[CLOSED] Another newbie reporter "discovers" Japan

by **cstaylor** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 9:59 am

Tokyo on One Cliche a Day
Monday: Wacky Food (whale meat)
Tuesday: Porno Manga

ultraEDIT: Please continue to post "newbie reporter" stories as new threads in the 'Another newbie reporter...' forum.

by **Taro Toporific** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 11:17 am

cstaylor wrote:Tokyo on One Cliche a Day
Monday: Wacky Food

Wacky Food wrote:.... note on food: McDonald's has rolled out its new worldwide slogan here, "I'm Lovin' It!" Good slogan, but not perfect for the Japanese marketplace, as it often comes out, "I'm Rubbin' It!"

Written by: "Seth Stevenson, a regular contributor to Slate, spent two months in Tokyo on a media fellowship from the Japan Society."
Mr. Seth's report Tokyo on One Cliche a Day is at least honest about his total incompetence, illiteracy and inability to report on Japan...It's nice "work" if you can get it. Let's see if he can find the near-mythical USED PANTY MACHINE.

by **American Oyaji** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 9:42 pm

If they haven't moved them, I know where no fewer than 3 are.

by **GomiGirl** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 9:46 pm

I can't view the link.. is it just me????

by **cstaylor** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 9:52 pm

Silly Mac Users, Microsoft 0wnz U (or at least they own Slate), so I'm not surprised you can't view the site.

by **Alcazar** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 10:46 pm

OMG, that report about Japanese manga porn was weird. I have never seen this manga, but it sounds so bizarre. And what about the cable TV story?
'Even in the regular, non-cartoon soft-core that shows up on Tokyo cable at night (think Cinemax), there is a whole lot of non-consensual sex going on. Highly non-consensual. Much female flailing, kicking, and high-pitched shrieking, all to no avail. The default situation is a man subjecting a woman to treatment she does not want or like, while the man remains utterly calm and appears not even to derive any pleasure from the act. Seems like some power/control issues going on. Especially when you consider the dream girl is always tied up, a very young schoolgirl, animated, or often all three. Icky'.

What do Japanese women think about the fact that there is basically rape fantasy stuff on the TV every night? Is there any voice of dissent in Japan about the nature of this 'entertainment'. Sure, nuttin' wrong with porn, but rape porn? Even if individual J-guys weren't into that, just seeing it presented as being acceptable could make it seem normal to them, which perpetuates things.

by **cstaylor** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 11:28 pm

Why don't you conduct a poll in person when you arrive later this year. :roll:

by **Alcazar** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 11:38 pm

cstaylor wrote:Why don't you conduct a poll in person when you arrive later this year.

Well actually its next year, so you still get to spend one last christmas opening presents at your father in law's CS :lol:

.

by **cstaylor** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 11:58 pm

Remind me to call immigration to have you marked "undesirable foreigner"

by **Alcazar** » Thu Oct 16, 2003 12:11 am

cstaylor wrote:Remind me to call immigration to have you marked "undesirable foreigner"

OK then!

Meanwhile, as a 'Lost gaijin looking for his friend', should I go to the main post-office in Kamakura for your address, or go straight to the more local one in Kataseyama? Do combini's also help in this regard these days?

My point is 'Don't antagonise sociopaths when you don't need to'. You don't really know who you are talking to. Why take risks by attracting the attention of a sociopath when you have left such a trail of personal info on the net over the years that someone can put together?

by **cstaylor** » Thu Oct 16, 2003 12:34 am

? Your best bet would be to come to Yokohama (not Kamakura) and ask for the short gaijin that speaks pidgin Japanese. There's not too many that fit that description in my neck of the woods.

If you're lucky, you won't get caught after your crime, but if you do, God help you on your trip over the Japanese Injustice Express. Go directly to Jail, Do not pass Go, Do not collect $200. Leather straps possible, beatings mandatory.

My point is, before you go making idle threats to people you've never met, you had better understand the consequences of your actions. :roll:

by **Alcazar** » Thu Oct 16, 2003 12:49 am

cstaylor wrote:If you're lucky, you won't get caught after your crime, but if you do, God help you on your trip over the Japanese Injustice Express. Go directly to Jail, Do not pass Go, Do not collect $200. Leather straps possible, beatings mandatory.

I considered that, so I would make sure I got my 'money's worth'. You don't need hands to continue doing IT right, I mean you can get one of those voice recognition setups so you can still work and everything. :idea:

cstaylor wrote:My point is, before you go making idle threats to people you've never met, you had better understand the consequences of your actions.

Don't worry CS, I won't really hunt you down, I'll be enjoying Japan too much to bother. Just quit the snide comments, and let me participate here without being harassed by you.

by **Alcazar** » Thu Oct 16, 2003 1:08 am

bikkle wrote:This is an homage to the 'newbie in Japan' style of the article, right? :P

Sure-I don't pretend to know a lot about the place, that's why I like finding out about new things here.

Should I feel embarassed?

by **American Oyaji** » Thu Oct 16, 2003 6:21 am

Whats that about Mac users being able to view the site?

I can see it just fine.

by **Caustic Saint** » Thu Oct 16, 2003 10:18 am

[quote="cstaylor"]Silly Mac Users, Microsoft 0wnz U (or at least they own Slate), so I'm not surprised you can't view the site. ]
Works fine in Mozilla. :P

What browser are you using, GG?

by **ramchop** » Thu Oct 16, 2003 11:07 am

Caustic Saint wrote:"2-months in Japan wonder" they're using now. Guy's trying to get a finger on the pulse of Japan and ends up with his thumb up his ass.

Nasty! I'm enjoying his little series. It may be full of cliches and stereotypes, but he's not pretending that it isn't. And it's quite funny.

by **Caustic Saint** » Thu Oct 16, 2003 11:53 am

ramchop wrote:
Caustic Saint wrote:"2-months in Japan wonder" they're using now. Guy's trying to get a finger on the pulse of Japan and ends up with his thumb up his ass.

Nasty! I'm enjoying his little series. It may be full of cliches and stereotypes, but he's not pretending that it isn't. And it's quite funny.

The problem with articles like his is the cliches and stereotypes. He's reveling in them, without trying to understand what's going on around him. Sure, it's not serious journalism, not by a long shot, but to portray everything as "wacky!" is just stupid.

"Dave Barry does Japan" did what this guy's trying to do, and did it much better. He's just a hack who think's he's "discovered" something, as the title of this topic points out.

by **ramchop** » Thu Oct 16, 2003 12:57 pm

Caustic Saint wrote:He's just a hack who think's he's "discovered" something, as the title of this topic points out.

"Tokyo on One Cliche a Day"? I don't think he's claiming to have "discovered" anything.

by **GomiGirl** » Thu Oct 16, 2003 1:49 pm

OS X Safari browser but IE5 broswer shows a connection error for this site.. haven't tried Mozilla yet...

by **Caustic Saint** » Thu Oct 16, 2003 2:05 pm

ramchop wrote:
Caustic Saint wrote:He's just a hack who think's he's "discovered" something, as the title of this topic points out.

"Tokyo on One Cliche a Day"? I don't think he's claiming to have "discovered" anything.

Like I said, he's reveling in them, not doing anything serious - or even all that humorous. Some of his stuff (specifically the "10-minute interview" segment) comes right out of Dave Barry's book. This guy's not doing anything new. That's where he fails.

The "wacky Japan" stereotype has been done to death, so what's this guy actually trying to say in his articles? You'd think - at least I do - that with two months in Japan he could come up with something more than this.

by **ramchop** » Thu Oct 16, 2003 2:30 pm

by **Taro Toporific** » Thu Oct 16, 2003 3:03 pm

ramchop wrote:Wacky Food, Manga, Etiquette... any guesses as to what Thursday's topic of the day will be. I'm guessing a trip to Akihabara

Akihabara? Nah.
Companions / Elevator Girls/ Hostesses!

Certainly not FG.

by **Caustic Saint** » Thu Oct 16, 2003 3:50 pm

ramchop wrote:Wacky Food, Manga, Etiquette... any guesses as to what Thursday's topic of the day will be. I'm guessing a trip to Akihabara

Vending machines, guys with white gloves who cram people onto the trains, schoolgirl outfits, love hotels, porn in conbinis, bento, ramen stands, kids with cellphones, female-only train cars....

by **Taro Toporific** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 2:49 pm

Caustic Saint wrote:
ramchop wrote:Wacky Food, Manga, Etiquette... any guesses as to what Thursday's topic of the day will be. I'm guessing a trip to Akihabara

Vending machines, guys with white gloves who cram people onto the trains, schoolgirl outfits, love hotels, porn in conbinis, bento, ramen stands, kids with cellphones, female-only train cars....

<J-onomatopoetic noise>Buuuuuuuu </J-onomatopoetic noise>
[url=http://slate.msn.com/id/2089630/entry/2089825/]Japan Clich&#233]Capsule Hotels

by **Kanchou** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 12:52 pm

Hehe, I liked his description and reaction to the hentai anime that he rented.

I'm sorta curious just what exactly is the ratio of non-consenual/demon/incest to "normal" porn in hentai anime is, though.

I would guess that of all the recent hentai releases, the vast majority involve some kind of demon, rape, or tentacles, or at the very least, cousins screwing.

I suppose the halfway-wholesome (minus the hardcore porn) titles (ie, "Magical Twilight", which is a shameless parody of Ah! My Goddess, and "The Elven Bride," which is a joke about fantasy anime, etc) went out during the late eighties and early nineties... Replaced by nonstop schoolgirl violation via tentacle/demon triple-penetration.

Not like I'd know about things like that.

by **Ol Dirty Gaijin** » Tue May 18, 2004 10:19 pm

Make it a sticky

by **Ol Dirty Gaijin** » Wed May 19, 2004 8:09 am

Any rules?

Must mention Love Hotels?
Reference to Blade Runner?
Bright Lights?
Blah blah blah.......

by **Taro Toporific** » Wed May 19, 2004 8:49 am

Ol Dirty Gaijin wrote:Any rules?

Must mention Love Hotels?
Reference to Blade Runner?
Bright Lights?
Blah blah blah.......

--->Mention suits and salaryman in the first paragragh and spell it the Japanese way, sarariman.
--->Transpose 'r' and 'l', 'v' and 'b', or 'j' and 'z' for effect throughout the report.
---->Include lot of engRish. :P

by **Taro Toporific** » Tue May 25, 2004 12:33 pm

Ol Dirty Gaijin wrote:Any rules?
Must mention Love Hotels?
Reference to Blade Runner?
Bright Lights?
Blah blah blah.......

How 'bout adding Sexual Harrassment Clubs to the list of Rules-for-newb reporter stories?

This guy is an author not a reporter but he's a true "newb."

What Do Men Really Want (To Read About)?
May 23, 2004 /The New York Times
....Ben Mezrich's new book, "Ugly Americans: The True Story of the Ivy League Cowboys Who Raided the Asian Markets for Millions"... "Ugly Americans" provides as ... one reader, an expatriate trader in Hong Kong, said in a note posted on Amazon.com, "This book is amazingly stupid."
It is the night life of Tokyo and Osaka that seems to propel Mr. Mezrich ----the hostess clubs, "soaplands" and "sexual harassment clubs" in which Malcolm's colleagues conduct so much of their business. Harassment clubs, one learns from the book, are stage sets of sorts ---- mock subway cars filled with young women dressed to look like schoolgirls where men pay for the right to chat and fondle.
Mezrich's research consisted of talking to about eight hedge-fund types in New York and spending a month in Japan ...last year (long after the real Malcolm [John Malcolm, the main character] had relocated), interviewing whatever remaining colleagues were there and visiting the clubs in question.
"When I got to Tokyo, I didn't sleep for 10 days straight," he said. "I landed, and I didn't really have a plan. There was a limo waiting for me at the airport. It was Malcolm's --- he had bought it in L.A. and flown it over because he didn't like any of the limos in Japan."

by **Taro Toporific** » Thu Jun 03, 2004 1:36 pm

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