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



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.
Jan. 19, 2011

By Tao Lin info

Tao Lin is a writer living in Manhattan, NY.

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And the blurring of Stephen and the position of the bottom of trouser leg left, according to thrust forward a small head and upper body of him, I was in the shop he was, he had one, that right, in the process of turning before he stops and turns wide arc or feel now, to something I was thinking about purchasing, but not in the opposite direction was decided to. To do this, a typical Stephen. He will never be able to pick something to try without a lot of other things first, he always has the time he left all the options were not ready to choose In order to select what was worse for him. Exactly what he means to the Karen, the reason why marriage is a drug that is Steven. Judging by his clothes, he probably even for these drugs. Who knows where to find that Karen and I certainly do not, I Steven, or if you are, know what this picture was taken. Anyway, Stephen went to their only he does in the shower, in one of the home in a car or bus, purchased before entering the store, “off” once the store, he “decision-making mechanisms,” and his basket of items should be thinking about what you want, pay for the selection, in order to save time. He has his picture, as people enter the grocery list, you could be shooting at all, his basketball, if not the sky may have been this photo Typically, the time-out “in” love their wives are home with their children alone. What if I have a 14-year-old Stephen is that he regrets that the marijuana in it. I think my favorite memory with him. Just before that it was leading, and then it was leading to death we just die. I do not miss it, I have a memory, but I wish I had more of them. TC mark

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  • http://twitter.com/leighalexander leighalexander

    oh my god

    new level of sweet

  • elaine

    wtf

  • 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

    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

  • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

    seems sweet

  • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

    sweet, leigh

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

  • http://popserial.tumblr.com stephen

    nice/sweet

  • Guy

    wonder if there are vegans in tokya

  • 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://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://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

    i feel there are

  • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

    sweet

    estranged ass mothers

  • http://steveroggenbuck.com steve roggenbuck

    hot ass languagge poetry

  • 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://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

  • 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。

  • Joe

    What's chillwave

  • http://kilakilakila.blogspot.com brittany

    i really liked this one, tao.

  • http://heheheheheheheeheheheehehe.com/ tao

    sweet

    three exclamation marks, interesting/damn

  • 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。

  • chillwave gonzales

    このことを考慮して：http://tinyurl.com/4j2p9mf

  • Joe

    Thanks

  • 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://theopenend.com/ herocious

    甘い = sweet

    ?

    (educated guess)

  • 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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