I Survived Watching I Survived a Japanese Game Show

Let me start by telling you that Japan is one of the most wonderful places in the whole world. It’s where I first met cold sake (as opposed to the warm stuff they feed you in local strip mall restaurants), not to mention the most gentle, polite people. So, when I heard there was going to be a new show called I Survived a Japanese Game Show I thought, cool, maybe they’ll show some behind-the-scenes culture and teach America how great Japan is. How wrong was I. They seem to have found the most sheltered boobs in America to bring to Japan. They’re spitting sake out (because it “tastes like lighter fluid” instead of the wine cooler they were expecting), they think mochi balls are like putty (not delicious bits of heaven they are) and they wear their shoes . . . indoors (everyone knows you take your shoes off, right?). One girl sees her darling little tatami mat and exclaims ‘I don’t want to sleep on the floor.” Sigh. I hope the Japanese get a good laugh at them (= us) because we deserve it for spending so much time saying how silly/ weird the Japanese are. I think most Americans think all Japanese people either shout like the Chairman on Iron Chef or are sumo wrestlers. This show doesn’t help. I suppose asking TV to educate is asking too much. I guess I’ll go back to my elitist green tea and mochi and shut the hell up.