ANALYSIS OF SUBTITLING STRATEGY AND READABILITY OF TABOO EXPRESSIONS IN DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE

This study aims to analyze the subtitling strategies and readability of taboo expressions in the Indonesian subtitles of Deadpool & Wolverine. Using Battistella’s (2005) classification of taboo expressions, Gottlieb’s (1992) subtitling strategies, and Nababan et al.’s (2012) readability model, this research identifies the types of taboo expressions, the strategies used to translate them, and their readability levels. From 201 data entries, obscenity emerged as the most dominant type (58.2%), followed by epithets (18.9%), profanity (12.4%), and vulgarity (9.5%). Paraphrase was the most frequently used strategy (65.2%), followed by deletion, transfer, condensation, and decimation. The subtitles scored an average readability of 2.29 out of 3, suggesting moderate to high clarity for Indonesian audiences. These findings indicate that subtitlers prioritized cultural sensitivity and clarity, often using paraphrasing to soften offensive language, although frequent deletion raises concerns about loss of meaning. Overall, the study emphasizes the need to balance linguistic accuracy, cultural appropriateness, and audience comprehension when translating taboo expressions in audiovisual media.
Keywords: taboo expressions, subtitling strategy, readability, Deadpool & Wolverine