Creighton student Bethany Padron took me up on an offer I made in the back of Sensual Phrase Vol. 9 (read: Bethany called my bluff) and sent me the following questions (in bold). I did my best, but I bet there are a few of you out there who could do better.
Want to take a shot? Post your thoughts in the comments box.
1) What do you think of Japanese popular fashion in general?
I love it. Everything from the chic Prada-clad OL to the day-glo FRUiTs of Harajuku. Loooooooove it.
2) Why do you think Japanese youth are so fashion concious? How does manga and anime relate to that conciousness?
The first question I couldn’t begin to answer. I work in manga, but I’m not an expert on Japanese culture.
The second, though… I suspect the level of emphasis on fashion in manga as opposed to the level of emphasis in American comics has something to do with the number of women working in each industry and their target audiences. I remember reading a few years ago — and, let’s be clear: my memory is not to be depended upon for term papers! Check your facts — anyway, I remember reading that the American comic book industry is about 10% female and mainstream comics (read: Marvel and DC) have about a 10% female readership. Now, I don’t know how those percentages work out in Japan, but I believe there are more women involved across the board — both as industry professionals and as readers. Again, check me on this before you use it. I’m speaking from my understanding and my experience, not any kind of quantifiable research.
Now, I don’t know about you, but my closet exists at about a 6:1 piece-to-piece ration to that of my husband’s. I have 3 fashion mag subscriptions that I pour over as soon as they arrive and I read two or three fashion blogs a day. My husband buys clothes once — maaaaaybe twice a year (excepting t-shirts). He has three pair of the exact same shoes. Are we anomalies? I think not. Chicks dig fashion. More women, more emphasis on clothes. [Sweeping generalizations. Yes, I know. Do not bite me. I'm not suggesting women have no interests outside clothes, crafts and child-rearing or that dapper men are somehow less masculine. If you think I am, you're a twit. Yes: a twit.]
The Japanese market also supports a wider range of genre than the American market. So, more non-superhero comics means more chances for books to feature the latest looks. That sort of thing doesn’t get much play in THE ADVENTURES OF BULKY BOMBASTO AND HIS TAUGHT-TITTIED TEENAGERS. (That said, there was a cone-head updo on Lois Lane in an issue of a Superman book earlier this year that boggled my mind. First, I couldn’t figure out the physics of it — was there an armature in there somewhere? And then I couldn’t understand what possessed poor Lois. She seemed such a sensible gal at first.)
3) Specifically, what influence do visual bands have on fashion? Why?
I can’t speak to visual bands in particular, but music fashion has always influenced fashion — look at teen idols from Elvis to Madonna.
4) Why do you think the Japanese are so influenced by/enamored of androgyny and cross dressing? How do anime and manga support this? Visual bands?
You’ve got me here. Beyond the basics, Japanese gender issues perplex me. Why does rape come up so often in Japanese comics? How can rape threats exist in a context of humor? Is that as fucked up as my gut says it is, or am I bringing my own cultural biases to the table? I mean, we can all universally agree that rape is bad. (I think… God, I hope.) Rapists are criminals. But rape fantasies persist, and for a woman to fantasize about rape is neither unhealthy nor uncommon. So can rape (or the threat of rape) be funny…? I don’t know. That’s a big leap for me. I can’t really find the humor in it, which makes it difficult to address in an adaptation. [Attention pugilistic twits: "difficult to address" does not mean "I don't think it's funny so I go about blithely cutting whatever doesn't appeal to me." If you've read any of the books I've done, you know that's not true.]
I’ve strayed off your point here. Sorry. Where were we? Androgyny: I haven’t a clue. Visual bands to look to the incredibly androgynous Glam Rock icons for influence, so maybe there’s something there?
The answer could also be something as simple as “adolescence.” Older men, men displaying more secondary sex characteristics, are on some level frightening at that age. You know the Simpsons’ bit about Lisa’s subscription to “Non-Threatening Boys” magazine? This is why that bit works. It’s an age-appropriate reaction; it’s cultural anthropology at work. (I remember my mother having a poster of Tom Jones that I did not get. You’re not old enough she said matter-of-factly when I turned up my nose. I toddled off to pay tribute to the Scott Baios and Rick Springfields of the world. Years later I look at which idols and celebrities stir me to swoon and I see that she was right.)
Perhaps if we posit that shojo manga and Visual bands are both meant to appeal to young women, we have our answer…?
Or possibly I am pulling this out of my ass. It might be worth investigating, though.
5) What do you think of cosplay? What are possible motivations for Japanese cosplay?
I think it’s cute. Halloween ten times a year, huzzah!
As far as motivations… you’re asking me about the Japanese in particular and, again, I don’t even feel qualified to guess. I mean, why would anyone play dress up? Because it’s fun. It’s fantasy. Why would the Japanese seize on this in particular? I don’t know. Is there something about Japanese culture that fosters acting out fantasies more than, say, American culture? I don’t know. I sort of doubt it, but what do I know?
6) Which do you think came first; the dress or the drawing?
The dress.
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