In Many Ways, They Still Are My Peeps

[chronographia]

Public radio story comment threads: engaging in internet duels in aggressively articulate, hyper-competitive intellectual way since 2001.

(To be honest, I'm thrilled that they beat me to the punch in pointing out that incredible glorification of orientalism does not make somebody an expert on Japan. I'm also thrilled that this piece didn't air

Comments

[enname]

*rolls eyes* No, it certainly does not. No matter how long you have lived in the country, if you go about it with that attitude you will become no expert merely a very good example of views of Japan that are flippant and repeatedly essentialist. You know, that homogenous country that has no differences in it at all across its multiple islands. I mean, going on those lines, my three weeks in Japan and eight years of learning Japanese makes me a veritable guru.

[chronographia]

There was sort of this British Imperial privilege wafting from him whenever he spoke, and it got more repellent as the interview went on.

Australia's relationship with Japan is also severely understated, even though it make waaaaaaay more geographical sense than Japan-United States. (If I hadn't been reading Australian blogs, I wouldn't even be aware of it, but then I live in a very culturally narcissistic country. Well done, internets.)

[enname]

If I was his wife, I would have thwacked him one years ago for being such a pompous arse. No, he may not have remained in the monastery but he certainly didn't do any better than those visiting it for an 'authentic' experience.

Well we are technically part of the Asia-Pacific region more than anywhere else, what with Indonesia et al being the closest place outside of PNG and New Zealand. We were even almost invaded by the Japanese at one point, and that makes for a somewhat complicated, if close, relationship. There is a very good reason why in my age group they started offering Asian languages in schools, rather than French.. which makes no geographical sense.