[J-ENT] TELEVIEWS: Legitimate social concerns hidden by facile ‘monster’ masks

May 29, 2008 by KNDY

In the latest Televiews column by Wm. Penn for the Daily Yomiuri, Penn writes, “Stay tuned. It’s time for another episode of “Japanese TV Linguistics 101.” This week’s topic is the use of “monsuta” (derived from the English word monster) as an adjective in such phrases as monsuta parent, monsuta teacher, monsuta doctor and monsuta husband.”

“It’s just monstrous how the networks are promulgating the overuse of this word. It is being bandied about at such a frantic pace that, before long, we all will be labeled kin of Godzilla. (Can I be related to Mothra instead?)”

“In current usage, monsuta denotes self-centered people who refuse to go along with the group or the established game plan of Japanese institutions. Or in simpler terms, it describes people who are “cho (extremely) KY.” For anyone who has been in hibernation for the past year, KY stands for “kuki ga yomenai”–those poor souls who cannot read the mood of their companions or the atmosphere of a situation and do not perform as expected. These people take the “wa” (harmony) out of group relations, causing their compatriots to silently scream “Whoa!” or “What?” instead.”