as self-hating as i am, i like to talk about asians a lot
nytimes reports that people with musical training have an easier time learning mandarin chinese. the next obvious step for this study is to see if knowing chinese gives you musical skill. it might explain 1) why the troy high symphony orchestra was dominated by my slanty-eyed kin and 2) why i wasn't very good at the cello (call me EFOL - english as a first and only language).
also, i just watched gwen stefani's sweet escape video and am just now annoyed by her use of mousey japanese girls in every video she's made since she discovered japan.
i know this is soooo 2 years ago, but salon describes exactly what i feel without me having to describe anything. an excerpt:
Stefani has taken the idea of Japanese street fashion and turned these women into modern-day geisha, contractually obligated to speak only Japanese in public, even though it's rumored they're just plain old Americans and their English is just fine. She's even named them "Love," "Angel," "Music" and "Baby" after her album and new clothing line l.a.m.b. (perhaps a mutton-themed restaurant will follow). The renaming of four adults led one poster on a message board to muse, "I didn't think it was legal to own human pets. But I guess so if you have the money for it."
Stefani fawns over harajuku style in her lyrics, but her appropriation of this subculture makes about as much sense as the Gap selling Anarchy T-shirts; she's swallowed a subversive youth culture in Japan and barfed up another image of submissive giggling Asian women. While aping a style that's suppose to be about individuality and personal expression, Stefani ends up being the only one who stands out.
the japanese girls remind me less of pets and rather the chorus in ancient greek plays. instead of chanting, they prance giddily, wave their arms frantically, or flash mysterious V signs for the camera (peace? victory? sorry girls, but we won the war)
and since they are around all the time, what kind finger signals are they flashing when they watch gwen and gavin bang out? when i think about it, they could use the V sign as well. sick!!
also, i just watched gwen stefani's sweet escape video and am just now annoyed by her use of mousey japanese girls in every video she's made since she discovered japan.
i know this is soooo 2 years ago, but salon describes exactly what i feel without me having to describe anything. an excerpt:
Stefani has taken the idea of Japanese street fashion and turned these women into modern-day geisha, contractually obligated to speak only Japanese in public, even though it's rumored they're just plain old Americans and their English is just fine. She's even named them "Love," "Angel," "Music" and "Baby" after her album and new clothing line l.a.m.b. (perhaps a mutton-themed restaurant will follow). The renaming of four adults led one poster on a message board to muse, "I didn't think it was legal to own human pets. But I guess so if you have the money for it."
Stefani fawns over harajuku style in her lyrics, but her appropriation of this subculture makes about as much sense as the Gap selling Anarchy T-shirts; she's swallowed a subversive youth culture in Japan and barfed up another image of submissive giggling Asian women. While aping a style that's suppose to be about individuality and personal expression, Stefani ends up being the only one who stands out.
the japanese girls remind me less of pets and rather the chorus in ancient greek plays. instead of chanting, they prance giddily, wave their arms frantically, or flash mysterious V signs for the camera (peace? victory? sorry girls, but we won the war)
and since they are around all the time, what kind finger signals are they flashing when they watch gwen and gavin bang out? when i think about it, they could use the V sign as well. sick!!
posted by alison at 11:22
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