MomoのKokoro

a riveting documentary by Jake Clennell called "The Great Happiness Space - Tale of an Osaka Love Thief" which focuses on Issei, a popular host at the Cafe Rakkyo, as he goes through a typical day as a male host. His customers and colleagues are also featured. Now I realize that those suit-clad lanky men with bleached hair hanging around Dotonburi and Namba were hosuto.. But Clennell covers the subject with sympathy and never casts any moral judgement.

We get interesting insight into how these Japanese male hosts view their female customers and the eventual mental turmoil that these men experience. Even though the men can earn up to 5 million yen a month (more than what typical salarymen earn in a year), the money comes at a price - being manipulated by and manipulating the women they entertain, having damaged livers from consuming up to 10 bottles of liquor every night, having to invest and maintain a certain appearance to draw the women in.

The women also suffer in this game, although they apparently enjoy the 'privilege' of paying men for attention, just as what their male counterparts have been doing to women for a long time. Most of the women who fall in love with male hosts usually end up in the mizu shobai (nightclub and related, often sexual, services industry) and many prostitute themselves for the income to support their host. The women do this despite knowing full well that most of the men they love are with them only because of the money, and nothing else.

For an academic take on the situation, check out Takeyama's article called "Commodified Romance and Sex". What I found insightful about Takeyama's argument was the fact that women have not been liberated at all by the ability to purchase male attention - the necessity for most of them to participate in the mizu shobai shows an economic cycle whereby these male hosts earn the money from other men through the medium of these women. Wikipedia also has an informative page on host clubs.

***

About my self: situation's still in flux.

During this time, when I don't know how things (on my side) will turn out, and when the sky's pouring like tomorrow isn't coming, I think I am not going to care so much.

I was able to meet with C-chan yesterday but ohmygod I sucked at being a guide. Being in Orchard zapped my energy levels to new lows. Shopping used to be fun until last summer pre-Tokyo.

My present PA-ing's keeping me busy, and making me wonder new things. I've thought about applying to study cultural anthro with KN, but reading about the misery of grad school (and the further misery of freshly-minted PhDs flooding the job market) is making me think twice. They're taking some time to get back to me; until then I'll be busy anyway.

Posted in: Thoughts on Saturday, August 18, 2007 at