Cannot wait to see this maudlin romance featuring narcissism, Amerikan success, and daddy-son love and family-making. Is that Rob Lowe inside that giant hair pouf, playing Liberace’s fantastic 70s plastic surgeon?
family
He’ll be legal in September
Model, philanthropist and son of both Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver is jailbait, until September. After bio-daddy’s extra-marital family creation became public, Patrick has changed his last name to Shriver. I am sure there are plenty of other daddies willing to adopt him. (via Dan Savage).
Way to embarrass the teenage children
I guess this is how Jesus wanted to create the modern American family. Kissing his lovely wife in the center is Ted Haggard, infamous preacher who spent some quality time on crystal meth with a male hustler and is now a “chaste” bisexual. Kids looks so embarrassed!
Japanese masturbation champion Sato Masanobu
A true erotic athlete, Sato Masanobu, won a masturbation marathon with a winning time of 9 hours, 58 minutes. He credits Tenga and its 10 varieties for their help, and also says that his family is supportive of his competition. It would have been lovely to see his family at the medal ceremonies!
Japan is currently feeling insecure with the rise of China and India, but no country tops Japan in hot-dog eating, or in male masturbation. Congratulations, team Japan!
(Thanks tipster J-son).
Softbank is bringing fun back to family
Softbank, one of Japan’s large mobile telephone companies, has a long-running ad series with an unusual family: an elegant mother, her husband who is a white dog (with the voice of Kitaoji Kinya), and two children, one of whom is African American.
The best thing about this series is that no explanation is given for the inter-species and inter-racial nature of the family.
Thanks to Kathryn of Project Me I learned about the latest ad in which kimono-clad grandma, the mother of the white dog, introduces her new husband, a very handsome and very young man, also wearing kimono. He’s played by Shota Matsuda.
Sho: double spread
His family must be so proud!
Creepy Neverland-themed Christmas ride
From my tipster Ericthefez, with this note: “Sorry the photo is such poor quality. I found this ‘ride concept’ at San Jose’s Christmas in the Park kind of creepy. I let <my only daughter, name redacted> go on the swings, but you better believe I kept a close eye on her.”
In related Xmas news, I heard my first “Last Christmas” song over the weekend, so yes, holiday madness is upon Japan. Fortunately, what Japan lacks in memory-crushing medicinal meds, they make up for in memory-suppressing booze, love for drinking, and end of year “forgetting” parties (bounenkai, perfect for work or friends).
BTW, which do you find more insipid, the George Michael’s original 1980s version of “Last Christmas” or Exile’s more recent cover? What would the Japanese royal family prefer? Please feel free to comment (without defaming our majesties).
Yoko Ono still “out there”
Just slightly older than my mother, Yoko Ono continues being fabulous and creative. Great article profiles her life (school with imperial family members), haiku writer at 4 and a half years old, conceptual musician and then artist. With son Sean Lennon as producer, she’s just released a new album, “Between my head and the sky.”
And, as the photo attests, she’s not shy about revealing some decolletage!
Folsom Street Fair
This Sunday, September 27, is Folsom Street Fair. I love the combination of domesticity, family and festish. 400,000 celebrants are expected.
Soshokukei: Men are now “Herbivores”
“Many of the boys I’ve met told me they cannot go out of their house if their hair doesn’t look perfect,” she said. “They have also told me that their self-esteem goes up when their nails look nice.” -Quoting Ushikubo Megumi who invented this new term”soshokukei” (草食男子) or “herbivores” to describe the new generation of men, 20-34.
What a happy day to read a Japan Times article that 60% of young men today can be classifed as “herbivores.” Also called “ojo-man” (lady-like men), this term seems to share many characteristics with the term “otomen” introduced by my online moe sensei Bangin.
Bangin does a great job contrasting the two terms in this recent post, and attributing soshokukei to the recently disgraced SMAP member Kusanagi Tsuyoshi who got drunk and then arrested for public nudity last month.
What makes the Japan Times article so delicious is how they trace this new attitude to the post-bubble gloom generation and highlight extremely unmanly, dare I say “gay” behaviors. The article, of course, goes on to quote a sociologist who claims these girly men are “not gay”: herbivores are “searching for heterosexual love while turning unisex.” Haha.
So here goes the definitions:
- They are not as competitively minded about their jobs as men in older generations.
- They are fashion conscious and eat sparingly so they can stay thin and fit into skintight clothes.
- They are chummy with their moms and often go shopping together.
- They are not interested in dating girls, having relationships, or even having sex (choosing from a plethora of “self-help” toys instead).
I love how this new trend is also tied to the internet: Apparently these herbivores do not want to reproduce because they are “too physically tired to have sex, let alone start a family.” Supposedly, they are substituting sex with women with internet porn and “do-it-yourself” gadgets! A supporting quant stat is that condom shipments have been falling since 1999, the start of the internet revolution.
I am surprised that this focus on men’s hair and nails overlooks their incredibly tortured eye-brows. Ah, Japan and your girly men, WE LOVE YOU!
Tokyo Moe 