City Wide Gentrifications, Who Really Got Benefited?

During '70s, New York city had really detariorated.
When I got here, which was in 1983,
Alphabet city, which was the east side of Avenue A of Manhattan,
East Harlem and South Bronx were like War zones.
After so many fire caused by the arson,
those areas looked like the bombed-by-the-airraid zones.
And many other areas looked so shabby.

In '80s, the city started the gentrifications
and in '90s, under the Giuliani ministration,
it was really intensified.
He had cleaned up Time Square Area completely,
where used to be a horrible dump,
porn theatres, adult stores and peep show places lined up,
whores, pimps & pushers loitered all the time,
and so many tourists were mugged violently.
Miraculously it turned out to be Disneyland looking area within four years or so.
Many other areas' gentrifications followed
like 14th street & Union square and Meat market Area.




Over all, New York has become much cleaner and safer,
that is definitely great.
But besides them, what other aspects of our city lives did they improve?
Hmmmm, nothing much.
And because of the gentrifications,
the rent conditions has become totally out of control,
and that has caused the huge price increase on everything.

For the last 20 yeasr, in my area, East Village,
the rent has got higher 6-8 times!
The price of groceries has, at least, doubled.
The subway fare has increased from 50cents to $2.25.

And the minimum pay is still $7,
which means, after tax, you bring home less than $1000.

The city let big developers use the public loan
with the very low interest.
The current mayor, Blomberg, the self-made super rich guy,
is seeking for his third term.
Today I saw a middle aged, middle class white woman talking on TV,
and she said that she believed his business skills would lead this city to the right way.

If you think someone can become that rich only with honest & hard working, you are too naive. And apparently there are too many naive people are living in this city and they will vote for him again.
Only the people who know how to manipulate and exploite the system can become rich like Blomberg. And rich poloticians do politics for riches, not for the middle class and the poors.
To me, it is such a easy logic, but it seems so many people do not understand and they do admire riches.
He will be the mayor again and you will be squeezed out more & more if you are not rich.

Gays in Japanese Media

< Black Lizard > (1968)
Starring Akihiro Maruyama(Miwa)
Japan's most Famous Drag Queen

Some Gaijins are surprised to see some,
not many but more than a few, gay or gayish TV personalities on Japanese TV shows.
Some of them are comedians, some are actors/singers,
some are commentators, some are critics,
some are choreographers, some are flower srrangement artists
yes, you see them much more than on American TV shows.

However, this does not mean that they are more liberated than in U.S., not at all.

A few years ago, I was watching Ed Sullivan show on PBS and shocked to see a female impersonator was doing "Judy Garland."
Even today, you rarely see any drag queens on a primetime network TV show.
Then how could that be possible in '60s before the '70s gay movement??
I was puzzled,
but eventually I realized that he was not a drag queen
but a female impersonator.

This guy was introduced as a female impersonator,
and impersonated Judy Garland,
surprisingly he sang well, not lip-synched as today's drag queens.
He was a man who had a special skill to impersonate Judy Garland,
not supposed to be a drag Queen,
therefore his sexuality was not question.
That's why he could be on the National network show in '60s.

Despite of the fact that there have been so many protests to improve their situations from gay community throughout '70s to the present day, there are a very few celebrities who came out as gay and a network TV do not have much gay themes shows and they are usually comedies if you find them, like "Will and Grace."

Why are comedies Okay?
Because if they are funny, someone you can laugh about,
it is easier to accept them than a strong, intelligent and handsome,
who can be threatening to a mojority who is White in this society.
In other words, you better be a novelty if you like to be accepted by the majority.



Peter aka Shinosuke Ikehata

Easily I can count 13-14 of them,
who sell "bing gay" in Japanese showbiz.
And all of them are either drag queens or very feminin types
I do not say all of them are sell-out
but most certainly they are stereo types
and that's why they are accepted.
They are mosdef novelties,
they are not the people who can threaten
the Japanese traditional value of family and social structure.

I have to mention that this does not include
Onnagata of Kabuki which is a Japanese traditional theatre,
where men do female roles.
Probably one reason
some drag queens can be accepted by Japanese media
is that Japan has a long history of gender bending in their showbiz.
Yet, asking them about their sexuality has been a big taboo.
They can do that as long as their sexuality is not in question.

There are many Japanese male celebrities
who got rumores to be gay,
and as they are musculine types,
they will never come out
because they know that would be ends of their career.


Tamasaburo Bando
The biggest star of Onnagata, Kabuki's actor who specialized in female roles

In every aspect, well, probably besides issues of recycle,
Japanese have a very low awareness on any social issues
compared to Americans.
And when it comes to a gay issue and a woman's issue,
they are more than 30 years behind.
Why?
Because almost nobody protest about them.
I do not say nothing
because I do remember some womanlib activities in late '70s in Japan.
Also I heard there was some gaylib activity in '90s as well,
which probably was inspired by AIDS activism of U.S.
However, they faded away eventually just like any American trens
Japanese love to immitate.


Carousel Maki
She was even in a '70s str8 porn film.
Who saw it?, who knows!

In Japan, violent gay bashing does not happen very often,
but being gay is something you rather hind in order to fit in.
Actually, if you are a gaijin,
you are already different because of your skin color,
being gay does not add much more,
especially Japanese have a stereo type images of
the western countries filled with gays,
which means they are not going to fall off from their chairs
if you tell them you are gay.
However, you still better not say about it if you become a teacher,
especially in rural areas.


Peter / Shinosuke Ikehata


Ai Haruna
Japan's Newest Drag Sensation

Something you cannot talk about on media

I wrote a long entry about my experience
about writing of American Jewish community
for the monthly articles I was writing till last year.

Unfortunately it was not allowed to be published
by the legal team of that publisher
because it contained some criticism
about Jewish community's media influence and its unfairness.

I tried to write about it here,
but I deleted it
because of the same reason any other journalists dare not write about it.
It is a dirty little secret of this industry.
Sorry, I am a chicken.

I know there is very very small possibility that
I get lots of negative feed backs for this.
Nobody is reading this blog anyway,
and I already do not have a job.
So what am I gonna lose?

Yet, I still could not do it.
I am a chicken.

Asking America

This week, everyday I go to park
and asking people questions like these.....

1) Why America chose Bush twice?
People all over the world were shocked,
stunned, puzzled and disgusted,
when he was elected for the second time.

2) What is the worst thing Bush did to us?
*War
*National deficit
*Economical crisis
*Credit and Morgage crisis
*Environmental issue
*Health Insurance Issue
*Immigration Issue
*Education issue
*Unfair tax
*Shrinking middle class

3) What has changed America?
One year ago, I could not predict Obama would win
because America was the country that chose Bush twice.
But now morelikely we will see the Black president.

4) What do you expect Obama accomplish most?
We have so many issues now.
Nobody can perform 100% up to people's expectation.
But what do you think he can do to us
or you want him to do?

5) Why America could not stop the society deteriorating so much?
Why people are not speaking up about it?
Though Americans have been known to be
people who like to speak up about their issues.
Now we have so many of them,
then why people are so quiet?
For example,
if we do not do somethingd drastic immediately
we can have a huge crop failure
which can cause world wide starvation.
Not only this issue but all other issue are
pretty serious now.
But Americans are so quiet?
Why, Why, Why????

What is your take?

The American Pit Bull Terrier

I had never seen a PitBull when I was in Japan,
even never known or heard about this breed.

Then the first time I saw one, I hated it.
I wonder what kind of nuts likes to own
this ugly mean looking dog.

Eventually, I realized that people like
street kids like to have this dog
because they feel empowered
by owning and showing off this powerful and mean looking dog.
I guess that it is basically a same idea that
Japanese gangster, Yakuza used to have Bulldogs or Boxers.
I have also heard they use this dog for dog-fighting as well.

So for a long long time,
PitBull had been the Dog breed that the least I wish to own.
But then, a few years ago I heard the very disturbing
and sad fact about this breed,
which is that very very few of them, which were surrendered
to the animal shelter, can get out of there alive
because nobody wants them.

Because most of people who want them are not animal lovers,
PitBulls are usually neglected and mistreated when they grow up,
and that makes them even more vicious, mean and out of control.
I heard that not only for them but also for most of other breeds,
obedience training and early socialising are keys
to make them great companions for humans.
However, people who like to have Pitbull tend to neglect all those
and simply dump them when they do not want to feed them anymore.
So PitBulls end up in shelters tend to be undertrained,
bad-behaved and agressive.
No wonder nobody wants them.

I feel so sorry for them who have to be put to sleep for nothing.
Why do they have to get the death sentence for the mistakes
and stupidity that humans have to be blamed for?
Now I know PitBulls are the biggest victims.
Animals and people who do not have the power to speak up,
they always fall to be victims of abuse and exploitation.
I have seen lots of them in this city, lots of them.
So many people, they simply do not know.
Because people with power and money know how to exploit others
without stering much public attention, concern and controversy.
Therefore animals and people without power are suffering quietly
and dying quietly.
Now I know what I have to hate is not PitBull.

Generation Next

Monday, I had a huge cat accident, and fell asleep, hahaha.
Tuesday, rain, rain, rain, all day raining.
Wedensday, in the morning, it was nice
despite of the negative weather forecast.
So I went to NYU around the noon time,
but it started to rain after I had talked to two students.
Thursday, it rained on and off all day,
but I managed to talk to a few students at NYU.
Today, Friday it was gorgeous day, I spent a half day
at Columbia university.
Finally I had a fruitfull day!
I talked to lots of kids.

Questions were like
"Have you ever heard the term called "Generation Next?"

If the answer was "no", I told them the basic definition.
Tech savvy because they grew up with computer, internet,
video game and celphone.
Media(information) savvy because of internet.
More open to race difference and sexual orientation difference
because they have more access to informations
by the internet at the early age.
And this makes them tend to be more liberal and support Democrats.
Many of them think their parents are their heroes.

"How many hours do you spend on the computer a day?"
"What kind of impact do you think the internet made on you?"
"How do you choose the information among so many trashy ones?"
"Do you support Obama?"
"If so, why?"
"Who pays your tution?"
"How much debt are you gonna have when you finsh your education?"
"I think this situation,
fewer kids can afford to go to schools like this
because of the high tution, will shrink the middle class eventually
and widen the gap of the class. Don't you think the society
with the wider class gap can be more conservative society?"
"This high tution situation also makes more doctors and lawyers
who are after more money jobs, I think,
because they have to pay off their debt.
Don't you think this can make some negative impact on the society?"
"Until few years ago, some media insisted that younger generation
were becoming more conservative.
But now some of them are saying that
younger generation is becoming more liberal
probably because many of them are supporting Obama
beyond a racial line.
So do you think your generation is more liberal or not?"
If you think it is more liberal, do you think ultimately
this society is going to be more liberal because of that?"

Some kids gave me excellent answers, some of them did not.
But over all, I really enjoyed talking to them.
It was a good day for me.