[News] Gackt - Jesus (OUT 2008.11.26 // 2008.12.03)

Originally Posted by ImpactBreaker

really? I don't see why. I mean, it's quite common for japanese singer/bands to name their songs after religious important people. Just like ayu made M and hitomi made MARIA, and Luna Sea has a song called "Virgin Mary" and "Jesus" too. I think it's clear that Gackt most likely will make this a religious song of some sort, as can be seem by the covers. I don't see how it's reatarded. I'm not religious, but it makes perfect sense to me. It's a simple title yet has a lot of meaning.

Yeah, and they only do it because they have some weird trendy fascination with Western religion. It's pretty ridiculous to Westerners to see artists wearing crosses and naming their songs stuff like "Jesus" when we know they don't have a clue about any of the stuff.

[ImpactBreaker]

Originally Posted by dddaiyamondo

Yeah, and they only do it because they have some weird trendy fascination with Western religion. It's pretty ridiculous to Westerners to see artists wearing crosses and naming their songs stuff like "Jesus" when we know they don't have a clue about any of the stuff.

Well, they might not follow the religion, but assuming they have "no clue" is a bit too much. I mean, anybody can know Jesus history, either they believe it or not, or either they be religious or not, by reading books, watching movies or "being preached" by others. Material is definitely not lacking. That's how ayu made Free & Easy. She was inspired in the Joan's Of Arc story after she watched THE MESSENGER movie. It doesn't need to have a lot of clue after you've watched a movie and know that somebody had a history like that and then feel inspired into writing something about it. Maybe it's a weird trendy fascination, but then, if they like that, I don't see why it should be so ridiculous, I dunno. About the cross, many westerns wear crosses when they don't give a damn about the religion, so we can't really blame japanesew on that.

Originally Posted by ImpactBreaker

Well, they might not follow the religion, but assuming they have "no clue" is a bit too much. I mean, anybody can know Jesus history, either they believe it or not, or either they be religious or not, by reading books, watching movies or "being preached" by others. Material is definitely not lacking. That's how ayu made Free & Easy. She was inspired in the Joan's Of Arc story after she watched THE MESSENGER movie. It doesn't need to have a lot of clue after you've watched a movie and know that somebody had a history like that and then feel inspired into writing something about it. Maybe it's a weird trendy fascination, but then, if they like that, I don't see why it should be so ridiculous, I dunno. About the cross, many westerns wear crosses when they don't give a damn about the religion, so we can't really blame japanesew on that.

Umm, somehow I doubt it. Japanese people love to secularize Western religion by making it into a fashion statement or something. If this is like that, I'll be really irritated. But neither of us can really make any sort of definitive statement with the song not even being out, can we? Also I've never heard of a Western person wearing religious jewelry without being religious themselves.

[ImpactBreaker]

Originally Posted by dddaiyamondo

Also I've never heard of a Western person wearing religious jewelry without being religious themselves.

Really? I've seem a lot, and not only in my country. A lot of ppl in the international media, actors, singers, etc wearing cross necklaces or earrings and they aren't really caring to show any religiosity. That's because a cross doesn't really necessarily screams religiosity, and not only in Japan, but mainly in the western culture it became quite a fashioonable/trendy item. Or were the 80's US/UK punks who'd often get into violent fights and who'd wear cross earrings insterested in showing any religiosity? As if... Getting into even deeper thoughts, crosses were what? Torture and execution instruments used to sentence criminals judged by the romans or whatever was it. The fact christianism is much more infused in western culture probably makes most people overlook that many ppl use certain "religious" artifacts mostly as just fancy jewelry than really showing religiosity at all. It's really unfair to blame japanese for wearing those things as them being just trendy when many people from the western can do it mainly for trendy reasons. I am not religious and I have cross necklaces I've got as gifts, and I wear them no problem, and it's not like I'm caring to show any religion.

Also, taking this to talking about religious figures, non-religious people can write books or stuff about Jesus or other religious personalities. It's not only someone who is of a certain religion that can analyze and discuss something about their religions. Actually, I've seem christian people commenting on how they admire buddha for his lifetime story, even though they don't follow buddhism at all. I'd never call these ppl stupid, they are open minded. I don't think you have to be catholic to admire or criticize Mother Theresa's worldwide known humanitarian works for example. I'm not trying to discuss religion or turn this into a religion topic though, but I just think I should point out these points.

But yeah, Gackt hasn't released it yet, so we'll still see what it will be about. I'm not a fan of Gackt (I don't hate him, but I'm just not interested). I like the songs he made for Dirge of Cerberus a lot though. But I dunno, the covers look good and definitely not random imo.

Originally Posted by ImpactBreaker

Really? I've seem a lot, and not only in my country. A lot of ppl in the international media, actors, singers, etc wearing cross necklaces or earrings and they aren't really caring to show any religiosity. That's because a cross doesn't really necessarily screams religiosity, and not only in Japan, but mainly in the western culture it became quite a fashioonable/trendy item. Or were the 80's US/UK punks who'd often get into violent fights and who'd wear cross earrings insterested in showing any religiosity? As if... Getting into even deeper thoughts, crosses were what? Torture and execution instruments used to sentence criminals judged by the romans or whatever was it. The fact christianism is much more infused in western culture probably makes most people overlook that many ppl use certain "religious" artifacts mostly as just fancy jewelry than really showing religiosity at all. It's really unfair to blame japanese for wearing those things as them being just trendy when many people from the western can do it mainly for trendy reasons. I am not religious and I have cross necklaces I've got as gifts, and I wear them no problem, and it's not like I'm caring to show any religion.

Also, taking this to talking about religious figures, non-religious people can write books or stuff about Jesus or other religious personalities. It's not only someone who is of a certain religion that can analyze and discuss something about their religions. Actually, I've seem christian people commenting on how they admire buddha for his lifetime story, even though they don't follow buddhism at all. I'd never call these ppl stupid, they are open minded. I don't think you have to be catholic to admire or criticize Mother Theresa's worldwide known humanitarian works for example. I'm not trying to discuss religion or turn this into a religion topic though, but I just think I should point out these points.

But yeah, Gackt hasn't released it yet, so we'll still see what it will be about. I'm not a fan of Gackt (I don't hate him, but I'm just not interested). I like the songs he made for Dirge of Cerberus a lot though. But I dunno, the covers look good and definitely not random imo.

It's still a stupid name. And it doesn't change the fact that Japanese people love to prostitute our culture and religion in order to be ~fashionable~. The people who wear rosaries are being sacreligious, and it's offensive, or at least annoying to those who actually know what it's about. Maybe just because I'm from Hawai'i and our culture has been taken, packaged and sold in a similar manner, but I find it ridiculous and mildly upsetting to see people wearing things and not even understanding the meaning.

[ImpactBreaker]

Originally Posted by dddaiyamondo

I find it ridiculous and mildly upsetting to see people wearing things and not even understanding the meaning.

Yeah, i guess everybody here are all ridiculous for listening to japanese music and not even understanding what the heck most of the artists are saying when when they are singing. Nice observation. We live in a open world. If no culture wanted to be influenced by others or wanted to influence others, these ppl should live in a shell. A lot of the japanese culture is copied and packaged like you say about Hawaii to the western, look at all the sushi houses and the carttoons trying to be anime-like now? I don't think japanese ppl find that offensive.

[bondingo]

Originally Posted by dddaiyamondo

It's still a stupid name. And it doesn't change the fact that Japanese people love to prostitute our culture and religion in order to be ~fashionable~. The people who wear rosaries are being sacreligious, and it's offensive, or at least annoying to those who actually know what it's about. Maybe just because I'm from Hawai'i and our culture has been taken, packaged and sold in a similar manner, but I find it ridiculous and mildly upsetting to see people wearing things and not even understanding the meaning.

I'm gonna have to agree. The Japanese use of butchered English in songs and use of American symbols without understanding them seems awfully common and has no place being compared to those listening to Japanese music and not understanding the lyrics. If you are acting on behalf of something that music is saying, but don't understand the lyrics and therefore assume it means one thing would be equivocal to someone naming a song Jesus just for the heck of it. I don't know what Gackt knows about Jesus, but from what I've seen, he seems TO ME like the kind of person who would name a song Jesus just to be cool or trendy. That's just what I believe, but obviously I could be wrong, but it is my opinion and I'm not asking that anyone agree with it.

Originally Posted by ImpactBreaker

Yeah, i guess everybody here are all ridiculous for listening to japanese music and not even understanding what the heck most of the artists are saying when when they are singing. Nice observation. We live in a open world. If no culture wanted to be influenced by others or wanted to influence others, these ppl should live in a shell. A lot of the japanese culture is copied and packaged like you say about Hawaii to the western, look at all the sushi houses and the carttoons trying to be anime-like now? I don't think japanese ppl find that offensive.

Of course we live in an open world with cultures who clearly emulate others. But if I were to personally find the Japanese using important Western symbols as cultural trends to be offensive, I don't see why someone who was Japanese couldn't be bothered by Americans using their culture for profit as well. It goes both ways. You have no right to say that Japanese people don't find it offensive when Americans or other Western cultures emulate some of their trends in a manner similar to how they may do it to other cultures. Unless you know every single person in Japan, you absolutely cannot generalize like that.

And anyways, this is becoming an argument about religion and its cultural impact which, last time I checked, wasn't even allowed here. I still stick by my original statement about the single. You can disagree that it's a "retarded" title, but you wouldn't try to correct someone calling a single "Toilet Brush", now would you? For me it just seems like a totally random name that is primarily a manner of catching attention, and therefore I don't care for it. If Gackt is truly religious and wants to sing about his love for Jesus, then go right on ahead, but I highly doubt that's what this song is about. If it is, so be it.

[ImpactBreaker]

Originally Posted by bondingo

I'm gonna have to agree. The Japanese use of butchered English in songs and use of American symbols without understanding them seems awfully common and has no place being compared to those listening to Japanese music and not understanding the lyrics.

wait, that's absolutely ridiculous. Japanese may use english erroneously on their songs, byut they don't do it to please any american audiences. They make their songs for themselves. It's trendy, yeah, but it's trendy for them, not the US. On the other hand, some american artists use butchered spanish lyrics. You guys saying all those is ridiculous is just how you guys tell somebody you like JPOP and they go "hmph how do you listen to this japanese crap with annoying voices you don't even understand". No difference.

[zoomzoom]

Originally Posted by dddaiyamondo

Also I've never heard of a Western person wearing religious jewelry without being religious themselves.

I see that a lot. In recent years I've seen rosaries sold in regular American clothing chains like AE, Aeropostale and A&F. It's even more common in western Europe.

[CatGirl]

Wow, Jesus is kind of a strange title O_o; Hearing it's from Gackt, though, I'm not too surprised I haven't been following his recent stuff, but I'm really curious to hear this single now xD I LOVE the covers~ I hope the song will be good and meaningful too ^__^