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INTEREST: Sony Apologizes for Keyakizaka46 Idol Group's Nazi-Like Costumes


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Aquamine-Amarine



Joined: 13 Jul 2014
Posts: 276
PostPosted: Wed Nov 02, 2016 4:08 pm Reply with quote
Don't apologize. You'll only encourage the whiny little snowflakes, and they'll continue to be offended by everything. Put your foot down and tell them to get over themselves.
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ChibiGoku



Joined: 29 May 2004
Posts: 687
PostPosted: Wed Nov 02, 2016 4:13 pm Reply with quote
For the record, I'm not defending the situation by any means, but honestly... This is unfortunately not surprising, given Japan's history (and lack of proper education for the younger generation) involving World War II and the like. Plus, in the past, up until around the late 90s or so, Japan prominently displayed Nazi imagery in a number of their games, kids anime, and the like, and it wasn't always presented in a negative manner.

Even shows like Doraemon had a Nazi themed episode (complete with the, I believe, eyecatcher showing Doraemon in a nazi style outfit, complete with Nazi solute, if I recall correctly) called "Dictator Switch". To my knowledge, this has been adapted at least twice: Once in the 79 series, and another in the 2005 series. Though the latter is more toned down in nature, the original one wasn't as such.

I'm not blaming the girls who dressed up in these outfits, because honestly? There definitely was no ill intent. I'm blaming the fact there's little to no understanding the history behind these outfits and the like. If Japan's political situation was better (such as not erasing and revising history in general), and allowed for more schools to properly teach this stuff, I doubt this would commonly happen.
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Bonham



Joined: 20 Nov 2010
Posts: 424
Location: NYC
PostPosted: Wed Nov 02, 2016 4:17 pm Reply with quote
Aquamine-Amarine wrote:
Don't apologize. You'll only encourage the whiny little snowflakes, and they'll continue to be offended by everything. Put your foot down and tell them to get over themselves.

ANN wrote:
Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights organization, asked Akimoto and Sony on October 31 to apologize for the apparently Nazi-themed costumes. Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, called the costumes a "deeply offensive presentation" and said “Watching young teens on the stage and in the audience dancing in Nazi-style uniforms causes great distress to the victims of the Nazi genocide.”

Jews were offended by Nazi imagery (nitpicking on specifics can't really get around the eagle and general design aesthetic). But you and everyone else in the previous thread and what will follow in this thread will continue your crusade in the culture wars, never allowing any possibility that someone could have legitimate reasons to be offended over anything. Your side is always right, your enemies are always wrong, and there is never a reason to ever be offended by anything.

Sounds about right.

ChibiGoku wrote:
I'm not blaming the girls who dressed up in these outfits, because honestly? There definitely was no ill intent. I'm blaming the fact there's little to no understanding the history behind these outfits and the like. If Japan's political situation was better (such as not erasing and revising history in general), and allowed for more schools to properly teach this stuff, I doubt this would commonly happen.

Pretty much. It's unfortunate, but a lack of perspective isn't that surprising.
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FenixFiesta



Joined: 22 Apr 2013
Posts: 2581
PostPosted: Wed Nov 02, 2016 4:21 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
What do you think? Was Sony's apology appropriate? Was the strong international reaction to the costumes unjustified? Tell us in the forum.

Round 1 of responses probably was more than enough for this event.


Since this time there is a clear case of referring to social media response, if readers don't at least find the costumes questionable then there is a good chance such readers are ignorant on the effects of iconography.
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EricJ2



Joined: 01 Feb 2014
Posts: 4016
PostPosted: Wed Nov 02, 2016 4:26 pm Reply with quote
That's all right, Sony--The general opinion of the fan community was that, given the Japanese cultural view of the war, the group JUST DIDN'T KNOW ANY BETTER.
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Surrender Artist



Joined: 01 May 2011
Posts: 3264
Location: Pennsylvania, USA
PostPosted: Wed Nov 02, 2016 4:28 pm Reply with quote
A concise, contrite and relatively swift apology like this is probably for the best. Nothing really is lost and as long as they don't move on to to Klan robes, I'm sure the future can be plenty stylish without invoking the iconography of a horrific ideology that's all proven damnably persistent.

Aquamine-Amarine wrote:
Don't apologize. You'll only encourage the whiny little snowflakes, and they'll continue to be offended by everything. Put your foot down and tell them to get over themselves.


Considering that you're making such a forceful statement based upon what appears to be no more than annoyance or inconvenience, I really think that the onus of, "get over," falls more upon you, along with serious reason to question your sense of perspective.
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Blanchimont



Joined: 25 Feb 2012
Posts: 3587
Location: Finland
PostPosted: Wed Nov 02, 2016 4:39 pm Reply with quote
FenixFiesta wrote:
Since this time there is a clear case of referring to social media response, if readers don't at least find the costumes questionable then there is a good chance such readers are ignorant on the effects of iconography.

Admittingly the hats seem inappropriate. However disregarding that, were you take offence on the design of the clothes worn as such, you'd have issues with a whole slew of official suits from around the nineteenth century...
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mgosdin



Joined: 17 Jul 2011
Posts: 1302
Location: Kissimmee, Florida, USA
PostPosted: Wed Nov 02, 2016 4:40 pm Reply with quote
The SONY apology is basically a good thing, none of the people involved - who were likely all Japanese and I would assume had a good basic education that either glossed over or omitted anything that would clue them in to the problem - will hopefully suffer any negative repercussions.

Unfortunately learning from history, which is always subject to interpretation, isn't easy and people have a habit of repeating mistakes because of what wasn't learned / remembered.

Mark Gosdin
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goatnuke



Joined: 23 Sep 2016
Posts: 60
PostPosted: Wed Nov 02, 2016 4:44 pm Reply with quote
Aquamine-Amarine wrote:
Don't apologize. You'll only encourage the whiny little snowflakes, and they'll continue to be offended by everything. Put your foot down and tell them to get over themselves.


While I agree the culture policing is out of control on the internet these days this was completely warranted. Just because some subsets of people get outraged at every perceived slight doesn't mean every person who gets upset at the depiction of something is unwarranted in their views.
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TsukasaElkKite



Joined: 22 Nov 2005
Posts: 4032
PostPosted: Wed Nov 02, 2016 4:53 pm Reply with quote
I'm surprised Sony even apologized at all, considering Japan's track record with glossing over/omitting the more brutal atrocities committed by the Axis powers, themselves included.
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NGK



Joined: 10 Mar 2010
Posts: 244
PostPosted: Wed Nov 02, 2016 4:54 pm Reply with quote
ChibiGoku wrote:
For the record, I'm not defending the situation by any means, but honestly... This is unfortunately not surprising, given Japan's history (and lack of proper education for the younger generation) involving World War II and the like. Plus, in the past, up until around the late 90s or so, Japan prominently displayed Nazi imagery in a number of their games, kids anime, and the like, and it wasn't always presented in a negative manner.

Even shows like Doraemon had a Nazi themed episode (complete with the, I believe, eyecatcher showing Doraemon in a nazi style outfit, complete with Nazi solute, if I recall correctly) called "Dictator Switch". To my knowledge, this has been adapted at least twice: Once in the 79 series, and another in the 2005 series. Though the latter is more toned down in nature, the original one wasn't as such.

I'm not blaming the girls who dressed up in these outfits, because honestly? There definitely was no ill intent. I'm blaming the fact there's little to no understanding the history behind these outfits and the like. If Japan's political situation was better (such as not erasing and revising history in general), and allowed for more schools to properly teach this stuff, I doubt this would commonly happen.


NEWSFLASH - Japan places more premium in STEM education, and school clubs and that's why they are perennial top performers in OECD PISA tests.

To them tere's no time to dwell too much in great detail about the distant past. It's simply not productive and take away little fun time they have left (you know... like consuming manga/anime/game etc etc)

Previous leaders in Japan have expressed regrets and given out aid. China and Korea reciprocated by creating Japan-bashing industry in the 90s by the former (even though Japan and China already reconciliated and were in good terms in the 70s & 80s), and extracting more money & aid by the latter (under the guise of "this to the nth degree of apology is not enough!").

And let's not forget that Japanese high school students are still learning how to read/write/recognize kanji! What use is "critical thinking" in social studies class when you still barely know the basics to become fully literate.
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Lemonchest



Joined: 18 Mar 2015
Posts: 1771
PostPosted: Wed Nov 02, 2016 4:57 pm Reply with quote
Next weeks headline: Sony apologise again after apology concert where Keyakizaka46 dressed like Sonderkommando causes upset.
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NGK



Joined: 10 Mar 2010
Posts: 244
PostPosted: Wed Nov 02, 2016 5:03 pm Reply with quote
Aquamine-Amarine wrote:
Don't apologize. You'll only encourage the whiny little snowflakes, and they'll continue to be offended by everything. Put your foot down and tell them to get over themselves.


Too late
Kotaku has fanned the flames.
They are the originator of this making-mountain-out-of-molehill BS (from a blogger living in Japan)

It was no big deal until SocJus elements and enablers now start creeping and seeping in Japan like the above. It's not if, but when will Trump/LePen style reactionaries start to happen when these SocJus start to overreach and the locals finally say enough is enough all the patronizing BS spoiler[(oh wait, they already have and it's mainstream - skip to 00:10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C18_G6wIh-Y Laughing ]
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Apollo-kun



Joined: 11 Feb 2010
Posts: 1213
Location: City 7, Macross 7
PostPosted: Wed Nov 02, 2016 5:27 pm Reply with quote
So this is what it's come to, huh?

The "don't be offended" crowd defending literal Nazi outfits.

Tell me, do you realize the irony that your crusade for "free speech" and "anti-PC culture" has found you defending a regime which advocated for actual censorship of free speech? Or are you too far down your binarized little rabbit hole that you've lost touch with reality?

I'm guessing it's the latter.

On topic, it was good of Sony to apologize, but it would've even been better had this not been an issue to begin with. However, I do agree with the commenter who talked about Japan's spotty history with teaching kids, well, history. The gravity of WWII (and even Japan's earlier wartime involvement) has historically been glossed over in the country, so it would make a whole lot of sense that this wouldn't be taken the same way there. That said? Sony is an international company. They should've known better.
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Mohawk52



Joined: 16 Oct 2003
Posts: 8202
Location: England, UK
PostPosted: Wed Nov 02, 2016 5:32 pm Reply with quote
I saw this on NHK World Newsline. Talk about your own goal, when the Government has been trying to end any continuing controversial issues about the War to bring an end to their constant need to apologise for their part in it, they find they need to apologise some more. No Christmas bonus for the bright spark what thought this was a great idea then? Laughing
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