blanket ignorance

[Sarah Maline]

Hi Matt and all,
The deadpan delivery of the original comment opened it up, meaningwise. I
wanted to assume that the original comment was simply a snarky, naïve take
on presentational vs. representational styles in film (and stage, and in
culture, sometimes).  However, I'm not familiar with the original commentor,
so who knows? Melodrama can be much more or much less than an appeal (a
crude appeal, no less) to the emotions, a "sensational" drama.  Depends on
the context.  The original comment seemed to suggest that the Japanese
viewer preferred or believed the representation over the real event, and so
was childish (and not ironically PoMo), not basically human/childlike in our
general human enjoyment of the presentational.

Hmmm/Grrrrr. I've been reading way too many popvox and kuchikomi--too many
Japanbashers in my brain.  Easier to ignore a suspect than attack, at this
point; need context.

Best,
Sarah  


  On 6/28/04 11:20 PM, "Hammill Matthew" <mjh47ronin at hotmail.com> wrote:

> This is my first post so I'll say a bit about myself.  I have lived in
> Japan for about 4 years now.  I spent three years living in Iwate-ken on
> the JET Program.  (Ichinohe-cho, to be exact, although I kind of doubt
> whether too many people have heard of it!)
> I am now in Sendai studying Japanese full time and gearing up for the
> nouryoku shiken 1kyuu in December.  (kind of annoying how this test is only
> offered once a year)
> My interests are literature and film.  I tend to like the classics,
> obviously Ozu and Kurosawa.
> 
> I also noticed that statement and was kind of surprised there was little
> response at first.  I wouldn't want to be part of any kind of PC
> overreaction, but I am glad that people have pointed out the absurd
> stereotyping at work in that statement.  I can kind of see the childish
> sterotype as some of my former students were quite naive and childish for
> their age, but I think that had more to do with living in the deep inaka
> than their Japaneseness.  As far as being theatrical, whatever that means
> as a personality trait, I don't get that at all.  The stereotype of
> Japanese is usually that they are more reserved or less likely to show
> emotion.  This is also an inaccurate sterotype, as anyone with enkai
> experience (or the nijikai) could tell you!
> 
> i look forward to reading more of everyone's messages and if you are ever
> in Sendai give me a mail.
> 
> thanks
> 
> Matt
> 
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Sarah Radley Maline
Associate Professor of Art History
Director, UMF Art Gallery
University of Maine at Farmington
Farmington, ME 04938
tel: 207.778.7002
fax: 207.778.7075