What do you think?
Rate this book
Japan on American TV: Screaming Samurai Join Anime Clubs in the Land of the Lost
JAPAN ON AMERICAN TV explores political, economic, and cultural issues
underlying depictions of Japan on US television comedies and the programs
they inspired. Since the 1950s, US television programs have taken the role of
"curators" of Japan, displaying and explaining selected aspects for viewers. Beliefs
in US hegemony over Japan underpin this curation process. Japan on American
TV takes a historical perspective to understand the diversity of Japan parodies.
These programs show changing patterns of cultural globalization and perpetuate
national stereotypes while verifying Japan's international influence. Television
presents an alternative history of American fascinations with and fears of Japan.
Written in an accessible style that will appeal to scholars, teachers, students, and
anyone with an interest in Japan and popular culture, as well as an ideal text for
classroom use, Japan on American TV offers a gentle means to approach racism,
cultural essentialism, cultural appropriation, and issues otherwise difficult to
discuss and models new ways to apply knowledge of Asian Studies.
underlying depictions of Japan on US television comedies and the programs
they inspired. Since the 1950s, US television programs have taken the role of
"curators" of Japan, displaying and explaining selected aspects for viewers. Beliefs
in US hegemony over Japan underpin this curation process. Japan on American
TV takes a historical perspective to understand the diversity of Japan parodies.
These programs show changing patterns of cultural globalization and perpetuate
national stereotypes while verifying Japan's international influence. Television
presents an alternative history of American fascinations with and fears of Japan.
Written in an accessible style that will appeal to scholars, teachers, students, and
anyone with an interest in Japan and popular culture, as well as an ideal text for
classroom use, Japan on American TV offers a gentle means to approach racism,
cultural essentialism, cultural appropriation, and issues otherwise difficult to
discuss and models new ways to apply knowledge of Asian Studies.
- GenresHistory
190 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2021
10 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 31, 2022
The author examines how Japan is portrayed in American TV - presenting this as neither “thing good” nor “thing bad” but “thing is”. This study starts from WW2 up through 2020. I appreciate that the author examines both sides, showing not only how Japan is (stereo)typed in American TV but also how Japanese media companies and personalities utilize these perspectives.
The 6 case studies explore WW2 and immediate post-war period, TV Samurai and also early SNL, Sesame Street, cartoons such as The Simpsons and South Park and King of the Hill, anime clubs on Portlandia and modern SNL, and Marie Kondo and Queer Eye.
The 6 case studies explore WW2 and immediate post-war period, TV Samurai and also early SNL, Sesame Street, cartoons such as The Simpsons and South Park and King of the Hill, anime clubs on Portlandia and modern SNL, and Marie Kondo and Queer Eye.
July 18, 2023
Read for class, had a good time :)
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews