UPDATE, 10:12 a.m.: CBS added Spanish-language subtitles to reruns of Bad Bunny’s Grammy performances after a social media backlash. The network has already updated Sunday night’s Best of the West Coast repeat with Spanish-language subtitles for the opening performance of Bad Bunny. The Grammys on-demand replays on Paramount+ now include Spanish subtitles.
EARLY February 5: Bad Bunny opened the 2023 Grammy Awards with an explosive performance that had even Taylor Swift dancing to his hits.
During the live ceremony, CBS provided closed captioning for the deaf or hard of hearing. However, during Bad Bunny’s performance, only the following text was displayed in the subtitles: “SINGING NON-ENGLISH” or “SPEAKING NON-ENGLISH”.
Some viewers took to social media to complain that the subtitles did not transcribe what the cast member was singing or saying. The other musical artists were happy to have their performances transcribed for viewers at home who turned on the CC feature.
Bad Bunny would later enter the stage and when he gave his speech all the people with the CC saw “DOES NOT SPEAK ENGLISH”.
CBS and the Grammys may not have known that Bad Bunny would win a gramophone during the live broadcast, but they did know that he would perform his songs on stage in Spanish. It could have been planned and someone would have to work on the subtitles for the night in multiple languages.
Sources tell Deadline that CBS plans to air Spanish-language subtitles during the show’s West Coast repeat, as well as the Paramount+ on-demand showing.
It happened when the judges at the Sundance Film Festival were leaving a screening Magazine Dreams after failing to provide the audience with the correct subtitles it needed.
For those who need a transcript of what Bad Bunny said during his acceptance speech after winning the Best Música Urbana Album category, here it is in English and Spanish:
ORIGINAL SPEECH (BILINGUAL): “Mercy. It is very easy. Modest. It’s just because I just made this album with love and passion, nothing else. And when you do things with love and passion, everything is easier, life is easier. I want to thank everyone who listens to my music. Gracias a todos los Latinos en el mundo entero en Estados Unidos y en el mundo entero. Gracias a todos los artists que trabajaron en este album, a los produceres, Beto, Tainy… Este premio se lo dedico… I would like to dedicate this award to Puerto Rico, la cuna y la capital del reggeaton en el mundo entero. If you have the whole day to see if you did something special, don’t just go to the new era to relive your life and watch the movie again. Once you have all your new talents, it’s best to choose another level. Los quiero, friendly.“
ENGLISH: “Thank you. It’s very easy. Modest. It’s just because I made this album with only love and passion, nothing else. And when you do things with love and passion, everything is easier, life is easier. I want thank everyone who listens to my music. Thank you to all Latinos in the world, in the United States and around the world. Thank you to all the artists who worked on this album, to the producers, Beto, Tainy… I carry the award on… I want to dedicate this award to Puerto Rico the reggaeton capital of the world I would like to dedicate the award to all the legends and especially to all the new artists not only the legends but also the new ones that keeps this movement alive and innovative. Calling all new talent, let’s take this genre to the next level. I love you, thank you.”
SPANISH: “Mercy. It’s easy. It’s easy to write your album with love and passion, nada más. You can pamper yourself, it’s much easier, your Vida is much easier. Quiero agradecer a todos que escuchan my music. Gracias a todos los Latinos en el mundo entero en Estados Unidos y en el mundo entero. Gracias a todos los artistsas que trabajaron en este album, a los products, Beto, Tainy… Este premio se lo dedico… Quiero dedicar este premio a Puerto Rico, la cuna y la capital of reggeaton en el mondo entero. If you have the whole day to see if you did something special, don’t just go to the new era to relive your life and watch the movie again. Once you have all your new talents, it’s best to choose another level. Los quiero, thank you.”
Source: Deadline
Ashley Root is an author and celebrity journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for all things celebrity, Ashley is always up-to-date on the latest gossip and trends in the world of entertainment.
