Duffy Moon ([info]duffymoon) wrote,
@ 2009-02-22 20:00:00
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Mutually Assured Racism
I can't help it. When I see something like this 'Engrish' site it makes me laugh. I know that's not cool in this century; wasn't very cool last century either I guess. Well, not after about 1975. Maybe 1980.

But I think it's okay to laugh. I don't think asians are stupid or goofy or illiterate. Some things simply don't translate.

But I also have to hope that there are sites on these interwebs for politically incorrect asians who enjoy making fun of ignorant westerners who, for instance, have 'asian' characters tattoo'd on themselves. Bet you get some pretty gut-busting translation snafus there.

Let's just all agree to laugh at each other equally. As long as there's no humor gap, we're all free from racism.

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[info]revme
2009-02-23 01:50 am UTC (link)
I used to read hanzismatter a lot, which is the exact opposite of Engrish -- basically the type of site you describe! Which was really pretty entertaining for a while, but the one problem with it is the tone -- I think Engrish is a little more... "This is what it is!", where Hanzismatter is all "STUPID WHITE PEOPLE AAAAAAGH"... though, admittedly, given that HS's focus is more on white people with tattoos they don't know the meaning of, it's a bit more understandable -- but the tone IS still grating after a while. I think I had it in my RSS reader for a couple months before I took it out, just basically because it was either that or track the author down and smack her[1]. (For example, this post, which would be find if it weren't for the last sentence.)

And, seriously, how can you go wrong with the "I Hate Myself And Want Do Die [rainbows/hearts]" shirt? I LOVE that one.

[1] I'm about 99% sure Tian is a woman; it's been forever since I read the blog and there's no "I AM A LAAAADDDYYYYY!!!" thing at the top or anything, so, yes. Apologies if I'm wrong!

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[info]chondrule
2009-02-23 04:12 am UTC (link)
you should check out engrish stationary found in asian stores like morninglory or hello kitty. i have a couple that make absolute no sense. it's such a mash up of words, images - just surreal.

http://www.mg-usa.com/item.asp?productId=7904

there are an endless amount of linguistic gap humor points where there is a difference between this versus miley cyrus chinky photos.

this is making fun of korean moms but in a loveable sort of way, that i find hysterical

http://stuffkoreanmomslike.blogspot.com/

i guess making fun of moms endearingly is a cross cultural event.

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[info]duffymoon
2009-02-23 04:18 am UTC (link)
For some reason, Jews seem to have cornered the market on mom-humor. Italians probably come up right behind them.

(I'm really glad you commented, and didn't figuratively punch me in the face. I ain't a redneck, I swear to gawd I ain't.)

((Well, maybe just a little.))

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[info]chondrule
2009-02-23 04:36 am UTC (link)
my fiance, not asian, thinks the engrish site is hysterical.
i think living in the south made me redneck. i miss my growing ghetto language.

in the past few years i've been watching increasingly more korean dramas with english subtitles and man, some of the translation is unintentionally hysterical. my favorite example is the korean equivalent of bridget jones diary, called my lovely sansoom. she is a pastry chef where she tries to describe madelines to a nonkorean speaking korean american - citing the proust passage. she can't remember the name madelines so she says "sexy cookie" - i think to emphasize the romantic nature of french madelines. j and i will jokingly call madelines "sexy cookies" since.

like you mentioned, it goes both ways. the asian obsession with westernization becomes nonsensical and the western obsession with the oriental becomes absurd with the exotification that one can only laugh at the extremes.

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[info]digitig
2009-02-23 11:18 am UTC (link)
Don't worry -- everyone's a little bit racist:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbwNSNLPIfw
;-)

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