Saturday, November 19, 2005

nytimes: japan produces anti-korea, anti-china comic books

nov 19th

not clear to me why this is such a major crime. the us has produced lots of material potraying the japanese as 'yellow devils'.

interesting that japanese are attempting to downplay their east asian identity. i noticed last time i was in japan that there were plenty of kids coloring their hair in punk ways. of course, the standard clothing in japan has become suits for both men and women, and jeans/casual for youngsters -- you almost never see a kimono.

alas, this is beginning to be the case in india too. you almost never see a sari in south india. all the young women -- in many places, 100% of them -- wear the churidar, which doesn't suit them at all, and is pretty much a burqa-lite or chador-lite.

what this says about what youngsters aspire to be is quite interesting. japanese want to be americans. but indians want to be -- amazingly -- arabs!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Young south indian women prefer churidar as they find it more convenient while working - both at home and at office. Present young women need more time & effort when they wear a saree, especially before going out, compared to wearing a churidar and churidars are more convenient when they need to go to a toilet. They are definitely not trying to imitate arabs.

Anonymous said...

Jeans and tops are far more comfortable, convenient and attractive than a churidar. Bangalore women wear kurtis + jeans and look quite attractive. If the intent is convenience, then jeans and a modest top are the sensible answer. But the intent is to become like Arabs or Pakistanis. This is what the Muslim-mafia film world teach young women and so that is what has become 'fashion'.

Anonymous said...

This is arguably the stupidest post in your blog, rajeev. Saris are not very good (and sometimes dangerous) for someone who has to run to catch a bus or to ride a moped etc. Young south indian women prefer churidar because jeans is too western for the conservative south indian mindset, whereas churidar is also worn by many in the north. They are not trying to 'imitate' Arabs. You just have to see an islamic conspiracy in everything, don't you? Of course, if they were to wear jeans, they'd be branded as "trying to ape the west". Maybe this is due to the need to keep women under control through that magical word called "culture" (not unlike taliban)... the same yardstick is not used with men now, is it? Why isn't there a lamentation that men don't wear "veshtis" as much now as they used to? They are wearing lungis... must be an islamic conspiracy, again.

Anonymous said...

i browsed through a chinese forum and i was suprised to note that people have strongly taken the anti-japan propaganda. serious discussions were interspersed with totally irrelevant anti-japanese comments. and now japan is coming out with its own version.
driving the wedge.

Anonymous said...

I don't agree.Even the non sedantary workers,like those engaged in masonry or maids manage splendidly and adroitly clad in a saree!

I know the slogan of 'freedom' and 'liberation' would be chanted.
Sorry....Saree is the most ideally suited and graceful apparel for Indian women.Occasionally, like while travelling, maybe one can don salwar ensemble.

How prosaic and lacklustre would it be with men and women looking same same...God forbid!

Indian women,many of them(or most of them, I am no knower of statistics)are responsible for the present decadent and sorry state of affairs, as along with clothes have relinquished good old fashioned morals too!!!

I know soorpanakaas and thaatakaas are baring their talons and fangs.

Anonymous said...

Rajeev
God observation regards the Churidar and salwaar - kameez. I noticed the same thing when I travelled through TN, KErala and Karnataka a few months back. Surprisingly this is something happening even in the smaller TN towns such as Tirunalvelli, Nagercoil etc. I personally do not think it is such a bad thing. Generally this is considered more of a 'Punjabi dress' than an Arab one. As pointed earlier it is more convenient for working women in a hurry. The sari seems to be taking the position equivalent to that of a Kimono in Japan - for functions, weddings, festivals etc.
Interestingly even overseas the Churidar is more associated with India and nobody seems to make an Arab connection. Only veils and headscarves have the Arab association. So nothing wrng if we seem to have taken over something Arab.
Interestingly men in the south still seem to prefer the mundu.

Anonymous said...

Remember the incident in the North-East a few years back when Christist tribals imposed a ban on Salwaar Kameez and Churidaars while allowing skirts and jeans. This means that Christists themselves associate these dresses with India.