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Authors: Dirty Japanese: Everyday Slang From "What's Up?" to "F*%# Off!"

BOOK: Matt Fargo
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Pigs
satsu
“Pig,” an old-timers’ and high-school wiggers’ word for “cop,” certainly doesn’t apply to all officers of the law. I use the word “pig” here (and the corresponding satsu, which
doesn’t describe actual swine) strictly to refer to Japanese cops, who belong to that special category of douchebag that is all douche and no bag. I mean, Japanese cops must have absurdly tiny dicks, because every one of them walks around like they’ve got something huge to prove. Maybe it’s because they didn’t get to go to college and have uninhibited sex, or maybe it’s just because they aren’t allowed to carry guns. Japanese cops are also totally racist, so watch out if you look the least bit foreign. If you happen to be black or Chinese, you might as well just start running the other way.
The pigs are coming.
satsu ga kuru zo
Run away!
nigero
Oh, shit.
yabē
It’s a biker cop!
shirobai da
Hide the shit.
yaku o kakuse
Act like you don’t know shit.
shiranpuri shiro
I don’t know anything.
nani mo shiranainda
Fucking cops.
porikō no aho
CHAPTER 7
POPPY JAPANESE
POPPU NA NIHONGO
Music
ongaku
Speaking objectively, I have to warn you that Japanese pop music is relentlessly horrendous crap. This is a quantified fact, but it’s also one of the world’s great mysteries. I mean, Japanese visual arts are uniformly amazing, right? Japanese fashion is light years ahead of everybody. Japanese cuisine is nothing less than delectable. And Japanese video games have invented the industry. So why is J-Pop so unlistenable? Oh yeah …They don’t have black people in Japan.
Let’s listen to some…
. . .kikō ze
Do you listen to…
. . .wa yoku kiku
 
Do you know where can I hear some…
. . . o kikeru toko wakaru
 
J-Pop
jē poppu
At least it’s not reggaeton.
 
Johnny’s Music
janīzu kei
The Japanese version of “boy bands.” Arashi, Smap, V6, Kinki Kids—these NAMBLA posterchildren make the Backstreet Boys look like they actually have testicles.
 
Indies
indīzu
Has little in common with “indie rock.” Basically, it’s J-Pop that doesn’t have big-label backing. Mostly awful.
 
Reggae
regē
Even Japanese kids are rocking the dreads these days. Like white reggae, but even more misguided.
 
Hip-hop
hippu hoppu
Japan has produced some quality DJs—just don’t give them a mic, and everything will be cool.
Jazz
jazu
Japanese people have great taste in jazz—check out the Tokyo Blue Note.
 
Soul
sōru
Thank you, Japanese record labels, for reprinting all of my favorite albums. I really appreciate it, but will you stop charging me 3,000 yen a pop?
 
Rock-n-roll
rokku
The one genre that even Japan can’t fuck up. X Japan forever.
 
Techno
tekuno
Something tells me that Japan would be pretty good at this, but I don’t know because I don’t listen to poo.
 
What bands do you like?
sukina bando wa

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