CJAS Alum quoted by MSNBC article on anime

[Jed]

Our own Lawrence Eng was quoted in this MSNBC article about how sexualized anime is going mainstream. I find the content of the article dubious. But, hey, it quotes a CJAS alum!

[Secretary Of Pocky]

The article compares Gurren Lagann to Legend of the Overfiend.

[Kathy Moon]

Well, honestly, it's just missing a word. After "But sexually-suggestive and explicit anime like 'Gurren Lagann' and 'Legend of the Overfiend,' belongs the word "respectively". However, when the author called manga "graphic books", I wasn't sure if he meant "composed of graphic images" (drawings) or "containing graphic scenes" (R rated). Maybe he's not sure so he's hedging his bets?

[Mr. Sandman]

Fascinating article. He's an expert; wow! That's cool. You know, back when I was 13 and started watching serious anime (Mononoke-Hime and such), Mom once sat me down and forbade me to watch hentai. She never used the specific words, but her meaning was clear. I guess she heard about alarm bell stories about how anime masquerade as innocent to obfuscate their hidden hentai.

Funny story: Before they realized what was on the disc, I remember seeing Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth in the Cartoons section at my local Blockbuster. Mind you, this was when it was first released, so many people didn't know better... But still...

[Mike]

At least Lawrence's quotes are trust-worthy and accurate. I can't say that about the rest of the article, though I've seen much worse.

[W-General]

I would like to applaud Lawrence our good Alum for setting things right about Lolicon.

Whatever it is, for a true otaku, Eng says, it [lolicon] is not pedophilia. “Fans abhor young looking [real-life] models,” he said. “They abhor real child porn. They do not want to be associated with that stuff.”

For example, on a Lolicon chat board recently, someone posted a Japanese DVD cover showing real schoolgirls, around 8 years old, dressed in uniforms, showing their panties, smiling, giggling. The community was outraged and urged harsh punishment for the makers of the DVD, arguing that there is a vast and important difference between “2-D” and “3-D.”

Remember, folks.
Lolicon != pedophile or sexual predator.

Two dimensional drawings: good.
Real little girls: bad. Say no to CP!

[Jed]

Here's Lawrence's own response to (a podcast's response to) the article.

[TheBigN]

At least Lawrence's quotes are trust-worthy and accurate. I can't say that about the rest of the article, though I've seen much worse.

Pretty much. As someone else on another forum I go to mentioned, it was like the article was trying to say "Hey! Here's this fun area of fetishes to try!" more than anything else. It irks me a little though.