Japanese traits Essay Example for Free

Japanese traits Essay In short, the characters of anime show the Japanese who so aspire to Western traits as they would like to see themselves. It is an effect that cannot possibly be duplicated by live actors, who — being alive — can never really change the physical characteristics determined by their genetic makeup. They can dye their hair and even change their eye color with contact lenses, but they cannot fundamentally alter their skin color, facial features, or physique. And even if they tried, using special make-up effects or plastic surgery, the result would be unnatural. Only anime, and its cousin manga, can convincingly meld Japanese and Caucasian attributes into a natural-looking human being. This is because the upside of these genres inherent lack of realism is their unique ability to exploit the appeal of and fascination for the unreal. And that is why manga and anime have attained such a high status in the popular culture of Japan, compared to that of other countries. These are the only two media capable of portraying reality the way Japanese feel it should be. By comparison, live-action films sacrifice appeal from the outset simply because they feature Japanese actors. Fashion illustrator Nagasawa Setsu expressed the feelings of many Japanese in an essay he wrote in 1983 for the Japanese playbill of the British film Dont Look Now: With their sharp-featured faces and long-limbed bodies, Westerners (read Caucasians) are physically suited to the movie screen; everyone looks almost too beautiful, down to the minor characters . .Japanese are just the opposite. Even people who appear delicately beautiful in person look round and dumpy and totally unstylish on camera. The reason many people today say they dislike the ugliness† of Japanese films — content notwithstanding — is that the looks of Japanese screen actors put domestic films at a crucial disadvantage. Period pieces at least allow one to cover up these failings with elaborate costumes. But when they take off their clothes for bedroom scenes, even the most glamorous Japanese actors and actresses look hopelessly unattractive — which is why you cant pay me to watch Japanese porn. That Nagasawa is not alone in his preference is attested to by the growing number of animated pornographic videos that have been produced in Japan since the mid 1980s. Thus, the history of the past twenty years, during which anime has pushed live-action to the side and emerged as the face of Japanese cinema, has in essence been the history of ethnic bleaching in Japanese film. Incidentally, it was also during the last two decades that manga, originally regarded as kids stuff, truly came into its own as adult entertainment. In contrast to ideologies of American communities being portrayed as great melting pots, Americans have historically aligned themselves along racial and ethnic divisions. This has flourished in stereotypes of practically all non-majority members in the media. Japanese-Americans have been no exception. Characterizations of Japanese-Americans in the media often fail to make distinctions between Japanese, Japanese-Americans, Asians and Asian Americans. Consequently, attitudes towards Japanese-Americans have been heavily influenced by portrayals of all Asians. The first Asians to come to America in significant numbers were Chinese laborers. The early depictions emphasized slant-eyes, buckteeth and yellow skin. This representation reinforced the notion of â€Å"otherness. † Anti-Asian bias was a major reason behind immigration exclusion acts directed first at he Chinese, then the Japanese. Rather than the media acknowledging the difference between Asian cultures, American representation of Asians often borrowed indiscriminately from all cultures. All the dozens of Asians and Pacific Island cultures are lumped together into one homogeneous group identity. Even the Korean and Vietnamese women in the late 1950’s-70 were commonly called â€Å"Mama San† despite the Japanese American origins of the term. Characterizations of Japanese-Americans (and all Asians) in the media of the 1920’s and 1930’s as â€Å"vicious, rat-like sneaks, part of a world-wide â€Å"yellow peril† appears to have been one of the reasons for the internment. Amy Kashiwabara in â€Å"Vanishing Son: The Appearance, Disappearance, and Assimilation of the Asian-American Male in American Mainstream Media (1996) states â€Å"The visceral hatred of the Japanese inevitably tapped into yellow peril sentiments before the turn of the century which had been directed mainly against the Chinese†. In early movies, attached to the assignation of being Japanese came the implication of duplicity, violence and untrustworthiness appearing as Japanese traits, thus, sending the message that Asians, particularly Japanese men could not be trusted, no matter how Americanized they seem. This furthered the notion that Japanese-American men were even more dangerous than unassimilated ones because they could deceive people into trusting them. Persistent in early media was the idea of the diabolical Japanese that continually plotted the destruction of America in general and white women in particular. The 1946 film, â€Å"The Yellow Menace,† showed attempted Japanese domination. The 1940’s images on film were rife with scenes of Japanese torturing and abusing white people. The majority of Americans in the ‘40’s were intimately introduced to the Japanese in the context of war and violence at the movies, newspaper editorials, propaganda posters (*scan example) and later on in the 1950’s on television. Films from 1942 included â€Å"Prisoner of Japan,† â€Å"Remember Pearl Harbor,† and â€Å"Secret Agent of Japan. †

Connectivity, Reading/Writing, and the Cyber Age :: Technology Technological Essays

Connectivity, Reading/Writing, and the Cyber Age I own a cell phone. And a desktop computer. And I carry this old laptop around to all the coffee shops and bars in whose noise I try to drown out the mean little voices of writerly anxiety so I can just get my fucking homework done. At work I use a touch screen ordering system to get my drinks from the bar and artichoke dip from the kitchen. I check my horoscope online (as well as those of the men I’m interested in—blushing with shameJ,) stay in touch with friends via email, and use my college’s online services to register for classes. I do a great deal of my research for class via the electronic databases Eastern Michigan maintains, I have a blog, I’ve tried to get my poetry published at online literary magazines. With the help of a very patient friend, I even filed my federal taxes online this year. The internet and wireless technology make my life easier to move through quickly. I am grateful. But somewhat ashamed. In the same way that I feel guilty every time I drive the old pollution-mobile a mile and a half to work, using all this high-speed information technology feels like being seduced away from my principles by the lure of ease. I believe in slowness. I love speed. It’s a difficulty. I am not the only person struggling with the conflict between the speed modern life demands and that at which actual life happens. Women’s magazines are full of tips on organizing the kitchen, the carpool, the craft supplies, so that more time can be found for the important things in life—hanging out with the kids, spending time with parents, maybe even having sex with partners. Advertising companies pitch scads of products as time-savers, from meals-in-a-bag to blocks of cleanser that clean the toilet with every flush. All my friends complain about not having enough time to get everything done. My girlfriend who is working on her PHD and Master’s degrees at the same time doesn’t have enough time to see her lover and spend time with her mother in the nursing home. My other dear girlfriend with two [fabulous] kids, a husband [that’s out of this world,] a house, two cars, and two jobs doesn’t have enough time for anything. Most of my men friends don’t have enough time to work their jobs, take care of their bodies, support their ladyfriends in whatever way and still know what they’re feeling from moment to moment.

Formalist Criticism on “Waiting on the Curb: Lynwood California, 1967”

Marquetta Brown Eng 241 J. Zeff Formalist Criticism The poem ‘Waiting oat the curb: Lynwood California, 1967 written by Deborah Escobedo is about a young girl named Debbie in Lynwood, California who is waiting on a friend at the curb. When first examining the title of the poem, I think of waiting on the curb as a sign of prostitution or hitchhiking. They way I imagine the scene of the poem is; a hot summer day in an urban area in Lynwood, California. I imagine Debbie’s father outside a small white house watering the lawn. In the poem the characters were Debbie, mother, father, neighbor, a friend, and America. Even though the friend and America didn’t have lines in the poem the still had an effect on how the poem was interpreted. When I analyze and picture Debbie’s father, I see an older, overweight, lower middle class gentleman. I see him standing on the front lawn watering the grass with a white T-shirt on and denim shorts on. The father seems to be a very relaxed individual. â€Å"His law, the one green he can count on. He can’t count /On his money, or his Dodgers slipping on the green/. By the author saying that he can’t count on his money shows that he may have some financial troubles. Also in examining those two lines of the poem about the father, they give more insight about the father’s possessions. The word his is capitalized when it refers to â€Å"His lawn†, but not when is refers to â€Å"his Dodgers†. While reviewing the personality of the father and his relationship with his daughter, â€Å"Maybe he could speak his mind about decency†. Ordinarily id a father had to question what his daughter was wearing he would have stopped her immediately. Instead of him stopping her and telling her to go change her clothes, he â€Å"†¦rolls the garden hose/Onto the sling of his arm. Debbie, where are you going/With no clothes on? † Debbie says, â€Å"Dad, this is how it is†. The dad doesn’t say or do anything. In conducting a character analysis of Debbie, she seems to be an older teenage. Debbie also appears to be a little bit rebellious. With no regard or respect for her father she dresses inappropriately and waits on the curb. â€Å"She thinks and spins the music of her time†. She is dressed in cut offs, â€Å"Cut too short†, and a gypsy blouse. It appears that she could be possibly day dreaming this event while she is waiting on the curb. The poet made the reader pay attention to the details of Debbie’s attire. By saying a gypsy blouse it makes the reader picture something seductive and showing skin and cleavage. The tone of the poem changes when â€Å"America is getting ready. † The author is taking about the people and the world around the characters in the poem, referring to the people as â€Å"America†. She then describes what America is doing around her. â€Å"America is shoveling ice cream into Tupperware bowls,/America is setting up trays in front of snowy TVs. † At this point in the poem she brings forth a reality. Debbie comes to a realization at this point as well. She begins to pull at her shorts that have risen up form being cut to short. I can picture Debbie looking at everything around her with the woman in curls yelling at her own old man then Debbie saying, â€Å"I gotta get outta here,/ It seems as if at this point she is unsatisfied with where she is at and the culminating events made her realize that this is not the life she wants. Overall the poem told a story. The author’s diction made the reader key into certain areas of the poem. The way the poem was presented on the page also had an effect on the way the poem was interpreted.

The Adverse Effects of Anti-Social Media Essay - 662 Words

The illustrious Albert Einstein once voiced his opinion and stated that, It has become exceedingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity. Einstein’s perspicacious accomplishments have made his name equivalent to â€Å"mastermind†. Although the technology was not nearly as advanced in the early and mid-20th century, when Einstein was quoted, his words of wisdom are nevertheless remarkably relevant to the modern-day era of technology, including text messaging and social media. Cell phone and internet usage are arguably beneficial practices in terms of the convenient communication and unlimited issuance of information said technology provides. However, the excessive amount of technology that the adolescent youth is exposed to on†¦show more content†¦Heaps of hazards go along with the participation in an online media site, however. The ability for online users to conceal their identities with false information and anonymity provides a safe haven for some, while giving those with malicious intents a virtual mask to hide behind while they target unsuspecting victims with foul words and posts. For example, over the past few years, as the social media frenzy has skyrocketed, the number of adolescent suicides as the result of cyberbullying has reached an all-time high. Another safety risk that surfing the web poses is online predation. Much like the cyberbullies, online predators use the anonymity the internet offers to their advantage. The popular television show â€Å"Catfish† exposes people who create profile accounts under an alias and warns its viewers to proceed with caution when adding unknown people online. The youth are the most vulnerable targets when it comes to being online prey, and for this reason, young kids and teens should not be given much leeway with social media sites. Many may conclude that the internet is a great way for shy or socially awkward kids to augment their social skills by making online friends and sharing their thoughts via online posts due to the gained confidence a computer screen and keyboard grant them. Be that as it may, the negative effects the confidence boost supplied by the internet outweigh the positive effects by far. For thisShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Receiving Vaccinations On Children1619 Words   |  7 Pagesregarding alleged side effects of receiving vaccinations, with autism being at the forefront of discussion. A study published by Wakefield in 1998 is what sparked the debate; in the study, Wakefield claimed that the onset of autism was directly correlated with a child’s measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination (MMR). Since the study was published, a rather large group of anti-vaccine activists have remained vocal and encouraged others to cease vaccinated their children. Celebrities and media personalitiesRe ad MoreVaccination Of Smallpox And The Elimination Of Various Infectious Diseases1464 Words   |  6 Pagescritical social theory to analyze the historical, political, economic, and social aspects that contribute to vaccine hesitancy can help to formulate strategies to combat this issue. Historical Aspects During the 19th century, despite clear evidence of protection against smallpox by immunization with cowpox, there was a strong anti-vaccination movement that resulted in ongoing smallpox outbreaks and unnecessary deaths (Poland Jacobson, 2011). Between the 1940s and the early 1980s, anti-vaccineRead More Children and Violence: An American Media Controversy Essay1014 Words   |  5 PagesViolence: An American Media Controversy As censorship of the American media has broken down over the years, the amount of violence allowed to be shown in movies, on television, and in video games has skyrocketed. From coast to coast in our nation, this saturation of hostility in our media has caused many contentious debates between scholars, parents, students and government officials alike. In this controversy, the central argument revolves around the effects violent media has on our society.Read MoreEffects Of Technology On Socialization1300 Words   |  6 Pages Anti-social socialization: The effects of Technology on socialization of the youth in the 21st century Robert Elz University of North Georgia Abstract In the 21st century, technology is integrated in examines that to every aspect of our lives. It is prevalent is all sections of our culture, our homes, our schools and our communities. But what kind of effect is it having on those in their formative years? Does the abundance of technology have an effect on the newer generationsRead MoreThe Negative Effects Of The Internet911 Words   |  4 Pagesthe internet came about in the 1960s and was primary used for researchers and academia. But since the 1990s, the internet has had that revolutionary effect on the culture and commerce in our society. This includes communication by email, instant messaging, internet phone calls. In addition, there is also the world wide web with discussion forums, social networking sites, and online shopping sites which several amount of people, despite their generation have utilized to their own benefit. However, theseRead MoreBullying Is A Universal Issue1428 Words   |  6 Pagespunching someone. This sug gests that bullying can occur physically or verbally. On the other hand others may argue that bullying is a systematic abuse of power (Rigby, 2002, in Dupper, 2013, p.9). In addition with a rise in technology and extreme use of social networking sites, bullying not only occurs face to face but also online. The increasing occurrence of online bullying may be due to the anonymity that can come with some of these networking sites. Schools have picked up on cyberbullying and have raisedRead MoreThe Social Issues Affecting Our Children1304 Words   |  6 PagesAn Introduction of the Topic One of the top social issues affecting our children in schools is bullying. In recent reports, one out of every four students reports being bullied during school (National Center for Education Statistics, 2015). Bullying is very important to me because I have been bullied through my schooling career. I remember how it was not only the bullies that made my time in elementary hard but also the bystanders that did nothing to stop them or stand up for me. This issue has definitelyRead MoreEconomics Report Essay933 Words   |  4 Pagesin SA, WA and NT as well, as shown in Figure 4 and Figure 5 respectively (Medicare, 2013). Figure 6: the effect of immunisation on economic efficiency. Adapted from â€Å" Essentials of economics† by Hubbard, R. G., 2012 According to Hubbard (2012), in economic view, the immunisation rate is a positive externality that leads to a divergence between private benefits of consumption and social benefits. As can be seen in figure 6, the market equilibrium occurs at the price P1 quantity Q1, without governmentRead MoreBullying : Bullying And Bullying1394 Words   |  6 Pagesworldwide problem. Bullying in schools is prevalent in almost all the countries and it serves as a major health and safety problem for the kids (Juvonen Graham, 2014). There are many ways in which people try to solve the problem of bullying. There are anti bullying assemblies in schools, seminars, lectures and many other initiatives. There is also the recent trend of publicity shaming bullies. However, all these measures do not really go far in solving the problem. The effective solution to stop bullyingRead MoreGender Based Violence Against Women1238 Words   |  5 Pagesagainst women, regardless of the form, can occur in various s tages of the woman’s life (Murthy and Smith, 2010), and refers not only to physical and sexual acts of violence, but also encompasses verbal abuse, emotional torture, economic deprivation, and social disregard (Kapoor and Dhingra, 2013). An official report by the World Health Organization estimates that globally, 1 in 3 women are affected by physical and/or sexual violence by a partner and sexual violence by a non-partner, and therefore deeming