Pachinko!

Let’s face it, making fun of Japanese advertisements is like shooting fish in a really small barrel. If you’re in Japan, you can basically pick an ad off the TV at random, put it up on Youtube, and get 10,000 comments, 2,000 of which will be mildly racist. But it’s still acceptable, because they do the same thing to us as well. For example, take a look at this commercial, featuring Nicolas “Not the Bees” Cage:

Seeing this ad, Americans can now experience what it feels like to be on the receiving end of crass ethnic stereotypes. First, check out Nick Cage’s accent. Do you think he really talks like that? No, but that’s how the Japanese ad industry thinks Americans talk. Second, he is driving down a deserted highway in a pickup truck wearing a cowboy hat. When he meets the aliens, he invites them to do a hoedown. This is clearly the Japanese equivalent of how us Westerners imagine the Japanese; constantly eating sushi in an ancient Shinto temple decorated with samurai swords, wearing a kimono and watching tentacle porn. And possibly also being a ninja.

So don’t feel so bad about watching ads like this famous one and making a little bit of fun at the Japanese. Or wearing a shirt commemorating the fake-yet-accurate Mr Sparkle ads.

Never be ashamed of laughing at Japanese TV. Remember, they are laughing at us too.