Look, I adore me some Tommy Oliver and I liked Power Rangers In Space - > Lost Galaxy (- Bulk & Skull). But not once did I ever think of them as uniquely American. They were American versions of a Japanese Phenomenon.
But, you're not wrong. Nothing's real unless it is being focused through the lens of White Male Westerness; usually American. People keep wondering why the US keeps remaking European & Hong Kong movies. But the people wondering, are individuals who are able to recognize that the remakes are remakes.
Everyone else will NOT be wondering why Akira is called Akira, while being set in the States, with Leo DiCaprio and no doubt a nod to Islamphobia for relevance.
I honestly didn't recognize it all as co-option, and yet things have changed from the Japanphobia of the 80's (I include the sudden love of sushi into the phobia, attraction can sprout from fear) into an absence of acknowledgement that Asia exists at all outside of sweatshops and manga.
Toshiba, SONY and Panosonic are American Brands now.
And suddenly DC and Marvel's ventures into manga-nizing & anime-izing some of their properties takes on some shades of imperialism and colonialism that I totally missed.
Re: Jet Li and Tony Jaa - It explains why I felt so alone in thinking The Forbidden Kingdom being in English and having a white kid knocking about was absolutely the wrong place for Jet Li and Jackie Chan to meet on screen. I want to see those I consider Bruce Lee's cinematic Heirs to meet in a Hong Kong flick.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2010-02-04 06:43 pm (UTC)But, you're not wrong. Nothing's real unless it is being focused through the lens of White Male Westerness; usually American. People keep wondering why the US keeps remaking European & Hong Kong movies. But the people wondering, are individuals who are able to recognize that the remakes are remakes.
Everyone else will NOT be wondering why Akira is called Akira, while being set in the States, with Leo DiCaprio and no doubt a nod to Islamphobia for relevance.
I honestly didn't recognize it all as co-option, and yet things have changed from the Japanphobia of the 80's (I include the sudden love of sushi into the phobia, attraction can sprout from fear) into an absence of acknowledgement that Asia exists at all outside of sweatshops and manga.
Toshiba, SONY and Panosonic are American Brands now.
And suddenly DC and Marvel's ventures into manga-nizing & anime-izing some of their properties takes on some shades of imperialism and colonialism that I totally missed.
Re: Jet Li and Tony Jaa - It explains why I felt so alone in thinking The Forbidden Kingdom being in English and having a white kid knocking about was absolutely the wrong place for Jet Li and Jackie Chan to meet on screen. I want to see those I consider Bruce Lee's cinematic Heirs to meet in a Hong Kong flick.