Foreigners in Japanese variety shows

[komitsuki]

I wonder how the foreigners are treated in the Japanese variety shows. I somehow lost in touch with TV (English or not) for years that it is hard for me to get back watching ordinary Japanese shows, so I have no clue right now.

Speaking of this, it reminds me of the infamous old show called Koko ga hen da yo, nihonjin.

My Japanese buddy once said that this show caused some huge havok to the expat communities and brought the renaissance of crazy right-wing nationalism in the heart of Japan (coincides with the steady growth of the neo-con-ish movement in Japan fruited by PM Koizumi). The most visible example is a book written by Christoph Neumann (the old participant), Darum nerven Japaner, a book that criticizes Japanese people in the perspect of Japan-familiar non-Japanese.

Anyway, enough ranting. I wonder how the foreigners are portrayed in the Japanese variety shows.

[MMM]

Japanese variety shows are just that: made to entertain. Foreigners are portrayed in a variety of ways (and I don't know if I would call "Koko ga hen da yo, nihonjin" a variety show in the same way, but I can understand why problems might start because it pits foreigners against Japanese culture and against each other).

[komitsuki]

Originally Posted by MMM

Japanese variety shows are just that: made to entertain. Foreigners are portrayed in a variety of ways (and I don't know if I would call "Koko ga hen da yo, nihonjin" a variety show in the same way, but I can understand why problems might start because it pits foreigners against Japanese culture and against each other).

Somehow there are many YouTube clips of Koko ga hen da yo, nihonjin uploaded by Japanese trolls flaming on others. I didn't know they exists until my Japanese buddy sent me a clip few hours ago; saying he was very ashamed of himself for being Japanese and I said "dude, don't".

We can see that miscommunication brews, trouble erupts in some variety show with foreigners today. Nothing's perfect but they could minimalize the impact before it gets worse.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by komitsuki

Somehow there are many YouTube clips of Koko ga hen da yo, nihonjin uploaded by Japanese trolls flaming on others. I didn't know they exists until my Japanese buddy sent me a clip few hours ago; saying he was very ashamed of himself for being Japanese and I said "dude, don't".

We can see that miscommunication brews, trouble erupts in some variety show with foreigners today. Nothing's perfect but they could minimalize the impact before it gets worse.

This single show brews controversy, so surely there are times when things go too far.

This is not representative of all of Japan, Japanese television, or attitudes about foreigners. I know more than a couple Japanese that don't like this show because of how it plays on the emotions of some foreigners.

[komitsuki]

Originally Posted by MMM

This is not representative of all of Japan, Japanese television, or attitudes about foreigners. I know more than a couple Japanese that don't like this show because of how it plays on the emotions of some foreigners.

Of course this is not the whole representative of Japan. But this particular show brewed up more far-right sentiments in Japan, whether it's accidental or not (there had been few rumors that this show was from a sketchy bribery from the LDP).

Well, at least it's improving so it's all good.

[Ryzorian]

No one can truely represent everyone. So even if such a show depicted Americans as goofballs...and I'm not saying we aren't. It still wouldn't represent every viewpoint in Japan, or the actual varity of Goofballs Americans can have.

[ozkai]

It was always fun watching foreigners in the shows..

The gong show on NHK, that American comedian English teacher doing interviews, Bob Sapp, whatever, it always made the shows fun.

[GTJ]

I've watched a lot of variety shows in the past couple years, and I can say with certainty:

Foreigners are a novelty.

It's a shame. Most of the time, when there's a group of people sitting and being asked their opinions on various things, the foreigners are stuck in the back corner. Furthermore, they're usually made to wear big name tags with the flag of their home country on them. Because that matters.

On top of that, regardless of their Japanese ability, they are only ever called on once or twice, and permitted to speak for maybe 15 or 20 seconds before they're cut off.

HOWEVER! There is a shining light amidst all this, a white knight as it were:

Dave Spector.

This guy is fantastic. He's so unassuming; he's short, quiet, and meek, but his Japanese is near-native. I mean like, Japanese people can't even hear his accent. This guy is fantastic.

So that means they let him talk for about 30-40 seconds.

There's also this big huge black guy... I think he's called Billy or Bobby... anyway he's an intelligent guy with great Japanese skills, but when he's on TV he plays the hulking giant with a pea-sized brain and the most unintelligible Japanese ever. The shows always make fun of how you can't understand anything he says. It's a shame he puts on this persona, but hey, that's showbiz.

[bELyVIS]

Originally Posted by GTJ

There's also this big huge black guy... I think he's called Billy or Bobby... anyway he's an intelligent guy with great Japanese skills, but when he's on TV he plays the hulking giant with a pea-sized brain and the most unintelligible Japanese ever. The shows always make fun of how you can't understand anything he says. It's a shame he puts on this persona, but hey, that's showbiz.

Bobby intelligent? You must be talking about some other guy because the Bobby I saw was anything but. He was on a show where the contestants try to eat for the least amount of money and to save money he went out into a field and was picking weeds and plants to cook. Since he had no idea what he was picking he got a hold of something bad and ate it. He got very ill and went to the hospital. Doesn't sound too smart to me. If it is just an act, he's very good.

[GTJ]

Originally Posted by bELyVIS

Bobby intelligent? You must be talking about some other guy because the Bobby I saw was anything but. He was on a show where the contestants try to eat for the least amount of money and to save money he went out into a field and was picking weeds and plants to cook. Since he had no idea what he was picking he got a hold of something bad and ate it. He got very ill and went to the hospital. Doesn't sound too smart to me. If it is just an act, he's very good.

I dunno, I'm still not convinced but my friends assure me he's got something decent going for him. Personally I watch him get humiliated every week (you see the one where he goes down the big slide and his bathing thong thing falls down so he walks around the rest of the show with his crack showing?) and have a hard time believing it but I hate to see gaijin getting more and more of a bad name. :-/