Asians in Pynchon ( was Re: Japanese in Vineland redu

[LBernier at tribune.com]

     The Japanese element in Vineland always evokes in me strong memories 
     of the time in which it is set - the eighties.  Within American pop 
     culture, you had manga-like cartoons - Saturday morning TV was 
     dominated by bad animation featuring characters with great hair and 
     exaggerated gaijin features (remember Speed Racer?)
     
     Cult faves were Ultra-man, Godzilla vs. Mothra, Godzilla vs. Rodan, 
     etc.  The LA-style suburban punks in Alex Cox's "Repo Man" eat sushi.
     
     Radio featured "Turning Japanese" by 1-hit-wonders, The Vapors 
     (admittedly, not EXACTLY a statement on asian culture), David Bowie's 
     Scary Monsters opens with a woman jabbering hysterically in Japanese 
     (which I and my friends could lip-synch to perfection)  Big Audio 
     Dynamite was singing "Sony!"  80's supergroup Styx was singing "Domo 
     Arigoto, Mister Roboto."
     
     What else?  Matsushita and Sony Corp ruled the market, specializing in 
     making things smaller and smaller and smaller.  Love them or hate 
     them, they permeated our lives.  Geez, not less than 5 of my college 
     compatriots ended up living there, teaching English to businessmen so 
     they could take over more of our country (tongue, firmly in cheek.)  
     
     My humble, non-academic take . . .
     
     Jean.
     
     


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: RE: Asians in Pynchon ( was Re: Japanese in Vineland redux)
Author:  Teen Age Riot <alwang at eniac.seas.upenn.edu> at Internet_tco
Date:    9/13/96 1:25 AM


At 07:38 AM 9/12/96 EST, Wolfe, Skip wrote:
     
>>There are a Kouple of Krazy Komikazes in GR. 
>
>. . . not to mention Ensign Moratori
     
Okay, point taken, but I still say there's something interesting going on in 
Vineland, a very deliberate look at Asian stereotypes, as well as elements 
of American pop culture that are "Asian": ninjas, Godzilla, Zen.  I like to 
think its all there for more than just comic relief (although Takeshi cracks 
me the hell up, and is easily my favorite character in VL).
     
Al
     
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