Yesterday, I was walking home from work, carrying my guitar (I’d left it at work the day before because it was raining) and when I came to my neighbour’s house she was just arriving home with her two boys, five and three years old. They were pretty excited to see me, because kids that age tend to get excited about everything, and you younger one ran up to me and asked me to play a song. Holding my bag in one hand and sans plectrum I strummed a few chords for him, which got a small clap and a cry of 上手上手！ from his mother, but the young boy just looked up at me and said, in a small voice “欧米化”
Now, in order for you to understand why this was funny/interesting I need to explain a few things about Japanese TV comedy. First of all, it’s unbelievably formulaeic. The basic formula is two men talking really fast, one or two completely meaningless catchphrases (such as 欧米化ーwesternisation, or オパピーOcean Pacific Peace. In context the first one makes a little sense, and I think the point of the second one is that it’s nonsense) and then some slapstick. Apparently the duo that says 欧米化 (I’ve only seen the ad, because I’m never at home watching TV on a Saturday night) is made up of one guy who hits the other guy whenever he behaves in what’s seen as a western manner, and says 欧米化, or some variant. Now, light-hearted racism aside, the fact that everyone from three year old boys to sixty year old women find this funny is either a testament to how outrageously funny it is, or, more likely, a testament to the Japanese taste in comedy. Hard Gay is an interesting variant on the theme, but I think most Japanese (or people, for that matter) would find it rather embaressing quoting Hard Gay in public.
But it’s good for a cheap laugh, everytime I say either catch phrase, or flail my hands in the air and yell フゥゥゥ！ or that other catch phrase I don’t remember which I think translates as ‘it’s none of your business’ (the one that comes with actions) the kids laugh and we get to talk about how weird Japanese TV is.
I will never have the guts to go to a halloween party as Hard Gay though…I’ve always planned to but never will…*sigh*
And QQ- is 欧米化 as weird in Chinese as I think it is? 米 is 米国 – Beikoku, aka America, or ‘rice country’ I’m not entirely sure why.
