The Spanish language version of the GOP’s response to Obama’s State of the Union raised some eyebrows: Carlos Curbelo (R-Florida) made some tweaks to remarks made by Joni Ernst (R-Iowa). But at least Curbelo presented it in actual Spanish–which is more than can be said for the White House’s own Spanish language subtitles of the president’s speech.

As Latino Rebels points out, it was pretty bad:

Not only was the translation of the speech clunky at times (expected), but the subtitles, oh the subtitles. Any Spanish speaker who really was looking forward to watching this speech would have been greatly disappointed and confused. Want proof? Here is an actual clip from tonight with the actual subtitles flying past the video. If you were a Spanish speed reader, you might have understood it, when the translation actually made sense. We guess. Just watch. And laugh. Then shake your head and realize that when it comes to communicating in Spanish, neither Democrats nor Republicans have gotten it.

Over at HuffPo, Roque Planas breaks down some especially terrible moments that were utterly lost in translation, which were usually made in ALL CAPS that were distracting in and of themselves.

I’d add one more:

01-21-14-sotu-1.jpgThe screen read, “FAMILIAS. POD EEMSZ HACERLO.” I’m guessing it was meant to read, “Familias. Podemos hacerlo,” which would translate to “Families. We can do it.” I’m still over here trying to figure out where EEMSZ even came from–which is a word in neither English nor Spanish.