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Japan has the market cornered on what most Western tastes would call “weird.” If you aren’t familiar with that assertion — you soon will be — then just understand that a game show in which participants must bite different pieces of furniture in order to find out which are made of chocolate is par for the course in Japan.
This Japanese tradition has now spread to the hype machine surrounding the Copa America. The Japanese, like the rest of the world, love soccer, so it is only right that they profess their love in the most classic way possible: by making a quintessentially Japanese commercial.
Yes, that is a comical representation of Diego Maradona that you just saw yell at a child, who presumably is supposed to be Lionel Messi. Is it racist? It’s hard to tell — what do enlarged nostrils really mean, anyway? While it’s not black face, it’s not exactly showing respect for the likeness of Maradona, one of Argentina’s national heroes. Not that he deserves any respect, nowadays.
If this doesn’t get you excited for the Copa America, then, well, that’s probably pretty normal. Just know that the Japanese’ enthusiasm is well placed, because Chile 2015 should be one of the highlights of the year.
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