005. Jared Padalecki (Sam)
also starred in this movie. The Slovene title
of this movie is “Hiša voščenih figur” and the
reality show’s Slovene title is according to
Dnevnik “Šov Paris Hilton: Moja nova
najboljša prijateljica”.
DEAN:
Sheriff Carnegie. Danielle's gonna be all
right. She's sworn off The Simple Life13, but
other than that …
Dean made another reference to Paris Hilton,
to her other reality show The Simple Life.
Since an evil goddess appeared as Paris
Hilton, Danielle said she would not be
watching her show again.
The Slovene public knows this reality show
under the name of “Preprosto življenje”.
13 The familiarity of this cultural term was checked in the questionnaire.
42
VI. Episode 6: I Believe the Children Are Our Future
Plot: Sam and Dean are following a trail of strange murders that resemble fairytales. They find
an 11-year-old boy Jesse and realize that whatever the boy believes is coming true.
Table 6: References in Episode 6: I Believe the Children Are Our Future
REFERENCE EXPLANATION
TITLE:
I Believe the Children Are Our Future
The title of this episode is a line from
Whitney Houston’s song Greatest Love of
All.
DEAN:
Agents Page and Plant, FBI.
Dean introduced himself and Sam as agents
Page and Plant which is a reference to an
English rock band Led Zeppelin since Jimmy
Page was their guitarist and Robert Plant their
vocalist.
Viewers, familiar with this music band,
would recognize the reference; however, not
recognizing it does not present a problem to
the plot comprehension.
DEAN:
Especially Ms. Chancey. She only cared
about two things. Dynasty14 and bedtime.
Dean made a reference to Dynasty, iconic
soap opera from 1980’s which has been
rebooted on the CW in 2017 (IMDb). Dean
mentioned their babysitter’s obsession over
Dynasty which was very popular at that time.
On Slovene televisions, it was aired under the
name of “Dinastija”.
DEAN:
You ready?
SAM:
Hit it, Mr. Wizard.
Mr. Wizard was a TV personality in
children’s program Watch Mr. Wizard
(1951–1965) who performed scientific
experiments using materials found at home
(IMDb). In this scene, Sam and Dean were
trying out a joy buzzer which supposedly
electrocuted a man. Dean puts on goggles and
14 The familiarity of this cultural term was checked in the questionnaire.
43
a pair of gloves and electrocutes a raw piece
of ham.
No Slovene expressions were found for this
TV program, so the translator would
probably leave this reference out and plot
comprehension would not be compromised.
Possible solution would be a functional
equivalent which would still imply the same
purpose, for example “profesor Baltazar”, a
character from a cartoon popular in Slovenia
who does various experiments and invents
new things.
DEAN:
That'll do, pig.
Phrase “That’ll do, pig” is a reference to the
Australian movie Babe from 1995 in which a
pig herd sheep with the help from farmer
Hoggett. At the sheep trial, Babe got a perfect
score and Hoggett said to him, “That’ll do,
pig” (IMDb).
Dean uses this phrase after he electrocutes a
piece of ham which is now cooked.
Slovene public knows this movie by the name
of “Pujsek Babe”.
DEAN:
What's up with Toothless? Cavity creeps get
ahold of him?
“Cavity creeps” is a reference to a Crest
toothpaste advertisement from 1970s and
1980s.
The reference was used because a man lost
all 32 teeth in one night, therefore Sam and
Dean investigated the case whether there was
something supernatural about it. To be
humorous about it, Dean referred to the
villains from cartoon toothpaste commercial
who harmed the teeth.
44
In the non-professional subtitles, the
reference was adapted into phrase “zobne
pošasti”.
DEAN:
Besides, now we know who's turning this
town into Willy Wonka's worst nightmare.
Willy Wonka is a fictional character from the
movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
(2005), which was based on a novel by Roald
Dahl (IMDb).
DEAN:
There's a couple of kids upstairs with
stomach ulcers; say they got it from mixing
Pop Rocks and Coke. Another guy... his face
froze that way.
“Pop Rocks” is a candy which pops in one’s
mouth and “Coke” is short for “Coca-Cola”.
Dean mentioned a myth about the negative
consequence of combining Pop Rocks and
Coke – one gets a stomach ulcer. This is
untrue, but since everything that the boy
Jesse believed was true, in fact became true,
children got sick because of mixing the two.
In Slovene culture, Pop Rocks may be
referred to as “pokajoča sladkarija, pokalice”
and Coca-Cola is kokakola. Similar myth
circles in Slovene culture on mixing Mentos
candy and Coca-Cola.
DEAN:
Yeah. Everything Jesse believes comes true.
He thinks the tooth fairy looks like Belushi,
joy buzzers really shock people, boom, that's
what happens.
Dean compares the tooth fairy, a bearded
man with pink wings and tutu to the
American actor John Belushi.
SAM:
So, dug up what I could on Jesse Turner. It's
not much. Uh, B student, won last year's
Pinewood Derby. But get this. Jesse was
adopted. His birth records are sealed.
Sam mentions Jesse’s victory on Pinewood
Derby, an event for which Scouts build their
own miniature cars and organize a race.
DEAN:
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, who else could turn
someone into a toy? You're Superman—
Dean says to Jesse he is like a Superman
because he has supernatural abilities.
Superman is a fictional superhero who
45
minus the cape and the go-go boots. See, my
partner and I, we work for a secret
government agency. It's our job to find kids
with special powers. In fact, we're here to
take you to a hidden base in South Dakota,
where you'll be trained to fight evil.
JESSE:
Like the X-Men?
DEAN:
Exactly like the X-Men.
appeared in comic books, movies and
cartoons. Slovene word is also “superman”.
15
Jesse then asks whether he will be trained to
fight evil in a hidden base like the superhero
team X-Men which appeared in many
movies. The Slovene public knows them
under the name of “Možje X”.
15 SSKJ2.
46
5.2 SUMMARY OF THE ANALYSIS
References in six episodes of Supernatural were collected and explained. In total, there were
64 references to literature, film, history and events. The results show the occurrence of
references as types (not tokens).
Chart 1: Share of References in Episodes
As the chart shows, most references were found in episode five (30%) and the least in episode
two (8%). Episode five is the one which revolves around the American actor James Dean and
his story, therefore the high number of references was expected.
In the series, the character Dean is the one who uses the highest number of references and that
makes him humorous, entertaining, witty and appealing to the audience. These references help
build his character. On the other hand, his brother Sam is sensible, realistic and down to earth.
The analysis shows that Dean uttered 36 of the references (56%) and Sam only 7 (10%). Other
references are either titles of the episodes or were uttered by someone else.
The references can be divided into five categories: (1) music, (2) TV and movies, (3) literature,
(4) general American culture, everyday life and (5) sport.
11%
8%
23%
9%
30%
19%
Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4 Episode 5 Episode 6
47
Chart 2: Types of References
a) Music
Music references present a small percentage (8%). They are either a title of the episode
(Sympathy for the Devil, Good God Y’all – the first one is a line taken from a song and the
second one is a title of a song). Secondly, Dean often uses names of famous rock musicians as
their aliases (for example, “agents Bonham and Copeland” and “agents Page and Plant”, all
members of famous rock bands). Another Dean’s characteristic is love for rock music and thus
the references.
b) TV and Movies
References to TV and movies are the most common (58%). References in this group are diverse
– from cartoons, movies, actors and TV series. There are references to American cartoons, such
as Looney Tunes (Yosemite Sam), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Smurfs, and to children’s
TV programs, for example Watch Mr. Wizard and Sesame Street.
There are various references to movies, such as Soul Plane, Twilight, Thelma and Louise, Hulk,
Back to the Future, The Parent Trap and Christine; movie characters (Alonzo Mosely and
Eddie Moscone from Midnight Run, Darth Vader from Star Wars, Willy Wonka from Charlie
and the Chocolate Factory, Superman, X-Men); movie settings (Mount Doom from Lord of the
Rings); lines from movies (Godfather III, Babe); and actors (Cate Blanchett, James Dean, John
Belushi).
8%
58%
5%
28%
1%
Music TV Industry Literature General American Culture, Everyday Life Sport
48
References to TV series are also common, for example X-Files, Kolchak, Dynasty, The Andy
Griffith Show and Happy Days, and two references to reality shows were found (My New BFF,
The Simple Life).
c) Literature
There are only three references to literature in the analyzed episodes; one is a phrase “Onward,
Christian soldiers”, title of the biblical hymn by Sabine Baring-Gould about Christian soldiers
marching together against the enemies of Jesus Christ. Other two are more popular – reference
to Bambi from the book by Felix Salten and to Romeo from Shakespeare’s tragedy Romeo and
Juliet.
d) General American Culture, Everyday Life
References to American lifestyle and everyday life present around a third of all references.
These are references to newspapers (US Weekly, Penthouse Forum, Travel Magazine and New
York Times), American history (Abraham Lincoln, Civil war, Franklin Roosevelt, quote by
Winston Churchill) and other items from American culture (GED, Hawley Five and Dime,
William Morris Endevaour, Pinewood Derby etc.).
e) Sport
There is only one reference to sport (to American baseball player Bill Buckner) because the
main characters do not show interest in sports.
These references are mainly used for the purpose of humour and characterization (for example,
the character of Dean is known for his use of popular cultural references), but not for the plot
development. However, the episode Fallen Idols presents an exception, as the whole plot is
based on the mystery events revolved around the car called “Little Bastard” whose owner was
the American actor James Dean. Consequently, the references are important part of the plot as
the whole story is based on them. In this episode, references are explained by the characters
themselves, whereas in other episodes, the story comprehension is undisturbed if the reference
is not noticed by the viewer.
49
5.3 QUESTIONNAIRE ANALYSIS
The questionnaires were given to first- and third-year students of English Language and
Literature at the Faculty of Arts in Maribor. With this questionnaire, the level of understanding
of selected references and possible differences between the results of first-year and third-year
students were examined. Altogether, 77 questionnaires were distributed, 54 to the first-year
students and 23 to the third-year students. The questionnaire contained 10 multiple-choice
questions and the respondents were asked to select correct answers from the choices offered as
a list. The questionnaire in its original form is given in the appendix.
Question 1:
BOBBY: And how are we supposed to do all this, genius?
DEAN: I got no idea. But what I do have is a GED and a give-'em-hell attitude, and I'll
figure it out.
BOBBY: You are nine kinds of crazy, boy.
What is a GED?
a) A test that students take before entering high school education.
b) A test for those who do not complete high school.
c) A test that students take before going to the college.
0
20
40
60
80
First-Year Students Third-Year Students
Correct Incorrect
Chart 3: Question 1
50
The first question was the definition of a GED and it was related to American general cultural
knowledge. The correct answer was (b). It was correctly answered by 36% of all students; first-
year students were slightly more successful.
Question 2:
LINDSEY: You blow into town last week, you don't talk to anybody, you're obviously
highly educated. You're like this...
SAM: Riddle wrapped inside an enigma wrapped inside a taco.
This is a reference to the quote: “a riddle wrapped in a mystery wrapped inside an
enigma”. Who is the author of this quote?
a) The author is Winston Churchill. He was referring to Russia.
b) The author is Thomas Jefferson. He was referring to the future of the USA.
c) The author is George Bush. He was referring to his opponent during elections.
The correct answer was (a). The second question was correctly answered by only 26% of all
students. Third-year students were slightly more successful. This question was related to
American history and Cold War, so the small percent of correct answers is not unusual.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
First-Year Students Third-Year Students
Correct Incorrect
Chart 4: Question 2
51
Question 3:
DEAN: I got a camp full of twitchy trauma survivors out there with an apocalypse
hanging over their head. The last thing they need to see is a version of The Parent Trap.
So, yeah, you stay locked down.
What is The Parent Trap?
a) A movie in which three children decide to kidnap their divorced parents and make them
fall in love again.
b) A movie in which long-lost twin sisters find each other and switch their identities.
c) A movie in which parents oppose the marriage of a young couple and therefore they
make a plan on how to gain their approval.
With third question, respondents’ familiarity with the movie The Parent Trap was examined.
The correct answer was (b). The question was correctly answered by 71% of all students, in
which the first-year students had more correct answers. Since the movie The Parent Trap from
1998 was often played on Slovene television, the high percent of correct answers was expected.
Chart 5: Correct Answers to the Third Question
First-Year Students55%
Third-Year Students
45%
First-Year Students Third-Year Students
52
Question 4:
Dean: You know, it's kind of funny. Talking to a messenger of God on a cellphone. It's, you
know, like watching a Hell's Angel ride a moped.
Who is a Hell’s Angel?
a) A fictional character from a movie starring Bruce Willis.
b) A creature from the Bible.
c) A member of a motorcycle club.
The fourth question was related to general American culture (the respondents had to recognise
“a Hell’s Angel” as a member of a motorcycle club (the correct answer was (c)) and was
correctly answered by a little less than half of all students (47%). The first-year students had
slightly more correct answers (53%) than the third-year students (47%).
53%47%
First-Year Students Third-Year Students
Chart 6: Correct Answers to the Fourth Question
53
Question 5:
Dean: Sheriff Carnegie. Danielle's gonna be all right. She's sworn off The Simple Life, but
other than that…
What is The Simple Life?
a) Reality show.
b) Soap opera.
c) Self-help book.
The fifth question was examining the respondents’ familiarity with The Simple Life, Paris
Hilton’s reality show. The correct answer was (a). Altogether, 44% of correct answers were
given. First-year students were slightly more successful.
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
First-Year Students
Third-Year Students
Correct Incorrect
Chart 7: Answers to Question 5
54
Question 6:
Dean: Especially Ms. Chancey. She only cared about two things. Dynasty and bedtime.
What is Dynasty?
a) Woman magazine.
b) Soap opera.
c) Chocolate.
The sixth question was examining respondents’ familiarity with Dynasty, TV soap opera from
1980s which was rebooted in 2017. The correct answer was (b). Correct answers were given by
64% of students. The higher percentage of correct answers was expected because the series was
renewed in 2017.
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
First-Year Students
Third-Year Students
Correct Incorrect
Chart 8: Answers to Question 6
55
Question 7:
Chuck: You went, like, full-on Vader. Your body temperature was one-fifty. Your heart
rate was two hundred. Your eyes were black.
Who is Vader?
a) Character from Star Wars.
b) Character from Star Trek.
c) Robot in the movie I, Robot.
The seventh question was examining the respondents’ familiarity with Darth Vader, fictional
character from Star Wars franchise which is also popular in Slovene cinemas and television.
The correct answer was (a). The students reached high percent of correct answers (98%), first-
year students slightly better than third-year students.
Chart 9: Correct Answers to Question 7
51%49%
First-Year Students Third-Year Students
56
Question 8:
Dean: So, what, I'm Thelma and you're Louise and we're just going to hold hands and sail
off this cliff together? Give me one good reason why I should do this.
How are Thelma and Louise connected?
a) They are in love.
b) They are related.
c) They are friends.
The eight question was examining whether the respondents know how the main characters from
the movie Thelma and Louise are connected and in this way checking their familiarity with this
movie. The correct answer was (c). Altogether, 39% of correct answers were given. First-year
students were slightly more successful.
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
First-Year Students
Third-Year Students
Incorrect Correct
Chart 10: Answers to Question 8
57
Question 9:
Dean: Let me tell you something. There are two things I know for certain. One, Bert and
Ernie are gay. Two, you are not gonna die a virgin. Not on my watch. Let's go.
Who are Bert and Ernie?
a) Dean’s friends.
b) Muppets.
c) Characters in TV show Barney and Friends.
The ninth question was related to Bert and Ernie, two Muppets from the American children’s
television show Sesame Street. The respondents correctly answered in 66%. Third-year students
had more correct answers than first-year students.
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
First-Year Students
Third-Year Students
Incorrect Correct
Chart 11: Answers to Question 9
58
Question 10:
Dean: Here's what's gonna happen. You're gonna drink this, Hulk out, and you're gonna
waste every one of the demon scum that killed my best friend.
What does it mean to “Hulk out”?
a) To become extremely angry and violent.
b) To lie down and go to sleep.
c) To transform into an animal.
The last question was examining the respondents’ familiarity with the fictional superhero Hulk
who first appeared in 2008 in the movie The Incredible Hulk and is popular with the younger
generation. As expected, altogether there were 92% of correct answers. First-year students were
slightly more successful.
Chart 12: Answers to Question 10
The results show no significant deviances in the correctness of the answers of third- and first-
year students; however, the first-year students reached slightly higher percent of correct
answers. In average, the first-year students had 59% of correct answers and the third-year
students 56%. The students performed better on questions related to present American popular
culture (the movie The Parent Trap from 1998 71%, Vader from Star Wars 98%, Hulk 92%).
Questions with the least correct answers were those on American general culture, i.e. only 36%
of students knew the definition of GED and the question on the Winston Churchill’s quote on
Russia was correctly answered by only 26% of students.
52%48%
First-Year Students Third-Year Students
59
6 CONCLUSION
The main aim of this master thesis was to look into the specific references to American culture
in the selected episodes of the popular American TV series Supernatural and how they are
comprehended by Slovene students of English language and literature. In the first part of the
thesis, the terms such as culture, popular culture, mass culture theory and cultural translation
were presented in order to give a theoretical background to the analysis of cultural references.
In addition, the series Supernatural was presented and its distinctive features.
The empirical part consists of the analysis and explanation of references in the selected episodes
and the survey based on a questionnaire. The first research hypothesis was that most of the
references to American culture were popular culture references since Supernatural is a popular
fantasy series with a mass audience and its creators aim to attract and appeal to as many viewers
as possible. This hypothesis can be confirmed as almost 70% of all references were references
to TV industry and music, while others were references to famous literary works (e.g. Romeo
and Juliet and Bambi), general American culture (historic events, famous people) and sport.
The second hypothesis was that the purpose of most references was to appeal to the audience
through the tone of the text and were not vital for the plot development. This hypothesis can be
partially confirmed. In the majority of cases, the references are not vital for the plot
development, rather they are there to intensify the appeal to the broader audience, set the
humoristic mood and identify the personality of the character16. However, in some cases, as in
the episode 5, Fallen Idols, the cultural items are part of the plot since the whole story is based
on them. In this case, the references play an important role in the episode and are even explained
by the characters themselves, whereas in other episodes, the story comprehension is undisturbed
if the reference was not noticed by the viewer.
The third hypothesis was that the Slovene viewers understand most of the references to the
American popular culture because of the influence it has in the world. This hypothesis can be
confirmed since the respondents mostly recognised the present popular culture references to
film and TV (e.g. The Parent Trap, Vader from Star Wars, Hulk). Fewer correct answers were
given when the references were from 1980s and 1990s popular culture (Thelma and Louise,
Dynasty) and in relation the references to general American culture (GED, Hell’s Angels) and
global history combined with American culture (e.g. Churchill’s quote combined with tacos).
16 In Supernatural, character Dean is known by using references to popular culture in his lines.
60
The results show no significant deviances in the correctness of the answers of third- and first-
year students; however, the first-year students reached slightly higher percent of correct
answers. In average, the first-year students had 59% of correct answers and the third-year
students 56%. The students performed better on questions related to present American popular
culture (Vader from Star Wars 98%, Hulk 92%).
Possible further researches could be done regarding the subtitling of the references of this series
and looking into possible translation solutions. Regarding the understanding of the references,
a study could also examine the understanding of references by the general Slovene audience,
not just students of English language.
61
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2004.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. IMDb,
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3949660/?ref_=nv_sr_1. Accessed 16 September 2018.
Terzič, Matjaž. “Christine, morilski avtomobil.” Dnevnik, 1 August 2017,
https://www.dnevnik.si/1042779944. Accessed 22 September 2018.
66
The Andy Griffith Show. IMDb, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053479/. Accessed 13
September 2018.
The Parent Trap. IMDb, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120783/?ref_=nv_sr_1. Accessed 18
September 2018.
Usborne, Simon. “Are Bert and Ernie Really a Gay Couple?” Independent, 9 July 2014,
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/bert-and-ernie-they-call-it-
muppet-love-9593215.html. Accessed 16 September 2018.
Watch Mr. Wizard. IMDb, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043244/. Accessed 8 October 2018.
Waugh, Patricia. Metafiction – The Theory and Practice of Self-Conscious Fiction. Routledge,
London, New York, 2003.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 23 August 2018,
www.britannica.com/event/American-Civil-War. Accessed 25 September 2018.
Williams, Raymond. Keywords. A Vocabulary of Culture and Society. Revised edition. Oxford
University Press, 1983. Print.
X-Files. IMDb, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106179/. Accessed 13 September 2018.
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Press, 1993. Print.
The list of episodes for analysis:
“Fallen Idols.” Supernatural, created by Eric Kripke, season 5, episode 5, Wonderland Sound
and Vision, and Warner Bros. Television, 2009.
“Free to Be You and Me.” Supernatural, created by Eric Kripke, season 5, episode 3,
Wonderland Sound and Vision, Warner Bros. Television and Supernatural Films,
2009.
67
“Good God, Y'All.” Supernatural, created by Eric Kripke, season 5, episode 2, Wonderland
Sound and Vision, Warner Bros. Television and Supernatural Films, 2009.
“I Believe the Children Are Our Future.” Supernatural, created by Eric Kripke, season 5,
episode 6, Wonderland Sound and Vision, and Warner Bros. Television, 2009.
“Sympathy for the Devil.” Supernatural, created by Eric Kripke, season 5, episode 1,
Wonderland Sound and Vision, Warner Bros. Television and Supernatural Films,
2009.
“The End.” Supernatural, created by Eric Kripke, season 5, episode 4, Wonderland Sound and
Vision, Warner Bros. Television and Supernatural Films, 2009.
Subtitles from Podnapisi.NET:
“Supernatural (2005) S05E01 - Slovenski podnapisi.” 14 September 2009,
https://www.podnapisi.net/sl/subtitles/sl-supernatural-2005-S05E01-O-sympathy-
for-the-devil/pGgI. Accessed 23 August 2018.
“Supernatural (2005) S05E02 - Slovenski podnapisi.” 20 September 2010,
https://www.podnapisi.net/sl/subtitles/sl-supernatural-2005-S05E02-O-good-god-
y%27all/q5sN. Accessed 25 August 2018.
“Supernatural (2005) S05E05 - Slovenski podnapisi.” 19 October 2017,
https://www.podnapisi.net/sl/subtitles/sl-supernatural-2005-S05E05-O-fallen-
idol/lOhE. Accessed 15 September 2018.
68
8 APPENDIX
Pozdravljeni,
sem Sabina Bedek, študentka Filozofske fakultete v Mariboru, smer Poučevanje
angleščine in v okviru magistrske naloge pripravljam raziskavo, katere namen je
preučiti stopnjo razumevanja referenc na tematiko ameriške kulture pri študentih
smeri Angleški jezik in književnosti.
Vprašalnik je anonimen, za izpolnjevanje pa boste potrebovali le nekaj minut časa.
Zbrani podatki bodo obravnavani strogo zaupno in analizirani na splošno. Uporabljeni
bodo izključno za pripravo te magistrske naloge.
Za vaše sodelovanje se vam prijazno zahvaljujem.
Sabina Bedek
Pri vsakem vprašanju obkrožite črko pred pravilnim odgovorom.
1. BOBBY: And how are we supposed to do all this, genius?
DEAN: I got no idea. But what I do have is a GED and a give-'em-hell attitude,
and I'll figure it out.
BOBBY: You are nine kinds of crazy, boy.
What is a GED?
d) A test that students take before entering high school education.
e) A test for those who do not complete high school.
f) A test that students take before going to the college.
2. LINDSEY: You blow into town last week, you don't talk to anybody, you're
obviously highly educated. You're like this...
SAM: Riddle wrapped inside an enigma wrapped inside a taco.
69
This is a reference to the quote: “a riddle wrapped in a mystery wrapped inside
an enigma”. Who is the author of this quote?
d) The author is Winston Churchill. He was referring to Russia.
e) The author is Thomas Jefferson. He was referring to the future of the USA.
f) The author is George Bush. He was referring to his opponent during elections.
3. DEAN: I got a camp full of twitchy trauma survivors out there with an
apocalypse hanging over their head. The last thing they need to see is a
version of The Parent Trap. So, yeah, you stay locked down.
What is The Parent Trap?
d) A movie in which three children decide to kidnap their divorced parents and
make them fall in love again.
e) A movie in which long-lost twin sisters find each other and switch their
identities.
f) A movie in which parents oppose the marriage of a young couple and
therefore they make a plan on how to gain their approval.
4. Dean: You know, it's kind of funny. Talking to a messenger of God on a
cellphone. It's, you know, like watching a Hell's Angel ride a moped.
Who is a Hell’s Angel?
d) A fictional character from a movie starring Bruce Willis.
e) A creature from the Bible.
f) A member of motorcycle club.
70
5. Dean: Sheriff Carnegie. Danielle's gonna be all right. She's sworn off The
Simple Life, but other than that…
What is The Simple Life?
d) Reality show.
e) Soap opera.
f) Self-help book.
6. Dean: Especially Ms. Chancey. She only cared about two things. Dynasty and
bedtime.
What is Dynasty?
d) Woman magazine.
e) Soap opera.
f) Chocolate.
7. Chuck: You went, like, full-on Vader. Your body temperature was one-fifty.
Your heart rate was two hundred. Your eyes were black.
Who is Vader?
d) Character from Star Wars.
e) Character from Star Trek.
f) Robot in the movie I, Robot.
8. Dean: So, what, I'm Thelma and you're Louise and we're just going to hold
hands and sail off this cliff together? Give me one good reason why I should
do this.
How are Thelma and Louise connected?
d) They are in love.
e) They are related.
f) They are friends.
71
9. Dean: Let me tell you something. There are two things I know for certain. One,
Bert and Ernie are gay. Two, you are not gonna die a virgin. Not on my watch.
Let's go.
Who are Bert and Ernie?
d) Dean’s friends.
e) Muppets.
f) Characters in TV show Barney and Friends.
10. Dean: Here's what's gonna happen. You're gonna drink this, Hulk out, and
you're gonna waste every one of the demon scum that killed my best friend.
What does it mean to “Hulk out”?
d) To become extremely angry and violent.
e) To lie down and go to sleep.
f) To transform into an animal.
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