These types are sellouts.

Personally, I am a white male from the U.K. and I notice this alot with Orientals.
Ive been living in the US for a year now and Ive noticed the difference is a bit more subtle.
When I stayed in Japan and South Korea for 4 years on business, I saw alot of similar issues with Orientals.

I think there was a lot of stereotypical foolishness here, but that’s all it was, foolishness. I also think that this is their impression of the ‘typical’ Southern State(Nevada, apparently), working class American, not the typical Black woman. It just so happens that they are Black. I’m not sure this is worth complaning about. I do know that the concept they were trying to go for is ‘Japanese Dreamgirls’. They are comediens however, so the end result is a very exaggerated version of the original source.

Now, as the above comment mentioned, if these ladies were from Atlanta, and named Laquisha, Tenisha, and Ray-ray, THEN I would be calling FUJI TV on a daily basis!

I am not from the States, and although we share many of the same issues, my Black perpspective is somewhat different from an Black American. Having said that, I think this is being made into a race issue when it is really just a cultural one. I think some Americans also need to start thinking globally – by not only thinking about how something is offensive to Americans but to all people from that cultural background. These comedians are trying to portray stereotypical Americans, they even made it a point to write which part of America they came from in the first two lines of the song. It’s not right, but it’s not racist. Racist is people swearing blind that Barack Obama is secretly Muslim and saying things like ‘I don’t know…I’m not really sure if he is really an American…’!!

I agree that Japanese people have a lot to learn about cultural tolerance, and it is up to the foreigners living here to let people know when they are behaving in a insensitive manner, but I still feel we need to pay attention to what is being said and done, and in what context. If people complain every single time that they see something even slightly offensive on television, they’ll just end up saying ‘Ah, the foreigners are complaining again, mendokusai’. They won’t really think about what they’ve done or what they’ve seen. They might take the offensive material off the airwaves if enough complaints come in, but will they care? They’ll say sorry and forget, and then six months later an equally offensive advertisment or character or TV show will pop up. We need to pick and choose our battles!

When I first saw Yajima Biyoushitsu I never thought of it as a racist, or stereotypical. I just thought, “Oh, the Tunnels being the stupidly funny old guys again.” I don’t think most Japanese people even thought of it. Hell, DJ Ozma, as one of the Yajima girls says, “I like Koakuma Ageha,” which is a popular magazine of girls who maybe dye their hair blond, use an excess amount of hairspray, put like five pounds of make-up on, you know, the weird Japanese trends. Taka-san’s name is Strawberry… If he said his name was Laquisha, that would definitely scream stereotypical and racist.

I just can’t see it, and didn’t think that there were people who would trace racism from this.

I guess it just goes to show that there are always some people that will find something wrong with everything.

I’d love to see a real black woman run into these bozo’s and slap them upside the head. But would that be reinforcing negative stereotypes? Heh.

It’s definitely not always American. Middle eastern, African, and other countries of the orient are often the target of many other stereotypical prejudices in Japan. If I’m not mistaken these characters are derived from New York or something — very specifically targeting the American stereotype.

That “chicken and watermelon” bit–thank you for proving your ignorance. I love it when people do that. ^_^

Ishibachi is a big fan of the American Movies,and also fan of the American Sports.

He was in the “Mejor League 2″.
He recentlly stayed in the States to watch the MLB games.

On second thought, pretending to be Daiana Ross,making fun of repeating the name of Buddha might be wrong because it’s related to religion. But that is another topic.

I don’t think it is always wrong for Japanese to pretend to be black person just as it is not always wrong for black to pretend to be Japanese.
I don’t think it is always wrong for Japanese to speak wacky English-like language 　 just as it is not always wrong for black people to speak wacky Japanese-like-language.
However,
(1)I somehow feel a bit offensive to set up Japanese as a black woman with the record of a nude dancer just as I would somehow feel offended to set up a black person as a Japanese woman with the record of a nude dancer.
(2)I somehow feel it is a bit offensive about the background story in which a Japanese man left the black woman and their children just as I would somehow feel a bit offensive about a background story in which a black man left a Japanese woman and their children.
(3)when the lyric says they have passports (with them), on one reading, it might suggest there are many illegal black tourists.

I don’t think it is always wrong for Japanese to pretend to be a particular black woman, say,Diana Ross, and act stupidly, for instance, repeating Nammyouhourengeikyou, to get a laugh just as I don’t think it is always wrong for a black person to pretend to be a particular Japanese singer and act stupidly.
But
(4)I feel somehow a bit offensive for Japanese to pretend to be a black women who can be any black women and act stupidly to get a laugh just as I would somehow feel a bit offensive for a black person to pretend to be Japanese who can be any Japanese and act stupidly to get a laugh.

Each reason I listed alone may not be definitely wrong but the net effect is negative. And they are on the public broadcasting. And their actions are getting lamer. I understand it is controversial but I think it is time to let the producers to know there is a controversy about it.

Or maybe write in and complain about how they totally dissed Hori-ken by ignoring him, or dissed Himura by walking away after demanding he do a gag. Or maybe even complain about how they made ELT pay for their lunch…

“Yajima Biyoushitsu” – stupid? Yup. Unfunny? Of course, it’s Tunnels. They only have a show because they are “daisenpai”, they have never been funny that I can recall. Ever. “Racist”? No. “Sterotypical”? Perhaps, but no more so than that “tricky” guy with the bad-ass 1970′s “Soul Train” ‘fro.

I do wish I could navigate my way around a complaint form just to complain that it was stupid! Why do they get away with this stuff? Is it just to fill dead airtime? And don’t you go replying that “well Japanese might find this funny..” whatever…. ku-da-ra-na-i

At the same time, however, I really don’t think they mean any harm by it — knowing their comedic history. Taka-san (of the Tunnels) has impersonated MC Hammer for years, even in front of the real MC Hammer. And Nori-san’s impersonation of Michael Jackson over the years is quite historic. Over the years they’ve always said how much they are fans of those individuals. Someone mentioned OJ above, and how it differs from racial generalizations. Good point, but I really don’t think they see it that way — at all. This type of comedy is nothing worse than the ever-so-famous ‘Gaijin prosthetic nose acts’ Japan’s been doing for decades. They only recently realized it just might be racist. They came a long way since painting their faces black like the Shanels in the late 70s.

http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=ruCae99XfW4

I’d really like to know how black-Americans feel about this. Because chances are, anybody who is remotely offended by this here on this site are caucasian — as with a lot of politically incorrect complaints that make their rounds here in the U.S. You gotta hand it to the white-Americans for making the Asians realize the term “oriental” is a politically incorrect (most even consider it racist) term in the U.S. circa late 1980s.

Now the important question is:
- Are viewers to laugh AT the black women?
Or
- Are viewers to laugh at the comedians and their bizzare (& poor, for those that know an Afro-American girl in real life) depections of African-American women?

Again, I’d say that most viewers realize that it is the latter. But for those who think it’s the former, you obviously have every right to send in a complaint.

Should comedians ever paint their faces to look like they’re of another race? Well, if they actually used real black people for these roles, then THAT would be a major issue. The fact that it is so far fetched (Japanese men depecting FEMALE BLACK WOMEN) is where us viewers are suppose to “get it”. Is it classy? Hell no. But is it worth making a fuss over it? I’ll leave that up to you…

stop using double standards

They should realise that they are losing our trust.

I hope “they” know who I am talking about.

Americans – stop forcing your own dubious PC culture on the rest of the world.

If it was the former, then yes, this is quite offensive, however I suspect (hope) that it was meant to eb the latter.

You are my hero.

This reminds me of that one recurring sketch on Little Britain with the dude who dresses up like a Thai mail order bride (Which was pretty awesome I might add), and honestly I don’t have a problem with this joke or that sketch on Little Britain.

Oh wait, I know, it’s because I’m not some holier than art thou PC freak and can actually laugh at stereotypes and racism.

フジテレビ

電話 03-5531-1111

I called and complained.