The art work to me was as abstract as the post.

I'll bet that when it was first painted, that mural was CELEBRATED by the "intelligencia"...

You really have to be wanting to be offended to find that offensive.

I like the "characters" and Mt Fuji on that mural. It's just too busy. He should have buffed the/an area around his mural beforehand to make it stand out and pop. He did great on the sumo.

Lots of Chinese and or Japanese writing I wish I could read it. Maybe the writing says offensive things.

Id like to see more of the artists work. Do you have a picture of the rest of the signature or Twitter name?

At times I miss doing large scale murals like that.

From my experience, just by looking at it this is what happened.... there were already various graffiti artists that went to town on that wall, the owner decided to allow another artist come in with his design. The artist didn't have even a gallon of paint and roller to buff out the previous work so he just went over what he could with what he had on hand.

It reads, “No charge for extra meat.”

I must have missed what triggered the triggered.

Lol.

I miss the time when everyone wasn't so darn delicate.

Now, most look for a reason to outraged and/or offended.

Idiots caused wokeness, we haven't seen the end result of what wokeness is gonna cause.

Supposedly the artist has done some murals in Tokyo and was welcome there

Idk .,....

it all looks jap to me.....white may be better.

That could well be. I don't know what murals he might have done in Tokyo. They might have smiled, bowed, then painted over the wall after the artist left.

My wife's reaction puzzled me too. I didn't see anything offensive about the mural, either.

If we sat down in a restaurant with that mural, my wife wouldn't have said boo about it, even to me. But I specifically asked her to look for a reason to be offended. If I'd just asked her what she thought of the mural, she probably would have said she didn't like it--and that's all.

I've thought about this. I think the sense of offense comes over what is admittedly a liberal idea: cultural misappropriation. It happens when an artist or writer appropriates and misuses an important symbol, icon, or meme from another culture.

Suppose you're in Tokyo and come across a mural with an image of the American flag (maybe posted upside-down) and the Washington Monument. You might feel a sense of offense--and if that's too strong a word, irritation then.

For the Japanese, Mt. Fuji is pretty much THE symbol of Japan and Japanese culture. So if some are slightly offended or miffed by its use on that mural, I can understand it. I doubt many Japanese would have made a fuss about it though.

Jim

Does a nation or culture, or race, really own and/or get to control the use of a symbol? If it doesn't like use of the symbol it can cry that it is offended and the use has to cease? Or, some woke person without a national, cultural or racial connection cries offense and the same should happen?

Both scenarios seem oddly like nationalism or racism.

This post. Ah! Number 1.

"Cultural appropriation refers to the use of objects or elements of a non-dominant culture in a way that doesn't respect their original meaning, give credit to their source, or reinforces stereotypes or contributes to oppression." https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-cultural-appropriation-5070458

It's debatable whether that mural qualifies.

Jim

That power is given, not taken.

Ah yes. The iconoclasm wars continue.

Some had hoped all the statue toppling would be ended in 754 AD by decree,
but, people just love them a good fight over a symbol.
"DO NOT touch my symbol!!"

People just have an endless number of idols today that can not be offended. They will not allow it, these nice folks who tolerate so well according to what we're told by the wise ones.
In fact, everybody gets to pick the one they like, and then rage war against the idols of the other person. It's called "being fair."
Once upon a time hurting someone was immoral. More and more we move towards, it's fair if your idol has been offended in any way, shape, or form.

Ah, yes. The iconoclasm wars continue.
Where's a good statue, flag, or person to destroy when a icon loyalist needs one?
It's not a "new" religion or a "new" religion of the 21st century.
It's been a religion for a very long time.
I'm with the council of 754 AD.
But they were overruled by a later council of wiser ones which always happens.

Blessings,
Mark

Probably true