Hisamitsu says “Hello” (Video)

The easy way to tell if something is offensive is to alter the conditions to reflct someone else’s culture other than your own. White people are socialized not to be offended when made fun of.

There is no Platonic Ideal that defines what Is or Is Not offensive. “offensive” stuff is just stuff that widely offends. In this case, as you point out, white folks are socialised to not be offended. As such, it isn’t offensive. Arguing that it’s offensive because if we changed the situation to another group it would be is like arguing that ice is hot, because if we imagined it being made out of fire, it would burn us.

Lets be honest, it would only be offensive if white people were at the bottom of some kind of geopolitical caste system that made the Nipponese ‘higher.’ BUT since western civ (we) are riding high on the backs developing nations, no harm, no foul, all in good fun. Plus, I think Americans generalize the Japanese as zany to the point of benign jackasses from another world…which they might be.

I think it’s far less potentially offensive than it is just plain stupid. Also, as was said, the webmaster has nothing to do with this commercial.

Depictions are offensive or not in context. In 21st century Japan where people are isolated from contact with people from other nations, this ad plays on stereotypes which create situations that cause trouble for foreign residents of Japan. So to me, as a foreign resident of Japan, I’m offended by the continued existance of this sort of stupid thing.

James— If you don’t think a lot Japanese feel inferior to white Americans in a geopolitical sense, and that a solid amount of white Americans in Japan don’t feel like they are walking gods on a leash who put up with the smallest amount of BS to be able to drink anywhere and play grab ass every weekend, then we are definitely hanging out with different crowds in Japan (Tokyo?). (That was the longest sentence I’ve written this year)

The Japanese are definitely in charge in their own hood, but at the end of the day, they know who is flexing the might to keep them safe in region, and for that, they know who runs the multi-national house party called “a unipolar world.” From my experience I, and other Japanese I’ve spoken with on the subject with, feel that the Japanese will continue to have a inferiority complex until they can stand on their own feet in a militarily sense.

Now, what does this have to do with you and me finding this commercial racist?

I suppose my opinion is more of a factor than anything else here, but when I come across this kind of humor, I feel its no different from Dave Chappell pretending to be Ted Koppel with a bleached wig and powered skin. Do I find Chappell offensive here? I would say no. Would a fucking blackface performance of five whites be offensive to blacks? I think the consensus would be that it’s a little more than insensitive. And what would be the difference between the two satires? Besides whites having a political and financial confidence that black Americans generally don’t, nothing. Does this mean that those parties in power more-frequently overlook ignorant generalizations? Maybe the answer to this is where we differ, but I don’t think you can say American geo-political power is null to the to the average Japanese cit.

But differences on the ‘geo-racial ladder’ aside (and I know this is really getting out there), does the general Japanese perspective of this kind of humor really lead to life damaging discrimination for gaijin, or is it just a sarcastic parody that everyone knows is asinine, and therefore funny. I think most Japanese have a pretty clear idea what Tom Cruise and Angelina Jolie look like, and they know it ain’t like the dude in this ad, so where is the ignorance that is usually common factor in the big ‘R’ word.

And lastly, yet probably least important:
At the same time, the American media is always trying to pass Lucy Liu and Michelle Yeow off as a race they are not (David Carradine, anyone?), further blurring the American perception between what a Japanese and Chinese (and white) person looks like. If you really think the ad in question is racist, then I hope this drives you up the wall.

So in the end, obviously racism is all about perception, and to ask in the original post whether or not “this [is] offensive, or just some silly fun?” is a loaded question from hell. But I really think the white-American perception of racial satires is incomprehensible to a Japanese, and vice-versa, so I’m not completely sure how to take it. But for all the ranting stated above, I don’t think it’s really all that bad.

Oh, and as a fellow web-master of a mega-corp, I really doubt this e-mail goes anywhere except an unchecked ‘catch all.’ I hope someone can prove me wrong.

Please excuse the grammar errors.

I’m white, nor living in Japan. i thought it was silly but funny enough for an advert. let them carry on making jokes. its just a laugh. but why the camp voice and yellow hair. most of us hair is dark brown, black. ginger or light brown. only sweeds would have blond