If the (presumably) male at the community center had painted a portrait of the three older buddies he had in the community, would you all be asking "why does that painting only have men in it?"
I agree that they should do women next, given the unexpected popularity of what is presumably a pet project - but it's not hard to understand the very simple & obvious reasons why the first set of cards didn't feature women.
Imagine boys and girls could have their own gender being represented and they would compete with each other in that card game, or if it's not like "Magic: the gathering", at least interact around arguing who is better. But here, girls are completely excluded from any such interaction, like: "Nope, you don't exist." Girls, who should they look up to? Having both, it allows both genders to choose whom to admire.
I actually do not see the obvious reason. Maybe I missed something. My take is Japan has what some would call a gender stereotypical view. What is surprising to me is how a whole gender is excluded from something that creates much fun interaction and play. It feels surprising especially also when the project is supposed to represent a community. I almost feel bad pointing it out, because the project is so wholesome, but it's simply what I see.
I have a European lense, and I am sure I am not aware of many things of their culture. But, I am struggling to see how it's not a blunt confirmation of typical western feminist critique. Of course, Japanese society may have another cultural framework to rationalize it, where any such critique wouldn't even be recognized to be rational. That, in itself, reflects a possible large discrepancy in cultural views.
(edit: I don't think the creator did any wrong, I think they acted within their frame. Maybe the product wouldn't be as successfully otherwise. My inquiry is at the level of culture and it's undercurrent of values dictating what's successfully and to what degree an artifact is based in cultural values and re-affirm those, well transcending mere artistic choice and artistic appreciation which should be free.)
(edit 2, psychoanalysis: the artist framing males within cards... Males being looked up to... The artist psychologically in perhaps a Lacanian sense, is "looking up" to expressions of the mighty, assertive phallocentric values constituting society. The artist mediating societal core views by making this artifact, enacts those values by admiration, and mediates those values to the right population, boys, who by their mere gender, are both the protectors and the representations of society's core view. I suspect Japan is a phallocentric society more so than not.)
fennecfoxy|10 months ago
If the (presumably) male at the community center had painted a portrait of the three older buddies he had in the community, would you all be asking "why does that painting only have men in it?"
I agree that they should do women next, given the unexpected popularity of what is presumably a pet project - but it's not hard to understand the very simple & obvious reasons why the first set of cards didn't feature women.
fmxsh|10 months ago
I actually do not see the obvious reason. Maybe I missed something. My take is Japan has what some would call a gender stereotypical view. What is surprising to me is how a whole gender is excluded from something that creates much fun interaction and play. It feels surprising especially also when the project is supposed to represent a community. I almost feel bad pointing it out, because the project is so wholesome, but it's simply what I see.
I have a European lense, and I am sure I am not aware of many things of their culture. But, I am struggling to see how it's not a blunt confirmation of typical western feminist critique. Of course, Japanese society may have another cultural framework to rationalize it, where any such critique wouldn't even be recognized to be rational. That, in itself, reflects a possible large discrepancy in cultural views.
(edit: I don't think the creator did any wrong, I think they acted within their frame. Maybe the product wouldn't be as successfully otherwise. My inquiry is at the level of culture and it's undercurrent of values dictating what's successfully and to what degree an artifact is based in cultural values and re-affirm those, well transcending mere artistic choice and artistic appreciation which should be free.)
(edit 2, psychoanalysis: the artist framing males within cards... Males being looked up to... The artist psychologically in perhaps a Lacanian sense, is "looking up" to expressions of the mighty, assertive phallocentric values constituting society. The artist mediating societal core views by making this artifact, enacts those values by admiration, and mediates those values to the right population, boys, who by their mere gender, are both the protectors and the representations of society's core view. I suspect Japan is a phallocentric society more so than not.)
DeathArrow|10 months ago
josfredo|10 months ago
avodonosov|10 months ago