Hey, kids.
I'm assigned a nine-page research paper on Geisha and American perceptions on the Geisha and traditions. All I'm asking is for you to share stories of what people you know think about Geisha. And also, can you think of anything (film, tv show, ad, painting, photo/photoshoot, book/textbook, etc) that has an American or at least a Western interpretation of a geisha?

Here's what I thought of so far:
Memoirs of a Geisha (film and book)
Mad TV's spoof of Memoirs of a Geisha
"Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips" (Bugs' in drag as a geisha.)
"I Love Lucy" (episode where Lucy and Ethel disguise themselves as geisha.)
Madonna's "Nothing Really Matters" video and live (1998) Grammy performance
Momus' various essays/podcast on Japanese culture

I'm not so sure about Christina Millian's video for "Dip it Low." I'm probably not going to use it. But God, that would be some good evidence to fall back on for an argument if it were more geisha-themed.

Anyway, now it's your turn to spill.

I'm not exactly sure what you want from us...

Eh, don't worry about it.
It's due at 12:30... I'm working on it right now but...


Thanks anyway.

You can delete this if you want.

Wowzahs, biggs.

:3
Hope it was one good paper.

Thanks Michelle-- turns out I got an 85% on it.
I think I'm going to be stuck with a 3.2 GPA through my whole college career...
>:(
I want a 3.5, at least!

:'[

I don't wanna fully think about my grades. I have Two A's.
Two B's.
Two C's.
And a D.

xD I'm about average.

>_<

I've got like

1 F - due to attendance, he dropped me. otherwise I had a B
1 D
2 Bs
3 As

at the moment.

But the F is really bothersome, because it means I can't graduate on schedule. Grr.

Three A's and a C+

...funny thing is, I got the C+ in a class I thought I did better in, and an A in a class I was sure I was going to bomb. UGH, I hated those classes -.-

In an episode of King of the Hill Hank's father Cotton ask the question "Do they have any geishas in this crap hut?" That seems to hold with the western misperception of geishas being prostitutes. They are also refered to in the Motley Crue song "Hell on High Hells" implying they are sporting women. They are mentioned in Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality fantasy books. I forget the specific one though. I doubt this will help but in any case it proves how little of a life I have.

Thanks, smokie!
I'm thinking I'm going to do the rewrite so this stuff is really helpful. I can't believe I forgot about that King of the Hill episode... God, I love that show...

My lowest level class is what I have my lowest grade in. It's a 100 level... In fact, its course number is 100. The professor's exam questions are ridiculous...

>>'' Ehhh, thinking about school, I think I'm skipping home room tomorrow.
She kicked eveyone I knew out, and I refuse to stand for the pledge, so shes probably going to send me to the office.

I've never been in trouble till this year, when she decided, I absolutely have to stand for the pledge. I've had her for now 3 years.

Why don't you?

Um, yeah... your teacher is going beyond her given power making you stand for the pledge. Standing for that crap is entirely up to you, not her. Unless she's administering a pledge grade... which is just illogical.

If you don't stand up for the pledge, and she sends you to the office, complain. Seriously. It's a matter of freedom of speech, and I'm pretty sure there's precedent for kids NOT wishing to stand for it. *googles*

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/petition/pledge.htm
<--Though, technically, THAT version depends on whether or not 'under god' is still in it, because then it violates the religion stuff in the constitution. Overruled, later, stupid supreme court, but it shows stuff has come up *googles some more*

Lesse. Happenings in Florida
Another article

....Google has tons more, there's really no point in linking them all. You probably get the point, neh?

Personally, I always hated saying it, but I never got annoyed enough with a teacher to not say it. And by the time I was in high school, teachers gave up, else I probably would have sat down because that whole thing is a load of crack. Sometimes, I kind of wish they HAD said it in high school, so I could have sat down and tested my teachers on how ridiculous they were XD

Mechanicsburg Schools never said it. Heck, they didn't even have a flag in every room (which I was later told you're supposed to have or something).

Middle School we said it every week. In either 6th or 7th grade, my advisory, which was the Spanish room, had the American Flag stolen, so for about three weeks we said the pledge to the Spanish Flag. Then the teacher found a magnet with a picture of the flag on it with the student hotline number, and we pledged to that.

I think people tend to overreact about the under god without thinking about it. It doesn't really seem to poke at God, god has a lot of meanings. Bleah, it annoys me, we aren't suppose to mention religion so we aren't 'forcing our beliefs on them', but when people tell us we can't, aren't they forcing their beliefs on us? (Is Presby.)

Though I think this topic is starting to trend into two very touchy areas, religion and politics.

According to the constitution they can't FORCE you to say the pledge if you don't want to. If you get in trouble take it to court. xD

For me it's one of those recursive things, where no, we are free not to say the pledge or the anthem... which is all the more reason to do so. Even if you don't like Americans, American foreign policy, cheeseburgers, apple pie, or whatever, you're still pretty lucky to live in a country that allows that, and should at least feel patriotic towards your freedoms. After all, America is arguably responcible for western freedom. Our revolution gave inspiration to the French revolutionists, our first international doctrin was over the right for colonies to self determine and to break free of imperialism, we forced other European states to sign the magna carta, and all sorts of other stuff.
Right now we're off track, which is even more reason for the people who know what America stands for to stand up, be patriotic, and speak out. I hate seeing angry liberal pussies burning the flag. That flag historically represents leftist thought more than rightist, so why the fuck would you let them take that as their symbol?! Freedom loving, well-minded Americans need to take back the flag, and take back America.

Oh, and Miccy, if you're little protest is all about the under God part... grow up! Your money has God written on it and you still spend that. It's just a meaningless tradition that dates back to the manner of speech from an older (and FAR less religious) era.

The whole flag burning thing is touchy.... As much of a crazy liberal as I am, I don't think I would ever touch that, and most people who do it today are probably more attention whores than actual political activists with really good reasons for it.

But then again, there are people who would ban flag burning as anti patriotic, even though it is being used as an expression of free-speech. Sure, it's an imflammatory and generally not-well-thought-out expression of free-speech, but those idiots shouldn't have that right taken from them, y'know?

There's definately better ways to make one's opinion known, but even idiots should be able to have their say.

(As far as under god goes, I generally just shrug my shoulders and pretend that the god part is referring to whatever celestial power or spiritual force that one may worship or not worship. There's better things to get worked up over. But that's just me.)

EDIT. Hell. I probably just talk to much for my own good. Feel free to ignore me, not that anyone needs my permission to do so.

Yeah they are supposed to have the flag in each classroom. I even hasseled a teacher for not having one up my sophmore year at Fairborn High she was a geometry teacher though so the she deserved it. Math = Evil

Also whats wrong with standing for the pledge? I mean America is a great place its not as good as it was but there are many worse places you could be. I mean we haven't had a good president since Ronald Regan but there is still hope for our nation.

Under God I think people just need to give that a rest.

Flag burning, right on Mike that flag has too much history. America has done some rotten things(Trail of Tears anyone? or being allies with Stalin) over the years but I'd say we have done more good than bad and that flag is a symbol of our nation's great works.

Mike, I'm not one of those people.
I think you we're letting others talk for me, and I only said that I don't stand.
I have no problem with people saying the pledge, I'm usually busy in the morning scrabbling to see what I forgot to do last night, to see if I got everything done.

I do have American pride, its just I don't flaunt it. I'm not big on politics anyway, my tiny mind can't comprehend all the items that have to do with it, so, I avoid it. Yes, I'm opinionated, its just I don't usually yell it in peoples faces, I'll state it, but I'm not a big fan of arguing. I've seen it end horribly too many times.

They DON'T make us say it, but stand. Once in a while I do, its just, the way Mrs Barios had did it was so random, its like I had never done it before, and one day, BAM I get sent to the office coz I didn't stand.

You could at least take a minute to acknowlege America. It probably wouldn't make a difference in your school work.

We say it every day...

I have respect America, please quit indicating that I don't.

Since when was Reagan a good president? Clinton was the last decent president, and Bush has only managed to undue most of everything he did. He may not have been morally sound, but he was a great leader. The last good president... psch. Perhaps George Washington. At least he recognized that a party system would be anything but good for our country...

And there are better places out there than the US. Most quality of life indicators point to Sweden as the best place to live. And most of the things we take for granted as our rights (that are being challenged in courts now... bleh) are things that you get in any developed nation now. So really, the U.S. is simply falling behind the rest of the world, riding an inflated ego and a massive debt and trying to bully the rest of the world into adopting it's own greedy capitalist principles that let such monstrosities as Wal-Mart show up and destroy entire towns.

No, I don't have pride in this country. It's alright, there's hope for it to turn around, but at the moment most of the world pretty much hates us and for good reason. And we've got far too many radical conservatives and liberals who want to shove their viewpoints down everyones throat and only care about forcing everything else to follow their own way of thinking.

I have some pride in my city and a lot of pride in my state (but not for its politics), but only a small amount of pride in the country. And most of that stems from things totally unrelated to its politics.

Edit: And as far as flag burning, I've always looked at it like this: It's a fuxing piece of cloth. Nothing to get worked up over. There have been times when I've heard people going on and on about how horrible some recent protest involving flag burning was and how it should be outlawed, and I almost wanted to burn one in front of them out of spite. Burning a piece of cloth is a retarded childish statement at best. It doesn't harm anyone and doesn't lead to anything but a few people whining. If you really want to make a statement, fly a plane into a building. That may actually cause some commotion.

I'm going to assume that Mike will come in here and disagree with most everything you have stated.

^___^ Mike likes to argue.
Or so I'm assuming.

I have so many opinions, but none to state here.

The statement about liberals is a bit stereo typical don't you think?
What would you assume they'd think of you as the people?

I have pride in my state, and city. Though Ashland is small, lame, and has a gigantic grand Cheesebarn, I love Ashland, I feel so safe here. Boring, is safe.
I love Ohio, it may sometimes seem like I don't, because I do as I know complain a lot.
I'll think more into politics when I'm more involved with society, and have tasks to take on that lead to be having a side to take.

Radicals, either rightist or leftist, tend to be annoying. On one hand, we have the bible-thumpers that can't see far enough past their noses to realize that they're not following what they're preaching (Wasn't there something about not being judgemental in that book, and love thy neighbor?) and on the other hand we have crazy Peta-activists who go on ridiculous tyrades about the evils on KFC (and apparantly, free lobsters from tanks. Because those lobsters are going live on the streets of a city, yeah.)

And I guess I'm proud of the country, but I'm not proud about some of the directions it has taken in the past few years. It's possible to love your country and yet be bloody annoyed with some of the things that happen. But going on a rant about the government right now would probalby just be excessive.

...dammnit, I love talking politics WAY too much for my own good.


(Eck, and sorry about the pledge stuff. I got carried away with looking up articles ^^

Agreed about the loving, yet hating statement.

BIGGS SEE WHAT YOU DID?! <33333

Eh, it was a statement about both the radical conservatives and the radical liberals. The "squeaky wheel" metaphor and all that jazz. And yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if Mike came in and deleted my post :-P I don't really know what possessed me to write it. I will say that I really don't feel like I know enough to make overly educated opinions. I just know the vibes I get from various places, and the US can be rather scary.

@_@ I at least try not to talk about what I don't know about.

But sometimes it does slip.

Miccy-Hey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound like I thought you didn't. I just find your reason for not standing up lame.

They got their problems too. I've heard quite a few stories from a Sweedish person.

False. While other countries may have rights, they don't quite have what we have. While in other countries they may expect people to act to certain standards and such. Look at Germany. Look at Japan. In America we have a strong view of personal rights that we don't let anyone fuck with. There's a strong belief that you can say what you want, read what you want, etc. We have a large set of customs from various countries. We have many religions. We have the huge gay pride celebration in New York. People have the right to live here or the right to leave. With the exceptions of some idiots, we all believe people have the right to these.

Of course the area between what should be legal and what shouldn't is always blurry.

Yeah, sure, and all the Catholics are telling us that gay marriage is wrong.

Okay, for some good reasons. Not everyone hates us though. And while our government does some crazy shit, we also are pretty quick to jump to offer relief to other countries when they're torn up by a disaster and such. We also go at it quicker and harder then most other countries.

What place doesn't?

In the end, I guess there's quite a bit I love about America. Many of the beautiful views, such as an amazing park in Kentucky and many more. The people here, and what we can and do try to do. Our partying for no damn good reason.

From one view it is. On the other hand, symbolism has a lot of power. And the flag is a major symbol.

It's alright.
Its how I do things. Making sure when I get to school I have everything done so I don't get to one of my classes and realize, "HEY! I could have done this first period, and got a grade."

Oh! Regardez ma petite poney, elle est très jolie! Qu'est-ce que sa nom sur sa derrière? Aime Liberté? Coeur du Liberté?


(x-post to "Will there be tits?")
Vive la France!
Hahaha, my French sucks. There aren't enough Francocentric anime fans out there...

My intention wasn't to have this turn into a "What's wrong with America" topic. Even though, we could go on and on with all our problems. But I'd rather keep it peaceful here.

THE POWERFUL BIGGS HAS SPOKEN!

I saw the word sweden in some post in this thread at one point.

That is all I have to say.

It depends on if her boobs seem to fall out of that skimpy shirt shes wearing. ;D

Looks like a WHORE to me.

Someone get Dildodo in here to take her away.

;_; The art major in me is sobbing at the whore comment. But the morbid side of me takes your boobies, and raises it with cannabalistic tendencies!



...Really. There's cannabalism. Note the guy in the bottom left holding on to his meal.. er... a dead body XD

*flees*

maybe it was just his son.

Well, if it is, all of my art history profs ever are wrong XD

EDIT: Yup. I remembered right. Cannabalism.