De culture

[MisaForever]

Hey all. Well, I watched DYRL again last night (still as great as ever) and I can't tell you how many times the Zentraedi and Meltrandi said the phrase "de culture". It's interesting to note seeing as how it is brought up again in Macross Frontier and I'm wondering if this is strictly an alien term or if it means something more like "un culture". I just figured we could use this thread to analyze and question the phrase since it seems to be a recurring theme in the Macross Universe.

By the way, I am new here so.... hello

Edited January 2, 2008 by MisaForever

[DestroidDefender]

I don't think it has a literal translation. I think it's just "The Culture!?" expressing surprise and alarm like if you said "The Plague!?"

or "Another Robotech vs. Macross Thread?!"

[Mechinyun]

Hey all. Well, I watched DYRL again last night (still as great as ever) and I can't tell you how many times the Zentraedi and Meltrandi said the phrase "de culture". It's interesting to note seeing as how it is brought up again in Macross Frontier and I'm wondering if this is strictly an alien term or if it means something more like "un culture". I just figured we could use this thread to analyze and question the phrase since it seems to be a recurring theme in the Macross Universe.

By the way, I am new here so.... hello

I have always thought of it as the Zentraedi referring to human/culture as the(de)culture usually in disgust or shock.

[wolfx]

THe guy in the macross zero sandwich CM also says it.

source: youtube.

[Exsedol]

In DYRL the zentran and meltran see Culture as a sort of social disease. It's more evident in Macross 2 which is a sort of sequel to DYRL where Culture is a weapon.

[Randalt]

Macross 7, episode 37:

[MisaForever]

Macross 7, episode 37:

Broccolihead!!!!

[Beltane70]

One of the books for DYRL has a page of Zentraedi to Japanese translation. According to that little dictionary, the "de" in de-culture means "opposite/against". Unfortunately, the dictionary doesn't translate the word culture. On the other hand, it shows that the Zentraedi word for culture is culchun.

The most times I've seen de-culture used in DYRL is during the Max/Milia dogfight. Milia used de-culture when Max dodged her shots and when he scored a few hits on her. Most translations usually translate de-culture as impossible/unbelievable.

[JB0]

Just think of it as a general expletive.

Same way we would say "What the hell?!?!" or "Oh, sh1t!"

[wolfx]

I still think it just means "ZOMG DA CULTURE!"

Just like "Basara De Kulcha!!" uttered by Chlore and her female warriors in the episode Fleet of The Strongest Women.

[Exsedol]

Haha yea, it probably means "GODDAMNIT MICRON!"

[Wurz]

Im going for the "Wtf" meaning of de culture.

Edited January 5, 2008 by Wurz

[DestroidDefender]

Im going for the "Wtf" meaning of de culture.

WTF would be consistent with Anti-Culture or 'Not part of my limited military clone experience and I find it startling.'

[Isamu test pilot]

Just think of it as a general expletive.

Same way we would say "What the hell?!?!" or "Oh, sh1t!"

I agree with this, deculture is like OMFG

[Pat Payne]

If it helps any, most times when it's subtitled in DYRL, the phrase is usually translated as "bakabanashii" or "idiotic".

[Saur0n]

If it helps any, most times when it's subtitled in DYRL, the phrase is usually translated as "bakabanashii" or "idiotic".

Possibly translated to "Unbelievable"?

[Heron]

Possibly translated to "Unbelievable"?

Perhaps it is in reference to the Protoculture? Didn't Exsedol say De Culture when the Protodevlin showed up?

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

They were programmed to fear culture so it probably just turned into a general "I'm shocked" expression. So anything they don't understand or can't believe becomes "what the hell, I can't believe it, holy poo!" War is the only thing they get, so anything outside of that must be a shock to them. If they get contaminated they'll get executed. So it's like if you expose yourself, and the leaders find out you've been cultured, too bad, you gotta die. "deculture!" Once the minmay broadcast had confused them in SWI, the soldiers must have thought they were going to die of a disease or something so it bought the humans just enough time whilst they were scared to die from it. (if they were prgrammed to believe it was fatal of course. Eventually it wore off and they embraced it. Even kamjin couldn't be tricked later on when he kidnapped minmay. But old habits die hard)

Edited January 6, 2008 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[mike_s_6]

Based on how it's used in both DYRL and Macross F... I'd say it's an expression of surprise (any kind of surprise including, WOW!, OMG!, or WTF?!). And when used as a noun, it also translates to "a surprise". Could be wrong though.

Edited January 14, 2008 by mike_s_6

[ly000001]

Heh, the answer was under our noses the entire time

In the back of one of the books that came with the limited edition remastered DYRL, there's a list of Zentraedi/Meltrandi words and their Japanese or English translations. "De culcha" (デ:カルチャ) is translated as "stupid thing" (バカな事) or "terrifying thing" (恐ろしい事). By themselves, "de" (デ) means "no" or acts as a negative prefix, and "culcha" (カルチャ) means "wonderful thing" (素晴らしい事).

[KingNor]

is it the Zentradi equivalent of "smurf"?

[MisaForever]

Heh, the answer was under our noses the entire time

In the back of one of the books that came with the limited edition remastered DYRL, there's a list of Zentraedi/Meltrandi words and their Japanese or English translations. "De culcha" (デ:カルチャ) is translated as "stupid thing" (バカな事) or "terrifying thing" (恐ろしい事). By themselves, "de" (デ) means "no" or acts as a negative prefix, and "culcha" (カルチャ) means "wonderful thing" (素晴らしい事).

Wow cool, thanks for that. I envy you with that wonderful remastered DYRL copy.

[Kurisama]

They have 'De Culture' t-shirts for sale at HLJ in the Macross section! Yep...

[MUGETSU]

nyan nyan nihao nyan

gorgeous, delicious, and deculture! (so basically if we use the translation...it means that nyan nyan is gorgeous delicious and terrifying or a stupid thing at the same time)

haha weird

Edited January 17, 2008 by MUGETSU

[valkyrie13]

Heh, the answer was under our noses the entire time

In the back of one of the books that came with the limited edition remastered DYRL, there's a list of Zentraedi/Meltrandi words and their Japanese or English translations. "De culcha" (デ:カルチャ) is translated as "stupid thing" (バカな事) or "terrifying thing" (恐ろしい事). By themselves, "de" (デ) means "no" or acts as a negative prefix, and "culcha" (カルチャ) means "wonderful thing" (素晴らしい事).

While the word "バカな" would mean "stupid" or "ridiculous" if literally translated... in colloquial Japanese, it is used as an exclamation which can have multiple meanings, including WTF, What the hell, Holy Cow, Holy Crap, Holy Macaroni, Ridiculous!, Sweet Jesus, Incredible! and the like (you get the drift). So if the word "De Culture" was coined to mean "バカな" as used in Japanese, then the phrase "gorgeous, delicious, de culture" would not necessarily be so weird. The most appropriate translation in my view would be "gorgeous, delicious, incredible"....

[Zinjo]

While the word "バカな" would mean "stupid" or "ridiculous" if literally translated... in colloquial Japanese, it is used as an exclamation which can have multiple meanings, including WTF, What the hell, Holy Cow, Holy Crap, Holy Macaroni, Ridiculous!, Sweet Jesus, Incredible! and the like (you get the drift). So if the word "De Culture" was coined to mean "バカな" as used in Japanese, then the phrase "gorgeous, delicious, de culture" would not necessarily be so weird. The most appropriate translation in my view would be "gorgeous, delicious, incredible"....

That would make sense if the term "Culcha" means a positive exclamation, then de-culcha is the opposite, as in a negative exclamation. In Macross F it appears to have been in coloquial language long enough that it has reached a point where it can also be a play on words...

We have similar words in English where they have been in use for so long that their original meanings are no longer used and often the opposite or a totally unrelated meaning has become ascribed as their meaning. Slang is a perfect example... Once upon a time "Bad" meant a negative, but in the 70's it's slang meaning became "good"...

[crasis]

nyan nyan nihao nyan

gorgeous, delicious, and deculture! (so basically if we use the translation...it means that nyan nyan is gorgeous delicious and terrifying or a stupid thing at the same time)

haha weird

My brain hurts:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=rRR8lqlpU68

:blink:

[Screech]

We have similar words in English where they have been in use for so long that their original meanings are no longer used and often the opposite or a totally unrelated meaning has become ascribed as their meaning. Slang is a perfect example... Once upon a time "Bad" meant a negative, but in the 70's it's slang meaning became "good"...

"Terrific" comes to mind. I vividly remember a Zentraedi saying "deculture" in DYRL when after crashing head first into a building he sees Minmay running away while holding hands with her agent. The translation was "That's Horrible".

It makes sense that it became a common expression and it's meaning changed over time. Eventually it found it's way into a restaurant jingle.

[RichterX]

My brain hurts:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=rRR8lqlpU68

:blink:

Why would some one make a video of it that lasted 10 minutes?

[ssfsx17]

"Deculture" seems to be equivalent to **** or **** in English. To the Zentraedi, it originally meant "Deculture you! You yuck-de-culture piece of deculture!" Now, by the time of Macross 25, it's like "Our restaurant is, like, THE DECULTURE yo!"

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

That's why I just interpret it as meaning shock or surpise. So "WTF!?" is like the most sensible.

It's just an exclamation of shock or disbelief. So "oh poo we are going to be killed" is a negative version. And "OH poo minmay won the miss macross contest I can't belief it!" is the positive version.

With "Oh poo" being the exclamation of "shock or disbelief"

"Oh poo", "WTF", "you can't be serious" would seem to be a more modern meaning.

In the nyanyan song, perhaps it's surpising/shocking/unbelievable/incredible in a way that will blown your mind and make you go "WTF? I've never tasted something this good before!" ?? Ie it's using the exclamation of "shock" in the positive, so it's 'really good'.

Edited January 21, 2008 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[valkyrie13]

That would make sense if the term "Culcha" means a positive exclamation, then de-culcha is the opposite, as in a negative exclamation. In Macross F it appears to have been in coloquial language long enough that it has reached a point where it can also be a play on words...

I would not necessarily translate "de" to connotate a negative of "culcha". It is pretty obvious that the word "culcha" came from "culture" which the Zentradi lacked. However, unlike the use of "de" in English words such as "denounce" or "degrade", I believe the producers looked to a Roman language other than English such as French or Spanish (or Portugese?), etc. in coining this word. In French and Spanish, the word "de" means "of". So in other words, "De Culcha" would mean "of culture" or "belonging to culture", which to a Zentradi would be an unthinkable event. It also matches the original Japanese word "baka-na". The word "na" in Japanese is used to turn a noun into an adjective. Thus the word "baka", literally translated to "fool", becomes "foolish" or "fool-like" by adding the word "na".

Note that one of the earliest explorers from the West to visit Japan, China and other parts of Asia were Portugese, Spanish, Dutch and so forth (who all speak the Roman languages that derive more of their roots from, and thus more closely resemble, Latin) as compared to the English and the Americans (who speak English).

Edited January 22, 2008 by valkyrie13

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

The zentradi as an alien race also must think that anything not of war is "shocking". But that doesn't mean "bad" post-SW I when the mind control wore off. So the girls song doesn't mean the food is evil/bad/disgusting.

Edited January 22, 2008 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[chrono]

*cough*

Perhaps it's German.

Damn Google Translator: その文化

[Randalt]

My brain hurts:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=rRR8lqlpU68

:blink:

Wow... I can honestly say I wouldn't think of looping that for 10 minutes. Beam it at a Zentradi armada and they would all steer their ships into the sun...