Underage anime girls aren't the only objects of glassy-eyed idolization out there. Witness Wakaranai's response to Avril Lavigne's Make 5 Wishes:
It really just pains me to say the name of ‘manga’ and all it stands for [Including harems, salaryman porn, women working out their issues through yaoi, battling an endless succession of enemies to be the best, and a lasting phobia of pubic hair? -Ed.] being whored out to the mindless cultural retardation of US pop-culture, [As opposed to the intelligent acceleration of Japanese pop culture. -Ed.] to create some soulless marketing abomination which will be lapped up by the unsuspecting public and mistrued as being an actual manga.
Who knew you could Humbert Humbert the concept of manga? The author elaborates in a comment further down:
I don’t actually think manga is inherently better than any other genre or cultural phenomenon just because it’s manga.
Except for two lines down where she says manga "is far less mindless and trite" than Avril Lavigne and what she represents:
But if you think that MTV and its associated musical culture (The pop charts etc) is of the same creative calibre as the average manga release then you should seriously rethink your analysis.
Later on, another commentator on the blog writes:
Wow…..that’s so….disgusting! How could they? Why do people always feel the need to widen their marketing spectrum by invading popular pop-cultures like manga, just for the sake of money?
Manga, on the other hand, when kept pure in race (especially race) and thought (cultures should be kept separate and unequal), is fueled by creative and artistic integrity. Not money. The truth is, such is the publishing industry that editors welcome their artists with stardust kisses and everyone operates on budgets of fairy dew and moonlight ambrosia. Honest.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Mooninite two gives Menino the finger
Today in Boston, Mooninite landings across Boston forced police to scramble into action and block off traffic. But no fear, citizens, it was all part of an Aqua Teen Hunger Force promotion - well, except for the part about police scrambling into action and pissed-off public officials. Who would have thought planting odd objects with flashing lights on bridges could possibly have caused the slightest alarm in any part of our peaceful, carefree nation?
Hang on, don't answer that.
Clearly, this is one of the odd things that can happen when either a) PR is too cheap to shell out for actual billboards (no halted MTA bus, no fuss - and you can flip off entire richly deserving neighborhoods at a time), or b) PR is okayed by the same brilliant minds who decided 12 Oz. Mouse was a good pickup.*
In a clever use of the classic "Well, I'm sorry you decided to be offended" defense, most famously utilized in Justice Brown's opinion upholding segregation in Plessy v. Ferguson but called into action any time anyone feels obligated to non-apologize for something they're not the least bit sorry about (and probably wish they could do again just to see you react), Turner Broadcasting offered the following brief statement:
The ''packages'' in question are magnetic lights that pose no danger. They are part of an outdoor marketing campaign in 10 cities in support of Adult Swim’s animated television show Aqua Teen Hunger Force. They have been in place for two to three weeks in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Austin, San Francisco, and Philadelphia. Parent company Turner Broadcasting is in contact with local and federal law enforcement on the exact locations of the billboards. We regret that they were mistakenly thought to pose any danger.
Meanwhile, following 5 minutes of intense online research (4.9 if you count the time it took to type "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" into Google), the Boston Globe article helpfully fills in readers on what exactly is going on:
The boxy character is named Err and appears to be raising his middle finger and giving an obscene gesture. Err is described on the "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" website as "rebellious and angry."
Sounds like a perfect Al Qaeda recruit to me.
* PR decisions not actually okayed by same brilliant minds who decided 12 Oz. Mouse was a good pickup. In no plane or tangential dimension of the multiverse have brilliant minds considered 12 Oz. Mouse a good pickup, ever.
Hang on, don't answer that.
Clearly, this is one of the odd things that can happen when either a) PR is too cheap to shell out for actual billboards (no halted MTA bus, no fuss - and you can flip off entire richly deserving neighborhoods at a time), or b) PR is okayed by the same brilliant minds who decided 12 Oz. Mouse was a good pickup.*
In a clever use of the classic "Well, I'm sorry you decided to be offended" defense, most famously utilized in Justice Brown's opinion upholding segregation in Plessy v. Ferguson but called into action any time anyone feels obligated to non-apologize for something they're not the least bit sorry about (and probably wish they could do again just to see you react), Turner Broadcasting offered the following brief statement:
The ''packages'' in question are magnetic lights that pose no danger. They are part of an outdoor marketing campaign in 10 cities in support of Adult Swim’s animated television show Aqua Teen Hunger Force. They have been in place for two to three weeks in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Austin, San Francisco, and Philadelphia. Parent company Turner Broadcasting is in contact with local and federal law enforcement on the exact locations of the billboards. We regret that they were mistakenly thought to pose any danger.
Meanwhile, following 5 minutes of intense online research (4.9 if you count the time it took to type "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" into Google), the Boston Globe article helpfully fills in readers on what exactly is going on:
The boxy character is named Err and appears to be raising his middle finger and giving an obscene gesture. Err is described on the "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" website as "rebellious and angry."
Sounds like a perfect Al Qaeda recruit to me.
* PR decisions not actually okayed by same brilliant minds who decided 12 Oz. Mouse was a good pickup. In no plane or tangential dimension of the multiverse have brilliant minds considered 12 Oz. Mouse a good pickup, ever.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
As if a warhead of happiness spread its joyful shrapnel though my heart!!
Avril Lavigne: The Manga. That is, Del Rey's bringing you Avril Lavigne's Make 5 Wishes. No word on a tie-in single yet; we can only pray that Eragon didn't overly tax her artistic wellspring.
Illustrator Camilla d'Errico does a fitting Range Murata-esque sideline in hapless young girls and technology, although Del Rey's sample spread looks more webcomic than professional. On her website, D'Errico begins her artist statement like so:
The artist in me finds joy in angst.
Truer words were ne'er spoken, which brings us to author Joshua Dysart's online journal and the following description of the 2-volume attempt to cash in on Avril's Japanese and Korean fans:
All my standard themes are in place. All the humanist based horror, all the loneliness and, yes, all the tragedy found in any of my work can also be found here.
So it's a tragic, young adult horror story. But, strangely, one about Avril and not Britney, Lindsey, Paris, or some drunken, cooch-flashing, shiny-car-no-know-how-to-driving, career-diving chimera of all three. Okay, you could argue that rhyming "boi" with "boi" is somewhat horrific, may even count as genuine artistic tragedy... but we'll pass on that for now.
And by humanist based horror, loneliness, and tragedy, Dysart means profound lines like "[Her music] was in every part of my life, and even though it seemed to come from so far away... it still felt like it was aimed right at me... like a missile!! Her music took away the numbness." Sonic ICBM healing, Make 5 Wishes's readers will soon need your help as well. Please.
There's no actual plot reason to brand the story with Avril Lavigne's name; Generic Pop Music Vehicle for Superficial Girl Empowerment's 5 Wishes would work just as well. Alas, no mention of the manga has made it onto the real Avril's official website. On the other hand, neither have the past two months.
Illustrator Camilla d'Errico does a fitting Range Murata-esque sideline in hapless young girls and technology, although Del Rey's sample spread looks more webcomic than professional. On her website, D'Errico begins her artist statement like so:
The artist in me finds joy in angst.
Truer words were ne'er spoken, which brings us to author Joshua Dysart's online journal and the following description of the 2-volume attempt to cash in on Avril's Japanese and Korean fans:
All my standard themes are in place. All the humanist based horror, all the loneliness and, yes, all the tragedy found in any of my work can also be found here.
So it's a tragic, young adult horror story. But, strangely, one about Avril and not Britney, Lindsey, Paris, or some drunken, cooch-flashing, shiny-car-no-know-how-to-driving, career-diving chimera of all three. Okay, you could argue that rhyming "boi" with "boi" is somewhat horrific, may even count as genuine artistic tragedy... but we'll pass on that for now.
And by humanist based horror, loneliness, and tragedy, Dysart means profound lines like "[Her music] was in every part of my life, and even though it seemed to come from so far away... it still felt like it was aimed right at me... like a missile!! Her music took away the numbness." Sonic ICBM healing, Make 5 Wishes's readers will soon need your help as well. Please.
There's no actual plot reason to brand the story with Avril Lavigne's name; Generic Pop Music Vehicle for Superficial Girl Empowerment's 5 Wishes would work just as well. Alas, no mention of the manga has made it onto the real Avril's official website. On the other hand, neither have the past two months.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
For your consideration redux
One site taking the American Anime Awards seriously is Alternative Teen Services, offering up the following tips for unwitting librarians eager to turn today's teenagers into tomorrow's uncritical junk-media whores. Choice excerpts follow:
Here are some ideas for celebrating the American Anime awards:
* Make a news announcement about the American Anime Awards at your next teen meeting. Handout small slips of paper with the url for voting.
* Setup a few voting laptops at your next anime program and encourage teens to vote during the meeting.
...
* Tape the broadcast and watch it together at your next teen anime meeting.
* Post a link to the American Anime awards on your teen myspace or blog.
If you don’t have an anime group together, this could be your opportunity to speak with teens in the library about starting a group. Find out which teens like anime and manga, and tell them about the 1st Annual American Anime awards. Ask teens if they might be interested in meeting up to discuss manga and watch anime at the library.
ADV seriously owes these folks a box of manga for their efforts. Dare I say, award-nominated manga.
Also check out the entry on the Fayetteville Public Library's Teen Alternative Fashion Show. Alternative teen fashion, Naruto cosplay, whatever. Same thing.
Here are some ideas for celebrating the American Anime awards:
* Make a news announcement about the American Anime Awards at your next teen meeting. Handout small slips of paper with the url for voting.
* Setup a few voting laptops at your next anime program and encourage teens to vote during the meeting.
...
* Tape the broadcast and watch it together at your next teen anime meeting.
* Post a link to the American Anime awards on your teen myspace or blog.
If you don’t have an anime group together, this could be your opportunity to speak with teens in the library about starting a group. Find out which teens like anime and manga, and tell them about the 1st Annual American Anime awards. Ask teens if they might be interested in meeting up to discuss manga and watch anime at the library.
ADV seriously owes these folks a box of manga for their efforts. Dare I say, award-nominated manga.
Also check out the entry on the Fayetteville Public Library's Teen Alternative Fashion Show. Alternative teen fashion, Naruto cosplay, whatever. Same thing.
For your consideration
The American Anime Awards in a nutshell:
I. Hosted by a stable of ADV voice actresses whom ADV (in a boldly post-feminist move) has proudly styled the Babes of Anime. They're beautiful, they're sought-after, they're objectified (empowered) for your viewing pleasure.
II. Later to be broadcast on ADV Film's Anime Network. It's not PR, it's synergy.
III. Ballot "developed by both industry representatives and independent anime experts" in a nomination process that runs roughly like so: Viz, Tokyopop, Media Blasters, Geneon, Funimation, Del Rey, Bandai, and ADV each jerk off twice onto a cracker. At the Anime Network's suggestion, Anime Insider, Animeondvd.com (now with new American Anime Awards Member button action), and Anime News Network are invited to add their own special wank. Fans then dared to to swallow the entire thing whole without gagging.
IV. Hired oversight team helpless to prevent Johnny Yong Bosch's best voice actor in an anime comedy nomination--for Akira. Also helpless to prevent NA from appearing twice on ballot under best anime feature and best anime series of 13 episodes or less.
V. Hired oversight team (still helpless, or perhaps laughably inept) forgot to include "two very important and deserving" Del Rey nominees, Negima and Tsubasa, in the nominations for best manga.
Still, the American Anime Awards did one thing right. By making the awards about "the very best anime to make its way into North America" and not about excellence in the anime industry in America, it can keep its award categories focused on pimping the merchandise, not recognizing the work of behind the scenes talent.
Next time, sound mixers and script adapters of America. Next time.
I. Hosted by a stable of ADV voice actresses whom ADV (in a boldly post-feminist move) has proudly styled the Babes of Anime. They're beautiful, they're sought-after, they're objectified (empowered) for your viewing pleasure.
II. Later to be broadcast on ADV Film's Anime Network. It's not PR, it's synergy.
III. Ballot "developed by both industry representatives and independent anime experts" in a nomination process that runs roughly like so: Viz, Tokyopop, Media Blasters, Geneon, Funimation, Del Rey, Bandai, and ADV each jerk off twice onto a cracker. At the Anime Network's suggestion, Anime Insider, Animeondvd.com (now with new American Anime Awards Member button action), and Anime News Network are invited to add their own special wank. Fans then dared to to swallow the entire thing whole without gagging.
IV. Hired oversight team helpless to prevent Johnny Yong Bosch's best voice actor in an anime comedy nomination--for Akira. Also helpless to prevent NA from appearing twice on ballot under best anime feature and best anime series of 13 episodes or less.
V. Hired oversight team (still helpless, or perhaps laughably inept) forgot to include "two very important and deserving" Del Rey nominees, Negima and Tsubasa, in the nominations for best manga.
Still, the American Anime Awards did one thing right. By making the awards about "the very best anime to make its way into North America" and not about excellence in the anime industry in America, it can keep its award categories focused on pimping the merchandise, not recognizing the work of behind the scenes talent.
Next time, sound mixers and script adapters of America. Next time.
A Critic's View
A Fan's View webmaster Kevin Lillard: con personality, racing fan, and master of jaw-dropping, reality-defying hyperbole:
The name of this site was chosen in haste, but has held up over the years. It is a fan's view of anime conventions, not a critic's view. A critical look at conventions would question why they exist. A fan accepts the conventions and thinks they're worthwhile events.
The author isn't shy to say that anime conventions are the best events that American youth culture has to offer. They show youthful enthusiasm for the exotic and unfamiliar, and show that the generation of fans has overcome the horrors of World War II. Other cultures carry hatreds from centuries ago (tragically demonstrated on Sept. 11, 2001), but not anime fans.
Translation: Arabs hate, otaku are great.
But if you're an American anime fan who personally experienced the horrors of World War II, let us know! We too remember the struggle to overcome the miseries of the internment camp, the war r--oh wait, no, actually we don't 'cause we were born decades later into an era of booming prosperity, just like 99.9% of the convention staffers we've ever worked with.
Also, who's Lillard's Kool-Aid supplier? We could totally use some at the next con staff meeting.
The name of this site was chosen in haste, but has held up over the years. It is a fan's view of anime conventions, not a critic's view. A critical look at conventions would question why they exist. A fan accepts the conventions and thinks they're worthwhile events.
The author isn't shy to say that anime conventions are the best events that American youth culture has to offer. They show youthful enthusiasm for the exotic and unfamiliar, and show that the generation of fans has overcome the horrors of World War II. Other cultures carry hatreds from centuries ago (tragically demonstrated on Sept. 11, 2001), but not anime fans.
Translation: Arabs hate, otaku are great.
But if you're an American anime fan who personally experienced the horrors of World War II, let us know! We too remember the struggle to overcome the miseries of the internment camp, the war r--oh wait, no, actually we don't 'cause we were born decades later into an era of booming prosperity, just like 99.9% of the convention staffers we've ever worked with.
Also, who's Lillard's Kool-Aid supplier? We could totally use some at the next con staff meeting.
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QUERY: Is it ever a good sign when a guy describes himself as "an aspiring Humbert Humbert"?
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