Forum - View topicAnswerman - Terrible People
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EyeOfPain
Posts: 312 |
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Even if your job is directly related to *nix, you're still likely to use Microsoft products for all business functions, the Office suite are much more complete, and reliable, products than the Open/LibreOffice suites. And I'm saying that as someone who uses Debian as his primary OS at home. |
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Kadmos1
 Posts: 13552 Location: In Phoenix but has an 85308 ZIP |
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I don't understand your analogy to the Titan ruler. |
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Touma
 Posts: 2651 Location: Colorado, USA |
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The fact that the content of some anime and manga might violate a law does not mean that the law is directed at anime and manga. The majority of the items that violate the law are probably not anime or manga. Unless the law has "anime" and "manga" in it or has descriptions that cannot be anything other than anime or manga then it is not targeted at anime and manga. I think that in all of the cases that have been mentioned the same things would have happened if the items in question had the same content but were not anime or manga. |
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ANN_Lynzee
ANN Executive Editor
 Posts: 2941 Location: Email for assistance only |
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In Greek myth, Cronus/Cronos/Kronos was the father of Zeus. It was predicted that he would be overthrown by his offspring. So he ate them. |
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Juno016
 Posts: 2381 |
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[quote="Zac"]
This was my first trip to Japan in 2008. I stayed for several months. I hadn't made it to the officer at the customs gate yet, so it was at some point before the gate itself. I was 16 at the time and I have no actual idea why I was singled out twice. I doubt it was because I had a Pikachu shirt on, since the inspection officers themselves weren't the ones who had me step out of line to be inspected. I was ridiculously nervous at the time, so I assume that I probably just looked really suspicious. I did not see any of this going on when I went back in 2012, though it was also out of a different airport. I honestly don't know how the airlines or customs work except for the fact that you make declarations and stand in line with your papers (if you go over for residency) and passport and such. Things could have changed from 2008 to 2012, too, but I'd have to talk to someone about that. I really don't know why it would be strange, though. I'm pretty sure I've heard similar stories from other people, too. |
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Stuart Smith
 Posts: 1298 |
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The whole point is it can be applied to manga and anime, even if it's not exclusive to it. Just as an employer may pass you over because you mention you rock-climb in your spare time, which means you have a higher risk of injury and possibly leeching off their medical insurance plan. You're still being penalized for your choice of hobbies whether or not it specifically mentions that hobby. Though are there any real alternatives to manga and anime? Is there some secret underground American comic community that also features loli that I am not aware of? It may not specifically say anime and manga, but they're essentially the only players in the game. That's perhaps why there's arrests in the first place. It's an unexplored area in American media that governments have little experience in dealing with it.
You can read about cases of customs searching people's luggage here. Specifically R. v. Matheson. I've noticed customs searching packages I've ordered from Japan before, since they always slap some sticker on it that says it was opened and searched. -Stuart Smith |
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SailorTralfamadore
 Posts: 499 Location: Keep Austin Weeb |
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There was a post going around Tumblr about what is and isn't "privilege" that I think about sums this discussion up:
I live in a pretty blue corner of the country, so as a bisexual woman I experience relatively little homophobia and misogyny compared to what it was like where I grew up in the Midwest, but even here I would say that that stuff is a completely different ballgame than how people treat you simply for having a weird hobby. And I've gotten plenty of that "weird hobby" stuff; when I'm at musicology conference, I've seen the weird looks people give me when I tell them I did part of my master's thesis on an anime called Princess Tutu. But that's nothing compared to the feeling I've had at some jobs about wondering if I should merely disclose my bisexuality when people are talking about relationships, and what kind of reaction I'll get when I do. Most people won't really care that you like anime if you aren't obnoxious about it: if you don't show up to your senior prom in cosplay, if you don't insist on talking to everyone within range about the latest Attack on Titan episode even if they couldn't care less, etc. You can't control the reaction so much with these systematic things, either at all (when it's something like gender or race that they know by looking at you), or to a reasonable degree (like something with sexual orientation or an invisible disability/illness where merely casually disclosing it gets an unreasonable, discriminatory reaction). With something like a hobby, you have and SHOULD have a lot of control. Babbling on about any topic people don't care about is bad social skills, and it's disrespectful to them and makes you look like a self-centered jerk. Sometimes, that's true even if the person shares that interest! |
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Touma
Posts: 2651 Location: Colorado, USA |
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That is not my point. We were talking about discrimination. My point is that if the law is not exclusive to anime and manga then it does not discriminate against anime and manga.
I never thought that it was really secret, but it is not well advertised and it does exist, I think, mostly on the web rather than in print. But it definitely does exist. |
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configspace
Posts: 3717 |
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When officials are on explicitly the lookout for anime/manga and confiscate stuff from Japan then there is a form of institutional discrimination. Also, the laws and policies themselves do explicitly discriminate: not against country of origin, but against certain art. And the results ends up being very analogous to racial profiling. The laws say nothing about race on paper, but people enforcing it consider it. It was also likely that the law concerned were written with the intent to stamp out this type of anime/manga since it coincided with its growth. It was written only relatively recently, around mid 2000's if I recall. There were are already general obscenity laws but this one specifically targeted drawings. Also you have NO protection at all at borders, which technically extend 100 miles inland, so whatever customs and border agents do IS the law, e.g. seize cell phones without returning them. They just need reasonable suspicion, which is based on their judgement alone, and crucially, they don't have to be right either. Given their profiling, that would qualify for discriminating against anime/manga at the borders. Tip: don't declare purchases or have them on you and ship them separately. If your stated reason for the Japanese trip is "business" you will almost always get a pass too.
Alan Moore's Lost Girls is a mainstream comic that features nothing but it. It's never been tested but it would likely pass since it's considered to have artistic or social merit, would likely get bad press--the DA's are all about public perception--and the characters are quite frankly unattractive (which is a major factor). However, it's not specifically "loli" that is the problem. The characters don't have to be children. If someone, somewhere thinks your drawing of Romeo and Juliet is obscene, or slash fan art of the plethora of high school characters is obscene, then you are in trouble just the same. |
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Cutiebunny
 Posts: 1746 |
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Let me ask you this - Was your merchandise seized? Did HSI (still referred to as ICE by the media) agents interview you for importing doujinshi? It's the job of CBP and Customs officials everywhere to look for drugs, weapons, terrorist related materials, child porn, and things, like currency, that are often smuggled through the US and hidden in all sorts of odd ways. If something doesn't scan properly, CBP might open up your package to make sure you don't have anything bad. I've had Mandarake packages filled with Shoujo artwork open before. Nothing was seized, destroyed or damaged. If you buy a lot of stuff from overseas, you're bound to have your stuff examined every once in a while. Judging by the amount of sales companies like Hen da Ne have at conventions, it's pretty clear to me that Customs doesn't care about the plethora of doujinshi coming in to then US. |
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Shippoyasha
Posts: 459 |
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I got my share of dirty looks from people for buying anime over the countertop and I just got fed up with it and just buy most stuff online.
No amount of impassioned speech seems to convince 'friends' of mine just treat me like crap just for me standing up to the fun and even depth of anime. Even in supposed 'enthusiast' forums online, there's a fair share of people just waiting to get an angle to trashtalk someone for their taste. I get it that people has preconceived notions and personal tastes. That's perfectly fine. But I just am sick and tired of people using the 'anime' word as a slur. Even though it's more 'acceptable' to do, I don't think it's cool for people to take the 'otaku' label as a way to slander and put down people they know nothing about. |
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skaly
 Posts: 148 |
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I actually quit comics for a few years because of negative fans. Just sucked the fun out of everything for me. Nowadays I just stay away from message boards for a little while if things seem to be turning sour.
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DavetheUsher
 Posts: 505 |
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Man, one time I had my laptop searched for CP because the police noticed I had anime figures on my shelf in my room.
But hey, it's not discrimination or generalizations, right guys? It's just honest probable cause, y'all know how them anime fans can be sometimes. smh |
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YotaruVegeta
 Posts: 1061 Location: New York |
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Realize this, folks: You are free to be as obnoxious or dorky about what you love, but other people are free to criticize your obnoxious dorkiness. As long as it doesn't cross over into harsher acts.
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scarletrhodelia
 Posts: 34 Location: Pittsburgh, PA |
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Justin, very good column. I bookmarked it to refer to your breakdown of jobs in the industry. Your answer to the person claiming 'discrimination' was spot-on.
I especially liked your distinction between the exhausted cynic and the lazy cynic.
This is something that has been on my mind for a while, as I read posts here and go to conventions. Exhausted cynicism is understandable (although it can be toxic as well). I got into this hobby about seven years ago, as an adult, and there's still a wealth of films, anime, and manga that I have yet to experience. It makes me sad that fans who seem to me to be such wet-behind-the-ears babes are so world-weary and jaded. After talking to them I usually find they haven't watched anything outside their narrow range of interests. I'll name a few of my favorite shows, and they will either have never heard of them, or haven't tried them. I hear complaints that there isn't anything but moe, yet somehow I've managed to watch a ton of anime and never seen one. Anyone who thinks there is nothing good left just hasn't dug deep enough. |
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