Yuzuru Hanyu: 2014-15 Season

[cruzceleste]

That's not xenophobic or racist at all...

Shame, because I was really starting to like Yuzuru Hanyu.

I understand what you are saying, but if you did continue to read the interview Yuzuru talks about the problem he has communicating with girls that don´t speak Japanese, his "dislike" (wich in context I interpretate more like feeling insecure around them) for girls that are not Japanese comes from not been able to communicate clearly and freely in english.

I think the translation from Japanese what´s a little too literal with Yuzuru´s words

Edit.

I wish somebody will edit the previous post, while I understand that translation and use of word are different and complicated I understand and simpatize with Gravy and her being hurt

 

[Meoima]

That's not xenophobic or racist at all...

Shame, because I was really starting to like Yuzuru Hanyu.

Oh come on... There're bunch of white guys have been saying they only love dating Latino ladies, or Asian ladies. It's not racist or xenophobic. It's their preferences. As an Asian myself I find it easier to appreciate Asian beauty as well. What's wrong with that? Your comment is full of assumptions. My friend who is currently living in New York once told me she never imaged about dating a white dude cause she has been raised up in Asia until college. But guess what, she is dating a white dude after 7 years living in US.
I am not surprised that Yuzuru felt uncomfortable with foreign ladies. He doesn't understand them. Not to mention he is terrible at English after all. But I will definitely not surprised if 4 or 5 years in the future he has a girlfriend/boyfriend who is foreigner.

 

[Interspectator]

Ok, just to specify, I followed the link and all it said was 'Hanyu's mother was there with him during this time, and he didn't give a clear answer but said he likes Japanese girls'. Maybe there is a more complete interview somewhere else?

 

[GermaricanMix]

Oh come on... There're bunch of white guys have been saying they only love dating Latino ladies, or Asian ladies. It's not racist or xenophobic. It's their preferences. As an Asian myself I find it easier to appreciate Asian beauty as well. What's wrong with that? Your comment is full of assumptions. My friend who is currently living in New York once told me she never imaged about dating a white dude cause she has been raised up in Asia until college. But guess what, she is dating a white dude.

I apologize, I'm about to get serious here and it's not aimed at you personally, it's a general statement. Actually that is racist and it's fetisihizing which is something that a lot of white men (and some women) engage in when it comes to people of color, sadly. A lot of the 'I would never date a _____' has to do with internalized prejudices that you grew up with and only in recognizing that and asking yourself WHY you would never date a ______ can you overcome that. The same goes for people who will ONLY date a ______ which goes back to usually they're not interested in the people themselves but in something that they glorify - usually a culture or a stereotype they find attractive. This doesn't make them bad people, it just makes them victims of societal norms. We are all taught to writing off a certain type of people and it's even encouraged by society, after all - that's how stereotypes live on. I'm sorry for making this such a serious post but it's something near and dear to my heart because a lot of my women of color friends have to deal with this because it's a big problem in America. And now I'll get off my soapbox and go back to enjoying pictures of Yuzuru hugging people =D

 

[gravy]

I'm not quite sure how to take this comment. We are all xenophobic in different degrees, and because of how we were brought up, we also have ethnocentric views. Yuzuru comes from a homogeneous culture, and he's spent most of his life around people who more or less adhere to a similar set of physical traits. Obviously, within that set, he can differentiate and see what can be taken for good looks or not. But those standards don't apply to foreign girls. I don't think this is racist, and he's not even lumping them all in together and stereotyping them. It's just that he's been brought up with a different set of standards.

Like what the people above have said -- Personal preference is hardly tantamount to racism.

Um... that's exactly what racism is: "the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races."

He believes that this standard of beauty cannot belong to non-foreigners. It's fine to have your preferences, but to voice them out and say "I only like XX ethnicity"... that is when it becomes a problem.

I mean, Hanyu cheered loudest for Fernandez and Vornov during the medals ceremony and also right after his SP he stood up and cheered for Vornov who was up next.
--That's not the action of a racist person.

OK. But I think that has to do more with sportsmanship.

I understand what you are saying, but if you did continue to read the interview Yuzuru talks about the problem he has communicating with girls that don´t speak Japanese, his "dislike" (wich in context I interpretate more like feeling insecure around them) for girls that are not Japanese comes from not been able to communicate clearly and freely in english.

I think the translation from Japanese what´s a little too literal with Yuzuru´s words

Edit.

I wish somebody will edit the previous post, while I understand that translation and use of word are different and complicated I understand and simpatize with Gravy and her being hurt

I really hope you're right. Losing meaning through translation is such a pain to deal with.

P.S. I'm a guy.

Oh come on... There're bunch of white guys have been saying they only love dating Latino ladies, or Asian ladies. It's not racist or xenophobic. It's their preferences. As an Asian myself I find it easier to appreciate Asian beauty as well. What's wrong with that? Your comment is full of assumptions. My friend who is currently living in New York once told me she never imaged about dating a white dude cause she has been raised up in Asia until college. But guess what, she is dating a white dude after 7 years living in US.
I am not surprised that Yuzuru felt uncomfortable with foreign ladies. He is terrible at English after all. But I will definitely not surprised if 4 or 5 years in the future he has a girlfriend/boyfriend who is foreigner.

LOL... sorry to burst your bubble.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_fetishism

I really hope you're right about English being the problem.

 

[lecorbusier]

So basically people are angry over a mistranslation? :scowl:
Can we move on now?

 

[gravy]

I apologize, I'm about to get serious here and it's not aimed at you personally, it's a general statement. Actually that is racist and it's fetisihizing which is something that a lot of white men (and some women) engage in when it comes to people of color, sadly. A lot of the 'I would never date a _____' has to do with internalized prejudices that you grew up with and only in recognizing that and asking yourself WHY you would never date a ______ can you overcome that. The same goes for people who will ONLY date a ______ which goes back to usually they're not interested in the people themselves but in something that they glorify - usually a culture or a stereotype they find attractive. This doesn't make them bad people, it just makes them victims of societal norms. We are all taught to writing off a certain type of people and it's even encouraged by society, after all - that's how stereotypes live on. I'm sorry for making this such a serious post but it's something near and dear to my heart because a lot of my women of color friends have to deal with this because it's a big problem in America. And now I'll get off my soapbox and go back to enjoying pictures of Yuzuru hugging people =D

Re-quoting because this was an excellent post.

Sorry for hijacking the thread.

Let's get back to Hanyu.

 

[Interspectator]

I can't find the original anywhere and the translation given here was translated first to Chinese then to English...so who knows what was really meant? If the original interview turns up I can see what was really said.

 

[GermaricanMix]

I can't find the original anywhere and the translation given here was translated first to Chinese then to English...so who knows what was really meant? If the original interview turns up I can see what was really said.

oh geez, that's quite the game of telephone, I imagine. Ya, who knows what he really said/meant.

 

[lecorbusier]

No offense, but if something has been translated through different languages and not directly, it probably isn't a good translation and leads to a large amount of confusion. Not that the discussion on preferences and racism wasn't important (it should be talked about more often IMO), but this turned into a mess awful fast because of words with no source. An example of what happens when you translate things back: http://translationparty.com/#11545018
Oops just realized I didn't put a space in, but you get the gist. The more complicated the sentence, the worse the translation.

 

[alia jackson]

Yuzuru playing with Yulia
Yuzuru and the Russian ladies

 

[Meoima]

Um... that's exactly what racism is: "the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races."
He believes that this standard of beauty cannot belong to non-foreigners. It's fine to have your preferences, but to voice them out and say "I only like XX ethnicity"... that is when it becomes a problem.
OK. But I think that has to do more with sportsmanship.
I really hope you're right. Losing meaning through translation is such a pain to deal with.
P.S. I'm a guy.
LOL... sorry to burst your bubble.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_fetishism
I really hope you're right about English being the problem.

Oh dear... I am afraid you are thinking too much. As an Asian I have to tell you this... There are times when I am among Western people I feel like I am among well.. Aliens. I don't want to offend anyone. It's just the bizarre feeling because I have always been brought up under Asian culture. Hugging is always weird to me btw. When I came to Australia and work for a logistic company, I had 2 bosses who happened to be eh..white dudes. They have Asian wives. Does that mean they have something like racial fetishism or something? Note that I know the term. But life is not all white and black IMO. My bosses were nice and never said any racist words. Should I judge them because their wives happened to come from Thailand and China?
Anyways... I just want to say, if someone say they only want to marry or love people who are from the same country or culture it doesn't mean they are racist. Some people are too sensitive. It's funny that my friend in New York is planning to get married with the white dude she mentioned. When she was in highschool she said she would never marry a white guy because she didn't get them. That's life.
I will not surprised if the same will happen to Yuzuru. Anyways it's just a small interview and words are lots in translation. I hope people don't take it too seriously.

 

[GermaricanMix]

Yuzuru playing with Yulia

I've noticed that for someone who hates having his hair touched, he certainly plays with other people's hair a LOT

 

[cruzceleste]

P.S. I'm a guy.

:hopelessness: sorry

 

[sajoya]

Re-quoting because this was an excellent post.

Sorry for hijacking the thread.

Let's get back to Hanyu.

Welcome, Gravy. Hope you enjoy your stay here, and don't take that interview too seriously. Obviously it's not the best translation and it's also an old interview. Who knows, maybe Yuzuru's preferences have changed by then.

 

[alia jackson]

OK next topic....costume. This costume is lovely but I think they can make the back plain instead of placing the flowers at the back as well.

I always wish he wear his practice pants in competition/ex as those pants really make his legs look loooooong

 

[cruzceleste]

OK next topic....costume. This costume is lovely but I think they can make the back plain instead of placing the flowers at the back as well

It´s nice. Speaking of costumes, found this video of the SP warm up. His costume shime so much, looks really pretty

 

[Interspectator]

That's looooovely. I want to go to another competition. (I went to the last worlds) but the chances of getting a good seat in Japan is pretty low.

 

[GermaricanMix]

OK next topic....costume. This costume is lovely but I think they can make the back plain instead of placing the flowers at the back as well.

I always wish he wear his practice pants in competition/ex as those pants really make his legs look loooooong

I looooove the practice outfits in general. And am I'm the only one who always thinks of a newborn horse trying to stand when he falls on the ice and his legs go everywhere =X

 

[alia jackson]

It´s nice. Speaking of costumes, found this video of the SP warm up. His costume shime so much, looks really pretty

Yes, I realised its sparkling only after watching fancam becoz it does not appear so in Eurosport etc. Like Pamina said "sparkling..sparkling" :agree: