[Trans] Kame Camera - Vol.14 Manhood

[iside89]

Highlights:
-What is the difference between manhood and femininity for Kame.
-Kame's sudden transformation into a woman (?)
-Kame's model of manhood (I bet you can guess who's he talking about).
-Kame's type of woman.
-...and more xD

KAME CAMERA
What's the scenery of the bottom of the heart that Kamenashi Kazuya's lens reflects?

Vol.14 男らしさ

Comments

[saharasnow82]

No problem. Different experience lend to different methods of expressions.

Yes I did take gender studies courses in college. Quite a few in fact: women in American History, gender in the workplace, gender in the media, women in the Bible, and a few more. Those classes have ruined me for the rest of my life, LOL. The concepts and ideas I learned in school really shade the way I interpret things, such as Kame’s essay. Many a Sunday dinner at my Grandparents’ house got quite heated because I would go off on some kind of gender inequality rant.

And like I said before, I don’t hold what he wrote completely against him. I don’t think he could have expressed himself in any other way. He’s writing about manhood, how else is he supposed to talk about something like this as a male idol. Also if he tried to fully go into social mores (more college words hahaha) regarding gender the whole damn thing would have turned into some kind of scholarly journal article rather than a magazine piece. If you look at it, him kind of explaining “masculinity” and “femininity” as created ideas already used up a good chunk of print. Imagine if he really went into it.

Speaking of this being a magazine piece. How deep should we really expect him to go? How many of the people reading this article actually has any exposure to gender studies? How many people are actually paying attention to the implications in the types of words he is using? (I don’t mean the last two questions in a demeaning way. I am asking in the general sense.) So how many people would actually be reading into this as much as we are right now?

I know as a person in the public eye and especially considering his position in this argument he could have done a bit more, but then again if you rock the boat to much you fall out of it. Maybe I'll accept him dropping little bits and pieces here and there to get people thinking a little bit.

[iside89]

Oh, the courses you took are really interesting. (Parenthesis, I might send you a DM in the future, if you don't mind, about the "gender in the media" topic. It interests my research)
Indeed, each own studies influence our perception and make us read and see stuff in a different way. Your studies influence you on the gender side, for example.

I don’t think he could have expressed himself in any other way.
Sadly, I think it too. Moreover I was reflecting about it just now, a detail I forgot is that Maquia is a beauty magazines so he really couldn't say anything different: especially Kame who's always very conscious of his surroundings and always comments in an appropriate way (look at Panasonic or Kirin Tea's conferences).
And about being a magazine: yes, it is a limit for his liberty of expression so you'd naturally think we shouldn't try to read too deep; but beside being a "flaw" of Kame fans, trying to read deep meanings in everything he says, which is not necessary bad if this brings to a mature exchange of opinions like now think that he's used to talk on idol magazines. What he says on Maquia, that has a higher target than idk, Duet, Myojo, Potato etc, is extremely different from his normal interviews. Both on topics and way of expressing himself. Stupid fact, here he can imply in a not-so-subtle way that he has/had a girlfriend, while on idol mags he would just say "in the case I'll have a girlfriend in the future".
Yes, it's not a college lecture and he isn't a philosopher, but it's surely a lot more liberty of expression normal idols have; I think that if one day he feels like giving a whatever message to his readers or fans, even a simple "live your life without minding external pressure" (this Maquia), he'll do it using Maquia's column and not a Jweb, just to say. The fact that western readers and Japanese readers will perceive different messages, or even the fact they'll never pay attention to the implications, sadly that's a different discussion that would open a long debate. Though nothing stops Kame from trying or us to use his words as an input to exchange opinions among ourselves (not necessarly related to Kame himself or his values). :)

Maybe I'll accept him dropping little bits and pieces here and there to get people thinking a little bit.
I think this is more or less what he can do/is doing in Maquia. Not giving life lessons but just bits of reflections, as far as his position lets him do. At least this is what I feel from reading his essays :)

Sorry, I become long-winder when the topic takes a serious development~

[saharasnow82]

I'll do my best to help you. It has been about 7yrs since I took those classes.

I hear you. The more I think about it and the more I read the more I am able to accept what he wrote. The man is doing what he can with the medium he is given. He is extremely professional so he is really not one who would say or do anything to ruffle the feathers or the higher ups when he is in a work setting.

Religion, politics, race and gender. Those topics tend to lead to long drawn out arguments from all sides. That's why I have made a rule when I have lunch with others - None of the above-mentioned topics will be discussed. My lunch time is limited. And I would like to be able to eat and get back to the office on time.