The Travesty of Mis-Translation

This morning, Fred, my francophone art director, and I were speaking about a commercial I thought was particularly bad.

GREG: That was a poor choice of actor. It was a complete travesty.

FRED: Really? You thought he was a travesti?

GREG: Absolutely. Didn’t you?

FRED: Well, he didn’t look like one to me.

GREG: No?

FRED: Well, he wasn’t wearing a dress...or makeup.

Pause.

GREG: What are you talking about?

FRED: Don’t you have that word in English? Travesti? For when a man dresses up like a woman?

Pause.

GREG: Are you talking about a transvestite?

FRED: I guess. In French it’s pronounced travesti.

GREG: Oh. Okay. In English travesty is just a big mistake. He’s not a travesti. He’s just a really bad actor.

FRED: Yes. I agree.