Agent Carter Continues to Crush It

This post contains spoilers from the fourth episode of Agent Carter, which aired on January 27, 2015.

I'm going to try to keep this super-short. But this week's Agent Carter has a couple of awesome feminist moments, so here goes.

I mostly want to talk about the punch. In this episode, Peggy punches Howard Stark when she finds out that Howard had Steve Rogers' blood for research. OK, so what? She punched him, that's what. She didn't slap him like the trope of the "emotional woman." She punched him and gave him a black eye. Normally, on TV and in mainstream movies, a woman slaps a man in the face when she finds out something upsetting involving the love of her life. And normally (in mainstream popular media), a man punches another man when he's upset about something involving a woman he loves. But Peggy Carter is no trope. She punched Howard and, somehow, did it in a way that made it seem natural for a woman to punch a man in the face. She just punched away another stereotype.

At work, Peggy continues to face the ugly face of sexism (sometimes conveyed by a pretty face). This week, the a-hole agent played by Chad Michael Murray (note: yes, he's conventionally attractive; no, he's not my type) says to Peggy's face that no man will ever see a woman as his equal and that she is only fooling herself. This hurts Peggy profoundly, especially after she had been designated to lunch duty (i.e., taking lunch orders from everyone in the building, pretty much), and we hope that she will prove him and all the other sexists wrong.

But in some ways, we already know that she has (and will). Howard Stark, the playboy father of Tony Stark (like father, like son?), treats her with the respect that he would never treat any other woman. He doesn't have the best attitude towards other human beings in general, but he treats Peggy as a friend and an equal. We know that this was not how Howard behaved from the beginning. In the pilot, Peggy mentions an anecdote of when he tried to kiss her on V-Day and she pushed him into the Thames. But apparently, they had grown to be friends, and we know that they eventually go on to found S.H.I.E.L.D. (in the Marvel Cinematic Universe) together.

And so the adventures of Peggy Carter continue. I'm just a little sad that it's more than halfway through the mini-series. Here's to hoping that more series like Agent Carter and more characters like Peggy are on their way to mainstream media.

So What If Selma Had "Historical Inaccuracies" from a White Perspective?

This post contains spoilers of the Oscar-nominated film Selma, which everyone should go see. Proceed with caution.

I finally went to see Selma this past weekend, and I was blown away. The film accomplished the extraordinary task of conveying the sense of the racial climate of the era to someone who only knew of the Civil Rights era through history books. And despite some of the historical inaccuracies pointed out by its critics, it is a must-see film that deserves all the awards it has won and the awards that it has been snubbed for.

I understand why there are those who are angry about the portrayal of President Lyndon Johnson (LBJ), even setting aside the white defensiveness and cluelessness that I suspect largely explains the backlash. LBJ was not perfect in his approach to civil rights and his reluctant escalation of the Vietnam War tainted some of his achievements in domestic policy. But while I'm no historian, what I have read about him over the years suggests that he was ultimately committed to civil rights and that he played an important role in the realization of critical civil rights legislation such as the Voting Rights Act (which, of course, the Supreme Court gutted in 2013). So, yes, having LBJ being portrayed as someone who treated voting rights as something that was not as important as his War on Poverty program is a personal disappointment.

But I'm also more than OK with it. Selma is not meant to be a documentary. Nor is it meant to paint LBJ as the enemy. Nor, I don't think, is it supposed to make any bold statement about LBJ and his legacy. I mean, the film is just not about LBJ at all (and it's right to be that way). The film is about Martin Luther King, Jr., the civil rights activists, and other participants (black and white) who were in Alabama that spring, risking their safety and their lives to realize the most fundamental individual right in a democracy. Besides, many incredible biopics have had someone make a fuss about historical inaccuracies, and yet, many of these films have largely escaped being tarnished by factual discrepancies and received extensive recognition. So I honestly have no patience for Selma being bashed for what it "gets wrong" historically.

"Esq.," Here I Come

On January 21, 2015, I arrived in Albany to complete the final steps to becoming a real lawyer, that is, to be admitted to the bar (in the state of New York). I arrived way too early, thanks to plane ticket prices, but after killing some time at the airport, I headed over to my hotel downtown. Luckily, a room was ready for me even though I got there 2 hours before check-in time. So I checked in and checked out (mentally) for quite a while.

Fast-forward to the next morning.

First task: read and figure out what all this means.

I arrived 10 minutes before the reporting time for my character interview and, to my surprise, saw maybe a couple hundred people already waiting in their chairs. The woman at the check-in told me the section I was assigned to. Of course, most of the rows were filled with soon-to-be-admitted lawyers in (mostly) black suits, and I had to step over a couple of people to get into the back row, pressed up against the windows. I sat down, started chatting with a girl who just sat down next to me, and then, heard my name being called. My interviewer was a very friendly and relaxed, and the interview was quick and painless. I signed a card with the oath I'm required to take, received an envelope containing a certificate that I have been duly licensed and all that good stuff, and was out of there in less than 20 minutes.

「正しい」米大統領一般教書演説の鑑賞方法

毎年、一月最後の火曜日の午後9時に、アメリカ合衆国の大統領は、連邦議会で今後の政策課題などに関する演説を行うのが慣行となっている。一般教書演説がどのようなものであり、また、各演説によってどのような見解が示されたかについては、インターネット上の記事やニュースで十分報じられているが、日本では、政治意識の強いアメリカ人の若者がどのように一般教書演説を鑑賞するか、あまり知られていないのではないだろうか。

アメリカでは、政治はお祭り事である。しかも、若い頃から政治活動に参加している人も少なくなく、特に政治家志望のエリートが多く進学する名門大学（これらの大学は特に東海岸や西海岸に集中している）では、二大政党（共和党と民主党）の青年部門が存在感を示していることも少なくない。また、若い頃から二大政党いずれかの思想に沿った固定的な政治的意見を持っている人も多くいる。このため、二大政党の意見が真っ向からぶつかり合う大統領選挙や連邦議会選挙の速報、各党大会などの鑑賞パーティーがスポーツ観戦の感覚で開催される。

特に政治の街・ワシントンDCでは、一般教書演説の際も、このような鑑賞パーティーが開催されたりする。また、政治意識が強い若者は、行くパーティーがなくとも、一人で又は複数の友人と演説を生放送で鑑賞し、ソーシャル・メディアで随時意見などを述べたり、drinking gameをしたりする。この場合のdrinking gameは、大抵、採用ルールによって指定された単語や表現を大統領が言ったり、放送局が特定の議員や演説出席者を演説中に映したりした際、一口ビールを飲むといったものが基本形であり、ワシントン・ポストやシカゴ・サン・タイムズといった主要紙から、不特定多数のブログまでが毎年政情などに合わせたルールを作って発表する。

ということで、これから私も毎年のように一般教書演説を鑑賞して参りますが、今年はビールを買い忘れたので、ワインで頑張ります。

When a Japanese Rock Star Insults the Emperor

During an end-of-year concert, one of the biggest names in modern Japanese music ruffled some feathers. Keisuke Kuwata, the frontman of the iconic pop-rock band Southern All Stars, made jokes about the Emperor and pretended to auction off an honorary medal he had received from the Japanese government. Understandably, many people (particularly right-wing supporters) were upset about Kuwata's performance, as well as some other aspects of his performances during the holiday season. Kuwata ended up issuing an apology.

The criticism about the treatment of the medal is not unfounded. The medal, called the Medal with Purple Ribbon (or Shijuhosho), is awarded to persons who have made achievements in the fields of science, academia, sports, art, or music, and it is given in the name of the Emperor. Kuwata did decide to accept the medal. He could have declined to do so had he really wanted to make a political statement, but instead, he made a gesture that could rightly be characterized as disrespectful. Many right-wing protesters on the streets and on social media were accusing Kuwata being unpatriotic and taking "hannichi (anti-Japanese)" stances because of his disrespectful gestures. This backlash and protests outside of the band's production company is what ultimately led to the apology.

The Great Power of Freedom of Speech...and the Great Responsibility that Comes with It

In the wake of the terror attacks in Paris, Charlie Hebdo has, to many, become a shining symbol for the true spirit of free speech. The debate over what status Charlie, which is not without flaws, should occupy in the hierarchy of noble martyrs for one of the most celebrated of fundamental rights. Freedom of speech* (like "women's rights") is something that everyone is "supposed to" get behind, and something that most world leaders purport to support, even while they are quite purposefully acting to suppress it.

But what exactly are people saying when they show their support for freedom of speech? Do they have a concrete idea of what they are referring to? Or are they simply cheering for a vague idea that they feel stands for the good of society and the people? On top of that, does everyone have the same idea of what "freedom of speech" means?

About Time: It's 2015, and Marvel Finally Gives Us an Awesome Female Lead (on TV)

Finally! A superheroine who kicks sexism in the face. I'm talking about Agent Peggy Carter in Agent Carter, a seven-part series that debuted this week on ABC. Sure, there have been kickass female leads on TV in the past (Hi, Xena! Hi, Sydney Bristow!), but the best thing about Peggy Carter is that her story is not only about fighting bad guys but about fighting sexism as well.

(Spoilers ahead. You've been warned.)

歪められたキリスト教精神によって傷つけられるLGBTの人たちの尊厳

2014年の年末、米・オハイオ州で17歳のリーラ・アルコーンさんが、大型貨物車の前に身を投げ出し自殺した。自殺当日、彼女は自身のブログに「遺書」と題した書き込みをしており、本当の自分を両親に受け入れてもらえなかったことによって自殺に追い込まれた様子が浮き彫りになっている。

リーラさんの自殺が全国ニュースになったのは、彼女がトランスジェンダーの若者であり、それ故にキリスト教保守派の両親から受けた扱いに耐え切れなくなったことが原因だったからである。ここ数年間、アメリカではLGBTに対する寛容性が高まり、トランスジェンダーの連邦政府職員をより有効的に差別から守ろうとする同政府の動向や数多くの州における同性婚の合法化等、LGBTコミュニティーやアライ（「ally（同盟者）」、つまり、LGBTのいずれでもないが、LGBTの人に対する差別に反対し、彼らが平等な社会的な地位を得られる事を支持する人間のこと）にとってはいいニュースが続いていた。そんなこともあり、無条件に愛してくれるはずの親に自身のアイデンティティーを受け入れてもらえなかった若者の話を耳にすると、怒りとも、やるせなさとも言い難い気持ちに襲われる。

Gotham's Missed Opportunity With Its Female Characters

When I first heard about a new Batman prequel TV show, I was simultaneously slightly skeptical and hoping for an awesome show that will blow me out of the water. I have been watching Gotham loyally since its premiere in September, and I must say, while I have been enjoying the show as a whole, it is full of missed opportunities. The biggest disappointment for me so far has been the female characters, and I want to focus on them in this post.

To its credit, Gotham does try to acknowledge women in positions of power. The captain of the Gotham Police Department's homicide squad (who is the main character's boss) is a woman. One of the most prominent mobsters in the city is a woman. The show also tries to depict strong female characters, including a formidable Major Crimes Unit detective and an independent-minded, street-smart homeless girl (the one and only Selina Kyle, a.k.a. future Catwoman) among the recurring characters. Yet, it falls short of developing these characters beyond the point of flatness and cliches.

New Year's Celebrations in Japan

It's been quite a while since I spent the New Year's holiday in Japan or had a Japanese-style New Year's celebration. I want to say it's been around 8 years, but what I know for sure is that I have spent the past few New Year's with my (now) fiance and, at times, his family. That's been fun, but I've started missing the Japanese traditions and the Japanese New Year's food that we eat on New Year's Day. So, instead of writing about coerced and tired New Year's resolutions, today's post is about the Japanese New Year's traditions I grew up with.