July 4, 2009

"Manba involves devotees wearing dark tans, white make-up around their eyes and hair that is often a combination of neon colours."

A Japanese fad moves to Britain.
It has been around for nearly a decade and is an eye-catching statement against conformity....
Do not attempt this look in the United States.
They start their routine by applying self tan to their bodies.

Eilish rubs the self tan on her neck but her face is darkened much more heavily.

She smears the coffee-bean powder on her pale skin and tries to rub it in so that it does not look "patchy".

Declan explains that he buys his foundation from Afro-Caribbean shops as normal shops do not sell powders that are dark enough....

They then use... white marker pens to create big eyes... and white lipstick.
Uh, Declan... Eilish... you're wearing blackface!
Declan and Eilish say they have been accused of racism for darkening their skin in this way, but they say this could not be further from the truth.

Eilish insists that she is "not mocking anybody" and Declan asks, "what black person looks like this?"...

The British followers of this Japanese subculture are also into the music, which is called Eurobeat, and practise dance moves called Para-Para.
If you're wondering what kind of music and dancing is favored by people this... dumb, there's video at the link.

10 comments:

John Burgess said...

A useful reminder why independence from the British was a good thing!

Jason said...

All your base makeup are belong to us.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

If you're wondering what kind of music and dancing is favored by people this... dumb, there's video at the link.

Thats a little harsh Althouse?

Danny said...

Around Ann Arbor, I have noticed that some guys (both Asians and whites) are wearing Hello Kitty outfits. Knee length skirts,and huge platform shoes, carrying huge, stuffed animals on their backs, attached to backpack like straps. Faces painted like kabuki-actors. The deliberately speak broken English ( Japanese style) that they call "Jingrish", and also speak in a very affected, high-pitched, little girl voice.

I cant figure out if these guys are just plain crazy, or if they are perverts.

Cedarford said...

Danny - " cant figure out if these guys are just plain crazy, or if they are perverts."

"Around Ann Arbor, I have noticed that some guys (both Asians and whites) are wearing Hello Kitty outfits. Knee length skirts,and huge platform shoes, carrying huge, stuffed animals on their backs, attached to backpack like straps. Faces painted like kabuki-actors."

You are encountering the Japanese "Cosplay" phenomenon. It's a popular, long-term fad and really something to behold. It is about duality of life. Japanese guy goes to work in indentical to others suit, acts indentical..then on free time...goes out 2-3 nights a week carefully made up and dressed to be anything from a Tellytubby to a "Cats" play character to Pan...complete with horns and hoofs.
They seek one another out and socialize in character. Like a masquerade ball taken public.

Like many creative Japanese things, it has gone global. A friend coming back from Germany said he encounted a group of German & Czech teens dressed up as Cosplay Pokemon characters. Very, very good costumes and makeup. Two giant German guys in yellow arguing over who was the better Picachu.

Beth said...

Oh, no. One of my student workers is in Japan for the summer international study program. I'm kicking her out of the office if she takes up this weirdness.

The Funeral Guy said...

I followed the links around and also googled Manba. I can only conclude, I'm sorry to say, that Japanese people are very weird. Very, very weird.

Methadras said...

This is quite tame by Japanese standards. It's more of a poke in the eyes to the fuddy-duddy old school Japanese culture. I mean, it's not like they put scat on their faces while getting anally penetrated by tentacles, while watching Japanese seizure porn as they vomit into each others mouths while wearing furry costumes. Now that is more Japanese mainstream.

Anonymous said...

okay, seriously?
"If you're wondering what kind of music and dancing is favored by people this... dumb, there's video at the link"

Eilish is my friend. just because someone dresses different than someone else that doesn't automatically make them a reject. grow up.

Jellyfishie-Darlin' :* said...

Manba is much more than just a dark tan, coloured hair and heavy make up? It’s a protest against the normal beauty-terms in japan; Black hair and pale skin. Yes, japanese people take it over the top, but that’s just good. I mean, it’s a lifestyle in my eyes, and there’s a lot different kinds of japanese styles that are a lot like this, banba and sentaa (… for guys) and I don’t think that it’s just that simple. I Like this style a lot, but I don’t wear it.
Get a little more into it before you start screaming out about how dump and idiotic and scary and creepy this style is.