Re: Words

On Thu, 7 Sep 2000, DOUGLAS KOLLER wrote:

>From: "Padraic Brown"
>
>> If ABC tried this here in the States, the ACLU would on their case,
>> up their butts and down their throats within 12.3 microseconds with
>> a miltimillion dollar class action lawsuit and we'd probably see
>> demonstrations, boycotts, riots, etc. Mm. What hijinx indeed!
>
>Ah well, then, silly foreigner, you simply don't understand the "Japanese
>way".
Obviously not! ;)

>(My Taiwanese partner didn't get why I found this unnerving. "Oh, c'mon;
>it's just good fun." "If it's 'just good fun', why ain't there a Japanese
>out there flapping his arm miming 'cock-a-doodle-do'? Why don't you go on TV
>and pound *your* breast like a gorilla?" "Well, that's different."
>"Ah-HAH!!" [Even so, I didn't win that one -- I simply didn't understand the
>"Asian way".])
Ha!

>
><Side bar> That said, I don't see anyone demonstrating, boycotting, or
>rioting over "Big Brother" or "Jerry Springer".
Don't know about "Big Brother", but Springer, at least, is quite
democratic about letting people of all races make total and complete
idiots of themselves. This I think is the point. His show is more
"Engaged Men and Brothers/Fathers who Knock Up Their Fiancees!" than
"White Women Watch Their Black SOs Make Utter Fools of Themselves by
Immitating Chickens and Monkies!" Granted that participants of either
show have zero self respect and make fools of themselves either way;
at least it's not _overtly_ biggoted.

> In a democracy (and Japan is
>a democracy), you have the right to make a complete boob of yourself.
Same in the US. You just can't get away with making a race issue of
it!

Padraic.

> No one
>physically compelled those foreigners to oink, waddle, or strut; they did it
>of their own volition. Their reasons are their own -- cash? TV exposure?
>What I find disturbing is that they willingly hit the air waves to
>perpetuate stereotypes of foreigners which I find repugnant. But I imagine
>this sort of thing has been going on since the beginning of time.</side bar>
>
>Kou
>