It’s quite misleading that Japanese do commercial whaling and call it investigation. So I understand why these Australians are kidding. However it’s too bad those Japanese tourists don’t understand at all what those guys are doing.

I personally don’t eat whale. But I believe the Japanese anime about whaling provides quite precise information. In general, the size of whaling by Japan, Norway, Iceland and Eskimos is rather small. And they whale only the species which are increasing their numbers.

Also there is another scientific fact that whales eat at least 7 times more fish than humans fish. Therefore the moderate whaling isn’t supposed to damage sea ecosystem. But if you say whaling is barbaric because they are nice and intelligent, it’s an another story.

“It’s quite misleading that Japanese do commercial whaling and call it investigation.”

“misleading”? Well, a more accurate expression would be “load of bullshits” or “foutage de gueule” (in French).

I think those Australians took it too far – they’re comparing Japanese people to animals, which is highly offensive. I know they think they’re being funny, but whales are animals and we eat animals for food – even game (which is wild).

Raj: “I think those Australians took it too far – they’re comparing Japanese people to animals, which is highly offensive. I know they think they’re being funny, but whales are animals and we eat animals for food – even game (which is wild).”

That pretty much sums up my feelings about this clip. They’re obviously not producing this out of a real sense of malice, but it was somewhat disturbing to see a premise often voiced by rabid anonymous racists on online anti-whaling forums played out in a comedy bit.

The anime video is obviously Dragonball Z…I’m guessing that YouTube person dubbed and edited it. They did a good job :>

(sigh) Another offensive Australian video…

If they really think humans and animals should be treated in the same way, killing Australians for eating purpose should also be OK. After all, that’s what they do to cattle on a daily basis, and the Australian is certainly not an engendered species.
I wonder whether they can take this as a joke.

RTN…..well, thanks for illustrating my point. Maybe your friend actually is a vegan comedian – and that’s as funny as they get.

I just read the other day that Nazis were heavy on animal rights, and that some of the first laws they passed were to protect animals. Of course, who needs animals to experiment on when you have Jews?

Gee, do you think I’m just a little suspicious about the animal rights crowd??

“Once again America ends up the villian. . .”

No, America is used as an example of what the author of the video sees as double-standards. Japan is criticised for hunting a whale with large numbers globally, but America’s hunting of a species that is more endangered is practically ignored.

I’m not sure how you see the US as being a “villain” – I think you’re overreacting.

“around New York asking whether they’d like to be electrocuted to death or have their heads cut off. Chances are they’d be arrested or at least asked to stop by the Police.”

In this land of false freedom, I bet that such a thing would happen. ( cf: http://hnn.us/articles/33409.html#Day3 )

It’s so easy to feel offended. Plus it’s always an excuse for retaliation.

I’m not sure a guy wearing an inflatable raft asking “Can I harpoon you?” would get into trouble in NYC either. He then said, “You didn’t die” to the one girl. He asked the ambassador if he thought Aussies should kill Japanese to better understand them. Unless I’m forgetting something, he never asked anyone if he could kill them or if they’d like to get killed. Given the way that abortion protestors have worked in the US, I’m pretty sure the interview of the ambassador would also work in the US, if you could get close enough.

But your example is completely flawed. It was Aussies doing it to Japanese in Australia. So if your question is, could American comedians do it to Japanese in America, I think the answer is yes. If your question is, could Japanese comedians do it to Aussies in Japan without getting into trouble legally, I think the answer is also yes.

They have a camera crew with multiple cameras and a guy wielding a nerf harpoon and wearing an inflatable boat. I’m pretty sure no one was taking him seriously. I’d also bet that the final scenes were completely staged.

This is all satire and parody. Using humor to push the argument given (we kill them for scientific research to better understand them) to its extreme, but logical conclusion and demonstrating the absurdity of it. If Japan said “We’re hunting them and killing them for food” then this skit wouldn’t work, would it? As Tofu said, the real shame is that the Japanese didn’t seem to get his point (agree with it or not).

Question, if this is for scientific research, does anyone know of peer reviewed articles that the scientists behind this have published in an international professional journal?

Satires aren’t effective if they’re de facto propaganda, or just plain NOT funny. When American comedians satirize SENSTIVE issues (not something like President Bush or Britney Spears, they’ll go nuts on those) they’re politically correct enough to poke fun at both sides, at themselves / popular culture, or employ a more subtle kind of humor. The Aussie video is none of that.

It opens with the hosts exchanging snide remarks about “Japanese slaughtering wildlife” and how Japanese pretend to call it “scientific research”. It’s pretty clear from that point that they’re not interesed in the Japanese side. They’re convinced that Japanese is at fault, and to make that point (I’d say demonize them), they engaged the Japanese on the streets with mocking semantics. It actually makse sense that the latter portion of the show was staged. They probably couldn’t risk an intelligent, well thought out (or even hostile) Japanese response. Why go for that, when you can get some cheap laughs by filming giggling Japanese girls in flight? They probably thought they were having fun with a goofy TV personality with a plastic harpoon.

Granted this was (apparently) a comedy show and not some political debate. But it wasn’t all that funny, the stunts felt gimmicky and forced, and it no doubt aliented Japanese viewers in Australia, even those who are against whale hunting. As a form of entertainment meant to deliver a social commentary through some satirical device, it failed. The DBZ parody was at least an enjoyable nonsense with a lots of great engrish.

Are Japanese are being disingenous as they attempt to justify wildlife slaughter as some scientific progress? Could be true. You don’t have to tell me (a Korean) that Japan was dishonest in the past. But I also feel that Australian media are obligated to approach this issue in a sensitive manner that invites debate and dialogue. It looks like the Australians are acting much like Korean netizen Dokdo supporters, and that’s just sad. Your cause might be just, but that doesn’t give you license to sell that point in any way you want.