Compromise
Y'know, while perusing the 120-odd comments on the Creepy Japanese Things topic, I was suddenly struck with a thought: "We're Better Than This."
It really is narrowminded to focus our ridicule on the Japanese. Sure the Japanese are an easy target. But let's face it -- there's plenty to point out and mock in this world. From Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi pretending to hump a meter maid, to the oh-so-American picturesofjesus4you.com, people all over this world are just begging for our hot links and tasty comments.
I believe that the best way to solve this debate is to stop arguing and pool our creative talents to improve this blog. PDD is filled with creative people who have great ideas. We need to come up with a new category name that really shines. It can't just be "Creepy Things" or anything lame like that. It needs to be witty. It needs to be good.
So let's have a contest for the renaming of the Creepy Japanese Things category. Post your ideas as comments. The winner will receive a PDD T-shirt, five PDD stickers, and a burned copy of Phil Collins' No Jacket Required album.
Finally, I'd like to say that I've been friends with Jon since we were 16 years old. I hope we will remain friends. Also I want everyone to know that Jon is indeed Asian, that I took gym class with him in high school, and that certain stereotypes, in this case at least, are true.
He'll argue otherwise, but he sucks at math.
Comments
Shanghai Surprises.
I want the T-shirt. You can keep the bumperstickers. Thank you....
Posted by: jed | April 5, 2006 01:44 PM
Yea! Jed is back!
Posted by: dej | April 5, 2006 03:10 PM
Overstock's Outmodes.
Creepy Crap.
Culture Shock.
Doing the Un-American.
I seriously could think about this all day long.
Posted by: jed | April 5, 2006 03:15 PM
How about -
"Another Reason to Stay in Duluth"
Posted by: ironic1 | April 5, 2006 03:21 PM
discomfort corner
people is screwy
unhaikouth
or, simply...
..the hell?
Posted by: mayday | April 5, 2006 04:16 PM
How about...
Huh?
Eww!
WTF?!
Posted by: ironic1 | April 5, 2006 05:45 PM
No Jacket Required
Posted by: pansy | April 5, 2006 06:10 PM
oohh snap
i was going to say No Jacket Required
Posted by: traceydee | April 5, 2006 06:37 PM
Why or How?
I am still pondering this.
Wait.
POTENTIAL PONDERINGS.
Posted by: jed | April 5, 2006 06:41 PM
-Run Away Screaming
-The great Headache
-No, really, we aren't racist.
-Applesauce
-Sod farm delux
-Evidence
-99 red ballons
-Pantsfish
-Превед! ()
Posted by: edgewood | April 5, 2006 06:49 PM
weretable and the undead chairs
Posted by: edgewood | April 5, 2006 06:51 PM
why monkeys make sense
happy to be at home
everyone has a mommy
i'd rather chew tinfoil
us plus
Posted by: baci | April 5, 2006 07:23 PM
electrically potent underwear pheromes
ok, that might be a little long, but I love the phrase
Posted by: edgewood | April 5, 2006 07:28 PM
I say don't change the category, since it did not, in reality, reflect a bigoted attitude. It is pretty easy for Jon to kick to the soft underbelly of this by-and-large liberal/progressive scene (the equivalent of shouting fire in a crowded theater because someone lit a fart, and then getting mad when people throw popcorn at him) as opposed to say, being a troll at actual racist sites.
But if it is going to be changed in deference to this relative non-issue, I suggest the following:
"Non-Fully-Representative Things Emanating From the Esteemed Nation and Peoples of Japan That I, with My Cultural Blinders on and my Tongue in my Cheek, Find to be, in a Word, Creepy, Although in All Fairness I Must Point Out That Many Other Esteemed Nations and Peoples Also Produce Things That I Find Creepy, Which May or May Not Get Their Own Category Someday, so Let's Not Jump to Conclusions."
Posted by: The Professor | April 5, 2006 08:12 PM
"Creepy Things"
Name it that, lets move on...
Can you tell this is getting old with me?
Posted by: Xenolith | April 5, 2006 08:21 PM
When I read "'We're Better Than This'", I took it to be your new title for "Creepy Japanese Things". Though it would have a bit of irony and a buttload of elitism, it could work.
Posted by: Sandraker | April 5, 2006 08:33 PM
If Jon was in your gym class, did you ever have to hold his feet down while he did sit ups, then he farted while doing the sit-ups, and then neither one of you could do any more situps, because the thought of farting again or being farted at was too funny. That happened to me and one of my friends in gym, and I hope it happened to you because then I would know that we are truly all one people, regardless of race, sexual preference or dietary restrictions.
Oh, and that's not really a suggestion for the category. It's just a comment.
Posted by: clumsy | April 5, 2006 08:47 PM
At the Opposite End of the World.
or
Why we simply are not.
or
Cantankerous Findings.
or
Churlish Discoveries.
[[Hi, Edgewood]]
Posted by: jed | April 5, 2006 09:01 PM
In Descent Exposures (beware the ides of pdd)
Many Hats
Doses of Superiority
TBUTIA (they beat us to it again)
I saw this, now you have to as well
Posted by: jmcc | April 5, 2006 09:38 PM
Fairy Tale Favorites
metastatic meme
[heya Jed]
Posted by: edgewood | April 5, 2006 09:51 PM
http://members.aol.com/JesusImages/
my fav. jesus gallery.
"with you always"
look for the clown.
Posted by: ian | April 5, 2006 10:49 PM
I endorse "Monkeys Make Sense" or "Discomfort Corner."
But I'll settle for Bone Appetit Owns Homegrown or "Sudden Death."
Posted by: cork1 | April 5, 2006 11:04 PM
Barrett the Berlusconi skit is from the german movie Bye Bye Berlusconi. Suppose to be good. Have'n't seen it yet though.
Posted by: German Ogre | April 6, 2006 06:48 AM
Barrett my friend, I am overwhelmed by your grace and generosity. I promise to make a positive contribution to the replacement of "Creepy Japanese Things." I am up against some stiff competition already!
As for that stereotype, it's true Asians, by in large, are body hair deficient. And I am terrible at math.
Posted by: Jon | April 6, 2006 08:16 AM
Overseas oddities
From the people who brought us Godzilla (or Mothra, etc. Take your pick.)
I'm really liking "discomfort corner."
Posted by: clumsy | April 6, 2006 08:16 AM
From the Kozy's back room
From the Anchor library
Off the boat
Galleybusted
??
Posted by: St.G | April 6, 2006 10:02 AM
Really?
or
Really...
Posted by: Bob | April 6, 2006 10:33 AM
Crass Content
Eccentricities
Freaky Features
Menacing Material
Mysterious Matter
Oddities
Peculiarities
Quirks
Shocking Substance
Strange Stuff
Terrible Topics
Tragic Truisms
Posted by: Bad Cat! | April 6, 2006 10:33 AM
Shock 'n Awe
Posted by: Jon | April 6, 2006 10:56 AM
Shock or Awwwww...
Shock or Awe.
Posted by: Jon | April 6, 2006 10:57 AM
Shock or Huh?
Posted by: Jon | April 6, 2006 10:58 AM
look what's in my pants
Posted by: c-freak | April 6, 2006 12:10 PM
I can't believe everyone missed Sandraker's hidden winner:
A Bit of Irony and a Buttload of Elitism
Posted by: adam | April 6, 2006 12:15 PM
I agree with the Professor.
But seriously (with all due respect to Jon) have we all been so PC'd into submission that we feel we have to change "Creepy Japanese Things?"
I think that anyone who's been around for a while realizes that this is all VERY tounge-in-cheek. Additionally, "CJP" is PDD history, as it is in reference to a post on the site from about a year ago that went something like, "I have so many creepy Japanese things to share." And let's not forget that CJP was the PDD house band for a while, and that we all immensly enjoyed the album "Creepy Japanese Things - LIVE at Yoshiko's Sauna."
To sum up: Lighten the hell up.
Just to show that I'm not hypocritical, I'll start a "Stupid Polish Things" category and show you all what self-depricating humor is all about.
So there.
Posted by: Tomasz | April 6, 2006 12:48 PM
This is not a change for the well salted PDD blogger Tomaz. This is for the first time browser looking for insight about the people of the city of Duluth. They might not get the inside joke.
Posted by: Jon | April 6, 2006 12:57 PM
tomaz, you start that fucking catagory and i'll never get any work done! i have 6 years of posting to do!
Posted by: c-freak | April 6, 2006 01:18 PM
I think the new catagory is in the body of your post, Barrett. "Hot links and our tasty comments.", is provacative, funny and nondiscript enough to place the onus of the interpretation on the poster rather than the site as a whole. Though I would change it to "Hot Links for Tasty Comments."
It's also mildly perverse which would satisfy the little C-Freak in us all.
Posted by: Jon | April 6, 2006 02:59 PM
We should have a warning for first time browsers: "Warning: this blog may contain inside jokes but we'd be happy to hold your hand while you place the onus of interpretation on the poster instead of the site as a whole."
Posted by: The Professor | April 6, 2006 03:50 PM
shit jon don't mind
Posted by: budb | April 6, 2006 08:28 PM
i want to be "in" all of you so bad...
Posted by: c-freak | April 6, 2006 10:14 PM
Ah Professor. Since I promised Barrett that I would provide positive input towards this change I am going to take this opportunity to inform you that I feel it unnecessary to engage you in this debate any longer.
Posted by: Jon | April 7, 2006 04:57 AM
C-Freak's Daydreams.
Posted by: Jon | April 7, 2006 09:45 AM
Well that must be what the "compromise" is all about, since otherwise all it looks like is a blog caving in on a free speech issue.
Posted by: The Professor | April 7, 2006 04:16 PM