NBC "Seinfeld" ridicules Japanese men

In article ,

actually, most of them DO mean disrespect.

have you seen the disgusting "Seinfeld" episode?

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: NBC "Seinfeld" ridicules Japanese men, Thurs, Nov 7.

    >
    > Tomoyuki,
    >      I just saw "Seinfeld" on NBC (9 PM EST).  It should
    > be on at 9 your time too.  There are 3 Japanese tourists
    > portrayed.  All small, barely understandable, bowing every
    > 10 seconds, and at one point, reside with Kramer and sleep
    > in his dresser drawers.  Very patronizing, let me know what
    > you think of it if you get a chance to see it.
    >

i watched it, by chance. i found it utterly disgusting.

my main observations. ...

1.  general popular American understanding of Japan has not
	advanced/changed since the 1960s, from the time
	of "Breakfast at Tiffany's".

• the Japz-Am guy in Fargo was much less offensive because it wasn't the same old stereotype.

the interesting question is, ...

	WHY would "Seinfeld" NEVER ridicule Africans, blacks (black
	Americans), Latinos, Chicanos, Japanese-Americans,
	Chinese-Americans, Frenchmen, German men, ...  the way
	"Seinfeld" ridiculed Japanese men in that episode?

tomoyuki

You obviously haven't been awake through all the episodes.

You have also failed to note that he makes fun of the uneducated (Kramer), the fat (Newmann), short people (George), dentists (Tim Watley), the disabled (the bubble boy), hispanics (the pool cleaner), blacks (the exterminator and Jackie the lawyer), Pakistanis (Baboo), postal workers (Newmann again), gays (Susan's father), lesbians (Susan and her partner), Chinese (the restaurant owner--"five, ten minute") etc.

Don't be such a paranoid ass.

Bullets wrote:

In a way, they have insulted some of these groups. Do you remember the episode with "the Bro or the Mansierre" where Kramer robs George to impress the German tourists. Also, I suppose that blacks might have been insulted when Kramer took a cane, the Technicolor dreamcoat, and a hat that he found and started strutting down the street. Maybe....

Oh well, Mike

In various articles, Tanaka says a bunch of stupid shit, all of which has been snipped ....

Seinfeld ridicules all people, especially Jews. I dont hear you complaining about that.

Speaking of ridiculing foreigners, Americans are ridiculed everyday on Japanese television (shows, news, ads, etc.)

BTW, "Nippon" is in official use by the Japanese govt. on coins, documents, etc. etc.

Bullets wrote:

<snip>

<snip>

So where does that "Soup-Nazi" guy fit into all this?

Petrie wrote:

Just another european immigrant of indeterminate origin.

Honey, I think you just need to calm down, get a life, and don't be so sensitive! Sheesh!! I thought you might have been a rational person that just got a little bent out of shape, but when I saw you also posted your message to several other NG, including alt.tanaka-tomoyuki, soc.culture.japan, and soc.culture.asian.american, I decided you had definitely lost your marbles. What can I say? Get over it.

Why can't this thread just die?? It's just another rerun, the post from Mr. Tanaka was the exact same as what he posted first time around to start the thread. (I suspect he has a archive of posts like this, saves a lot of time when you don't have to actually type things again everytime you want to start a discussion). Except for this rerun I have not seen Mr. Tanaka introduce any new contribution to the discussion, I have not seen him reply to any of the counter arguments against his statements, in fact, there is no indication that he even reads what is being posted to the discussion. Just another troll...

If you find the discussion insanely relevant and interesting, try DejaNews, I believe most has been said before, a year or more ago.

Tom

oh, that's easy the soup nazi is the muffin man's brother.......NO JOKE!

We should probably all just lighten up about this...it's only a tv show, and as others mentioned, everybody is made fun of. Still, things like the Japanese guy eating the orange without peeling it (near the end of the episode) went a little too far in making the Japanese guys look dumb.

Bullets wrote in article

Hold it, just because the characters are sometimes the butt of a joke doesn't mean that the entire group is being ridiculed. The bubble boy was being made fun of, not disabled people. Newman is being made fun of, not fat people. Jackie is being made fun of, not black people. Ok, maybe dentists were being made fun of...but who likes them anyways? They should be sent to their own schools you know.

Try to remember, this is a comedy, not to be taken seriously. Stereotypes are part of comedy--this is a stereotyped view of New Yorkers, who are the biggest fools ever seen on television. By the way, have you seen the episode in which Seinfeld talks with Japanese executives about putting the show on in Japan? The male and female executives are portrayed as sharp and strong, unlike the idiots they are talking to. Should Jews and Italian-Americans be offended?

It's a comedy. Comedy allows us to make fun of the strong, but not of the weak and persecuted. The Japanese are viewed in American culture as strong and vibrant, so they are a suitable topic for satire. African-Americans are viewed as needing protection from historical persecution and current racism. White TV producers don't make satires about black Americans for this reason, and I agree with them.

If you can't make fun of anyone, you don't have a comedy. Seinfeld portrays no one as more superficial, untrustworthy and venal than Jewish and Italian-American New Yorkers (Jerry and George). Yet this show is very popular among those groups, particularly Jews. That's because it is written by and acted by many who belong to this group to one extent or another and they recognize the satire for what it is. The bit about the Japanese tourists was so over the top that only someone who is very sensitive to these issues, like yourself, would take it seriously as being an actual attack on Japanese people. The show is an attack on New Yorkers, if anyone. Comedy depends on stereotyping and ridicule, sorry if it upset you, but I completely doubt the writers meant it the way you are taking it.

:

Wow. You're accusing the Japan Postal System of racism? Awesome.

Tomoyuki Tanaka ([email]) wrote:

But Seinfeld has* poked fun at Germans, Latinos, gays, Chinese, etc. You just aren't offended, Tanuki-chan, by that kind of humor so you take no notice of it.

It's interesting you bring this up. Americans hear a whole lot about how Jews were persecuted and oppressed but when the Jews get the upper hand they do the same thing.

Remember NBC is owned by SONY - so who is really in control???

Oh. So I suppose when those "Sonys" get the upper hand they treat other people badly? How silly can someone get?

The Advertisers?

Alan

Prasad Popuri ([email]) wrote: :

I know. The smoke from the Jewish death camps here in California is really starting to deteriorate the air quality. And the Jewish secret police asking for my papers every time I cross a county line make it so hard for me to get anywhere on time.

"Prasad Popuri ([email]) wrote: :

how Jews were persecuted and

I know. The smoke from the Jewish death camps here in California is really starting to deteriorate the air quality. And the Jewish secret police asking for my papers every time I cross a county line make it so hard for me to get anywhere on time."

Not to mention the increased rate of depression and suicide due to Jewish comedy writers attacking almost every ethnic group with their devastating wit.

Well, that's a real asshole thing to say.

Mike

You do not like Seinfeld. That's your opinion. How did your mind slip from not liking Seinfeld to "Jews". Can you diffrenciate between one human being and another or are all Jews or all Asians the same?

Tell me how Asians treat each other?

Herman

Prasad Popuri ([email]) wrote: :

I certainly don't equate the humor used on Seinfeld with the ovens of Auschwitz. Why do you?

Humor needs a 'foil' and, as has already been been pointed, Seinfeld takes potshots at everyone-- Jews included.

Tomoyuki Tanaka ([email]) wrote: :

Yeah, I saw that one. It was pretty funny.

I'm Japanese myself and thought that episode was hilarious! I taped it so I can see it again:-D

Jedidiah Whitten wrote in article ...

Watch a few episodes before you post again. Seinfeld writers ridicule EVERYONE!!! It's called COMEDY!!! People LAUCH AT IT!!

Lighten up.
--------------------------------------------
             [email]
(Hammer nail here--> <-- for a new monitor.)
          (Remove XXXX to reply)
I can't believe this crap was even crossposted to alt.tv.seinfeld.

Hey, why is a Japanese acrobat troup like a cool November evening? Cause in both cases, there's a little nip in the air.

Get it? It's a joke! We laugh at them!

Seinfeld has mocked and insulted just about every group: race, sex, religion, and occupation. These jokes are meant to mirror society's own inadquacies(sp?) with dealing with these subjects. Sometimes you just have to watch the show for the humor, nothing in this world shoud be taken to seriously.

Dinosyus wrote:

Absolutely correct, good sir! Sienfeld is ok, Tanaka is way better! :)

ps. ngs trimmed. ( Just Do It! )