TV, infantilism, Shirley Yamaguchi

[Ono Seiko and Aaron Gerow]

David Hopkins wrote,

>Infantilism in females is an interesting ideal. Of course, for male fantasy 
>purposes, infantile women are not challenging or threatening to masculine 
>superiority (unlike those pesky real women). For women, seeing the way real 
>women are treated in society compared with the way young girls are treated, 
>it is hardly surprising that some would choose to playact this advantageous 
>role. (I've heard a similar argument as an explanation for the prevalence of 
>male homosexuality in shojo manga--not real, somehow, like heterosexual 
>activity would be, and so a way to escape from adulthood.)

It is thus possible to see the assumption of a childlike image as a form 
of resistance.  More extreme forms of infantalism, like the wearing of 
baby-like clothes that was in a few years ago, or more eccentic modes of 
childlike behavior, best epitomized by Shinohara Tomoe, actually have 
very few fans among men.  Assuming such an image can thus serve both as 
escape from adulthood and as a barrier against masculine, heterosexual 
sexuality.  (It is interesting how Shinohara's image thus needed to be 
remolded in order to fit the construction of women prevalent in 
televisual consumer culture: i.e., her TBC commercials in which she 
"reveals" really is "beautiful."  Her previous image was harder to 
commodify.)

Other forms of infantilism (the "cuter" forms) are more likely to mold 
the self in the image desired by the male gaze.  One can then aslo ask 
why the childlike woman is desirable in contemporary Japan.

Aaron Gerow
YNU