Racist "Darrin the Gaijin" animation featured on JR trains.

[Torimaro]

You've spent a great deal of time in these places - SA- Rwanda? Can you elaborate?
I always like to learn.

no time in any of those places. i just read books sometimes is all. Rwanda is on wiki im sure and there was some fucking movie about it once, it was pretty elaborate...

i do agree with you that americans are hypersensitive about perceived racism, thus the existence of this thread.

[Iraira]

no time in any of those places. i just read books sometimes is all. Rwanda is on wiki im sure and there was some fucking movie about it once, it was pretty elaborate...

The Rwanda genocide was between two different clans, the Hutu and Tutsi (spelling may be off), which were established somewhat arbitrarily under British colonial rule. The movie you refer to is called Hotel Rwanda.

[havill]

But has anyone else seen the videos on the JR trains? Regardless of the books, the videos clearly appear to be racist to me. As I mentioned before, perhaps the animators took some liberties or portrayed things out of context from the original stories in the books. (Maybe due to the fact that the video segments are very short, so a lot of contextual material from the books had to be cut out.) I would appreciate hearing opinions from others who have actually watched those videos on the trains before expressing their judgements on it.

Yes, I've seen the videos. And unlike you apparently, I can read and understand the Japanese that accompanies the videos as well. The premise of the ads are the same as the books: intelligent, multilingual, fluent Japanese speaking happily married non-Japanese involved in comical misunderstandings (usually language based, but sometimes cultural) with his spouse and environment.

[mijonju]

imma get me 1 of those books and animations

[Torimaro]

The Rwanda genocide was between two different clans, the Hutu and Tutsi (spelling may be off), which were established somewhat arbitrarily under British colonial rule. The movie you refer to is called Hotel Rwanda.

thanks prof. it was on the tip of my tongue really it was.

so since it was between two "clans" does that not constitute racism?

keep in mind i am american and hypersensitive to this issue. thanks.

[Iraira]

thanks prof. it was on the tip of my tongue really it was.

so since it was between two "clans" does that not constitute racism?

keep in mind i am american and hypersensitive to this issue. thanks.

The Brits set up two groups in Rwanda based on mostly physical appearances. A nice case of separate and not equal emerged, generating generations of pent-up hostility, eventually culminating in many piles of severed limbs. Is that racism, yeah, sure, you hypersensitized 'merican. I'm from the country of California, where we are so over that racial thing, unless you are an illegal alien (or may resemble one).

[james]

no time in any of those places. i just read books sometimes is all. Rwanda is on wiki im sure and there was some fucking movie about it once, it was pretty elaborate...

i think the movie is titled "hotel rwanda". it was actually on last night on one of the bs channels.

[Samurai_Jerk]

I've seen the fucking video on the train. Alicia is mental midget with a chip on her shoulder who needs to eat a dick.

[james]

I've seen the fucking video on the train. Alicia is mental midget with a chip on her shoulder who needs to eat a dick.

c'mon, don't mince words or hold back on us. tell us how you really feel.

[kamome]

I've seen the fucking video on the train. Alicia is mental midget with a chip on her shoulder who needs to eat a dick.

This post reminds me of what is missing from this thread - an astute yet profane comment from AK plus a random comment from AO about the size of his own penis.

And where is a YBF reference when you need it?

[kusai Jijii]

This post reminds me of what is missing from this thread - an astute yet profane comment from AK plus a random comment from AO about the size of his own penis

nah. what we reaalllyy need here - if we are serious about raising the 'snap crackle pop' factor is a comment or two from the Ultimate Victim - AJ!:)

[Torimaro]

I'm from the country of California

what part? Stanford, UCAL, USC?

[Iraira]

what part? Stanford, UCAL, USC?

worse, I'm an Anteater....but grew up overlooking the flatlands of BH where "the commoners" live.

[aquamarine]

Blah Blah Hatemongering Blah

\

Seriously, how long have you lived in Japan? How long have you ever been living within a culture that you don't understand, or in a country of which has a language that you do not understand?

I have only made it to page three, but you are sounding like nothing more than an anti-Japanese elitist. Sort of like some of the Americans that come here for vacation and expect the Japanese to do everything FOR you, clear the tracks FOR you and do everything but wipe your ass.

"Watch the videos" Yea, so what? I saw NOTHING racist. There are more racist themes in the TV shows Friends, Heroes and SmallVille than there is on the train (Den En Toshi, Odakyu and Yokohama Subway Line).

I am going to keep on topic by saying this: Learn a little more of the language, THEN if you still seem to mis-read words, I suggest checking to see if you are dyslexic and get your merds wixed up. For the love of fuck... this is why I hate foreigners.

[CrankyBastard]

[Western All Stars]

Can someone post a video of the video on the train?

[Catoneinutica]

I can't post the video on the train, but I can post my six-word review of the Darling wa Gaikokujin series:

Hot fuck action to the max!

[Mulboyne]

[alicia454]

Nice to know that many people on this forum like to put down others and insult them personally. I have not had so many put downs targeted towards me since elementary school. Come on people, grow up.

I merely expressed observations and opinions honestly, and never personally insulted anyone in this forum.

Seriously, how long have you lived in Japan? How long have you ever been living within a culture that you don't understand, or in a country of which has a language that you do not understand?

I have been living in Japan for the last 20 months, and you can add another 10 months or so if you add all of my previous business and holiday trips over the last 9 years.

And yes, I have lived and worked in many countries for periods exceeding at least one year, including Portugal, Canada, Britain, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Australia, and Singapore. I am a Portugal born Canadian (dual citizenship), and I am fluent in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, and know a little French and I am learning Japanese.

One of the things that I pride about myself is that I have travelled all over the world many times, and I have seen every continent except Antarctica. (And I have the passport stamps to prove it.) I have lived in more places and experienced more cultures than most people in this forum, and most likely more than you. I do not appreciate people calling me a walled off person that expects everything the same as their home country.

In fact I am very critical of many things about the other countries I lived in. But at least one thing that I miss and do expect & demand in Japan is minimal human rights standards, including anti-discrimination. I except & demand as a foreigner to receive the same amount of human rights that a Japanese receives in Canada or Western Europe.

"Watch the videos" Yea, so what? I saw NOTHING racist. There are more racist themes in the TV shows Friends, Heroes and SmallVille than there is on the train (Den En Toshi, Odakyu and Yokohama Subway Line). I am going to keep on topic by saying this: Learn a little more of the language, THEN if you still seem to mis-read words, I suggest checking to see if you are dyslexic and get your merds wixed up.

I am learning the language, but from what I read and saw in the videos, I still think you are wrong, they are clearly racist to me.

For the love of fuck... this is why I hate foreigners.

If you hate foreigners, then why are you reading and posting in a forum dedicated to foreigners in Japan? If you don't like a group of people, avoid them and leave them alone.

[FG Lurker]

Alicia, you are making a bigger ass of yourself with every post. I don't think the board has had this much free entertainment since the last Pongi Meltdown™! Keep up the good work!

[bolt_krank]

It's Japan. One of the most contradicting countries in the world.
Maybe it was racist, maybe it wasn't - but the people advertising probably had no idea either way.

[Mulboyne]

...from what I read and saw in the videos, I still think you are wrong, they are clearly racist to me.

Step back a bit. When you first saw the videos, you assumed they were adverts for a cartoon about a character called Darrin the Gaikokujin. You didn't like the fact that he was depicted as scruffy and beady eyed. On top of that, you didn't care for the fact that the stories mostly seemed to show him causing trouble for his Japanese girlfriend. You assumed that this was some general depiction by a cartoonist of foreigners and the havoc they wreak around Japan which you thought was unfair.

Now you know differently. The cartoon isn't about "Darrin the Gaikokujin"]http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/forums/images/vbimghost/979487e915428f8c.jpg[/img]

She doesn't describe her life as one of utter misery. Instead, her husband comes across as a decent, intelligent father and husband. Even though he is fluent in Japanese, they still bump up against cultural differences from time to time and she uses these as the basis for some of her stories.

You want those of us who haven't seen the video to assume that an affectionate family portrait has somehow been turned into a message of hate. You've got a lot of convincing to do and you are going to have to give up being upset about the scruffy beady-eyed depiction because, as you can see, that's what he looks like.

[Western All Stars]

If it's a true story, why is it racist? People will consider anything racist/sexist if it shows a member of that group in a bad light, no matter how true it is. The only exception (at least in the US) is white men, who you must show as idiots to avoid being called racist/sexist to other groups. In this case we have a true story of a guy who makes the normal blunders everyone makes when living in a country with a different culture.

I recommend everyone to read The Language Police where it talks about how completly asanine the world (or the US at least) is about racism. There literally are people who's jobs it is to go through books/magazines and count the number of white/black/women/asian/hispanic people to make sure they have the "right" proportions. I still remember the textbook of a management class I took a few years ago where the first page had a picture of a white guy, black guy, white woman, asian guy, and a guy in a wheelchair all playing basketball together.

I've read some parts of the "Darling" books. Some of the culture-clashes the couple encounter actually enlighten the wife about the reasons for his way of thinking/behaving.

[FG Lurker]

If you hate foreigners, then why are you reading and posting in a forum dedicated to foreigners in Japan?

Personally I think it's because he has a penis extension attached to his nose.

[Catoneinutica]

[Behan]

[Greji]

you are going to have to give up being upset about the scruffy beady-eyed depiction because, as you can see, that's what he looks like.

[kamome]

Nice to know that many people on this forum like to put down others and insult them personally. I have not had so many put downs targeted towards me since elementary school. Come on people, grow up.

I merely expressed observations and opinions honestly, and never personally insulted anyone in this forum.

Yeah, you fucked gaijin bitches! Step off!

I except & demand as a foreigner to receive the same amount of human rights that a Japanese receives in Canada or Western Europe.

Ain't gonna' happen. But the train vid, even if you do take the position that it's "racist", doesn't exactly amount to a violation of human rights, does it?

[aquamarine]

Personally I think it's because he has a penis extension attached to his nose.

You ain't wrong

[jingai]

Okay, where's Duck- this thread needs a loud quack.