Itoi's Pop Culture Lag
Can there be any doubt that Shigesato Itoi is about 10 years behind the curve, when it comes to his references to American culture?
I mean, I understand that the whole point is it's a sort of joke about how stereotyped Americans look to Japan, but people hopping around in Jason masks? The I heart NY guy? Mr. T? It's a wonder Paula didn't end up wearing legwarmers and a Debbie Gibson off-center ponytail. "NESS. NESS. I FEEL... RADICAL."
Which leads me to wonder: what is Itoi going to mess up in EarthBound 2? My immediate, horrible thought is that he's going to dress the main character up in flannel midway through the proceedings; he'll shout "Corporate Worldsavers still suck!" and the game will end as a MIDI version of "Smells like Teen Spirit" tins out of the GBA speakers. "I know you'll go anyway, but don't you think you should change out of your Corporate Sweatshop Sheepwear first?"
But no--by 1996 the Spice Girls and the Backstreet Boys had begun their domination of Europe--poor, silly Europe--and were on their way over the ocean like a swarm of killer bees (admittedly, killer bees with infectious hooks and six-part vocal harmonies.) So, Ness--if you wanna be Paula's lover, you gotta get with her (gotta get with her) friiiiends. Make it last forever--friendship never ends.
Okay, yeah. I don't think I can live with that.
What I'm thinking is this: we send one of those irony-obsessed pop-culture junkies that are a dime a dozen here in the US out to Japan--Chuck Klosterman, Bill Simmons, et al--and have them do the translation, without looking at the original Japanese at all. It might be a little overly concerned with The Karate Kid and that one episode of the Facts of Life where they steal Mrs. Garrett a birthday present, but I can risk that, so long as we don't end up with Scary Spice as a party member; no offense, but I don't really really really wanna zigazig ha.
Can there be any doubt that Shigesato Itoi is about 10 years behind the curve, when it comes to his references to American culture?
I mean, I understand that the whole point is it's a sort of joke about how stereotyped Americans look to Japan, but people hopping around in Jason masks? The I heart NY guy? Mr. T? It's a wonder Paula didn't end up wearing legwarmers and a Debbie Gibson off-center ponytail. "NESS. NESS. I FEEL... RADICAL."
Which leads me to wonder: what is Itoi going to mess up in EarthBound 2? My immediate, horrible thought is that he's going to dress the main character up in flannel midway through the proceedings; he'll shout "Corporate Worldsavers still suck!" and the game will end as a MIDI version of "Smells like Teen Spirit" tins out of the GBA speakers. "I know you'll go anyway, but don't you think you should change out of your Corporate Sweatshop Sheepwear first?"
But no--by 1996 the Spice Girls and the Backstreet Boys had begun their domination of Europe--poor, silly Europe--and were on their way over the ocean like a swarm of killer bees (admittedly, killer bees with infectious hooks and six-part vocal harmonies.) So, Ness--if you wanna be Paula's lover, you gotta get with her (gotta get with her) friiiiends. Make it last forever--friendship never ends.
Okay, yeah. I don't think I can live with that.
What I'm thinking is this: we send one of those irony-obsessed pop-culture junkies that are a dime a dozen here in the US out to Japan--Chuck Klosterman, Bill Simmons, et al--and have them do the translation, without looking at the original Japanese at all. It might be a little overly concerned with The Karate Kid and that one episode of the Facts of Life where they steal Mrs. Garrett a birthday present, but I can risk that, so long as we don't end up with Scary Spice as a party member; no offense, but I don't really really really wanna zigazig ha.
