Ridiculous History: Episode Summary Title: History's Famous Mistranslations, Part Two: Life on Mars, the Cold War, and FARTFULL
Host(s): Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown
Release Date: December 5, 2024

1. Introduction

In the second installment of their series on famous mistranslations, Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown delve deeper into some of history's most intriguing and humorous translation blunders. This episode explores how seemingly minor errors in translation have led to significant misconceptions, cultural mishaps, and lasting impacts on society.

2. Life on Mars: The "Canali" Mistranslation

Key Discussion: The hosts recount the story of Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli, who in 1877 described surface features on Mars as "canali." While "canali" in Italian simply means "channels," English translators rendered it as "canals," implying artificial structures built by intelligent beings.

Notable Insights:

• Schiaparelli never intended to suggest intelligent life on Mars; the mistranslation sparked widespread conspiracy theories and inspired science fiction narratives.
• U.S. astronomer Percival Lowell further propagated the canal theory, mapping supposed canals and suggesting they were evidence of an advanced Martian civilization.

Notable Quote: Noel Brown explains the phenomenon, saying, "The network of crisscrossing lines covering the surface of Mars was only a product of the human tendency to see patterns, even when patterns do not exist" (09:59).

3. Cold War Era: Khrushchev's "We Will Bury You"

Key Discussion: The episode examines Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev's infamous statement, "We will bury you," delivered in 1956. Initially interpreted as a direct threat to the West, the phrase was later clarified by Khrushchev to mean the inevitable triumph of socialism over capitalism.

Notable Insights:

• The mistranslation fueled Cold War tensions and contributed to Western fears of Soviet aggression.
• Khrushchev's subsequent clarifications did little to alleviate the initial impact of the mistranslation, showcasing how language barriers can escalate geopolitical tensions.

Notable Quote: Ben Bowlin contextualizes Khrushchev's intent, stating, "He is really attempting to convey his ideological belief that communism will outlast capitalism" (13:56).

4. Mistranslations in Advertising

a. "Got Milk?" Campaign

Key Discussion: The American Dairy Association's iconic "Got Milk?" slogan faced translation challenges. While highly effective in English, translating the phrase required careful consideration to maintain its impact and cultural relevance.

Notable Insights:

• Translating slogans requires more than literal word-for-word translation; cultural nuances and idiomatic expressions play a crucial role in preserving the message's effectiveness.

Notable Quote: Ben Bowlin humorously notes, "The literal Spanish translation for 'Got milk' translates to something like, 'Are you lactating?'" (21:35).

b. Parker Pens' Slogan

Key Discussion: When Parker Pens expanded into Mexico, their slogan "It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you" disastrously translated to "It won't leak in your pocket and make you pregnant."

Notable Insights:

• The mistranslation arose from the Spanish word "embarazar," which can mean both "to embarrass" and "to make pregnant."
• This error highlighted the importance of understanding local language nuances to avoid unintended and potentially offensive meanings.

Notable Quote: Noel Brown remarks, "It sounded like you said it won't leak in your pocket and make you pregnant. Or to avoid pregnancy, use a Parker pen. Just very weird vibe from your pen company" (24:16).

c. IKEA's "FARTFULL"

Key Discussion: IKEA introduced a children's workbench named "Fartful," which caused amusement and embarrassment in English-speaking markets. While intended to convey the love of traveling, "Fartful" inadvertently alludes to flatulence.

Notable Insights:

• Product naming in global markets can lead to unintended humor or offense if not carefully vetted across different languages and cultures.
• IKEA ultimately pulled the product from English-speaking markets to avoid associating their brand with children farting.

Notable Quote: Ben Bowlin jokes, "The name of this Noel was Fartful. F A R T F U L L. Fartful...it means to drive or to travel. It's really funny too" (26:19).

5. Modern Translation Errors

a. Facebook's Indonesian Earthquake Response

Key Discussion: During the 2018 earthquake in Indonesia, Facebook's automated translation feature mistakenly added celebratory emojis like balloons and confetti to serious posts about the disaster.

Notable Insights:

• The error stemmed from the Indonesian word "selamat," intended to convey survival or safety, being mistranslated as "congratulations."
• This incident underscored the limitations of machine translations in understanding context, especially during sensitive events.

Notable Quote: Ben Bowlin summarizes the mishap, stating, "Someone is saying, 'Hey, my family died in this earthquake,' and then all the comments would have balloons and confetti. Yay, your house was bad" (32:39).

b. Autocorrect Fiascoes

Key Discussion: The hosts share personal anecdotes about autocorrect failures, such as "moist ache" instead of "mustache," highlighting how technology can inadvertently create awkward or embarrassing messages.

Notable Insights:

• Autocorrect errors can lead to misunderstandings and unintended humor, reflecting the ongoing challenges in refining machine learning algorithms for language processing.

Notable Quote: Noel Brown shares a humorous story, saying, "She responded, 'Ah, autocorrect. I meant, what do you want from Lidl?'” (35:42).

6. Car Naming Mishaps: The Ford Pinto Case

Key Discussion: Ford's attempt to market the Pinto in Brazil encountered unexpected challenges when "Pinto" in Portuguese slang refers to a man with a small penis, making the car name unattractive to the target audience.

Notable Insights:

• The cultural and linguistic connotations of product names can significantly impact market reception.
• Ford had to rebrand the Pinto to "Corello" to better align with local cultural perceptions and avoid the negative slang association.

Notable Quote: Ben Bowlin explains the issue, "Pinto is local slang for a guy with a small penis...nobody wanted to drive around a vehicle implying that they had a small penis" (43:40).

7. Conclusion

Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown wrap up the episode by emphasizing the importance of thorough research and cultural understanding in translation, especially in global communications and marketing. They encourage listeners to share their own experiences with mistranslations and highlight the ongoing challenges and humorous outcomes that arise from language barriers.

Notable Quote: Noel Brown concludes, "These are human error and therefore assume maybe technology will save the day...for now we know computers have caused translation problems all on their own" (32:12).

Join the Conversation: Share your favorite mistranslation stories with Ridiculous Historians on Facebook and stay tuned for more episodes exploring the bizarre and hilarious aspects of history.