Ishiro Honda was the guy, depending on who you talk to, that destroyed Japanese cinema or made Japanese cinema world famous...
I think he helped make Japanese cinema crappy, but then again, when I was a kid, I liked Mothra and Godzilla movies (the early ones that Ishiro Honda directed). I remember watching the classic, "Destroy all Monsters" and being terrified at the scary woman who wanted to take over the earth!
I also recognize that without Ishiro Honda, Japanese pop culture most probably wouldn't be what it is today.
No matter what you think - good or bad - I do believe that there is an evolutionary line between Honda's work and, say, today's more fantastic Japanese anime or even Hatsune Miku. Honda was definitely influential on Japanese pop culture.
For the first time in America, a book has been published on Japan's foremost director of Fantasy Films: MUSHROOM CLOUDS AND MUSHROOM MEN – The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda.
Known primarily for directing such classic Japanese monster movies as Rodan, Mothra, Attack of the Mushroom People and the original Godzilla, Honda has been a much-overlooked figure in mainstream international cinema.
MUSHROOM CLOUDS AND MUSHROOM MEN is the first book to cover in English print Honda’s life as well comprehensively evaluates all 25 of his fantasy films. It is also gives objective and critical analysis of Honda's filmmaking methods, themes and relationships with actors and technicians.
The book looks like an interesting read if you want to know who to blame, or thank, for today's Japanese "camp" or Anime.
And for your viewing pleasure, here's the trailer from the 1968 "Destroy All Monsters"
DOUBLE CLICK FOR FULL SCREEN!
DOUBLE CLICK FOR FULL SCREEN!
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KEYWORDS: Ishiro Honda, Mike Rogers, Godzilla, Hatsune Miku, Mike in Tokyo Rogers, Japanese cinema, Japanese anime, Mothra, Destroy all Monsters, Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men, Peter H. Brothers, Marketing Japan, Japan, Tokyo
It's time for another episode of Cool & Strange Music. Last night I had the pleasure of playing on my FM radio show a very cool band from the USA named "The Wooly Bandits" and their version entitled "Cambodia Girl" and, while playing it, it dawned on all of us that we've heard the song before! We had! It was a cover of the 1968 smash hit by Pinky & the Killers called "Koi no Kisetsu" (The Season of Love).... Well, at least I think it is!
Wikipedia says about Pinky & the Killers: Pinky and the Killers (Latin transcription: Pinky & Killers) is a Bossa Nova band fronted by singer Yoko Kon and was active in Japan from 1968 to 1972. Later Yoko Kon became a solo artist. Pinky means "little finger" so, with the back band's name, "Killers" the nickname of the band was "Pinkira." Pinky & the Killers also won the Best New Band of 1968 award that year. Pinky & the Killers were a Japanese Bossa Nova band?! What? Yeah. Of course western music had a great influence on Japanese pop music. This next artist was a huge Japanese girls pop duo in the early 1960s. Their name was The Peanuts. Get this, probably one the Peanuts' biggest hits was influence by Beethoven's Fur Elise. Check the Beethoven song out for a few seconds first, then listen to the Peanuts song:
Now, here's The Peanuts with "Jyonetsu no Hana" (Flower of Passion):
Here's another smash hit by The Peanuts. It's called "Koi no Fugue" (The Fugue of Love).
Here's what Wikipedia has to say about the Peanuts: The Peanuts (ザ・ピーナッツ Za Pīnattsu) is a Japanese vocal group consisting of twin sisters Emi Itō (伊藤エミ, Itō Emi) and Yumi Itō (伊藤ユミ, Itō Yumi). They were born in Tokoname Aichi, (Japan) on April 1, 1941, soon after their birth, the family moved to Nagoya. In the first years they sang Japanese covers of standards, foreign hits, and Japanese folk songs, then they began singing originals, written by their producer, Hiroshi Miyagawa, and such songwriters as Koichi Sugiyama and Rei Nakanishi. Later they embarked on a brief acting career, notably in the 1961 film Mothra. The pair retired from performance in 1975. They are remembered most for their versions of European songs and for a handful of Japanese pop songs, such as "Furimukanaide" ("Don't Turn Around"). Their performing style played heavily on their being nearly identical twins with voices only slightly apart in pitch (making a duet sound like a solo artist using reverb. Emi Itō died on June 15, 2012, at the age of 71. What? The Peanuts were those two scary girls in Mothra? I think that was the very first Japanese monster movie I ever watched in m life. I watched it with my mom and when those girls came out to sing to bring out Mothra, that scared the pants off of me (heck, think I was only 5 or 6!) The Peanuts "Song of Mothra"
Of course, many western artists really influenced the Japanese and, sometimes, it was quite mind blowing. America had "The World's Greatest Entertainer," Al Jolson, who, the the seminal film played "The Jazz singer" with his face made up like he was black, but that was in 1927. In Japan, they still had guys doing that sort of thing as late as 1984... When I first came to Japan and saw these Japanese guys with black makeup on their faces, I thought, "That's so racist!" But, I don't think these guys meant it that way at all. They meant it as a tribute to the great Doo Wop groups of the 50s (OK, if their sensibilities are a bit off kilter for a western audience). Here's the Chanels with their smash hit "Runaway":
You Andrew Warhol fans might enjoy what Wikipedia says about the Chanels: In 1975, Masayuki Suzuki, who likes doo-wop, Masashi Tashiro and Nobuyoshi Kuwano, joined together to form a band called Chanels. The band debuted in 1980 with their first single "Runaway" selling over a million copies and becoming a huge hit. In 1983, the band changed its name to Rats & Star due to complaints from the French fashion giant Chanel. Andy Warhol created the album cover for "Soul Vacation" and the name change seemed to make no difference in sales, as their first single as Rats & Star, "Me-Gumi no Hito," sold over 800,000 copies. Five of the members were married at Tokyo's Hie Shrine at the same time during 1985, generating a lot of publicity for the group. Rats & Star released a duet with Masayuki's older sister Kiyomi Suzuki called "Lonely Chaplain" in 1986, which also became a huge hit. Although leader Masayuki Suzuki launched a solo career and Rats & Star's activity thus essentially stopped. Afterward, Tashiro and Kuwano played an active part and were so popular not as musical artists, as TV performers. they formed Rats & Star again in the limitation of half a year and released the single "Yume de Aetara" in 1996, which was popular enough to encourage the group to go on a final nationwide tour. The same year, they made their first appearance on Kōhaku Uta Gassen to perform that song. The group's name is a palindrome, reading the same both backwards and forwards. The name's true meaning, however, is that "rats" raised in the less affluent parts of town could, by singing doo-wop music, reverse their fortunes and collectively become a "star". In 2006, Suzuki, Kuwano and Sato formed "Gosperats" with Japanese a cappella singing group Gospellers' member Tetsuya Murakami and Yuji Sakai. Unique Andy Warhol screen prints of the album cover "Soul Vacation" have sold for upwards of $25,000 each. Well, that's all for today. But before I go, let me leave you with a song that, while not Cool and Strange is definitely cool! I think this is one of the best pop songs I've heard this year. And speaking of art! The next group's name is the Frankfurt Schoolgirls and the song is called "What Women Want."
Actually, my very favorite Frankfurt Schoolgirls song of all time is "Song Without Love" but for some reason, I can't embed this video. Do yourself a favor and click here to hear this GREAT song!
"Fleas the size of rats sucked on rats the size of cats" - "Future Legend" by David Bowie
"Giant Mutant Bed Bugs!?" Ewww! I was shocked as I read the headlines... I think one of the most absolutely disgusting things in the world are Bed Bugs. Huge ones!? That's just sickening and makes my skin crawl...
"Tokyo: Giant Radioactive Mutant Bed Bugs Spawned From Fukushima Disaster! Bed-Bugs Discovered the Size of Rats!" Scary... And misleading... This sort of headline is fitting for Japanese 1950s Science Fiction movies ala Mothra versus Godzilla or a Gigantor cartoon. And why not? The Fukushima disaster is a real disaster and it's certainly capturing the imaginations of people all around the world including advertising agencies, survival goods suppliers, political organizations and, of course, said science fiction writers.
Some of those science fiction writers - whether for publications, mass media or retailers - are doing all they can in cashing in on Fukushima... They are cashing in on it to sell their sensationalist scribblings, video reports or just plain to peddle goods.
That's what this post is about: Selling goods using misleading headlines... What used to be called "False Advertising." One of the most dispicable things about the world of advertising is misleading headlines; the old "bait and switch."
This post has it all! It is about misleading headlines, bait and switch and disgusting Bed Bugs.
This morning, over my coffee, I found one advertiser that has really gone too far. There is an ad on Yahoo that, in my book, insinuates something sinister going on related to Fukushima but it is nothing of the sort. Take a lookie at this ad:
This is the ad. Now, you tell me, with all the news about Fukushima, what does this image and the text suggest to you?
Some advertisers will stoop to any level in order cash in on other peoples misery and troubles and use scare tactics to sell product... Unfortunately, most people are too brain dead from too much TV that they fail to see it for what it is.
This advertiser has really gone too far. I've said many times that things are bad enough at Fukushima for those poor folks but recently, the shrill voices of terror, gloom and doom have really gotten out of control with their reporting of "worse case scenarios" as being signed, sealed and delivered finished deals. I wrote about that in Sensationalism, Scare-Mongering and the Nanny State.
The sensationalism really has dropped to tabloid level. Just like something you'd see at the check out like at your local super market, this madness has stooped to new lows. Here's a new bait and switch that gets folks in Tokyo and the world over who are panicking about Fukushima to click their banner because it looks like it portends to news about radiation...
On the top page of Yahoo Finance, the bait and switch ad appears on the right. It says, "New Plague in Tokyo. If you live in Tokyo, you'd better read this..."
In fact, these guys are really going for it, I see where their ad is a revoling ad along with a credit card company and also appears with a different image as this, "New Bug in Tokyo. If you live in Tokyo, you'd better read this..."
The ads are by a probable fly-by-night company named Guru Media. This poor excuse for an advertising agency claims:
Guru Media International was founded by a team of marketing and advertising professional who understand that today’s world requires a customized suite of solutions to help companies succeed. (sic)
Bwa! Ha! Ha! Terrible! "...founded by a team of marketing and advertising professional"!? Really? Guys, there's supposed to be an "s" at the end of professional, as in "professionals."
Maybe professionals at marketing and advertising but not professionals at spelling, copy-writing or editing... And these clowns are getting contracts from someone?
Wow! A lead in suggesting Fukushima radiation problems in Tokyo that take me to an ad for Bed Bug remedies in Minnesota? There really must be a sucker born every minute! (Pun intended!)
Anyway, back to the misleading banner ad. I live in Tokyo and when I saw it this morning, I clicked it. I clicked it because I thought, "What kind of nonsense is this now? Another company selling fear and survival gear?" But no! It's worse than that! I clicked the link and found... A full page ad selling products to fight Bed Bug infestations in the United States!
This ad has zero to do with Japan! It is an ad for products to fight the Bed Bug infestation that is spreading across the United States today. There's not one single mention of anything that has to do with Japan excepting the byline at the start that claims this "news" is from Tokyo (probably an algorythm that helps the advertisers decide where the results are best). When you click the banner, it takes you to this paid advertisement. Here's the ad at the top of the page:
It reads:
Tokyo: Remember when "sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite" was just a cute bedtime expression that didn't mean anything? Well, those days are over. After 6 decades of living largely bed bug-free, the US is facing a national infestation.
In fact, the incidence of bed bug infestation has risen 500% in the last few years alone, and they're not just in dirty hotels - they're at the 5-star ones as well and swarming the public places you visit every day. Bed bugs are shutting down businesses and being found at your local movie theaters and clothing stores as they inch closer and closer to your home..
Nothing to dow with Japan at all... Now, that's some mighty fine bait and switch there! I'll bet they catch some pretty good sized fish with that too! Maybe this works for people nowadays. Maybe people are so drugged out or have such a problem with ADD or short attention spans that they've become like pigeons. You know, 1.5 seconds later they can't remember what they were doing.
What's the point of my rant? Well, I think it's pretty obvious that sensationalism sells. It sells newspapers and advertisers for TV and radio... Heck, selling by using fear and sensationalism isn't even hidden anymore. It is blatant and they have no reservations about using dishonest methods to make a buck.
You'd have hoped that, after all the lies of the mass media concerning Saddam Hussein, SARS, Swine Flu, Bird Flu, Global Warming, ad nauseum, that people advertising on the internet would be a bit more sophisticated along with the audience...
I guess I hope for too much. Alas....
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Now, I often complain in this blog and sometimes people take me to task for only complaining and not offering solutions. I stand guilty as charged! But not today! Today, I am going to put my money where my mouth is. Today I am going to show you just how a company can be honest and still do a great business. We don't need misleading sensationalism to sell a product where a need actually exists... Where a need does not exist, sensationalism is a good way to take advantage of suckers.
So, without further ado, may I show you folks a good way on how to sell product against Bed Bugs? First off, find a person with a need (Read: someone with Bed Bugs). Secondly, have them watch the following video. This is a 6 minute long Emmy Award winning documentary called,
WHEN BED BUGS ATTACK!
Ewwwww!!!!! This gives me the chills every time I see it. Is that creepy, or what? Can there be anything more horrible than something that bites you will you're sleeping? The vampire Bed Bugs!... That there's an infestation of these creepies all over America just gives me one more good reason why I'm staying here in Japan all safe and snug as a bug in a rug in Tokyo...
Fukushima radiation? Compared to these bed bugs, I'll stay here and take my chances.
