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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>My first thought about the statement was
"there's one in every group" and let it slide. It wasn't until I saw it repeated
in another post did I consider that there should be some kind of challenge to
the statement. There are probably many people who come to the list seeking some
"expertise" on not only film but Japanese culture and some might go away and
repeat the same idea as an expert opinion.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I was sort of hoping that a Japanese person would
speak up, however it's good you did Joanne.</FONT></DIV>
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style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=j.izbicki@att.net
href="mailto:j.izbicki@att.net">j.izbicki@att.net</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
href="mailto:KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu">KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, June 28, 2004 1:39 PM</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><!-- WEBMAIL STATIONERY noneset -->
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">I expected a flurry of messages
to appear about a previous poster$BCT(B blanket comment that "Japanese are childish
and theatrical." Others have apparently decided to ignore the remark but
I think some comment is due. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I already deleted the message but with
due respect must assume that the writer has had little or superficial
interaction with Japanese people and is still under the sway of 1940s-50s
generalizations about Japan.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Or
have I lost my sense of humor and the comment was meant to be a joke?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I hope members of this list have
gotten beyond attributing any single trait or peculiarity $BMQ(Bositive or
negative$B!&(Bto ALL the people in any given country--or of any ethnic or racial or
gender group.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It$BCT(B much more
informative and helpful to look at specific forces and contexts at play than
to simplify cause and effect by asserting instead that there are sweeping
national traits to explain specific human actions or situations. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">In 1951, Douglas MacArthur made
a post-SCAP (i.e., after he$BCE(B been fired by Truman) comment that lost the
respect he$BCE(B gained (gained justifiably or not) of many Japanese while he had
been Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The comment was that $BAU(Bhe Japanese$B!&(Bwere
$BEM(Bike a boy of twelve as compared with our development of forty-five
years.$B!&(BSPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The $BAP(Bur$B!&(Bapparently
meant $BA"(Bmerican,$B!&(Bsuggesting a too common assumption among stereotypers that
their listeners/readers share and approve the stereotype--in this case that
Japanese people couldn't measure up to American maturity. Even if
MacArthur meant to apply his view only to the political situation in Japan, he
was still ignoring a history of sophisticated and complex political
structuration and struggle in the country. MacA's personal history,
however, suggests he was applying the ! put-down more broadly.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">(MacA$BCT(B comment is from the
$BE)(Bearing to Conduct an Inquiry into the Military Situation in the Far
East,$B!&(B82<SUP>nd</SUP> Congress, 1<SUP>st</SUP> session, 1951.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Quoted in Takamae Eiji$BCT(B $BE*(Bnside GHQ,$B!&(Bp.
7.)</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Joanne Izbicki</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P></BLOCKQUOTE><!-- END WEBMAIL STATIONERY --></BODY></HTML>