(06-21-2010, 10:48 PM)harumi Wrote: Well, most of the time if I tell people that my favorite music is Japanese Rock and Pop, I get weird looks. Then I tell people I lived in Japan for 4 years when I was a teenager and somehow it becomes more "acceptable." Like, "Poor girl. She can't help that she has bad taste. She was exposed to it from an early age." I lived overseas for 9 years and I've been back in the states for 8, but my impression is that Americans *typically* don't like anything "un-American." So I agree that if VAMPS want a bigger overseas audience, they're going to have to think very carefully about the marketing and presentation. Look at Utada Hikaru's album from last year. From what I heard, her new single was getting decent airtime on the coastal radio stations. People were making comments that they couldn't believe that this gorgeous, velvety voice was coming from a *gasp* ASIAN! But look at the marketing. Her face is plastered on the cover of her album...which works great in Japan as she is an icon there and anyone there could recognize her face from a million miles away and go, "Oh Crap! A new Hikki album! Get!" But while she remains unknown here, putting the face of an Asian on an album (even if that is who is singing the tunes) is artistic suicide in this country. I wish it were not so, but it is -.-

While I agree with pretty much everything you said, I discovered something recently that I think needs touched up on. I'm not suggesting VAMPS move in this direction at all. In fact, I'm against it. But what I'm going to say will probably not come to a surprise to anyone who watched mainstream American television.

Well, quite simply. It's not that Americans don't like anything "Un-American." We have international music sections in every music store. The thing is, Americans don't like foreign things that MAKE SENSE. Americans like to think they're the only rational country on Earth. They like to think "Oh, those silly foreigners! They'll never get it right like us!"

What makes me say this statement? Well, you know there ARE Japanese bands that make it popular here. Many of them being of the weird variety. The one that most comes to mind are The Polysics and the pillows. They're both bands with a very "weird" feel to Americans. It's not like VAMPS who have serious, heart-felt messages in their songs. No, those are reserved for American artists. The aforementioned Polysics, however, can be purchased at pretty much any Wal-Mart store (or at least online). I don't know for sure, but this is why Tofu Records mysteriously disappeared. They distributed Japanese bands in America that were serious and mainstream. (For those of you who don't know, Tofu Records was at one point HYDE's US distribution label, which essentially allowed you to pick up his FAITH album at very specific stores)

Quote:What I can't figure out is...Why was there a Latin music invasion 10-11 years ago and we can't get an Asian music invasion going??? Asians don't have the sex appeal Latinos do? I know that the average American girl only sees the Asian stereotype (as laid out in 80's movies like Sixteen Candles where the only representation of Asians is weird/nerdy/wimpy). This was something I discussed at great length with my Japanese exboyfriend. "Why are Asian girls hot to American guys, but Asian dudes have low appeal to the average American girl?" Why do these double standards exist??? What is going on here?? I could go on and on forever about this, but I won't crowd up the board. I guess I'm just agreeing with those who say that as annoying as it is, if we want our beloved VAMPS to gain any ground here in the grand old US of A, they need to be very meticulous about how they market themselves. No detail should be overlooked, and their Asian-ness should be sidestepped at all costs only if and until they've established themselves. Once you've established yourself as a legitimate "artist" in this country, you can pretty much do what you want (I use the term "artist" loosely here because I find the majority of American music to be unimaginative, uninspiring and 2-dimensional). I think I'll stop there before I find myself going off on anymore tangents haha.

The Latin American music invasion, if I remember right, was a result of an increase in Latin Americans migrating to the US who wanted to take their culture with them and as a result, more people in general started to get into them. We don't have a significant amount of Asians entering the country. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of them, but not quite as substantial as Latin Americans. Besides, Latin Americans speak a language that comes from the same Latin origin whilst Asians, well, don't.

As for Asian stereotypes, I pretty much agree. The thing, I think, is that most Asian Americans here tend to be taught by the media that they're Asian and they should look, act, and sound like that. They're taught that they should be treated as inferiors to the better American men. Asian women, on the other hand, well... they're women. To a typical American male, it doesn't matter what ethnicity they are as long as they're thin and have boobs. (That is, of course, not to say the typical American males are indiscriminate about girls; actually, foreign males are the same way for the most part. That's why I don't relate to males that much, among other reasons, but that's a rant best saved for another post!) But yes, you see what I mean. Asian women are women and that's the only reason they're treated with any more respect than Asian men.


(NOTE - I am not Asian American at all, so if I've said something that is totally wrong, be aware this is from the perspective of a bystander not the actual subject so please do not throw your rotten tomatoes or whatever else you've come prepared with!)