Talking Japanese - Full House "Road to Tokyo"
Added 2024-07-22 04:00:02 +0000 UTCWelcome to the inaugural episode of Talking Japanese, the podcast miniseries that examines how Western media interfaces with Japanese culture. For our debut, we're talking about Full House—the sitcommiest sitcom that ever sitcommed— and its very brief visit to Japan. (Which, for the record, consists of more than two rooms.) When Uncle Jesse gets his chance to be a rock and roll superstar overseas, will he choose a life of glitz and glamor over his family? If you have even a passing knowledge of Full House, the answer won't surprise you! So listen in and be prepared to question how a Beach Boys cover band could be so successful in a world where Nirvana still exists.
Comments
Fun podcast idea. I look forward to the upcoming episodes. I did watch some Full House back in the day, but I don't recall this trip to Japan. It sure sounds like a Full House plot though. It's hard not to just think of Bojack Horseman now whenever Full House is brought up... ("That's too much, man!") Aside: I hope this podcast raised some awareness about kimono for men! For those wondering, they're typically plainer and darker-colored than women's kimono (which are often flower-patterned), and have the sash (obi) worn lower down the waist (rather than at chest level). The men's obi is also notably thinner, so it looks more like a belt. Nina mentioned it, but a yukata is a type of kimono worn during hotter weather since it's fewer layers, and lighter & looser. Anime characters often wear yukata when they go to a summer festival and watch fireworks. (And like regular kimono, there are yukata for women and men.)
N Rose
2024-08-06 01:25:04 +0000 UTCLove the new podcast! Here in Sweden, Full House was on TV4 on tuesdays and thursdays beginning in 1992. I remember following the show although identifying it as not very good. This summer I´ve been reading about and listening to a lot of The Beach Boys. It´s an interesting band with a history full of drama! In short, the 80s and early 90s was not the bands finest hour. Under Mike Loves creative direction the BB had devolved to, in the words of New York Times Peter Ames Carlin, "a kind of perpetual-motion nostalgia machine". They were all about trying to mimic their own sound of the early 60s and a far cry from the innovative period of "Pet Sounds" and "Smile" during 1966–1967, or the "hit and miss" experimentation of the 70s. Beach Boys toured and played their old classic songs, and recorded studio albums with diminishing returns. "Kokomo" in 1988 was a surprise hit, and their first number one song in 22 years. I must admit the song is sometihing of a guilty pleasure for me. Their 1992 album "Summer in Paradise" starring John Stamos on the other hand is widely regarded as the absolute low point of the band, both critically and commercially. The album reportedly sold less than 1 000 copies on release, bancrupting the distributor Navarre and was universally panned. It is one of the only Beach Boys albums not available on streaming services today. Possibly the worst song of all time, "Summer of Love" features Mike Love trying to rap. It was intended to be a duet with Bart Simpson for a planned Simpsons-movie, but was turned down by the producers.It was instead used on an episode of "Baywatch". A music video full of cringe exists. Somebody should go to jail for this: https://youtu.be/xDxQq3QxOWg?si=vJmZ6e6wHHdIC2xb Stamos has been a fan of the band for a long time and occassionally toured with them on drums. They appeared on Full House several times, including the 1992 episode "Captain Video" where they help Jesse record a cover of their song "Forever" – that would later end up number one in Japan for Jesse and the Rippers. In reality the appearance was made to coincide with the release of the Summer in Paradies-album, which inlcuded the new version of Forever featuring John Stamos on lead vocals. "Forever" was originally released in 1970 on the album "Sunflower" – both the song and the album is held in very high regard by Beach Boys fans. I think the original song is beautiful with some of the best arrangements I´ve heard. The 1992 version, not so much. There is a nice documentary of the band on Disney+, and the movie "Love & Mercy" with John Cusack and Elisabeth Banks is an interesting biopic of Brian Wilson.
Jakob Bäck
2024-07-31 13:06:40 +0000 UTCどうかご慈悲を!
Andrew O.
2024-07-25 12:07:20 +0000 UTCDomo arigato, Nina & Bobaato! Great first episode, great concept, can't wait to hear more! I suspect that sitcoms are the only reason anyone born after 1975 knew of "Help Me, Rhonda." I first heard it on a season 1 episode of ALF. ...now THAT'S a series I sincerely hope never did a going-to-Japan episode.
Shaxbert
2024-07-24 12:15:49 +0000 UTC
