Before reading, please read the original audio description critique of Perfect Match. I won’t recap my thoughts. Instead, I’m going to focus on one specific aspect, so it’ll be short.

For those unaware, audio description is a separate audio track added to visual media that describes visual aspects. It’s mainly intended for blind and visually impaired audiences, but it can be useful and beneficial to anyone.

Contestants enter this show to find their perfect match by testing their compatibility. The most compatible couple wins an all-expenses paid trip to continue working on their relationship.

Genre: Reality TV

Category: Adult

Explicit sex: None

Explicit violence: None

Content warnings I noticed: None

For the most part, season two’s audio description is great. As with the first season, I enjoyed it.

The one thing I want to discuss is the description of gestures. I don’t remember discussing this in any of my previous critiques. I really should have, but I suppose I wasn’t paying attention. I’ll try to pay attention to this for future critiques, but I might still miss them.

I want to preface this by saying that this is not the only audio description that does this. Many actually do this. Books do it too. I just happen to have been annoyed this time, so I’m complaining and offering suggestions.

At least one gesture is described without describing the gesture. When one of the contestants is introduced, the describer tells us she made a “sexual gesture.” So, what does that mean? We know what kind of gesture this is, but what was the gesture?

The best audio description shines when there are specific details. When it comes to describing a person, these details include but are not limited to hair, eyes, race, and clothing. If you notice, someone doing a “sexual gesture” is not specific. Saying that someone made a rude gesture is very different than explaining that the person gave another the middle finger.

The reason specificity is important is because it leaves no questions. I know that audio description is limited by space. However, it takes skill to describe a gesture in said amount of space and writers should take that challenge. At the end of the day, the point of audio description is to give viewers a similar experience to their sighted peers. As an audio description consumer, I’m expecting to know things that other viewers know and descriptions like someone making a “sexual gesture” give me nothing.

In my opinion, the current audio description rules are too strict to allow for gestures to be described. It doesn’t allow for a lot to be described in detail. I believe that audio description is an art. However, art is usually not very confined. While it may have conventions and some rules, it allows for artists to break or subvert them. I don’t see this often in audio description, unfortunately. I believe it’s time for the rules to be reconsidered.Because the rules can be so confining, it doesn’t allow for a lot of creativity. However, they can allow for some. For those writers who thrive on strict rules, I challenge you to describe gestures rather than telling the viewer what kind they are. For those who don’t, I suggest that, where you have the space, take the time to describe the gestures. I understand it might be inconsistent as some things won’t be described in detail, but it’s something and, unfortunately, while I’m spoiled with all types of audio description, the bar is low. Something is better than nothing in many cases.

Overall, this is a good audio description. It’s enjoyable, but, unfortunately, my rating has lowered. I rate it one star.