63 replies to this topic

[mach1neshop]

Unfortunately the stereotype (and all stereotypes, really) stuck because some people took things to the extreme. Somehow, in the more underground/less mainstream culture, the vogue was to emulate it, but not in a traditional "healthy" manner. I know though that while the internet boosted the rate at which folks who would eventually contribute to the label's current definition sprung into existence, it was still already around. Such folks hung out at those unknown importer shops in Asian "towns" in cities - there just weren't as many before the intertoob media sharing age.

 

I have trouble with labeling people weeaboos mainly because ignorance is not always easy to gauge in my opinion. You can be ignorant because you simply know no better or you can choose to be ignorant. Personally, it's that distinction that counts more. Those that are engrossed in a subset culture and somehow mentally extrapolate it to be a general representation of the whole culture kinda do fall in that generally defined label, but is that really the problem? I think just based off this entire thread so far, we've come to the consensus that it's ignorance, and generally that's not very defensible. We do live in the internet age, so save for actual cultural immersion, it's not hard to do some research any gain a bit of understanding on a topic. One of the major counterpoints to this though would be that we've also seemingly degenerated in several aspects of social interaction - whether or not that has significantly contributed to the weeaboo subculture can be debated.

[MocchiMooch]

To quote Saturday Night Live, who did an excellent sketch on this exact issue a year or two ago, "If there were a nice version of racism, this would be it."

 

I have spent a substantial portion of my life on Japan. I have spent ungodly amounts of money on traveling, studying, and generally appreciating the country, culture, and language. This is no different than what one might do for Italy or Egypt or whatever country or culture happens to catch someone's imagination. I have worked very hard to get to my current level of language skill and cultural understanding, and I take my studies and love of Japan very seriously as both an academic pursuit and as a personal passion. 

 

Weeaboos do not. Weeaboos, in an attempt to provide what everyone says is the sincerest form of flattery, end up mocking the culture and honing in on subcultural minutiae to make a case for some magical land full of stylized cartoons and people who love them for being as weird as they are. I would hope that we all know that this is not the case for any country, anywhere, but the thinking and subsequent actions taken by those we refer to as weeaboos demean pretty much all aspects of the country and culture and warp their image of a real place and real people to fit their own perverse desires. 

 

It should be noted that a weeaboo is not just someone who likes anime or manga or even idols or visual kei or anything else slightly subcultural A weeaboo is someone who treats the concept of Japan or Japanese as a possession. Someone who seems to genuinely believe that they are "secretly" Japanese or were born into the wrong country or ethnicity because of their hobbies. Someone who can't understand the difference between a simplistic fringe culture and a culture with a rich and very real, sometimes harsh, history and dimensions. Someone who thinks that because they've seen an anime character do something, it's totally okay to act that way in real life and assume that all Japanese people are the exactly the same as that and will love them because they're white but trying so hard to be so Japanese. Someone who believes that the only Japanese words in existence are "sugoi kawaii desuuu ugu." It's racist, even if well-intentioned, and it's wrong.

 

When I studied in Japan, there was a group of girls that were fixated on manga and anime and video games almost to a fault, but they were very serious about learning the language and having genuine cultural experiences. I still thought they were complete weirdos (because I just can't with the obsession with yaoi garbage, I just can't) and didn't spend too much time around them, but I wasn't bitter or upset by their presence or their discussions over their hobbies because they didn't let it get in the way of their real experiences and learning. 

 

 

I've probably forgotten something or left something logically out of place, but whatever. It's not cute, that's all. 

Case and point.

 

There's a big difference in being interested in a culture, and hijacking it.

 

As a French speaker/major, I have to face the French weeaboo's all the time, who think that everything French revolves around nutella crepes, cheese from Trader Joe's, and Amélie. 

 

It just comes off as uneducated, ironically, since we're in a university context.

[the rose garden]

^

People like that exist!? HAHAHAHAHA.

[PCC]

^
^

francophiles? lololol. sorry. i sort of thought american culture has pretty much dominated the world by now, or at least in the west. i read even in olde england, american movies make more money than briton stuff.

[beyooooonk]

I just want to link the SNL sketches that Lurkette mentioned; they're hilarious and pretty accurate.

EDIT: Vimeo's linking strangely, so just google "J-Pop America Funtime Now." Be sure to watch in order (or at the first one anyway)

[Da-manta-ray]

Oh man~

 

I think I had a weeaboo phase when I was 12-14. However, I think it was more muted than what a lot of people are describing. I did want to go live in Japan. I thought Japanese technology was awesome and better. I loved (and still do) anime and manga. I called myself an otaku until I realized it wasn't something to be proud of.

 

I didn't really go proclaiming it to the world though. I'm not that old (23 years old), but when I was 12-14, geek culture in general was still considered weird and only something you really talked about with your close friends and family that didn't judge you. I was also super socially awkward and shy, so I think I would have died of embarrassment if I spoke like that to everyone I knew, especially to teachers or strangers.

 

I wonder if these more "visible" weeaboos are just a natural consequence of geek culture (which seems to include anime/manga) becoming more mainstream. 

 

I think to some extent, I can't get too angry at these young people who become weeaboos. Whenever Western media reports about Japan, it's like "hey, this weird kooky thing happened in Japan, how crazy!". I wouldn't be surprised if this has helped perpetuate weeaboo-ness. 

 

I generally agree with the sentiment expressed here: what weeaboos are doing is not okay, but at the same time, bullying them is not the answer. I think most weeaboos tend to grow out of it (if they are teenagers) and will probably regard it as an embarrassing time in their life. 

 

Although... adult weeaboos... well, I've never met one, but I am definitely less sympathetic, but bullying them is still bad.

[AragonDx]

Yes, bullying weaboos isn't the answer. I think we should just ignore them, let them be. As long as they don't disturb us, why bother with them?

[michikodesu]

I think letting them know how harmful this behavior is to the Japanese and their culture is the best way to go about it. Ignorance can only be battled with knowledge. Unless they are willfully ignorant (in which they know better but choose to act this way), then those people are the ones to ignore since nothing, not even the facts, will change their minds. 

[thennarynak]

I feel weeaboo has two different meanings depending on who is using the word. For those who have no vested interest in Japan it seems like a lazy way to discredit anyone with any kind of interest in Japanese culture. For those who do have an interest in Japanese culture it tends to just be reserved for those who see Japan in rose-colored glasses and end up being rather ignorant about the nation and culture they proclaim to love more than anything. 

 

I think most people who got into Japanese culture via any means when they were a teenager had some kind of weeaboo-ish phase. Teens are naturally trying to define themselves as individuals and can easily use another culture to do so. But thankfully I believe most do grow out of that phase. It is the few that don't that are the most worrisome. 

 

But probably the best thing to do when you run across someone acting like a weeaboo is to simply try to correct them. Their behavior helps no one and can actually hurt others so it should be discouraged.

[AragonDx]

I think most people who got into Japanese culture via any means when they were a teenager had some kind of weeaboo-ish phase. Teens are naturally trying to define themselves as individuals and can easily use another culture to do so. But thankfully I believe most do grow out of that phase. It is the few that don't that are the most worrisome.

 

But I'm a teenager , and I never had that kind of phase (maybe not yet)

[michikodesu]

Not all teens are that way AragonDx and it cannot be narrowed down only to teens either because there are some adults who act this way as well  

 

The one good thing about the influx of information is that one can get as much information as they can about a culture or country. The downside is that you have too many people who either hype-up the positive or over-emphasize the negative/weird/different. There are many youtube videos that do this. Not only that, but just like Thennarynak stated, but you have the lazy people. The ones who are too lazy to look up anything and so they push ALL things associated into one narrow grouping (i.e. Japanophile=weeaboo) or the ones who have the information but are too lazy to look it up and just go with what they know. 

[AragonDx]

Not all teens are that way AragonDx and it cannot be narrowed down only to teens either because there are some adults who act this way as well

 

That's exactly what I meant, miichikodesu

[DyvaBat]

Hmm, quite a topic here.

I strongly agree not too bully any weaboos.

In my opinion, Weaboo is more like people that love Japan, but in an excessive way. Like too over-rated in its way to appreciate Japan's culture, especially to Anime and Idols.

To be honest, there's nothing wrong in it, they just have an affluent thought to express it, though.

Well, that's my 2 cent, guys.

Since I kinda hate people who say someone Weaboo, but in the other way, they also Weaboo. 

/personal experience incl./

[AragonDx]

Since I kinda hate people who say someone Weaboo, but in the other way, they also Weaboo.

 

Yeah, that kind of people exist too.

Bullying another people, saying that they're weaboo and stuff, while that people itself is in the category of weaboos.

That kind of people is double, no, triple annoying than the weaboo itself

[Bexie]

I just want to link the SNL sketches that Lurkette mentioned; they're hilarious and pretty accurate.

EDIT: Vimeo's linking strangely, so just google "J-Pop America Funtime Now." Be sure to watch in order (or at the first one anyway)

 

 

Here's some

[thennarynak]

 

I just want to link the SNL sketches that Lurkette mentioned; they're hilarious and pretty accurate.

EDIT: Vimeo's linking strangely, so just google "J-Pop America Funtime Now." Be sure to watch in order (or at the first one anyway)

 

 

Here's some

 

 

Those skits are the perfect example of what a weeaboo is. I feel for the professor so much.

[Bunnystylesarah]

There's quite a few in my neck of the woods, so i wouldn't go as far as defending them. I do admire their love though...but i can be too much.

Weeaboos take their love love of Japan way too far and it gets annoying in a sense where the minute you talk about anything Japanese or even remotely part of the subject, they start blabbering out words that leave you sitting there embarrassed and scratching your head. I love Japan myself, but i don't talk about it, act like someone I'm not or go as far as trying out their products or cosmetics. I already told quite a few people off because they annoyed me to hell.

But thats a rhetorical question we need to ask ourselves: Should we defend them?

[HelloZukkiFan]

I have never been called one before (thank gosh ;.

[ezterrell]

Personally I have never been called one either. If anyone did though I really wouldn't take offense. Cause I am what I am. I enjoy and love what I hold dear to myself. to me that is all that really matters. My friends always tease me jokingly about my outspoken love of Jpop, Anime, Japanese history and culture. There are things I don't like about or agree with concerning Japan's history and culture but I can say the same thing about my own country as well. As well as most other countries also. But it is when I don't mention something about Jpop or Japan in some fashion or another, at least once during a conversation that my friends start worrying something might be wrong. That I might be getting depressed or something even worse. Passion for the things someone loves is what gives people a reason to go on when it looks like everything is against them. When their whole life has fallen apart their passion for what they hold dear is what allows them to continue on.

I first got into Anime when I was 9 years old and didn't even know there was a term for it till I was 13. When I made friend friends with a foreign exchange student from Japan who was staying in my neighborhood. She was the one who started teaching me all about Japan's history and culture. If not for her I probably wouldn't have fallen in love it like I did. I know for a fact she would have never called me a weaboo. Even if I fit the bill. My friend's would never call me one either. I may consider myself to be Japanese at heart but I don't go around thinking or attempting to be Japanese. It is all my friends who say I should have been born there not me. I would love to move to Japan and live there. Because I know I would enjoy living there much more than I do in the country I live in. I have never felt I fit in here. Even as a small child. Living in Japan I would be surrounded by others who had the same interests as me. Who had a passion similar to my own for the same kinds of things. I wouldn't feel out of place there even being an outsider, a foreigner, a Gaijin to put it in their terms. That very term could have been used for my friend when I was 13. She loved everything about America and while she was here loved being American as she saw it. I would have never tried to take that feeling of belonging away from her by calling her a wanna be or any other term for it. Before anyone begins persecuting someone and calling them a weaboo think first about the fact that they have found somewhere that they feel they belong. Secondly about whether or not you should or even have the right to try and take that feeling away from them.

[Kaeseki]