“I hate Mickey Mouse. He has nothing like the unique sensibility that Japan has.†Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara speaking at the capital’s recent anime fair .
Briefly turning his bile away from Japan’s Asian neighbours last week, powerful politician and infamous xenophobe Shintaro Ishihara inexplicably opted for a below the belt jab at the United States; his denunciation of a cartoon mouse surely set to destabilise the two country’s close economic and political ties.
However the 73-year-old may not be done with his cartoon character shenanigans, as rumours abound that the grumbling governor is set to further anger French speakers by dismissing Gallic-gadabout Tintin as nothing more than a tufty-haired troublemaker — a character who pales into insignificance when compared to Japan’s own elaborately coiffured superstar, Atom Boy.
Or alternatively he will revert back to form and continue on his quest to insult as many non-Japanese Asians as is humanly possible.
Tyler says
Let’s be honest now- who would YOU put down your yen on in a fight? Tintin? Or Astroboy?
Forget for a minute that Tintin is french- Astroboy has that cool cool hair!
And if I know anything about french-japanese relations and animation,
which I don’t, the character with the coolest hair ALWAYS wins.
Good work man, please keep me smiling.
Thanks,
Tyler
e. says
I totally agree with mister Ishihara.
When’s the last time you saw Mickey Mouse raped by alien tentacles?
Exactly. That’s how lame non-japanese animation is. Lame-o.
scubajim says
I don’t get the appeal of tentacle rape. Actually, I don’t get the appeal of rape. (consentual sex, but not rape and my consensual sex fantasies don’t have any tentacles in them)
Jonas says
I hate that man, one of his many ideas is to build a new arena in Yoyogi park! How ridiculos is that! The only decent park Tokyo has.
Bart says
I have to protest loudly here, Tintin is not a French comics figure, but a BELGIAN one. He was created by Hergé, who was a French speaking Belgian, and Tintin remains one of our national symbols, even in the Dutch speaking part.
That concludes our lesson for today, back to the studio…
Sumiyoshi Pilgrim says
When youo strip away the fact that he’s an infamous politician, does anyone else see a racist old bugger without any concept of an inside voice of sensibility?
Shay says
Yeah, when I heard about this it was pretty funny. Just because it’s so outrageous. Getting all political and xenophobic about cartoons (especially Mickey and TinTin) is ridiculous.
Tyler says
Ever notice how in most places it is called “racist” or “prejudiced”, but in Japan it is just “xenophobia”? I am not trying to bash the Japanese at all- there are many who adore westerners- but there are many who are quite racists and believe the Japanese to be the most superior of peoples. As a Japanese lady told my friend when he suprised her with his excellent Japanese, “It was just weird to hear a westerner speaking a civilized language.”
Thomas says
What strikes me as odd is that if Mickey Mouse would have had any of the unique sensibility that Japan has, then Japan’s sensibility wouldn’t be very unique at all…
If he really hates Mickey Mouse that much, he should be grateful.
Dave says
that’s kinda odd… considering japan practically has to thank disney for popularizing the medium