Archive for August 21st, 2009

Juice Boxes and… Milk… Proteins… Yeah, Proteins

Juice Boxes and… Milk… Proteins… Yeah, Proteins

The operative word is “humor.”

Ah, the quirks of modern Japan.  In the movie Lost in Translation, Bill Murray commits to a dry, humorous take on Japanese commercials starring American actors.  It’s a great case study in diffusion and acculturation; while the Japanese have been very successful in diffusing aspects of their culture to other parts of the world, they have been acculturated as well.  Take these examples:

  • Whack-a-mole alarm clocks: to deactivate the alarm, you have to play a little whack-a-mole game.
  • California roll: the nori is traditionally used to wrap sushi ingredients, but California fusion cuisine includes fruit in the roll, and is madeinside-out.
  • Japanese whisky commercials: “For relaxing times, make it Suntory time” doesn’t really make sense, but it sells the stuff.
  • Casio synthesizers: if you owned one, “Together Forever” by Rick Astley was in the “Demo” loop, and there’s a whole line of Japanese instruments including matsuri and shasimen.
  • Karaoke: this one begs and demands no explanation.

So let’s talk about juice boxes and… milk.

August 21, 2009 3 comments Read More