#Probably won't watch season 4 I didn't watch season 3 but yeah out of context here I come

[impossiblelibrary]

Today's rant brought to you by: Queer Eye Japan, can we all just try to be as kind as they try to be?

After watching the Queer Eye Japan super short season, I wanted to google to see the overall reaction to the show, make sure that my western eyes were correct in seeing the care that was given to the culture. Were cultural taboos, other than being outwardly gay, crossed? So I find this article in the top results and other than the perspective, why tho? Tokyoesque.com had an article with a higher reading level, with surface level appreciation but at least better written.

I can't get over this hate article though. Unfounded, dumb, wrong and incorrect. Do not go forward unless you like that blistering kind of anger from me.

But the reasons just get weaker as the article extends: "Hurts the country it set out to save?" Looking for white savior much? They did not go to save Japan, they gave some free shit to like 4-5 people, think smaller.

Their culture guide wasn't gay enough.

You want to suggest any lgbt insta models or celebrities, use your platform to raises some up?

"There is a growing sexless culture in Japan for married and unmarried people, and it is perilous watching Queer Eye present this without any context behind what is driving this behavior."

Sexiness is what the fab 5 embrace, unfortunately and it was probably discussed behind the scenes of how much talking about sex was allowed or polite and the conversation of not having sex is closer to the tip of the tongue rather than the feeling of sexiness. The West is not the ones blasting that information. It is across multiple Japanese printed newspapers and online stories by now and the "context" is still being discussed and debated amongst Japanese. So I don't think any outsiders should be weighing in or "explaining" this phenomenon. We can repeat what we have been told but guessing at the reasons is not our place. The reasons illustrated by the author of the article seem lacking, a take but not the only one, but who am I to speak on that being in a sexual relationship with someone who pulls from that culture?

Kiko begins to lecture Yoko-san on how she “threw away her womanhood” (referring to a Japanese idiom, onna wo suteru) by going makeup-free and wearing drab, shapeless clothes.

The mistranslation by the subtitles fixed by this author was necessary information. But Kiko didn't lecture her on it, it was brought up by Yoko before any of them arrived, that was her theme, that was what she had decided to focus on. Meanwhile, if you watched Jonathan, he understood there was no time to spend on makeup and skincare so provided her a one instrument, 3 points of color on the skin to feel prettier. That and the entire episode being the 5 treating her like a woman on a date, not trying to hook her up, which is what they did in American eps.

"In teaching a Japanese woman, who already struggles to find time for herself, how to make an English recipe, Antoni is making great TV and nothing more."

So Antoni shouldn't have taught her apple pie because it's too exotic for a Japanese woman. (Can you smell the sexism?)

He didn't make an apple pie, altho Yoko did mention her mother made that for her when she was a kid. He made an apple tartine after going to a Japanese bakery who makes that all the time. Then highlighted the apples came from Fuji in true Japanese media fashion. Honey, American television doesn't usually highlight where the ingredients come from. A Japanese producer told him to do that. So all worries handled within the same ep. She got Japanese ingredients, had the recipe shown to her and then made it for her friends in her own house. Did the author actually watch this show or nah?

"beaten over the head with his western self-help logic. “You have to live for yourself,” he says."

The style of build up the 5 went for was confrontational but in a "I'm fighting for you" way. It's hard to describe, but the best I can say is, a person has multiple voices in their head, from parents, siblings, society, and maybe themselves. By being loud and obnoxious, American staples right there, they are adding one more voice. You deserve this, you are amazing, you are worth it. I know this is against most Japanese cultural modesty, but maybe it shouldn't be.

Sarcasm lies ahead:

Apparently: mispronunciation is microaggressions, not just someone who had a sucky school system. Yea okay, They're laughing at the language not at how stumbling these monolinguals are with visiting another country. Mmhm. Japanese don't say I love you and don't touch and that should stay that way instead of maybe, once in awhile, feeling like they can hug. Yeah, let's just ignore Yoko's break down that she had never hugged her lifelong friend after hugging strangers multiple times. Maid cafes are never sexualized in Japan ever, just don't go down that one street in Akihabara where the men are led off by the hand sheepishly blushing. Gag me. And Japanese men love to cry in front of their wives and would never break down once the wife leaves. I have never seen a Japanese movie showcase that move. Grr.

"I identify as many cultures."

So you're a Japanese man when it's convenient for you to get an article published? Are you nationally Japanese or just ethnically or culturally?

Homeland is an inherently racist word?

"After the Bush administration created the Department of Homeland Security after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a Republican consultant and speechwriter Peggy Noonan urged, “the name Homeland Security grates on a lot of people, understandably. Homeland isn’t really an American word, it’s not something we used to say or say now.”

Yes, let's use a Washington Post article rather than a etymology professor. Yes, the google search results increased after 2001 Homeland Security was used but the word has been around since the 1660s and I've read multiple turn of the century lit on white people returning to their homeland, i.e. the town off the coast they were born in.

"But" is not disagreeing. I think the repeated offender for the author is the not acknowledging the makeover-ees feelings. But, that is how LGBT have decided to deal with the inner voices that invade from society. They are just that, not our own, they are the influence of society, and we can choose, we have to choose, to be influenced by someone, anyone else.

Karamo can't speak about being black when an Asian is speaking about being Asian, even though the Asian gay man was feeling alone. It's called relating bitches, and I'm done with people saying that is redirecting the conversation, it's extending the conversation. That's how we talk, the spotlight is shared, especially when someone's about to cry and doesn't want to be seen as crying, time to turn the spotlight.

The gay monk wasn't good enough, you should have invited the gay politician.

Yeah, causes I'm sure a politician has all the time in the world for a quick stint and cry. They picked a Japanese monk who travels to NY because they had a guest who travels to the West too. Did you want him to stop traveling back and forth? Did you want a pure, ethnic and cultural Japanese gay man who has no ties to the west to talk to this Western educated young man? Seriously?

This is just not how it works in Japan.

Being in a multi-cultural marriage between two rebels, discussions on facets of culture are plenty in my household. Culture should be respected enough to be considered but not held on a pedestal like we should never adjust or throw some things out. LGBT being quiet and private for instance. "Being seen" was Jonathan's advice, and a good one especially for a Japanese gay man that was called feminine since he was a kid. Some gay men can hide, but as Jonathan said, he couldn't hide what he was, he couldn't hide this. So fuck it. Don't hide. It's actually more dangerous for a feminine man to come off as anxious rather than gay and proud. It makes you more of a target if they think you won't fight back. Proud means, Imma throw hands too, bitch.

This is also from the civil rights playbook going back to Black America: never hold a protest or a fight without the cameras, without being seen. LGBT have found the more seen they are, in media, in the streets, the better off we are. When LGBT Americans were being "private" about our lifestyles, we died, a la 1980s. They won't care if you start dying off if they never saw you to begin with.

And hence why I think the author's real anger is from these 5 being seen dancing flamboyantly in Shibuya, in Harajuku, afforded the privilege of doing this safely because of their tourist status, cameras and very low violence rate in Tokyo, loud and obnoxiously. Honestly, they wouldn't have been invited or nominated if they didn't want that brash American-ness coming into their home, just for a taste, at least.

Here's my real anger, my own jealousy: Japan's queer community currently does not have marriage or adoption rights. US does, so we have progressed further. But we are also not that many years from being tied to cow fences with barbed wire, beaten with baseball bats and left for dead overnight. If things are so bad over there, maybe take a few pages from the civil right playbook we took so much time to perfect and produced by the Black Americans who fought first. But so far, I only hear loss of jobs and marriages, which we still have here too. Stop trying to divide us, we are one community, LGBT around the world and we are here to try to help. Take it or leave it, it's not like we're going to go organize your own Pride parade for you.

Rant over? I guess. Is this important enough to be put in the google results along with his. Hell no, anyone with half a mind can see he's reaching more than half the time. And any argument about: this wasn't covered! There are a shit ton of conversations that are not covered in the 45 min they have. They are not a civil rights show, it's a makeover show, doing their best in that direction anyway. Know what it is.

Next blog post, what research I would guess was happening behind the scenes for each of the 5? I'm pretty sure I saw Jonathan doing Japanese style makeup there...

[makczio]

Maxence Danet-Fauvel's interview for EntourageS with Kevin Elarbi part 2/2

Last line was by Kevin: : So now we'll talk about the series you picked. First we're going to talk about an amazing serie, and OCS serie called Westworld and the a scene without visual effects but I think you'd like with Anthony Hawkins, a philosophical scene from the first season

The scene is about a character telling a story about a dog chasing after a cat. This is a story about freedom

K: Yes so a great serie. Season 1 and 2 available on OCS, and waiting season 3 coming in January 2020 and I'd love to see the cast on EntourageS. How did you discovered Westworld, what do you like about that serie and who are you favourite characters?

M: So I discovered Westworld the day after a party

K: Unusual!

M: Haha yes! Because I didn't had OCS and...

K: Not good!

M: I know! I know haha! 

K: OCS that we kiss (again, we say "we kiss" in France when we mean we salute)

M: OCS that we kiss obviously. So I discovered OCS at a friend's called Chloé and she's the one who discovered the serie, she probably already watched a couple of episodes and we decided to watch from the beginning and we watched all of it. And what was the second question?

K: What do you like about this serie and the characters that you liked the most

M: Ah first I'm a big fan of Anthony Hawkins, a really big fan. I think he's an excellent example of acting, we see everything in his eyes, he's an actor that you can see he knows his text and a rich subtext. You can see in this scene that everything is crazy, every monologue scene you feel that he worked them for hours, weeks or even months. Because when you watch them you can feel everything he says like he really lived them. He's really a phenomenal actor… Fucj I'm losing myself so I forget the questions 

K: Haha no it was what you liked about this series and characters that you liked

M: Haha so I answered the last one before. But what I love about this serie is the thematic. Dystopia, I love it. I'm a big fan of Philip K. Dick, Globalia, all his books I spend hours reading them when I was a teenager. I loved it! And I think it's subjects that seems fat but not that far, and it's something that can happen if the worst happens, and I find it really cool

K: Not really that far

M: Yeah not really that far when you watch the news nowadays but it's crazy! But I was a little bit spoiled

K: Who did this?

M: My best bud

K: Ah that's not cool, that's why Westworld it's important to watch it the day the episode is out 

M: But for me it was just the context that I've been spoiled. We discover it very fast but he told me "Wow watch that serie it's awesome because…" I won't say because I've been told and I didn't liked it but it's also what made me wanna start it

K: Yeah we discover it fast, it's in the pilot if I remember well

M: Yeah it's not a big spoil and it's also what made me wanna start it. That dude also did it with Lost, he told me about the… about the small cage

K: Be careful about what you'll say

M: Haha yeah so he told me about the small cage, so he explained me just this thing and it's what made me wanna start it too, and I binge watched it in 3 weeks

K: (talking to the listener) So I you advise you to start Westworld, binge watch the first 2 seasons before season 3 in January. I hope I would be able to talk about with the cast, it's in negotiation right now. So we're going to talk about another serie, a serie that I love. I chose a scene from season 1, a symbolic scene from True Detective. If you like this serie, there's a book coming up this week wrote by a certain Kevin Elarbi about the discussions with all the cast. It wasn't with Matthew McConaughey that I spoke with it was Stephen Dorff. We're going to watch a scene with Matthew McConaughey and you'll react about True Detective, also on OCS

The scene is 2 detectives in a car talking about the crime scene they just saw, religion and pessimism.

K: Yes so Matthew McConaughey in True Detective. The season one is a wonderful season, the second one is more weak and that's why they took some time to come back with an amazing season 3. So in my book I talk about this conversation with Stephen Dorff who is a GREAT actor. Have you seen season 3?

M: Nope

K: You have to see it. It's really amazing

M: I haven't seen the second either

K: You just saw the first one? It's the best one. So tell us what you liked about the first 

M: What I liked about the first one… hm… Yeah I was going to talk about actors again but that's my passion 

K: And that's why you're here

M: Yeah because Matthew McConaughey is incredible, he amazes me everytime! Even with a scene like that he kills me because there a lot of things were I found myself in True Detective. I know it doesn't seem like it but I also am a pessimist person. Without the shell of this character but I kinda have the same thoughts about our society haha

K: It's not being pessimistic but realistic 

M: Yes, yeah that's what he says. So that and what I really liked in this serie is that I found it amazing because there's so many clichés! I mean the two cops not liking each other, the cheating stories, you could think "It's all the crime serie clichés, I won't watch it" but it works so well, it works because the actors are incredible, the directing is crazy and the plot is catchy. I mean I started True Detective and I binge watched it in one night

K: Oh yeah the 10 episodes?

M: 8

K: 8 episodes yes, 8×55

M: I think I started around 4 and I went to bed only when I finished it

K: We're going to watch another scene from one of the series you picked. We have to be fast because we're short on time, the control room reprimand me

M: Oh no!

K: But I would love that you react to some series, a few quick words. So we already talked about Westworld and True Detective. Earlier I said in the introduction that Skam made me think a lot with your love scene about Euphoria 

M: That's such an amazing compliment 

K: Euphoria that I a GREAT queer serie, but not only. A serie that we discovered last summer and got huge and we're thankful about that. A few words about Euphoria and what do you like about this serie?

M: So I discovered Euphoria a Wednesday morning at one of my young coach and friend called Titouan Gautier. You know him?

K: Yes

M: Really? That's awesome! Titouan Gautier is an amazing human being and I went to a party spend the night at his place. And in the morning he asked me if I watched Euphoria and he told me "I watched everything yesterday but I don't mind watching it again today" and I was like "Are you sure?" and same I watched it all

K: Oh you saw all the episodes on the same day? You're lucky!

M: Yes all in one day, I had a lot of luck because I missed the information the time that every episode went out so I watched all of them in a day

K: Zendaya is incredible 

M: Pff wow!

K: And the prologue scene, the bad trip ones. It's for me one of the best prologue we had in a serie for a long time

M: Yes, and after playing a bipolar character in Skam France, I can say that the actress and the realisation of the scene are amazing. But the scene were she has a phase were she's a detective is mind blowing, really really mind blowing 

K: So lucky for you that you haven't seen this serie before playing a bipolar character because you would've been inspired 

M: Totally!

K: But it didn't scared you to watch knowing you would play Eliott after again?

M: I didn't knew she was bipolar (side note: max u dumb it's in the first episode in the first five minutes haha)

K: But when you realised, you didn't thought "Oh no I don't wanna see that yet"? You wanted to watch it again

M: I wanted to watch it again because I thought her interpretation was 1000 times better than mine. It's crazy 

K: But it's two interpretations very different 

M: Yes that's true but I thought she was very impressive in these scene, and I forgot the name of the other actress that I also found really, for a first role really… What was her name again?

K: … I forgot it too...

M: Anyway I found her excellent too, and I think it was her first shooting, and honestly I was blown away, really talented 

K: Okay so we're going to be fast because I would love to play a scene from Peaky Blinders because I can't leave you without talking about it. But I bother me because… Nevermind. How I met your mother, I chose a scene from Barney but again, we don't have enough time. Himym is a serie that is still a bestseller, with Barney's books in bookstores. A few words about this serie, favourite characters.

M: This serie I watched it I was with a girl called Élise and...

K: We kiss Élise!

M: We kiss Élise yes! And we were chilling watching this serie, we weren't doing anything, and well we did season 1 to 9, and again, and again, and again… And I think I watched it in total more than 15 times, every seasons. We also went to a point where we were like "Season 3 episode 17". We knew everything, everything, from the beginning to the end of the episode! And How I met your mother is my good mood serie, hungover day, depressed phase, the beginning of the winter… You watch Himym and it's better than a chimney fire

K: I feel that you watch a lot of serie when you're hungover or depressed, I totally understand! I hear in my earpiece that Zendaya's partner in Euphoria is Hunter Schafer and with that...

M: Yes Hunter Schafer putain!

K: With that theme of a trans person that isn't mentioned, and thank Euphoria for that. That's why it's such a good serie, it's because it isn't something they talk about, it is, but it's not...

M: Yes that's awesome. Like Skam, it's not a big deal and it's so good

K: Voilà! You understand now why I made a link!

M: Yes yes I understand!

K: Be careful, now I know you'll be mad to have just a few minutes to talk about it and I understand 

M: Oh God you're going to talk about Tree of life 

K: No (he's showing the logo of the show Betaseries) you know what comes from this logo? From Breaking bad, we can't not talk about it. Obviously an important serie from these last few years. A few words about Breaking bad?

M: hm...

K: How did you discovered it?

M: No no no! It's the same haha, again putain 

K: So what did you liked about that serie?

M: No I'm saying bullshit, I was my ancient roommate called Julie George that I kiss a lot because I miss her, she's in New York

K: So series with you are something that you share

M: Yes i discover a lot with people, because I'm almost never alone and i see a lot my friends, like all the time. Breaking bad is something people have to watch because the scenes are AMAZING. I make it very quick. But, once again I'm going to talk about actors because that's something that kills me. The duo from Breaking bad is the quintessence of my acting method. It's really… They're phenomenal. I learned a lot, I'm talking about acting techniques, about illustrations, it's something I learned at the Actors Factory, about… yeah I'm not going to talk about it forever about the method. But it's really a serie with excellent actors, they're complete, they're really actors with a good method… Anyway the serie is magnificent. That's a cliffhanger, it's the magic formula 

K: I agree. We're going to play another scene, a 15 seconds scene, it's not a lot but I want you to see it so you can talk about it easily because really wanna talk about it before the podcast ends. It's Peaky Blinders. But before I'm going to respond to what you just said, that the Actors Factory looks like Group Theater, I'm thinking about Marlon Brando, Lee Strasberg, and it's not theater, and I think it's really close and that you're the new generation, and I say it with all the love I have for Group Theater 

M: I believe it and I hope so

K: I believe it. So a scene from Peaky Blinders

In the scene, Thomas Shelby is talking to Danny about the man he killed. Telling him that the brothers of the man are ready to kill him

K: It was so fast sorry! So Peaky Blinders, I know it's the first time you see it in French (of all the scene showed, this one is the only one that has been translated in French) I'm sorry

M: Yeah, yeah please watch series in the original language 

K: YES!

M: Yes because it kills the actor's work if you watch it with another voice

K: It kills the actor's work and we agree that it takes 50%, no it takes 85% of the charm��

M: And when a GREAT actor plays even if you take out the sound you can understand what they say, so watch in the original language 

K: I agree watch it in the original language stop with the french! So Peaky Blinders a few words about this aerie, how did you discovered it, why… no we're going to do something else for this serie. Why should people watch it? Especially young people that follow you

M: Fuck, this time I would've said...

K: Then do both!

M: Why should you people watch it? Because first it talks about a historical period that's a little forgotten, between the two wars, we hear a lot about the 30 years post war (the second), but it's nice to see what happened for the middle class in Birmingham, it's so interesting. Also the directing is crazy

K: And the lights

M: What? Oh yes the lights! No, everything! It's really mind blowing, every scene, the slow motion, wow that's crazy! The actors once again, the two brothers Cillian Murphy (funny, he pronounces it Sillian) and, fuck I'm bad at actors names

K: Yeah and me too

M: Anyway, you see in Breaking Bad

K: Peaky Blinders 

M: Haha yes Peaky Blinders sorry, it's really a serie I would've love to play in

K: Ah! Which character?

M: Well the character of… Is that a joke I wat had an episode yesterday? Well the one played by Cillian Murphy!

K: But you know this kind of serie can come in France, Arte (a Franco-German TV channel) love producing that kind of fiction, that doesn't cost that much if there's not a lot of extra. It would be nice 

M: Yes, and I went for a casting with them on Monday, and they forgot me!

K: Well it was Monday...

M: It was a Monday morning, so I came there, I open the door and say Hello, and there was nobody! So I come back there next Monday 

K: Oh you couldn't okay!

M: No they didn't came! So next Monday and it's for something from the old time like that! But Cillian Murphy's character is completely crazy. But this man is a Greek God he's so beautiful I'm so jealous. And everything, the costumes, the decor, the gang with… anyway

K: There's an excellent bar called The Shelby...

M: Tommy Shelby yes! That was his name!

K: … I should give you some adress. Remember that alcohol should be taken with moderation

M: Haha

K: Thank you Maxence for being with us for the first episode of EntourageS, you have to come back 

M: Oh yeah that's true I'm the first!

K: Yeah you're the godfather! So you have to come back because we didn't talked about Breaking Bad a lot I wanted to show a scene, How I met your mother either

M: And we didn't talked about cinema putain!

K: We didn't talked about cinema but it's about series even if I would love talking about cinema

M: Okay

K: But you really have to come back because you told me there was shooting in the beginning of the year

M: Yes there's shooting until April

K: So it means a little promo at the end of the season 2020?

M: What promo? Skam?

K: There's Skam and the other series

M: Skam for sure but the other series I don't know if there will be a promo

K: Promise you'll come back for Skam?

M: Promise I'll come back for Skam, for everything, I'm so good here!

K: Well I'm glad, thank you Maxence it's a gift having you has a godfather! So I bring back that you're currently shooting Skam France, you also said there was other projects but that's for the beginning of the year so we'll see later. Go follow Maxence on social networks, he shares about his cinema and series tastes. It's more interesting than following some influencers haha

M: Haha thank you

K: Go follow Maxence it's important. He loves classic cinema we can see it and it's amazing. You also love good series so that's cool I think there would be a lot of young people who would watch them

M: Cool

K: Yeah now probably 100 young people would wanna watch Peaky Blinders and that's great! I'm saying a 100 but I hope it's more. 1k will watch Peaky Blinders, another 1k Breaking Bad and another 1k How I met your mother. And for the one who haven't seen Skam and afraid that it would be a teenager serie, you saw the scene it's with complete actors, a great team, go for it! It's a serie that will be important for the LGBTQI+ community and is becoming a cult, 4 seasons in 2 years that's amazing! Even I watched this serie maybe with preconceptions and I was blown by the technique, the team and the actors so watch it! Skam will impress you as much as Euphoria will

M: Woaw I'm emotional 

K: I really think it!

M: That's nice!