{"id":4303,"date":"2009-09-02T07:13:38","date_gmt":"2009-09-01T22:13:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.debito.org\/?p=4303"},"modified":"2009-10-19T15:54:14","modified_gmt":"2009-10-19T06:54:14","slug":"japan-times-just-be-cause-column-sept-1-2009-on-mcdonalds-mr-james-campaign-why-its-a-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/?p=4303","title":{"rendered":"Japan Times JUST BE CAUSE column Sept 1 2009 on McDonald’s “Mr James” campaign: Why it’s a problem"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Handbook<\/a>\"\\\"<\/a>\"Foreign<\/a>\"\\\"<\/a>\"\u300c\u30b8\u30e3\u30d1\u30cb\u30fc\u30ba\u30fb\u30aa\u30f3\u30ea\u30fc\u3000\u5c0f\u6a3d\u5165\u6d74\u62d2\u5426\u554f\u984c\u3068\u4eba\u7a2e\u5dee\u5225\u300d\uff08\u660e\u77f3\u66f8\u5e97\uff09\"<\/a>\"JAPANESE<\/a>\"sourstrawberriesavatar\"<\/a>UPDATES ON TWITTER: arudoudebito<\/p>\n

Japan Times Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009
\nJUST BE CAUSE
\nMeet Mr. James, gaijin clown
\nNot everyone is laughing at McDonald’s Japan’s latest wheeze, a hapless foreigner who’ll never fit in<\/strong>http:\/\/search.japantimes.co.jp\/cgi-bin\/fl20090901ad.html<\/a>
\nBy DEBITO ARUDOU<\/strong>
\n<\/a>\"justbecauseicon.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“Director’s Cut” with links to sources:<\/em><\/p>\n

If you want to sell stuff, it helps to have a recognizable “mascot” representing your company.\u00a0 Disney has Mickey Mouse, Sanrio Hello Kitty, Studio Ghibli Totoro.\u00a0 These imaginary characters grace many a product and ad campaign.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

However, McDonald’s Japan dropped a clanger on August 10 with its new burger meister:\u00a0 “Mr. James”.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Fronting the “Nippon All Stars” campaign (American hamburgers with a Japanese twist) for three months is a bespectacled grinning Caucasian wearing mismatched red shirt and chinos.\u00a0 Created by ad agency Dentsu, “Mr. James” is touring the burghers of Japan, offering money for photo ops.\u00a0 His blog effuses perpetual wonderment at all things Japanese.\u00a0 His obsession is McDonald’s:\u00a0 he’s a burger nerd.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

http:\/\/mcdonalds.dtmp.jp\/blog\/<\/a><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.time.com\/time\/world\/article\/0,8599,1918246,00.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Not necessarily a problem so far.\u00a0 But some non-Japanese residents have protested that this (human, not imaginary) character perpetuates Japanese stereotypes about other humans — foreigners.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

“Mr. James” (defying standard etiquette of addressing adults with “last name plus -san”, reflecting how Japanese manners aren’t always applied to Caucasians) effuses in fluent katakana only.\u00a0 Everything is in broken accented Japanese.\u00a0 “Watakushi nippon daisuki” etc.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

What’s the matter?\u00a0 Put the shoe on the other foot:\u00a0 Imagine McDonald’s, a multinational long promoting cultural diversity, launching a new “McAsia Menu” in America, featuring a deep-bowing grimacing Asian in a bathrobe and platform sandals saying, “Me likee McFlied Lice!”, or “So solly, prease skosh honorable teriyaki sandrich?”<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This would of course occasion protest from minority groups and the Japanese embassy (as happened in Hungary in 2003, regarding a racist TV show).<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

http:\/\/search.japantimes.co.jp\/cgi-bin\/nn20030516b5.html<\/a><\/p>\n

And rightly so.\u00a0 But so far the media reaction towards “Mr. James” has been mixed.\u00a0 The Japanese press has ignored it.\u00a0 The Western press has been nonplussed.\u00a0 Respectable websites have quoted some Asian-Americans’ acidulous Schadenfreude:\u00a0 “Karma’s a bitch.”\u00a0 As in, Asians have suffered Western stereotyping long enough, so this is cosmic retribution towards Caucasians.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/disgrasian\/in-mcdonalds-new-japanese_b_263770.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Others fail to see beyond the weird or exotic (of course; not everyone lives here or understands what straight katakana does to Japanese speech).\u00a0 Still others think it’s just humor, so let it go:\u00a0 Get a life, you humorless killjoys.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

http:\/\/consumerist.com\/5340185\/japanese-mcdonalds-campaign-makes-fun-of-white-people-foreigners<\/a><\/p>\n

But this overlooks what activists are trying to do:\u00a0 Give a point of view that goes against the mainstream — because Japanese media generally stereotypes foreigners in an unbalanced and unfair manner.\u00a0 Mr. James is but the most recent incarnation, and an offensive one at that.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I personally have three tests for whether stereotyping is offensive or unfair:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

1) Does it suit the purposes of humor and satire, or is it just mean-spirited?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

2) Has it any redeeming social value?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

3) Is there turnabout in fair play?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Regarding 1), yes, I grant that “Mr. James” is disarmingly funny.\u00a0 However, it still takes mean cheap shots at foreigners for a purported lack of language ability.\u00a0 Allow me to elaborate from decades of personal experience what this stereotype does:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

When asked if the Japanese language is difficult, I say it isn’t.\u00a0 What’s difficult is talking to Japanese people.\u00a0 One has to overcome so much ingrained baggage — often instilled from childhood in approved textbooks — that foreigners, particularly the non-Asians, are “guests and outsiders” — illiterate, inscrutable, and incomprehensible.\u00a0 Thanks to this, I daresay in the majority of random interactions, foreigners who do not “look Japanese” have to prove every day to new listeners that they speak Japanese just fine.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

http:\/\/debito.org\/TheCommunity\/communityissues.html#gaijinimages<\/a><\/p>\n

It’s like having to untangle your headphones before you listen to music.\u00a0 Every.\u00a0 Single.\u00a0 Time.\u00a0 And “Mr. James” just pulls the knots tighter.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Now 2) Redeeming social value.\u00a0 For example, when we see stereotyped characters on TV show “The Simpsons”, fun is poked.\u00a0 But eventually the characters become humanized, part of the neighborhood in The Simpsons’ universe.\u00a0 Is “Mr. James” similarly humanized and included?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Well, “Mr. James” has a backstory, but it’s one of “bedazzled tourist and guest”.\u00a0 It’s not one of inclusiveness:\u00a0 no matter how hard he tries (especially since McDonald’s rendered his every utterance in katakana), he’ll never be Japanese.\u00a0 He is the perpetual “other”.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Nothing new, since “othering foreigners” into a skin of differences is a national pastime.\u00a0 But it’s not pleasant for Caucasians who actually live here, and now have to deal with the reconfirmed “Mister First-Name-Outsider-speaking-incomprehensibly” stereotype in public as far down as children (one of McDonald’s target customers).\u00a0 Besides, how many will get the online backstory?\u00a0 Most will only spot his banners and full-body cutouts and see him as a flat cartoon, not a potential neighbor. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Will McDonald’s ever wink to the audience that it’s “all in fun”, and let on that “Mr. James” is a member of this society after all his hard work fitting in and fawning?\u00a0 Highly unlikely.\u00a0 Because by design he doesn’t belong here.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

That leads us to 3) “fair play”.\u00a0 Is everyone “fair game” for stereotyping, and do the stereotyped have the chance to reply and balance views?\u00a0 I would argue no.\u00a0 The Japanese media very rarely gives a voice to non-Japanese residents, offering their perspective on life in Japan unadulterated.\u00a0 In fact, the image most often transmitted is that Japan is that of the hackneyed “unique island society” — and foreigners, however long-established, even married to Japan, have enormous difficulty fitting in and expressing themselves.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

To test “fair play”, imagine if roles were reversed, with a Caucasian in Japan unilaterally poking fun at Japanese?\u00a0 I can, from experience.\u00a0 Outrage, even cries of racism.\u00a0 Domestic media isn’t fair, and most non-Japanese who try to balance their praise with critique or criticism get tossed aside as “Japan-haters”.\u00a0 Only “Japan-lovers”, as “Mr. James” is to the core, need apply as foreign shills.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.debito.org\/chibikurosanbo.html<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.debito.org\/chibikurosanbo.html#parody<\/a><\/p>\n

In sum, the “Mr. James” character is a “gaijin” — the embodiment of an epithet.\u00a0 Something for Japanese to feel comfortable with, even if non-Japanese bear the brunt.\u00a0 McDonald’s Japan is pandering to Japanese stereotypes without offering any sense of balance or inclusion.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

You are welcome to disagree and see this as not worth protesting.\u00a0 I’m just making the case for protest and beginning a discussion.\u00a0 What I don’t quite get is why people, especially those affected by this campaign, snarl:\u00a0 “I personally don’t find ‘Mr. James’ offensive, so shut up.”<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

That’s the thing about how one “takes offense”.\u00a0 It’s not just subjective.\u00a0 It’s subliminally contextual as well.\u00a0 Read history.\u00a0 Any number of media icons once seen as inoffensive now cause cringes:\u00a0 The Yellow Kid.\u00a0 Gollywogs.\u00a0 Minstrel shows.\u00a0 Jose Jimenez.\u00a0 Aunt Jemima.\u00a0 Little Black Sambo.\u00a0 Stepin Fetchit.\u00a0 Fu Manchu.\u00a0 Charlie Chan.\u00a0 Mr. Moto.\u00a0 Plenty more.\u00a0 You watch and wonder what people were thinking back then.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jos\u00e9_Jim\u00e9nez_(character<\/a>)<\/p>\n

http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ethnic_stereotypes_in_comics<\/a><\/p>\n

http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Aunt_Jemima<\/a><\/p>\n

http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Charlie_Chan<\/a><\/p>\n

http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mr._Moto<\/a><\/p>\n

Yet these characters survived for decades as mainstream icons, regardless of how overgeneralizing or degrading they might be to the ethnicities they portrayed.\u00a0 That’s because those ethnicities did not speak up, or were not heard when they did.\u00a0 So apparently nobody “took offense”.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Times change.\u00a0 Minorities assembled into pressure groups and shifted the very parameters of the debate.\u00a0 Raising public awareness of how stereotyping affects them is precisely what made the stereotypes cringeworthy.\u00a0 Even when there are lapses, such as Abercrombie and Fitch’s “two Wongs can make it white” Chinese-laundry shirts in 2002, minorities complain and product lines get discontinued.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.hawaiistories.com\/archives\/004641.shtml<\/a><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.geocities.com\/tarorg\/shirts.html<\/a><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.sfgate.com\/cgi-bin\/article.cgi?file=\/c\/a\/2002\/04\/18\/MN109646.DTL<\/a><\/p>\n

Protesters want the same thing to happen to “Mr. James” in 2009.\u00a0 That’s what’s so weird:\u00a0 Did McDonald’s seriously think there are no Caucasian minorities in Japan who might be affected or bothered?\u00a0 That a multinational company, with decades of experience selling goods to other societies, can show this degree of insensitivity?\u00a0 That nobody would cringe at the very sight of “Mr. James”?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Let me quote Ben Shearon, one officer of the newly-registered lobbying group FRANCA (Foreign Residents and Naturalized Citizens Association; which, in the interests of full disclosure, your correspondent chairs):<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

“The people complaining about this ad live in Japan, pay taxes here, and in some cases have naturalized and become Japanese citizens.\u00a0 We find this campaign reinforces unwelcome stereotypes that affect our lives here.\u00a0 I have been denied housing, bank loans, and even entry to businesses specifically because of my race\/nationality.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

“By pandering to the \u2018hapless foreigner\u2019 stereotype, McDonald\u2019s is reinforcing the idea that non-Japanese cannot speak Japanese or conduct themselves properly in Japan.\u00a0 A multinational corporation like McDonald\u2019s should be more careful about the subliminal messages they put out, and we are just trying to bring that to their attention.”<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

That’s it.\u00a0 We’ve made our case.\u00a0 Still think that “Mr. James” is not worth protesting?\u00a0 That’s your prerogative.\u00a0 But don’t tell people who feel adversely affected by media campaigns to just suck it up.\u00a0 That’s not how minorities finally gain recognition and a voice as residents in a society.
\n<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

McDonald’s Japan should have known better, and it is reacting to the pressure:\u00a0 A letter in English (responding to FRANCA’s letter sent in Japanese, naturally) has Director of Corporate Relations Junichi Kawaminami claiming, “no offence was meant” (oh, so that’s okay then), but not apologizing or promising any changes.\u00a0 Meanwhile, certain restaurants in areas with concentrations of non-Japanese don’t seem to be carrying the “Mr James” campaign.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.debito.org\/?p=4243<\/a><\/p>\n

And suddenly “Mr. James’s” blog has hiragana too.\u00a0 Maybe after enough complaints he’ll be a quick study in kanji.\u00a0 If he’s not cringed out of commission.\u00a0 And rightly so.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Debito Arudou coauthored the “Handbook for Newcomers, Migrants and Immigrants.” Twitter arudoudebito. Just Be Cause appears on the first Community Page of the month. Send comments on this issue and story ideas to community@japantimes.co.jp <\/em>
\nends<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I personally have three tests for whether stereotyping is offensive or unfair: 1) Does it suit the purposes of humor and satire, or is it just mean-spirited? 2) Has it any redeeming social value? 3) Is there turnabout in fair play?<\/p>\n

Regarding 1), yes, I grant that Mr. James is disarmingly funny. However, it still takes mean, cheap shots at foreigners for a purported lack of language ability. Allow me to elaborate from decades of personal experience what this stereotype does.<\/p>\n

When asked if the Japanese language is difficult, I say it isn’t. What’s difficult is talking to Japanese people. One has to overcome so much ingrained baggage \u2014 often instilled from childhood in approved textbooks \u2014 that foreigners, particularly the non-Asians, are “guests and outsiders” \u2014 illiterate, inscrutable and incomprehensible. Thanks to this, I dare say that in the majority of random interactions, foreigners who do not “look Japanese” have to prove every day to new listeners that they speak Japanese just fine.<\/p>\n

It’s like having to untangle your headphones before you listen to music. Every. Single. Time. And Mr. James just pulls the knots tighter…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,43,12,26,13,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4303","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-academia","category-bad-business-practices","category-immigration-assimilation","category-ironies-hypocrisies","category-media","category-problematic-foreign-treatment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4303","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4303"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4303\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4303"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4303"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}