When Andy Hurley performed with Fall Out Boy for the 2013 Victoria’s Secret fashion show on November 13th, he was given a costume to wear that included a shirt with the Rising Sun on it.
The Rising Sun symbol, used by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, has come to represent horrors of wartime aggression (such as the Nanking Massacre) to many, particularly South Koreans and Chinese people.
The Rising Sun symbol is horribly offensive to descendants of people affected by these events, much like the Nazi Hakenkreuzflagge or the Confederate flag. Yet unlike those symbols, it continues to be used widely.
Many people simply don’t understand the connotations of this symbol. But after he was made aware of it, Andy and I felt that this incident would provide a good opportunity to heighten awareness of its cultural context. Here are his thoughts.
It’s been an adventurous week. Here is a random collection of things I found interesting:
What I found: I am a Game of Thrones addict (who isn’t at this point?). But I have to admit the accents drive me crazy. Apparently, I’m not the only one. This is a pretty cool discussion on the accents in the show…I suggest you check it out before the AWESOMENESS that will be happening tonight. (Have you read the books? No? What are you waiting for?)
What inspired me: Jacare’s UFC debut against Camozzi was a thing of beauty. Seriously.
What I read:
I always have good intentions to read as widely as possible, but I still have a tendency to read the same types of books over and over again. This week, however, a friend gave me a copy of something completely different: “Cool jobs in the music business!” by Jeffrey Rabhan. I know absolutely nothing about the music industry, but I started reading this while waiting for my much-delayed flight home to Chicago from New York on Wednesday, and finished it before my plane arrived. Now I know a bit more. If you have any interest whatsoever in a music career (or even if, like me, you don’t but just want to learn something completely new), I highly recommend it. For me, it was especially helpful because the very next day I went to a dear friend’s concert. With a little more background from having read this book, I made a nuisance of myself asking as many people as I could about their jobs (the sound technician, the tour manager, the drum tech, the security guys, the caterers, the guy who drove the bus), and I understood a little bit more of how everyone’s collective efforts produced a memorable night of music for thousands of people. Which brings me to my next thing…
What I listened to:
I’ve been friends with Andy Hurley for a couple of years (we are both students of Gym Jones). So when Fall Out Boy came to Chicago this past Thursday for a show at the Riviera, I was lucky enough to get to go. I love “Save Rock and Roll” , and it was an amazing experience to hear them play songs from it live, although I have to admit I chose my location more for the view than for the acoustics. If you get the chance to go see them, I really encourage you to! It’s a terrific show, and they are the nicest group of guys you’ll ever meet. Here are a few photos from the day:
So many happy people!During soundcheck, Andy and Patrick sang “Save Rock and Roll” to each other. It was just as sweet as you might imagine.I’m really bad at taking pictures of myself, and since we had a lot of downtime before the show, Patrick tried to give me a tutorial on how to look cute.
Enjoy your Sunday! I’m off to the lake for a nice long walk.
Violent metaphors 