‘Shitsugen’ Are Called ‘Gaffes’ in English

Published in Mainichi Shimbun
(Japan) on 5 February 2021
by (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Eric Stimson. Edited by Michelle Bisson.
“Shitsugen” are called “gaffes” in English, and America’s new president, Joe Biden, is called the “Gaffe Machine.” Once when he addressed an audience of Black people and Latino immigrants, he said, “Poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids.” This comment, which was meant to be a rejection of discrimination, instead provoked outrage.

These words clearly revealed a white supremacist mentality, and it goes without saying that they were met with fierce criticism. Worries that this proclivity toward gaffes will become a stumbling block cannot be dismissed even now.

The gaffe machine representing Japan is a former prime minister whose popularity also slumped while in office because of his numerous gaffes. Yoshiro Mori, president of the Tokyo Olympic planning committee, made waves when he said at a meeting that “committees with lots of women take time.” He thinks that women are competitive and that, once one of them talks, all of them feel they have to speak as well. What’s more, he went on to discuss limiting speaking time, making plain his disdain for women’s opinions.

His disclosure of his true feelings springs from the same root as Biden’s gaffe. Needless to say, Mori is the head of a committee that should demonstrate the Olympic spirit — zero tolerance for discrimination by race, sex, sexuality, etc., is a cornerstone of modern Olympic values. Sexist speech is behavior that sullies the Tokyo Olympics. Yesterday Mori apologized and retracted his statements, which were violations of the spirit of the Olympics, while refusing to resign his presidency.* Biden has recovered from his past gaffes by appointing people of many races as well as women to his administration. What will Mori do?

*Editor's note: Yoshiro Mori resigned as president of the Tokyo Olympic planning committee on Friday, Feb. 12.


失言を英語でギャフ(gaffe)というが、ギャフマシン(失言機械)と呼ばれたのは米国のバイデン新大統領だ。黒人と中南米系移民の集会に出て、差別を否定するつもりの言葉が怒りを買ったこともある▲「貧しい家の子どもたちも白人の子どもたちと同じくらい賢く、才能がある」。明らかに白人優位の意識がにじみ出た言葉で、厳しい批判を浴びたのはいうまでもない。その失言癖がつまずきの石となる心配は今後も杞憂(きゆう)といえない▲こちらは日本を代表するギャフマシンで、在任当時も数々の失言で支持率を低落させた元首相だ。東京五輪組織委員会の森喜朗(もり・よしろう)会長が会議席上で述べた「女性がたくさん入っている理事会は時間がかかる」発言が波紋を広げている▲女性は競争意識が高い、誰か一人が言うとみんな発言する――と決めつけた森会長である。加えて発言時間規制の話まで持ち出し、女性の意見軽視をあらわにした。語るに落ちるその本心ということでは、先のバイデン失言と同根だ▲いうまでもなく森氏はオリンピズム(五輪精神)を奉ずべき組織委トップだ。人種、性別、性的指向などの差別を許さないのは現代世界の五輪運動の中核をなす価値観である。性差別の言辞は東京五輪そのものに泥を塗る所業なのだ▲きのう森氏は発言が五輪精神に反すると謝罪して撤回し、その上で会長辞任を否定した。バイデン氏は多様な人種や女性を政権に大量登用して過去の失言をリカバーしたが、森氏は続投して何をするつもりか。
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