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| Last updated on Thursday, 19 Feb 2004 |
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Dear Douglas,
All the White American stereotypical characters are important to the story. While the Japanese stereotypes are only used for negative racial humor and commentary on Japanese culture(see letter to Daniel S. that explains why Japanese culture is not crucial to the film and rather is exploited for racial humor and commentary.)
The film portrays ditsy Kelly and the hip-hop artist engaging in meanlingless small talk with Charlotte's husband John for a reason. It serves to isolate Charlotte. She's left out of these meaningless conversations and she gets up and walks over to Bob. Kelly and the hip-hop guy are necessary. The Japanese stereotypes are not. Even the lounge singer is necessary because she eventually sleeps with Bob and this event places stress on Bob and Charlotte's relationship.
White Americans in the United States have the freedom to turn on the television and switch channels or look up movie listings and they easily find programs with positive white characters to enjoy. Asian Americans on the other see few positive portrayals and instead are more likely to be the targets of racial insults in radio, television, and film. Asian Americans are more likely to find an offensive portrayal of Asian Americans or no portrayals at all.
In "Lost In Translation," audiences do not laugh with the Japanese. Bob and Charlotte make fun of them and make negative comments about Japanese culture:
"lock and lo" ... "ridiculous" they're "skinny and nerdy"
"LIP MY STUCKINGS. LIP THEM!"
a weird incompetent prostitute
strippers
Bob recalls his night out partying and singing "It's not fun. Just very very different."
Bob refers to "that really really great music" which was American not Japanese music plus he was being sarcastic and exchanging forces pleasantries with his wife ... he ends with "that was mistake"
"brack toe"
Charlotte recalls lunch with Bob "That was the worst lunch" and Bob's reply is "So bad. What kind of restaurant makes you cook your own food?"
"lets not come here again cuz it will never be as much fun."
And so on.
Can you think of any comments from Bob and Charlotte where they compliment anything Japanese?
*Clarification: Most remarks that appear to be compliments turn out to be sarcasm. A detailed treatment of the anti-Japanese themes in the film is found here
At the very start of the film, a key theme is introduced. When Bob enters the hotel, and after he's greeted, says "Great. Short and sweet. Very Japanese. I like that." He is clearly being sarcastic and the "short" remark is intentional and not some innocent remark because the next few scenes immediately reinforce the "short" theme: Bob in an elevator with uniformly short business men; Bob taking a shower contorting himself under a short shower head. So important is this theme of short and small Japanese, that it is introduced and reinforced early in the film. The idea is then later repeated throughout the film for more cheap laughs: the small shaver, the small slippers, comments made by Bob and Charlotte, etc. The heavy reliance on this theme constitutes an offensive pattern and reliance on ethnic humor.
All these instances of racial humor and disdain a coincidence? No. They form a definite pattern. There are too many examples and I eventually plan to list them all on the website.
Bob and Charlotte DO NOT enjoy Japan and they DO make fun of the Japanese. The use of Japanese stereotypes and expressions of disdain for things Japanese cannot be dismissed simply because you like other elements in the film. They just don't cancel each other out.
Kai
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https://lost-in-racism.org
http://www.asianmediawatch.net
What about the blatant American stereotype of the character Kelly being a horribly ditzy actress? Or the asshole white guy way too into hip hop?
Are those not stereotypes?
The movie is not laughing at Japanese people, it's laughing with them.
And you know what else? That movie made me want to visit Japan, and take Japanese language classes in college.
I think what you are doing through your website is more horribly intolerant and ignorant than any poking of fun at your people ever meant to be.
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