What Oscar Made Me Think

Supposedly this year's Oscar was viewed at the lowest rating in seven years.

I was trying to think these last seven years of Oscars then realized I was in America for all those years. And I remember the winners acceptance speech has become a lot more of the opportunity for addressing social and political problems over the years.

Regardless the people agree or disagree on their opinions, I think that's what's so great about this country's progress and openness even if ever that were superficial.

I don't remember Japanese actors ever really address their opinions on politics nor social issues on the media. In Japan, the media is control by the government and those powerful sponsors so that anyone who would say anything negative about them will not be aired nor their opinions will not come out on surface in general.

There are some Japanese journalists who wrote about what is really happening in North East of Japan after the earthquake and what's been hidden by the Japanese media but their opinions never become news in Japan.  There's somebody who wrote about those Japanese victims captured and executed by ISIS in his blog with his assumption of possible Japanese government involvement behind these two men then his post was taken down.  I am not here to say whether they were telling the truth or not, but rather I am concerned about people in my country under the control of the media who would not tell the citizen the truth, if it is hidden, they have right to know.

Social issues such as LGBT and marriage equality seem so far behind in Japan as well.

It is in general still very hard to be different in the society where people focus on harmony rather than character and individuality.

I believe that is because Japan is not a country like America where there is a huge diversity in race and religion.  In America, briefly there is African American and white racial issue still happening today. Whereas in Japan, it is not as obvious nor intense but I've seen discriminative comments on immigrant people from Korea or China.

Every time I visit Japan, my concerns get deeper and deeper.

And the only thing really I can do is to try to be nice to people, be a good example, and do a right thing.

"The right thing" is as far as I know it is the right thing to me so it is not by any meaning the solution for the problem.

As I try to teach my niece and nephew things, I realize I am also learning things too.

I am nowhere near perfect and I will never be but to teach my niece and nephew to be the best they could be, I think they will make a right choice and right decision. And I believe that's eventually become the right path for the future.

I just went kinda rant on my thought this time-maybe at least I'll post my favorite Oscar video here.

Thanks for reading.