- Sep 22, 2013
- 4,956
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This is a commerce-culture 'vignette' inspired by Wag the Dog.
Cheers,
====
Melania Trump (U.S. First Lady) was asked by an inquisitive CNN reporter if she was a fan of Japanese anime/manga. Mrs. Trump wanted to seem courteously culturally-versed, so she simply responded "Oh, yes, I've come across those and they seem like very interesting artifacts from Japan!" However, the First Lady had no idea what the difference between anime and manga really was or that manga was more 'psychologically-oriented' (in terms of sociocultural themes!).
When Mrs. Trump's son (Donald Trump, Jr.) discovered her mother was interrogated on anime/manga and hew knew his mom didn't know much about it, he decided to do some anime/manga research of his own (since he himself was actually rather interested in Japanese art!) and investigate two iconic characters from two iconic anime/manga movies. The first movie was a space-adventure robotics-fantasy anime called Robotech II: The Sentinels. Trump (Jr.) noted how the anime-movie characterized democracy-oriented daydreams with a robotics-coloring(!) and hence was rather 'post-modern.'
The character from Robotech II: The Sentinels that Trump (Jr.) was interested in was an ace-pilot named Max Sterling (who had blue hair!) and wore eye-glasses. Max was an intriguing character in the anime-movie, and Trump (Jr.) wanted to understand his artistic symbolism and compare it to a manga-character from a manga-movie. Trump (Jr.) was sure that Max Sterling was the Japanese-anime equivalent of Luke Skywalker.
The manga-movie Trump (Jr.) wanted to look at was Space Adventure Cobra. This manga-adapted movie was about space-adventures and bounty-hunters who are also caught up in the tangles of complicated romance. This manga-movie represented futurama lifestyle 'modelling' and Trump (Jr.) considered it a Japanese space-joyride rendition of Buckaroo Banzai.
The character-of-interest from Space Adventure Cobra was a gorgeous blue-haired female bounty-hunter named Jane Royal(!). Trump (Jr.) realized that Jane Royal was the perfect romance-foil (or allusory love-interest pairing) for Max Sterling from Robotech II: The Sentinels(!). Just as Americans might romantically 'link' Luke Skywalker with Barbarella, Trump (Jr.) wanted to link Max Sterling with Jane Royal (so he could convey the cross-sectional analyses presented in Japanese anime/manga)!
Trump (Jr.) then made a handsome presentation in a press-interview of why he wanted to share some insights and knowledge he gained regarding the colourful intrigue associated with Japanese anime/manga and how this artistic interest reflected a very modern need to use art to create peaceful cultural-exchange. Trump (Jr.) praised his father's work in negotiating important peace-stabilization ties between nuclear North Korea and South Korea leading up to the symbolic 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang (South Korea). Trump (Jr.) explained in his press-interview that he was sharing this newfound appreciation of Japanese anime/manga with his mother (Melania) so they could appreciate the West's offerings/renditions of similar art (e.g., M.A.S.K., ThunderCats, G.I. Joe, etc.). Could art heal the scars of terrorism?
GOD: Do you think Trump (Jr.) cares about art?
SATAN: I think he's developed an interest in anime/manga.
GOD: Well, Japan has competed with the West closely.
SATAN: Yes, since Hiroshima/Nagasaki, they've made great cars and comics!
GOD: America has needed to keep pace with Japan with Apple and Xbox.
SATAN: It's a consumer's world.
GOD: That's why the Taliban attacked the World Trade Center on 9/11.
SATAN: So what is Trump (Jr.) scheming?
GOD: I think he wants to impress his parents...
SATAN: I see, so they see that he's learned about the merits of art!
GOD: Art is important in the modern era of politics.
SATAN: True; art speaks to civics and customs (e.g., The Monuments Men).
GOD: I like the characters Trump (Jr.) was investigating...
SATAN: Me too; Max Sterling and Jane Royal are like Skywalker and Barbarella!
GOD: Is it wise to create East-West parallels in art?
SATAN: Commerce demands we 'politicize' aesthetics.
====
Cheers,
====
Melania Trump (U.S. First Lady) was asked by an inquisitive CNN reporter if she was a fan of Japanese anime/manga. Mrs. Trump wanted to seem courteously culturally-versed, so she simply responded "Oh, yes, I've come across those and they seem like very interesting artifacts from Japan!" However, the First Lady had no idea what the difference between anime and manga really was or that manga was more 'psychologically-oriented' (in terms of sociocultural themes!).
When Mrs. Trump's son (Donald Trump, Jr.) discovered her mother was interrogated on anime/manga and hew knew his mom didn't know much about it, he decided to do some anime/manga research of his own (since he himself was actually rather interested in Japanese art!) and investigate two iconic characters from two iconic anime/manga movies. The first movie was a space-adventure robotics-fantasy anime called Robotech II: The Sentinels. Trump (Jr.) noted how the anime-movie characterized democracy-oriented daydreams with a robotics-coloring(!) and hence was rather 'post-modern.'
The character from Robotech II: The Sentinels that Trump (Jr.) was interested in was an ace-pilot named Max Sterling (who had blue hair!) and wore eye-glasses. Max was an intriguing character in the anime-movie, and Trump (Jr.) wanted to understand his artistic symbolism and compare it to a manga-character from a manga-movie. Trump (Jr.) was sure that Max Sterling was the Japanese-anime equivalent of Luke Skywalker.
The manga-movie Trump (Jr.) wanted to look at was Space Adventure Cobra. This manga-adapted movie was about space-adventures and bounty-hunters who are also caught up in the tangles of complicated romance. This manga-movie represented futurama lifestyle 'modelling' and Trump (Jr.) considered it a Japanese space-joyride rendition of Buckaroo Banzai.
The character-of-interest from Space Adventure Cobra was a gorgeous blue-haired female bounty-hunter named Jane Royal(!). Trump (Jr.) realized that Jane Royal was the perfect romance-foil (or allusory love-interest pairing) for Max Sterling from Robotech II: The Sentinels(!). Just as Americans might romantically 'link' Luke Skywalker with Barbarella, Trump (Jr.) wanted to link Max Sterling with Jane Royal (so he could convey the cross-sectional analyses presented in Japanese anime/manga)!
Trump (Jr.) then made a handsome presentation in a press-interview of why he wanted to share some insights and knowledge he gained regarding the colourful intrigue associated with Japanese anime/manga and how this artistic interest reflected a very modern need to use art to create peaceful cultural-exchange. Trump (Jr.) praised his father's work in negotiating important peace-stabilization ties between nuclear North Korea and South Korea leading up to the symbolic 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang (South Korea). Trump (Jr.) explained in his press-interview that he was sharing this newfound appreciation of Japanese anime/manga with his mother (Melania) so they could appreciate the West's offerings/renditions of similar art (e.g., M.A.S.K., ThunderCats, G.I. Joe, etc.). Could art heal the scars of terrorism?
GOD: Do you think Trump (Jr.) cares about art?
SATAN: I think he's developed an interest in anime/manga.
GOD: Well, Japan has competed with the West closely.
SATAN: Yes, since Hiroshima/Nagasaki, they've made great cars and comics!
GOD: America has needed to keep pace with Japan with Apple and Xbox.
SATAN: It's a consumer's world.
GOD: That's why the Taliban attacked the World Trade Center on 9/11.
SATAN: So what is Trump (Jr.) scheming?
GOD: I think he wants to impress his parents...
SATAN: I see, so they see that he's learned about the merits of art!
GOD: Art is important in the modern era of politics.
SATAN: True; art speaks to civics and customs (e.g., The Monuments Men).
GOD: I like the characters Trump (Jr.) was investigating...
SATAN: Me too; Max Sterling and Jane Royal are like Skywalker and Barbarella!
GOD: Is it wise to create East-West parallels in art?
SATAN: Commerce demands we 'politicize' aesthetics.
====
