Gaijingai 1,527 Posted February 29 https://www.postandcourier.com/kingstree/opinion/sumo-wrestlers-with-names-that-are-fun-to-say/article_ba6cf334-d00e-11ee-8f9d-ef883f54e9f5.html yeah, that’s what we sumo fans in the west have to put up with the jerks who write for newspapers Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Athenayama 953 Posted February 29 My only hope is that the writer didn't mean all he wrote litterally but just tried to be funny without thinking of the consequences. Well, reading again what I just wrote isn't even a good excuse... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yarimotsu 522 Posted February 29 Honestly I found it kind of endearing. An older guy showing some interest in his son's hobbies and finding a way to relate and have fun with something totally foreign. It doesn't read to me like he's trying to even critique or poke fun at these names, more like sounding them out to get a feel for the foreign character of the words. I'd definitely call this more of a lowbrow blog post than a serious article - it doesn't seem intended to educate or inform, just to convey a recent personal experience informally. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
#1HENKAFAN 40 Posted February 29 (edited) I hate journalists just as much as anyone else does but I don't see how this article is any different to how most sumo fans react when they hear Wakatakakage and Wakamotoharu for the first time. And the Japanese commentators laugh at their names sometimes too, you know, live on air. It's not just a western thing. Edited February 29 by #1HENKAFAN Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yamanashi 3,724 Posted February 29 This guy's from my neck of the woods (though I've never heard of him). He noticed how strange the shikona of a wrestler is -- probably the most talked-about shikona on this site. He didn't mention fat men in diapers or twenty-year-old scandals (heck, he probably doesn't even know about Hokuseiho!) But that's probably because he didn't attend a prestigious School of Journalism. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Koorifuu 886 Posted March 1 The worst thing on that article is how he calls rikishi "sumos". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Asashosakari 18,786 Posted March 1 9 hours ago, Yarimotsu said: Honestly I found it kind of endearing. An older guy showing some interest in his son's hobbies and finding a way to relate and have fun with something totally foreign. It doesn't read to me like he's trying to even critique or poke fun at these names, more like sounding them out to get a feel for the foreign character of the words. I'd definitely call this more of a lowbrow blog post than a serious article - it doesn't seem intended to educate or inform, just to convey a recent personal experience informally. Yeah, it's a bit stream of consciousness like, but the undercurrent seems to be "my son likes this, so it can't be half-bad". That's a pretty heart-warming attitude, actually. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sokkenaiyama 76 Posted March 15 It wasn't the most respectful, but it's the expected level of ignorance from the unwashed masses. And, to be fair, Wakatakakage is a mouthful, even when you actually know Japanese. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yamanashi 3,724 Posted March 15 I've said it before and I'll say it again, his name makes me think of fried chicken. There, I've said it (again). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sokkenaiyama 76 Posted March 15 Wakakaraage? Yeah, I can see it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
John Gunning 3,513 Posted March 17 On 01/03/2024 at 00:59, #1HENKAFAN said: I hate journalists just as much as anyone else does 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites