American Teen Pop Culture and the anime stereotype. By: Unknown

As an anime and manga fan you could say I am not the most errr popular kid in the school. Well, I am unpopular to begin with (as shocking as it may seem) but that doesn't help. Luckily I have friends in my school as obsessed with Dragon Ball Z as I am except I run a website so I think I have power over people. American culture shows that cartoons as for little kids and not for mature high schooler's who are into cooler things like MTV which could lead to the apocalypse but that's another story (I do watch it constantly so don't get me wrong but its all meaningless boy bands lately).This perception is most likely do to the fact that most animation was made by companies Disney aimed at kids. Warner brother's looney toons is another story with its subtle humor but its still rather childish. So anime is viewed by the general public as "Something for ten year olds." Now I have gotten these comments before especially when I have worn my DBZ shirts. So its an American stereotype that comics and animation is childish. While adults can front this belief could be felt through adults I think it is more so spearheaded by teenagers like myself. It is felt that people who like anime and comics are dorks with no lives. Well, I am a huge anime fan and I have a life. I go out I do stuff with friends. I just have an interest that is not in the norm. The Japanese don't see this as dorky so why do we. As I said stated earlier animation is viewed as something for little kids. Last I checked most anime was not for little kids. Anime like DBZ is not aimed at little children. It has the same language, violence and content as say a PG-13 movie or a TV Mature show (for those not living in America TV shows are rated M being the most mature). One of the reasons DBZ is so chopped up and aimed at little children is this belief. If Cartoon network showed it uncut it would get much of an audience in the US. Parents here are always wary of violence on TV and almost to wary. These people would be on DBZ like a rat on cheese. The only way DBZ can get a television audience is if was aimed at little children so due to American values in parenting (nothing wrong with it but sometimes a little to overbearing) DBZ has to be chopped up until you get something so dumbed down and un-violent that it can be unbearable. American culture's view on anime would have to change completely for uncut DBZ ever to be shown on its current time. But in the meantime Cartoon network could show uncut or even subtitled DBZ at its 12:30 time slot. I mean if you don't want to stay up that late then tape it pretty simple. So we anime fans should be ever dedicated to showing people what anime truly is; a mature medium for teens and adults to ever see it where we want it to be. If you have an editorial on anything to do with anime or something close to it, send it to Joutei so we it can be posted. ^_^

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