Uncle Sam poster upsets local government in Mie Prefecture
September 13th, 2008 by James
I really don’t understand how this poster offends anyone:
After a citizen filed a complaint with the chamber of commerce, officials asked the printer about the origin of the design, and it turned out that the printer mimicked the design of the famous poster.
“There was a poster with a similar design at another event. Since it was very impressive, we thought we would adopt it. It was a shallow idea,” said a representative of the printer.
An assemblyman has assured the public that the local government will “make sure this kind of thing never happens again.”
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I don’t get it either, what’s the problem with an Uncle Sam parody?
Maybe it’s the pointing. People tell me Japanese people don’t like being pointed at. I tend to point at my students and they always look surprised.
Perhaps somebody was annoyed because Uncle Sam posters were used by the United States for recruitment during World War II? But the article made it sound like people were complaining even before they knew the origin of the poster.
/shrug
An Uncle Sam parody?! It’s never been done before!
I wonder if they’ll be boycotting Disneyland, too?
http://victorymanual.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/mickeypoints.jpg
I’m a JET in Mie-ken and I know the guy who made this poster. He definitely didn’t intend for it to be offensive.
Please elaborate.
Although the evidence is purely anecdotal, I think that Feitclub is probably onto something. Without wishing to underestimate the average Japanese person, is it really likely that they would understand the historical background and connotations of “Uncle Sam” posters?
Im an american, and i never really cared for those uncle sam posters
People will find the most inane reasons to be offended.
Something tells me trying to find out the “why” in this case will be at best a debate in imaginative psychology, but more likely an exercise in futility.
Perhaps they thought the Uncle Sam poster was copyright. Or perhaps they were worried the US govt / military would be upset.
Must either be an old person with too much spare time, or a right-wing war-fetishist (who probably is judge a smidge too young to have actually experienced the war, thus romanticising it) who completely understands who “Uncle Sam” is and spends his weekends driving a big black truck and screaming at people.
Is this what we have to look forward too in the aging Japan? Old folks bitching about every little thing, and the civil servants caving in to them because htey’re the only ones who vote?
Each town hall should have a civil servant drafted from New York City to tell these kind of people to take a number, and then go fuck themselves.
I understand, today it’s like making a parody of IIIrd Reich Posters.
Must either be an old person with too much spare time, or a right-wing war-fetishist
It seems the claim was from a left-wing war-hater (read: Japanese Communist Party). They hate it when something is “militaristic”, Japanese or American, even in the slightest sence.
http://72.14.235.104/search?q=cache%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fmamono.2ch.net%2Ftest%2Fread.cgi%2Fnewsplus%2F1221085175%2F-100&btnG=Google+%E6%A4%9C%E7%B4%A2
I have to admit, I’m no clear why they would have chosen this image in the first place.
I wonder if people on this site – I’ll make a stretch and say “younger” (i.e., under 35yo) people, though I know you aren’t all in that group – don’t sometimes generalize Japanese people based on the younger people they interact with more “intimately”.
A very quick survey of 3 Japanese family members brought 1) casual recognition from my wife, 2) definite recognition from her parents. Her father’s uncle died in the war.
This was a poster used to recruit young Americans to join the army and come kill young Japanese soldiers. Older people here know that and probably don’t feel it’s appropriate to be used outside of historical exhibitions.
There are more views on these things than what the twentysomethings have.
jeff
The original poster was designed by James Montgomery Flagg in 1917 to recruit men to the US Army in World War One, when Japan was an ally of the USA.
It was based on an earlier British recruiting poster that featured Lord Kitchener.
http://www.diggerhistory2.info/graveyards/images/leaders/kitchener-country.jpg
There is no clear reason why anyone would find it offensive.
Perhaps the citizen complained that it broke copyright.
I chuckled at it because Uncle Sam wearing a yukata is clearly a humorous juxtaposition and not offensive >:|
So far, nobody seems to know what the real issue is. Therefore, I declare it not an issue. It’s fun, it’s charming, it’s a laugh. Down with the tyranny of censorship and up with artistic expression. Wuu-Huu! (accompanied with loud whistling, foot stomping, and pumping of fists in the air.)