13 May 2006

Action

It's sometimes claimed that in Japan, cartoons and comic books (dignified with the exotic names "anime" and "manga") are regarded as mature art forms, not geeky diversions as in the US.
This is false. They're geeky in Japan as well. It's just that a higher level of geekiness is tolerated in mainstream society.
Consider this picture: a free plastic action figure that came in the box of replacement blades for my razor. In the US, anyone old enough for a razor is too old for plastic action figures. Someone who needs the former and still desires the latter is seen as socially maladjusted.
Q: Who am I to call anyone geeky, having bought the razor cartridges with the free prize?
A: I'm staving off corporate hegemony. This is the only Japanese (i.e. non-American) brand of multi-blade razor on the market here.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home