Happy New Year!
I hope everyone had a fantastic new year! But you know who didn't... Logan Paul.
I'm sure that most of you have heard or read about the viral video that Logan Paul posted (now deleted) about finding a dead body in Japan's infamous Suicide Forrest.
It goes without saying that his "now deleted" video was disturbing, disrespectful, and never should have been posted on a social platform for the public to see. My heart goes out to the victim and his family.
He made an apology video, but I don't think he really understands how inappropriate his actions were during his trip in Japan; the suicide forest incident being the most distasteful of them all. Logan and his crew should have known better.
Japan has a long history concerning suicide ratings, and according to a study from 2017, ranks as the 6th highest in the world. As a person who currently lives in Japan, and is of Japanese descent, I want to point out that society in Japan is not as easygoing as it may look in animes and mangas. It is complex yet stratified. There is this phrase in Japanese "本音と建て前" (honne to tatemae) meaning "real feelings, and façade". What I found hard about living in Japan, was deciphering people's true feelings or intentions apart from their public persona/face. I've seen and have felt how suffocating it can be to have to comply with social norms, while still trying to be an unique individual. Japan's societal standards are borderline making it impossible to embrace individualism. The do's and don'ts are so clear within Japanese societies that it allows people to easily out those who don't follow said norms. Thus, their homogenous characteristics force people to "make face" in order to live up to those insufferable standards. Now, this brings up the issue with mental health within this country. Compared to the USA where one or more counselor(s) are available at most every school, many Japanese schools do not employ a counselor. Counselors are employed by their respective Board of Education whom rotate numerous schools. Although some initiatives have been made by the Ministry of Education, the lack of resources and outlets provided for adolescent youths is a contributing factor to their closed-off nature. Mental health is a real problem worldwide, but in japan it is a pressing issue not only in schools, but in the workplace as well.
I know a person who had a boss that put out his cigarette buds on his arm leaving burn marks, and scarring him into depression. I knew a person diagnosed with depression that was admitted into a psych ward against his will, ultimately killing him. I know a person that has to act like a completely different person at work, just to be taken semi-seriously by her male coworkers, causing chronic migraines. How can this be acceptable?
In Logan's video, the victim looked like a grown male. We will never know how or since when he had been suffering, but it's another reminder how frail people can be against mental illnesses.
In spite of the whole incident.... I do want to say that it brought light to suicide awareness in Japan again which was publicity nonetheless. Also, when something happens that I can't mentally process I have coped with it through humor before. So I don't want to want to necessarily call out his emotional reactions at the time when he encountered the victim. Do NOT get me wrong though, it's still not acceptable that he trespassed through the forest, filmed a scene of a suicide, and publically posted it.
If you are suffering or experiencing depression, please reach out for help. People are willing to take your hand, more than you'd expect. Please don't feel like you are alone in this.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
Now then, I'd like to put that topic aside for a moment, and talk about how F*cking Offensive he was in his other videos whilst in Japan! So triggered.
Logan doesn't understand the meaning of "RESPECT"
I understand that this is his style and he's doing it for the views, but appropriating another person's culture in the way that he did was so undoubtedly rude. I would love to write a whole novel about how peeved I am about this, but that would take days. Fear not though, a few youtubers already did the job, and I really liked what they had to say about his actions. Check it out!
Dogan
Reina Scully
That Japanese Man Yuta
Thanks for reading! :)