Gender and Pop Culture in Japan

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Gender and Pop Culture in Japan
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Gender and TV in Japan
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D o r a m a

• Mass Popularity
• Seasonal, 9-12 episodes
• Important Medium

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Trendy Dramas

• Real life, hard issues
• Elements of sit-com, romance, soap opera
• Evening, winter
• Big Stars
• Bubble Economy

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GENDER ON TVTRADITIONAL!

• Normative heterosexuality
• Formula attractive heterosexual lead with love
  interests
• Varying levels of progressiveness, usually pretty
  traditional

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Depiction of Gender Traditional

• CA to oyobi!
• Arisa Mizuki plays Sae
• Traditional Female character playing typical
  feminine role

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DEPICTION OF GENDERLESS TRADITIONAL?

• ATTENTION PLEASE
• Stars Aya Ueto as Yoko
• Ostensibly progressive

BEFORE
AFTER
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BEFORE
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AFTER
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DEPICTION OF GENDER NON-TRADITIONAL

• You can stay if you become my pet.
• To her surprise, he agrees. She names him Momo.

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Takarazuka
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rose of versailles (star and cosmos troupe
together) http//youtube.com/watch?vCkV5ZCxQIsk
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Gender and Contemporary Art in Japan
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Makoto Aida, The Giant member Fuji versus King
Gidra, 1993.
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Minako Nishiyama, The Pinkù House, 1991.
Minako Nishiyama, Moshi Moshi Pink, 1995.
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Yoshiko Shimada, Shooting Lesson 11, 1992.
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Yoshiko Shimada and BuBu, Heal and Repair, 1998.
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Yasumasa Morimura,To My Little Sister Cindy
Sherman, 1998.