Official News topic

[goji89]

Also some of the songs suck and still they win big.

[LSD Jellyfish]

Well, finally something we can all agree on; awards shows suck.

[goji89]

Well, finally something we can all agree on; awards shows suck.

Two things actually.
Awards show sucks and Ben Shapiro sucks too.

[Spuro]

Well, finally something we can all agree on; awards shows suck.

Two things actually.
Awards show sucks and Ben Shapiro sucks too.

So if Ben Shapiro produces an awards show the political divide will cease to exist?

[goji89]

Well, finally something we can all agree on; awards shows suck.

Two things actually.
Awards show sucks and Ben Shapiro sucks too.

So if Ben Shapiro produces an awards show the political divide will cease to exist?

Dude, we'll throw a BBQ with beers and sit around laughing, hugging and just crapping all over that thing. It'll be a hoot and a half, Hell, I'll bring the alcohol.

[miguelnuva]

If the Oscar's had a best blockbusters category the ratings would go up.

[CrimsonBloodX]

So....has anyone heard that the Tokyo Olympics have banned athletes from wearing Black Lives Matter clothing and kneeling during national anthems? Lots of people are not happy and I've seen some calling for boycott.

[_JNavs_]

Keeps Tokyo away from America's problems. It makes perfect sense and i'm fine with it.

[goji89]

Keeps Tokyo away from America's problems. It makes perfect sense and i'm fine with it.

Agreed

[LSD Jellyfish]

So....has anyone heard that the Tokyo Olympics have banned athletes from wearing Black Lives Matter clothing and kneeling during national anthems? Lots of people are not happy and I've seen some calling for boycott.

A few things:
-The Olympics have rules against protesting in general, because there are many countries involved, and it's supposed to be a coming together of international unity, not a political farce. If protests were allowed, then the Olympics wouldn't exist to begin with.

-Japan in general has a thing against protesting. It has to do with some rather stuck-up beliefs about order and civility, which may work in the context of Japan, but might not might work in a wider context (heavily debatable though). Maybe some of you reading this might be against BLM/whatever protests you don't disagree with, but one thing I realized after moving to Japan is for better and worse, America really does have a lot going for freedom of protest and speech.

-Japan has a lot of issues with race, regardless of black, white, asian (non-japanese), or "American politics". There's recently been a lot of important recognition of "mixed" or "hafuu" (ugh I hate this term) Japanese people/dual citizens, but there's a lot of pushback from a lot of genuinely racist and xenophobic people. Japan doesn't have the same issue with police brutality as America, but a lot of the underlying issues of racism are still prevalent in Japan, and parallel a lot of issues raised by BLM.

-Whether this is a good thing, or a bad thing, modern Japanese politics are tied to American politics due to both countries respective histories with one another as well as contemporary challenges (China). You can't just handwave Japan and America as completely independent enttities.

And this is the most important:
Completely independent of "BLM" or "American politics", most people I interact with on a daily basis are outright pissed the Olympics are happening. I think a tinge of that anger comes from the aforementioned xenophobia, but at the same time, a lot of it is completely justified due to the poor handling of the coronavirus pandemic in the last few months.

To make a long story short, the Japanese Government has made many botched decisions and half-measures that could have stopped the coronavirus and kept Japan corona free. To be fair to the gov, due to people wearing masks and in general people following prevention steps more seriously than lets say America and perhaps some specific cultural trends (going out with coworkers to bars instead of with the intent to meet random people and taking corona way more seriously as a threat and quickly adapting rather than pretending it isn't real). However, now they're failing miserably in the vaccination department.

Vaccine rollout in Japan is nearly non-existent, we are waiting feverishly for vaccine supplies, but nothing is coming and everything is stuck in the mud. Yes, some vaccines are being delivered, but it's so slow, it doesn't matter.

Currently their goal is to increase vaccination so it takes 7 months to get everyone vaccinated:
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/ ... apan-suga/

And yet, the IOC and other companies are donating vaccines, to the olympics...
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210507_02/

But what about the people working and living day to day lives?

Many are asking why devote these resources towards the Olympic Games, instead of keeping Japanese people safe:
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210508_02/

Personal opinion here, but yeah I think the olympics should be canceled. My girlfriend thinks it should be canceled. My coworkers all think it should be canceled. My students think it should be canceled. People that don't think it should be canceled, most likely have a financial incentive. It's not that corona will most likely spread from the events, but rather genuinely earned animosity that so much time and attention is being given to ensuring the games happen, despite a rather lackadaisical approach to coronavirus vaccinations.

TLDR: If you ever see some clickbaity article discussing how the Tokyo Olympics are facing backlash over "BLM/racial issues", realize it's intended to sabotage and not really explain the backlash over far bigger and greater issues involving corona.

[Chrispy_G]

So....has anyone heard that the Tokyo Olympics have banned athletes from wearing Black Lives Matter clothing and kneeling during national anthems? Lots of people are not happy and I've seen some calling for boycott.

I might be inclined to actually watch these Olympics.

[Spuro]

We should ban black people from participating in the Olympics, while we’re at it. In the name of coming together as an international community, and all. Black people taking part is just too inherently political. /s

[goji89]

We should ban black people from participating in the Olympics, while we’re at it. In the name of coming together as an international community, and all. Black people taking part is just too inherently political. /s

Dude, what the fuck?

Dude, every country has problems, imagine if they ALL brought their luggage with them it wouldn't be about sports but a political world stage.

Come on now. No one said Black people in general.

[Spuro]

We should ban black people from participating in the Olympics, while we’re at it. In the name of coming together as an international community, and all. Black people taking part is just too inherently political. /s

Dude, what the fuck?

Dude, every country has problems, imagine if they ALL brought their luggage with them it wouldn't be about sports but a political world stage.

Come on now. No one said Black people in general.

Sorry, but making a public vow to "punish" players who kneel during a national anthem or wear the wrong clothing is, in itself, a political statement. They choose their side. "Black lives don't matter."

The Olympics themselves are also pretty inherently political.

[LSD Jellyfish]

^I think it’s a lot more nuanced than that. I can’t even find this supposed public statement. It’s just another thing taken out of context, if it exists at all, in order to generate fake controversy. Vaguely they’re just upholding values and rules that have always existed, that while restrictive towards some things I might agree with, are also in place in order to prevent a lot of controversy that will prevent the Olympics from happening at all.

Honestly, it’s sort of really annoys me that all of you, Goji89, KK42, and Chrispy all ignored my post where I pretty much gave you the most detailed explanation of the exact situation that’s going on Japan and why the Olympics are controversial here. I suggest you all recognize you’re squabbling over something that has nothing to do with the actual issues of what’s going on, and it’s American news organizations fighting more pseudo proxy wars.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/ ... -petition/

[UltramanGoji]

I suggest you all recognize you’re squabbling over something that has nothing to do with the actual issues of what’s going on, and it’s American news organizations fighting more pseudo proxy wars.

But then what else will we prattle about needlessly on a Japanese rubbersuitasaurus movie forum?

[shadowgigan]

I suggest you all recognize you’re squabbling over something that has nothing to do with the actual issues of what’s going on, and it’s American news organizations fighting more pseudo proxy wars.

Imagine my shock...

[tbeasley]

Thirty years ago, Akira predicted the chaos of 2020

On a sign in front of a construction site, Akira teases that Neo-Tokyo will be the site of the 2020 Olympic Games, just like how regular Tokyo in the real world was going to be the site of the 2020 Olympics until they were postponed because of COVID-19. In Akira, the sign promoting the Olympics also has a message in Japanese advocating for unity: “With everyone’s support, let’s make this a success.” People don’t seem to be buying that, though, because underneath is some graffiti that reads “Just cancel it”—another parallel to our 2020, and one that reflects a deeper connection between Akira and what we’re going through.

[tbeasley]

In Japan, where less than 1% of the population is fully vaccinated, protests to cancel or postpone Olympics intensify

[LSD Jellyfish]

In Japan, where less than 1% of the population is fully vaccinated, protests to cancel or postpone Olympics intensify

Yeah fuck the olympics lmao.

Don't worry guys, the Head of the IOC says the games are safe!
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210511_33/

...despite canceling his trip to Japan recently over corona virus concerns:
https://apnews.com/article/thomas-bach- ... bc315de29e