Critical Analysis of Four Shoppers in a Japanese Supermarket from the Perspectives of Their Disapproving, Estranged Mothers

Jan. 19, 2011
Tao Lin (b. 1983) is the author of 7 books of fiction/poetry including Richard Yates (2010) and Bed (2007). Vintage ...


These four shoppers were photographed in Yaoko Marketplace on 7 JAN 2011, between 7:00PM and 8:30PM, off the Keisei stop in Narita, outside Tokyo. The photos were mailed to their mothers with instructions to provide “brief, critical analysis” and to refrain, if possible, from “personal attacks.” Responses arrived surprisingly promptly, were translated with Google Translate, and are presented here unedited. Names have been changed.

While John is considering to buy a cake, please do not bend his neck like that. I bent back when he was just standing completely comfort standing that he is comforted that holds the dignity enough to refrain from, just to he are overshadowed. My stance on his feet, he can say that standing there for at least three minutes. I was staring at the pastry and either “grab” to pick up the tray down before continuing the configuration tool at this point John, and advice. The next time I’m at this point is not Dasa resigned from trying to persuade him “because he both have no” grab “before doing anything with the tool, all you need to pick up the tray. It seems that John’s aim in pastry. unless he has concrete plans to move his other hand carbohydrates just for his choice of carbohydrates for any distance, “to carry, I do not put him under register, to carry. Actually I am John, and that you are considering whether or not you choose not to eat sweets binge, “grab” to hold the tool either case, this picture I was ever nervous NIC know that the undercover man, or if you are watching him. I know this, that I just cried, it really – I’ll is not in bed now, do not cry later. I John seaweed chips, white rice, miso soup, natto palette, when you enter the room sitting on the floor of his room in a bag surrounded by four large bowl large bowls of the board will never forget Chi-cream sauce, Fri unopened containers. His countenance. His attitude that he had fallen from a great height, sort of on the floor, as he had fallen. I though we we still live in the same house, when I think I knew the day would already know each other, I felt. I was only partially correct – we do not live in the same house I did.


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  • http://twitter.com/leighalexander leighalexander

    oh my god

    new level of sweet

    • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

      sweet, leigh

      typed simply 'sweet' before but disqus deleted it, feeling that it was spam

  • elaine

    wtf

    • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

      critical analysis of four shoppers in a japanese supermarket from the perspectives of their disapproving, estranged mothers as translated from the japanese via 'google translate,' with iphone photography by me

  • Chillwave Gonzales

    This piece exudes 物の哀れ — “Mono no aware,” the Japanese expression for “the sadness of passing things.” Powerful stuff. Want to call my mom, tell her I love her, and listen to chillwave.

    • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

      seems sweet

  • http://popserial.tumblr.com stephen

    nice/sweet

    • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

      甘い

  • Guy

    wonder if there are vegans in tokya

    • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

      i feel there are

  • http://twitter.com/jensenwilder jensenwilder

    this has altered something inside my brain, in a good way.

    i think i'm now aware of estranged mothers. and the surprising results one can achieve with google.

    • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

      sweet

      estranged ass mothers

  • http://twitter.com/jensenwilder jensenwilder

    also. this should be an ebook. i think i would get a new level of sympathy, were i to read it whilst looking at the forlorn shoppers in tesco.

  • http://steveroggenbuck.com steve roggenbuck

    hot ass languagge poetry

    • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

      甘い

      • http://theopenend.com/ herocious

        甘い = sweet

        ?

        (educated guess)

  • http://twitter.com/MissKimball misskimball

    史上最高の書き込み
    インターネット上の配慮を介して

    • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

      甘い

      • http://twitter.com/MissKimball misskimball

        迅速:)

  • Chillwave Gonzales

    私が話し愛し、日本の読書。それは甘いです。私の母は、カタログ上のすべての人に挨拶と言います。

    • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

      甘い

  • Brandon Gorrell

    jesus freaking christ

  • Joe

    I liked this a lot. It reads like writing filtered through free on-line translation services, which I always thought read like Gertrude Stein.

  • Emily

    Highly approving of this.

  • http://tomhankssuperfan.blogspot.com megan boyle

    lol, jesus…jesus

    good job

    • http://tomhankssuperfan.blogspot.com megan boyle

      regard not my comment as laughing “out to the loudest” but for inside quietly i doing so

      highest congratulate!!! you are always have the vision and graceful style for observational!

      • Chillwave Gonzales

        最終的にいくつかの音楽英語。スウィート/いまいましい。

      • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

        sweet

        three exclamation marks, interesting/damn

  • Joe

    What's chillwave

  • http://kilakilakila.blogspot.com brittany

    i really liked this one, tao.

  • mario

    マイケルは良いですが、男が彼の足を18回壊した

  • Purple monster

    カタログには、その電子的進化の新たな段階に入っている。

  • Crow

    'mothers are like that, yeah, they are'
    I love it! Wish my mother were still alive to treat me like a twelve year old (that's a hard habit for Mothers to break) and talk trash about me to her buddies.
    Highly amusing.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bee-Goode/100001676566533 Bee Goode

    this hurt my brain. i need to get effed up now to 'ease the pain'

  • Etgar

    This was beautiful.

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