....

First thoughts: They're staring at her crazy pink eyelids.

Second thoughts: They're staring at her pikachoo rainslick.

Third thoughts: Fake. Either she sat at his table to make him stare, or the whole thing is faked.

I'm sure she thought it was funny, but... Well, I just can't see it.

Failed to get a laugh from me also T-T

It is fake, or course. It's making fun of the way people try to gain meaning from a glance or a look.

I found this a while back after watching some clips about a guy blogging about his time in Japan. He started talking about how the police dealt with a certain situation in a certain way (positive I think ?) and not in the way he expected. The next few linked clips (or maybe video responses) kept going on about the issue of racism.

So, after a bit I came across this clip and couldn't stop laughing. It was a welcome release from all the negative energy that had built up as I watched those other clips.

I like how even with the pikachu suit on the clip still has a bit more meaning to it. The guy could have even been staring at her simply because she was a female.

**NOTE to the irony impaired. This is a comedy video. Both of the people are actors. And YES the reason he is staring at her is because she is wearing a pikachu outfit. That is the whole point. The punchline is that she thinks people stare at her because she is black but really people are staring because of the outfit.**

I thought it was obvious it was fake? I've seen other videos where it's hard to tell though.

I don't want to sound mean, but if you don't get this, I'd like to punch you in the head. If you get it, but just don't think it's funny, that's fine. Thank you.

That was very amusing!

[ファブリス]

Funny! Looks like British humour to me.

It's supposed to be funny, but the actors didn't manage to make it actually so imho. I can see how some people may be upset.

[ファブリス]

I thought it was funny, but just the face that the guy makes.

Here's a better one: subtitles!

You people just don't get it!
Of course it is because she's black! ^^

LoL
I have seen this before and actually have been holding it as a trump card myself for one of those less amusing conversations on racism. ^^

It is funny!

Decently humorous, didn't make me laugh though.

I really dislike the topic of racism in Tokyo, it's so extremely exaggerated. Pretty much everywhere you go on the internet, people claim they were treated badly/oddly or just differently because they aren't Japanese. Of course they can't treat you like you're Japanese if you don't know Japanese, if you don't know how to eat a certain meal etc etc etc. That isn't racism.

I agree, Japanese people have a tendency to believe no one can ever understand them, it's called island complex and it's not unique to Japan. The point is that being a foreigner in Japan is a pleasent experience, unlike being arab in the wrong place in Sweden, or being Black in the wrong place in the US etc.

Racism is a problem if you are black, Chinese or Muslim in Japan. The former Prime Minister once had to apologize for saying the reason for America's decline is the rise of black Americans.

As a caucasion, I have often felt like a celebrity living in Japan and miss the attention when back in the US. It is a reverse racism where I get treated better because of my race. Once in a small town in Shiga perfecture a young girl bowed all the way down then ran away in fear when she saw me. That was the only thing close I have ever experienced. I love being gaijin!

Growing up in the deep south of America I was told in church that black people were slightly better than monkeys and not to associate them. The Japanese don't come close to that level of ignorance

bodhisamaya Wrote:Racism is a problem if you are black, Chinese or Muslim in Japan. The former Prime Minister once had to apologize for saying the reason for America's decline is the rise of black Americans. As a caucasion, I have often felt like a celebrity living in Japan and miss the attention when back in the US. It is a reverse racism where I get treated better because of my race. Once in a small town in Shiga perfecture a young girl bowed all the way down then ran away in fear when she saw me. That was the only thing close I have ever experienced. I love being gaijin!

While it's true that Blacks, Chinese and Muslims are treated way worse than the normal 西欧人, even then the racism is mild at best. I know some Chinese people living in Japan who don't really feel discriminated. I hear indians are also treated badly.

However, those sites etc I was talking about specifically talk about white people usually, which makes little sense.

I know it's tiresome to have this pointed out over and over again, but it's also tiresome to have the mistake made over and over again, so here we are: 'Muslim' remains a religious classification and not a race.

Tobberoth Wrote:...even then the racism is mild at best...

Ever try to rent an apartment on your own in Japan? The racism here is not mild, its not limited to non-Caucasians, but it is a waste of a great time to spend all your time in Japan focused on it.

dilandau23 Wrote:

Tobberoth Wrote:...even then the racism is mild at best...

Ever try to rent an apartment on your own in Japan? The racism here is not mild, its not limited to non-Caucasians, but it is a waste of a great time to spend all your time in Japan focused on it.

Now, is this an issue of race or one of communication? If it's something where being fluent in Japanese will make the difference, it's hard to call it racial discrimination. Now, if going in fluent and the people pull the "no gaijin" card, yeah, now we're talking racism (well, more likely extreme nationalism).

To the above about communication discrimination: last year it made national news of all things where a restaurant owner in New York posted a "This is an American restaurant, so order in American" (or something to that effect). I'm hard pressed to disagree with his decision concerning his private business.

I remember one of those threads where people were all hyped up about a "Japanese only" -sign..
I read the rest of the sign (Which had two words in English and quite a lot in Japanese!) and the idea was the same.
The owner had gotten fed up with rude people and recuired the customers to interact with the staff in Japanese, keep their voices down so they wouldn't dusturb other customers, understand that the best tables were reserved for regulars, etc.

I couldn't really disagree with him but the people on the forum where just calling "Racism, racism, RACISM!!!!1!" (-.-);


Just to be frank about the subject.. I don't get how white people of certain nations can have the nerve to be so sensitive about being discriminated against when we don't have to go much back in their own history to see some REAL racism and atrocities against people of different race!
(出人 anyone?)

Okay.. Sorry about the provo but get the idea?
As a western white person, I really don't have anything to complain and I too am pretty fed up with the whole racism topic..

I can't imagine why it's okay being refused entrance to a restaurant just because you can't speak the language. I mean, when I went to China I couldn't speak Chinese, am I supposed to starve the whole trip because I didn't take the five or so years necessary to become fluent in Chinese? The same for that American restaurant, I mean, people can still point at the menu, if the owner can't understand them then they won't be able to serve them, however it seems more like the owner just wasn't satisfied with the level of language they were using and didn't want to spend an extra five minutes trying to help them. That is discrimination.

Businesses shouldn't be able to exclude people for racial reasons, or language reasons, or cultural reasons. Just because a business is a private enterprise doesn't mean they shouldn't have regulations imposed on them. The 'no gaijin' landlords could be easily handled with a single anti-discrimination law.

alantin Wrote:I remember one of those threads where people were all hyped up about a "Japanese only" -sign..
I read the rest of the sign (Which had two words in English and quite a lot in Japanese!) and the idea was the same.
The owner had gotten fed up with rude people and recuired the customers to interact with the staff in Japanese, keep their voices down so they wouldn't dusturb other customers, understand that the best tables were reserved for regulars, etc.

I couldn't really disagree with him but the people on the forum where just calling "Racism, racism, RACISM!!!!1!" (-.-);


Just to be frank about the subject.. I don't get how white people of certain nations can have the nerve to be so sensitive about being discriminated against when we don't have to go much back in their own history to see some REAL racism and atrocities against people of different race!
(出人 anyone?)

Okay.. Sorry about the provo but get the idea?
As a western white person, I really don't have anything to complain and I too am pretty fed up with the whole racism topic..

There are so many things wrong with what you just said.

@phauna
How about if you were running a private business and that's the income for your family.
Now you're afraid of losing your regular customars (who make up the major part of you income!) because you repeatedly get, say, rude foregin sailors come in, speak loudly in an unknown language, (ignoring the expected behaviour in the culture) disturb other customars, and in worst case scenario, cause a commotion if they don't get service in some other language..
Having your whole staff learn their language isn't really an option either.

You wouldn't lay down some rules?


@alyks
Would you like to elaborate?

A. Just because there was a problem, the Japanese only sign guy didn't need to discriminate against everybody. Just because he had a legitimate problem, doesn't mean what he did was justified.

B. Just because a person is white, that doesn't make racism ok. That is exactly what you are saying, whether you are aware of it or not.

C. Just because you bring up the subject of past racism against a race doesn't mean your point is valid. It serves no purpose in this discussion other than to arouse emotion. It also doesn't make racism against other races any less valid.

Well.. It seems that it did raise some emotion..
There is so many things wrong in your post and please, don't be so quick to tell me what I mean! (-.-);
If unsure, you could just ask.. Man!

What I'm saying is that it sometimes gives a little hypocritical feeling when people who have never had to endure any discrimination because of their race, go to a very different culture and expect to be treated the same as the natives and call everything racism.
Tobberoth wrote a good post about this earlier in the thread.

I'm merely trying to seek another point of view on the subject to better understand what's behind it instead of just repeating what has been said so many time elsewhere..

A)
I do understand why he would put up the sign.
IMO the best I can do to make the signs go away is to with my behavior show that a westerner too can behave and be a trustworthy citicent, rather than zealously calling out for my rights and accusing the shopkeeper.

B)
I didn't say anything about discrimination being ok and I do not appreciate you trying to put something like that in my mouth!

As pointed out in this thread and many times elsewhere too, a western white person in Japan doesn't experience discrimination nearly as much as some people would have us believe.
Don't get it wrong! It is good that the subject is on the table but I feel that there is MUCH exaggeration in the air here.

C)
My point was to show my frustration at the hypocritical feeling that I often get from these racism conversations.
Racism is something that should not exist but still western white people aren't a major group of people facing it.
My question is; as white westerners, are we nearly as concerned about the groups that truly face discrimination as we are of having a Japanese cop asking to see our ID on occasion.. (This seems to be the most prominent form of "racism against westerners in Japan" when you search the net.)


This is something how I feel about this.
You don't agree with me?

If there is something you want me to clarify, please, just ask!

....


@_@

Wow...


I meant...

discuss...

the video....


@ファブリス: that video was hilarious.

@alantin: Understanding why someone does something, and thinking they are justied in doing it are too different things. Edit: NM



On the general subject of racism:

It all depends on who you ask. I've known people personally, who others have said were racist. What I found was that the so called racist person just didn't like them on a personal level (not their entire race).

What that means is that, though racism exists, more often people's interaction with you are based on your interaction with them.

There are people who will make assumptions based on stereotypes or one or two past experiences, but these are probably not the type of people you want to interact with anyway.

This holds true for anywhere you go in the world. Hell, this hold true for walking down the block.

Now let's get back to the laughter.

This topic is supposed to take the seriousness out of the topic of racism, not be a serious discussion on the ignorance plagues mankind.

Or maybe ....