Peccadilloes in Nippon and in Nipponese with a Quixotic Perspective. Coming at you from Yokohama, near Tokyo.
February 25, 2007
Holy Crepe
So I made a dumb, rambling video. It got 5,6009,00011,000 15,000 hits last time I looked. Crazy. This is what I get for responding to a featured video on racism.
Good video. I gotta say, though, you get a lot of crazies on YouTube who act like they are shoppers. Why do they feel compelled to leave negative comments? It's like Digg.com in some ways. I like the idea and the wide net it casts, but the bozos are pretty plentiful, and many of them just want to be obnoxious. I don't get it. Like that fellow who told you he watched 2 minutes and stopped. What the heck? It must have cost him another 35 to 40 seconds to sit down and write you a comment about it. I like the constructive criticism, though. That's nice. Anyhoo - nice video, man. I like it. (And of course you're bound to get all kinds of responses to a video that talks about racism.) Later, man.
Have you noticed the little back and forth through the comments on the video that you responded to? People are saying that he takes his speech a bit far and comes off as slightly menacing toward the end. I can sort of see what they mean, but don't really get that vibe personally. Anyhoo, just wondering what your take was. :-)
I think he has some righteous indignation, and justifibly so. But I don't think he is implying any sort of violence or Asian invasion. As someone familiar with slam poets, I totally read this as a very good angry poem, and I like it.
Yup. We're on the same page there. So...wanna explain why you've retitled this entry 32,094 times? Cheez / Craep / Crepe, etc. Ha ha. I dunno if that was all of them, or spelled the same, but thought I'd ask. Ha ha.
hi i just got done watching your video on youtube and came here wondering if i could ask you a queston. i went to japan with my girlfriend (im a dyke btw) and we got alot of disgusted looks and comments. we were just holding hands. i dont really understand though. could you explain it to me please? is it a part of the culture?
Well, gayness is not well understood here, kinda like the whole racial thing. I get the impression that it is quite alright to be a little bisexual from childhood through highschool (I may be wrong), and that it is something you mature out of and eventually you are supposed to fit into the normal family/houswife/salaryman mold. But times are changing slowly.
thank you, i was told that in japan if you are a man you should not hug other men. do they see that as being homosexual and not just being friendly? oh and sorry to bother you but you were very helpful with the last comment.
well, I don't see much hugging in general so I don't know. I'm lucky my girlfriend hugs me goodbye in public. When they get drunk, old men start to get really chummy and even give me back rubs for a few disturbing moments. But its just a friendly thing I guess.
But, the one that has me in fits is when the say "かおが小ちゃい！" At first, I didn't really understand what having a small face meant, and if they were implying my brain was small or something, but later found out that it's a good trait.
Another body part that Westerners tend to take for granted is the lower-neck/upper-back on a woman. Japanese men traditionally found it to be the most sexual spot on a woman, which is why in old paintings you see women painted with a kimono draped low in the back.
ouaou!!!!:-) vaya hombre!!lol. Je préfère parler français. C'est plus facile. Pourquoi ne passes-tu pas en France. Beaucoup de jeunes filles auraient aimé avoir un professeur d'anglais comme toi. translation/ why don't you come in France? A lot of girls had like to get you such as an english teacher. I'm sorry if there are mistakes, if you don't understand i'm sorry but I'm french. yes you're charming but you seem to be agreable, intelligent,... there are so such qualities... :-) so goodbye( i'm not like that normally, but it's not my fault! it's the chocolate! :-) if you've understood something i'm delighted. good luck "au pays des sushis"! Coline
goog idea. :-). there is no problem. Hô! yes just one. I don't know i you'll be allowed to come in france if Sarkozy is president. What could i say?! sarko doesn't will be a president! So you're welcomed in france! tell me when you come. co ++
Nice video, even if you did ramble it's kinda cute. I think that ultimately when you're in the public eye, and you're a comedian you're bound to offend somebody with one comment or another. As an Asian, I take a little offense to it, but I try to understand that it's just a joke and she doesn't intend to harm anyone by it. Sure it may come across as a bit ignorant...but hey she does show an open-mindedness about everything, considering that she did apologize about it.
Nelico seems to be French, too. Cute baby pic on her page. (And my guess would be, "What are you saying? It's too subtle." But I really haven't the foggiest.)
I thought Rosie's closing lines addressed to Beau were interesting. And the apology was better than the original poem response she did. Ha ha.
This comment's a bit late in the game, but I just found your blog today, so that's my excuse!
I liked your ramble, and I have a little addition to make. I just finished reading 'Wrong About Japan' by Peter Carey the other day (read it if you haven't, it's hilarious), and he does a little bit of research on the big-nosed gaijin paintings from the old days. Apparently, according to him (and whatever his source was), the large nose was an indication of large penis size. I don't know how accurate that is, but if that's the case, then at least it's flattering, right?
Good video. I gotta say, though, you get a lot of crazies on YouTube who act like they are shoppers. Why do they feel compelled to leave negative comments? It's like Digg.com in some ways. I like the idea and the wide net it casts, but the bozos are pretty plentiful, and many of them just want to be obnoxious. I don't get it. Like that fellow who told you he watched 2 minutes and stopped. What the heck? It must have cost him another 35 to 40 seconds to sit down and write you a comment about it. I like the constructive criticism, though. That's nice. Anyhoo - nice video, man. I like it. (And of course you're bound to get all kinds of responses to a video that talks about racism.) Later, man.
ReplyDeleteHave you noticed the little back and forth through the comments on the video that you responded to? People are saying that he takes his speech a bit far and comes off as slightly menacing toward the end. I can sort of see what they mean, but don't really get that vibe personally. Anyhoo, just wondering what your take was. :-)
ReplyDeleteI think he has some righteous indignation, and justifibly so. But I don't think he is implying any sort of violence or Asian invasion. As someone familiar with slam poets, I totally read this as a very good angry poem, and I like it.
ReplyDeleteYup. We're on the same page there. So...wanna explain why you've retitled this entry 32,094 times? Cheez / Craep / Crepe, etc. Ha ha. I dunno if that was all of them, or spelled the same, but thought I'd ask. Ha ha.
ReplyDeleteholy crepe is an old in joke, but I misspelled it. I blame lack of sleep this time.
ReplyDeletehi i just got done watching your video on youtube and came here wondering if i could ask you a queston. i went to japan with my girlfriend (im a dyke btw) and we got alot of disgusted looks and comments. we were just holding hands. i dont really understand though. could you explain it to me please? is it a part of the culture?
ReplyDeleteWell, gayness is not well understood here, kinda like the whole racial thing. I get the impression that it is quite alright to be a little bisexual from childhood through highschool (I may be wrong), and that it is something you mature out of and eventually you are supposed to fit into the normal family/houswife/salaryman mold. But times are changing slowly.
ReplyDeletethank you, i was told that in japan if you are a man you should not hug other men. do they see that as being homosexual and not just being friendly? oh and sorry to bother you but you were very helpful with the last comment.
ReplyDeletewell, I don't see much hugging in general so I don't know. I'm lucky my girlfriend hugs me goodbye in public. When they get drunk, old men start to get really chummy and even give me back rubs for a few disturbing moments. But its just a friendly thing I guess.
ReplyDeleteAbout the "はなが高い" thing - I get that, too.
ReplyDeleteBut, the one that has me in fits is when the say "かおが小ちゃい！" At first, I didn't really understand what having a small face meant, and if they were implying my brain was small or something, but later found out that it's a good trait.
Another body part that Westerners tend to take for granted is the lower-neck/upper-back on a woman. Japanese men traditionally found it to be the most sexual spot on a woman, which is why in old paintings you see women painted with a kimono draped low in the back.
Sorry, I digressed.
ouaou!!!!:-) vaya hombre!!lol. Je préfère parler français. C'est plus facile. Pourquoi ne passes-tu pas en France. Beaucoup de jeunes filles auraient aimé avoir un professeur d'anglais comme toi. translation/ why don't you come in France? A lot of girls had like to get you such as an english teacher. I'm sorry if there are mistakes, if you don't understand i'm sorry but I'm french. yes you're charming but you seem to be agreable, intelligent,... there are so such qualities... :-)
ReplyDeleteso goodbye( i'm not like that normally, but it's not my fault! it's the chocolate! :-)
if you've understood something i'm delighted.
good luck "au pays des sushis"!
Coline
Um thanks. I wish I knew French. It's part of my plans come to think of it.
ReplyDeletegoog idea. :-). there is no problem. Hô! yes just one. I don't know i you'll be allowed to come in france if Sarkozy is president. What could i say?! sarko doesn't will be a president! So you're welcomed in france! tell me when you come.
ReplyDeleteco ++
Nice video, even if you did ramble it's kinda cute. I think that ultimately when you're in the public eye, and you're a comedian you're bound to offend somebody with one comment or another. As an Asian, I take a little offense to it, but I try to understand that it's just a joke and she doesn't intend to harm anyone by it. Sure it may come across as a bit ignorant...but hey she does show an open-mindedness about everything, considering that she did apologize about it.
ReplyDeleteYes I saw the appology on her blog. I am impressed that she was humble enough to appologize there; I wonder if she will do so on the show.
ReplyDeletewhat are you talking to? If is not too much indiscreet.
ReplyDeletethanks
bye!
Do you mean who? I am confused. I was looking at the recording most of the time as I shot this video... or the camera.
ReplyDeleteNelico seems to be French, too. Cute baby pic on her page. (And my guess would be, "What are you saying? It's too subtle." But I really haven't the foggiest.)
ReplyDeleteI thought Rosie's closing lines addressed to Beau were interesting. And the apology was better than the original poem response she did. Ha ha.
This comment's a bit late in the game, but I just found your blog today, so that's my excuse!
ReplyDeleteI liked your ramble, and I have a little addition to make. I just finished reading 'Wrong About Japan' by Peter Carey the other day (read it if you haven't, it's hilarious), and he does a little bit of research on the big-nosed gaijin paintings from the old days. Apparently, according to him (and whatever his source was), the large nose was an indication of large penis size. I don't know how accurate that is, but if that's the case, then at least it's flattering, right?