1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:27,680 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of iHeartRadio. Welcome back to 2 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 1: the show, fellow Ridiculous Historians. Thank you, as always so 3 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:36,839 Speaker 1: much for tuning in Kenichiwa. We might say hello, welcome 4 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:40,800 Speaker 1: to Tanuki Tanuki. I love it, dude, I love a Tanuki. 5 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:45,600 Speaker 1: That's our falls of Steel, that's our super producer, mister 6 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 1: Max Williams. 7 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:50,159 Speaker 2: Is that that's not a me as zaki, but it's 8 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:54,040 Speaker 2: a ghibli. And there is about a family of raccoons 9 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 2: that use their giant testicles as implements of magic. 10 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 1: I don't know how else to describe it. It's true, 11 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 1: it's old it's old school Japanese folklore as well. You're 12 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: Noel Brown, I'm Ben Bowling, and we are we are 13 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 1: talking to Nuki right now. For this episode, we're going 14 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 1: to be talking raccoons because, as you may know, folks, 15 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:25,480 Speaker 1: Fella Ridiculous Historians, there is a bit of mischaracterization and 16 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: assassin character assassination afoot when we come to the humble 17 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:32,440 Speaker 1: and ever cute Tanuki. 18 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 2: I don't know about this. Are we talking because they 19 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 2: have creepy human hands? Because they're characterized as being verminous 20 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:43,319 Speaker 2: bandits of some sort? We are we talking here, Ben, 21 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 2: tell me of this malign How dare they malign the 22 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 2: raccoon community. 23 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 1: I love the idea of a singular malaid. Tell me 24 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 1: of your maligny, mal So this is the deal. Think 25 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 1: of it this way, folks. If you had let's say 26 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 1: you ad a twin brother, right, since we're all dudes, 27 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 1: you have a twin brother, and you are an upstanding 28 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 1: citizen in your neck of the woods. But your twin 29 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 1: brother is an absolute menace, and you get in trouble 30 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: for a lot of the stuff your twin did even 31 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:18,239 Speaker 1: though you were not your twin. That is the story 32 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:20,960 Speaker 1: of the raccoon and the Tanuki in Japan. 33 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 3: This sounds like a fable of sorts set up. 34 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:27,920 Speaker 4: Yeah, what are you talking about? Is Thomas Riker versus 35 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:28,680 Speaker 4: William Riker? 36 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 1: Oh nice, nice cut there, man. I like that as well. Yeah, 37 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:36,359 Speaker 1: that's a deeper startark cut. Yeah. Yeah, let's boldly go 38 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:49,360 Speaker 1: into this story. Guys. We're all from the United States, 39 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:54,480 Speaker 1: which is a pretty I'm gonna be diplomatic, a pretty 40 00:02:54,480 --> 00:03:00,639 Speaker 1: big deal. Still hasn't had the best time being has 41 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:03,640 Speaker 1: had the best reputation all the while, all the time, 42 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 1: we know that, but no person, no country or perfect, 43 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:11,919 Speaker 1: but no, when you were growing up, a young lad 44 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 1: is a small German by a small German American boy 45 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: by this point the. 46 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 3: Way, look at this guy. Yeah, this is my small 47 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 3: German boys missing out a limb. But this is me. 48 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 1: I wish y'all could see this. 49 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:29,200 Speaker 3: It's a little Rosie figurine rosie cheeks a little little 50 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 3: bit arians and he's wearing later hosen and has a 51 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:33,640 Speaker 3: key of some sort. 52 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 2: Of round, isn't I think it was a gift to 53 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 2: me from a trip that my kid took to Portland. 54 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 1: Heart shaped keys. So, okay, you're you're growing up in 55 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:45,480 Speaker 1: you're growing up in the southern part of the US. 56 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 1: Did you guys ever see raccoons? 57 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 3: You know? 58 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 2: I had a friend growing up whose name was shell 59 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:55,119 Speaker 2: Is Sheldon. We're still friends. And his parents were real 60 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 2: animal lovers and kind of conservationists. They worked in labs 61 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:01,839 Speaker 2: and they, like you know, work with wildlife, and they 62 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 2: had a pat. 63 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:07,560 Speaker 3: Raccoon at Taine. Was my exposure. 64 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 2: I don't know that I really ran across any in 65 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:12,840 Speaker 2: the wild, but as an adult living here in Atlanta, 66 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:17,360 Speaker 2: you certainly see him rummaging your rumblings, rummage around. 67 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:22,240 Speaker 1: I love to see a raccoon run quickly because they 68 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:24,840 Speaker 1: don't look like they're designed to do so. But they 69 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:28,920 Speaker 1: have the goofiest looking parkour and they're just adorable. 70 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:30,920 Speaker 2: I'll tell you where. It's huge these days, and the 71 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:34,080 Speaker 2: most of my raccoon exposure is from meme pages on 72 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:36,960 Speaker 2: oh yeah, in the internet, on Instagram. They are beloved 73 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 2: and there's so many delightful raccoon goofy raccoon meme pages. 74 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:41,479 Speaker 2: If you're in. 75 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:46,120 Speaker 1: Washing your hands, just getting into all kinds of little 76 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 1: misadventures before you give it, yes Skins, ne'er do wells, 77 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 1: Dennis the Menace types. So before I give a little 78 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:58,960 Speaker 1: anecdote about raccoon experiences in my old life, we've got 79 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 1: We've got none other then mister Max Williams here, who 80 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:03,119 Speaker 1: may have a story to tell. 81 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's a few years ago now, but it was 82 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:08,880 Speaker 4: like one night, my cat, Sylvia was sitting by the 83 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:11,880 Speaker 4: glass door, just like looking out, you know cats do, 84 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:15,440 Speaker 4: and a raccoon just like sat right next to her 85 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:17,600 Speaker 4: on the other side. And the raccoon was very well 86 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:19,839 Speaker 4: aware there's a glass between us. The raccoons like whatever 87 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:23,760 Speaker 4: Sylvia was not and Sylvia, you know, she's solid white fur. 88 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:25,799 Speaker 4: So she just I look over and see the giant 89 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:27,920 Speaker 4: cotton ball. I'm like, Sylvie, wait, oh, there's a raccoon 90 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:30,599 Speaker 4: right there. And the raccoons like, I'm a lot bigger 91 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:30,960 Speaker 4: than you. 92 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:33,039 Speaker 1: You want to go? You want to go? 93 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:33,960 Speaker 3: The glass between us? 94 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:36,720 Speaker 1: We can go. They can be chonky boys, for sure, 95 00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:37,600 Speaker 1: the raccoons. 96 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:40,040 Speaker 4: This was a quite chonky one too. 97 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:45,760 Speaker 1: I remember growing up in the Southeastern United States. I 98 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:48,520 Speaker 1: spent a lot of time outdoors in my childhood, and 99 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:53,320 Speaker 1: raccoons always, to me seemed so inquisitive and clever. You know, 100 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:56,400 Speaker 1: they washed their food before they eat it. And we 101 00:05:57,080 --> 00:05:59,480 Speaker 1: were talking about their little hands off air. 102 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 3: They like to keep those clean too. 103 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 2: They're always rubbing them together, and it does make them 104 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:06,640 Speaker 2: look a little bit mister Burns esque, but they are 105 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:09,600 Speaker 2: doing it out of a need for cleanliness. They've got 106 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 2: in good hygiene. To your point, Ben, unfairly maligned is 107 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:15,640 Speaker 2: like trash creatures. 108 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:17,440 Speaker 1: Right, Yeah, But they do eat trash to be cle 109 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:20,279 Speaker 1: that's also true. That's also true. They also do eat 110 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:22,840 Speaker 1: a lot of trash. I love when they rub their 111 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:25,920 Speaker 1: hands together because they look like they're scheming what we're 112 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:29,480 Speaker 1: saying is raccoons are not uncommon sight in many parts 113 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:32,840 Speaker 1: of the United States and across the country. If you 114 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:36,679 Speaker 1: are in the US, you have probably accepted these little 115 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:40,560 Speaker 1: rascals as a fascinating part of the natural world because 116 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 1: they're they've got pinashed, they're just sort of We did 117 00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:48,839 Speaker 1: an episode on what makes things cool recently on Stuff 118 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:51,760 Speaker 1: they Don't Want You to Know, And raccoons are kind 119 00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:53,320 Speaker 1: of cool, right they are. 120 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:57,680 Speaker 2: They're very cool. They got a lot of personality. They Yeah, 121 00:06:57,720 --> 00:07:00,560 Speaker 2: that's what it is. They I think they're they're so 122 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:04,400 Speaker 2: big on the internet is because of that copious amounts 123 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:06,359 Speaker 2: of personality that the little fellas have. 124 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:10,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, and we anthropomorphize the heck out of them, right, 125 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 1: because of that personality, that sass and that swag. Yet, 126 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 1: it may surprise a lot of us to learn their 127 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:21,640 Speaker 1: relatively positive reputation in the United States doesn't always translate 128 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 1: to other places, including Japan, where right now, as we record, 129 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:31,880 Speaker 1: raccoons are a very divisive life form. They're considered they 130 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:34,480 Speaker 1: are still considered cool by a lot of the public, 131 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:37,840 Speaker 1: but the government doesn't think of them as a nifty 132 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 1: little woodland scamp. They are seriously concerning invasive species. As 133 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:48,920 Speaker 1: we record right now, raccoons are wreaking havoc across the 134 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:52,960 Speaker 1: nation of Japan. And get this, folks, it's all due 135 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:54,400 Speaker 1: to one cartoon. 136 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:56,240 Speaker 3: Oh geez, which one. 137 00:07:58,280 --> 00:08:04,040 Speaker 1: It's Rascal. It's a cartoon about a raccoon. Now I 138 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:06,920 Speaker 1: go on a tick. You might be saying, hasn't Japan 139 00:08:07,360 --> 00:08:11,360 Speaker 1: always had raccoons? Why were nol and Max and Ben 140 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 1: able to get that kick ass power suit in Super 141 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:19,080 Speaker 1: Mario THREEI Mario Tanuki Mario. There's also the one that 142 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:21,840 Speaker 1: just gives you the ability to kind of float where 143 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 1: you're still Mario, but you. 144 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 3: Have a tail. 145 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:24,560 Speaker 1: Yeah exactly. 146 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:27,560 Speaker 2: It just sort of like beats the air back and forth, 147 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:29,280 Speaker 2: and it allows you to sort of float around. 148 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:31,240 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, Mario three tail flip move. 149 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:35,320 Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean it's this gets us to our first 150 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:38,880 Speaker 1: common misconception, and this might be surprising to a lot 151 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:43,040 Speaker 1: of us. Japan does have a native mammal that looks 152 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 1: a whole heck of a lot like a raccoon. That's 153 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:51,160 Speaker 1: the tanuki uh commonly known as the Japanese raccoon. 154 00:08:51,360 --> 00:08:53,560 Speaker 3: Dog m okay. 155 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:57,400 Speaker 2: They are endemic to Japan, and they, as we mentioned 156 00:08:57,400 --> 00:09:03,600 Speaker 2: earlier with the giant, the testicleed cartoon ghibli characters. They're 157 00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:08,360 Speaker 2: big in Japanese folklore, similar to how other cultures regard 158 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:12,440 Speaker 2: actual raccoons. The tanuki is seen as the sort of 159 00:09:12,559 --> 00:09:17,920 Speaker 2: mischievous king, puckish trickster type figure, a master of disguise, 160 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:20,720 Speaker 2: and a real Bachanalian kind of fellow. 161 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:24,840 Speaker 1: Right yeah, lover of good times. We pulled up in 162 00:09:24,960 --> 00:09:28,440 Speaker 1: our research just just for reference for us, a side 163 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:32,600 Speaker 1: by side look at the tanuki and the actual facts 164 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:36,000 Speaker 1: shout out law and vocal bomb raccoon, and they look 165 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:39,719 Speaker 1: so alike Noel, that I would argue if someone made 166 00:09:39,760 --> 00:09:43,520 Speaker 1: a police sketch of a raccoon criminal, the cops would 167 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:48,400 Speaker 1: probably end up profiling and arresting an innocent tanuki. 168 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:52,320 Speaker 3: I mean, hence your twin ref earlier. I think it 169 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 3: makes a lot of sense they do. 170 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:57,439 Speaker 2: They both have those dark kind of shaded circles around 171 00:09:57,520 --> 00:10:01,040 Speaker 2: their eyes. They both have ears that are approximately the 172 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:04,520 Speaker 2: same distance apart. They've got kind of little puffs tufts 173 00:10:04,559 --> 00:10:08,120 Speaker 2: of white hair, the same kind of patterns of color. 174 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 2: I would argue the tanuki is a little more hound like, 175 00:10:13,480 --> 00:10:18,600 Speaker 2: with the snout a little more elongated snout and the raccoon. 176 00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:21,040 Speaker 2: Raccoon has a little bit more of a squished face, 177 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:24,560 Speaker 2: such a little wider face, a little more distance between 178 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:28,720 Speaker 2: the eyes, but the color patterns very similar if you 179 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:30,080 Speaker 2: ignore the whiskers. 180 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:35,600 Speaker 1: And this is the thing. The Japanese raccoon dog, the 181 00:10:35,679 --> 00:10:39,480 Speaker 1: tanuki is not an actual raccoon. The raccoon and the 182 00:10:39,559 --> 00:10:45,040 Speaker 1: raccoon dog or actually not that closely related. Japan had 183 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:49,800 Speaker 1: tanuki forever. Japan did not have the raccoon until the 184 00:10:49,920 --> 00:10:53,760 Speaker 1: nineteen seventies, and when the raccoon did reach the shores 185 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:58,559 Speaker 1: of that country, things got nuts so quickly. But how, 186 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:03,160 Speaker 1: pray tell no, how on earth did raccoons make it 187 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:06,640 Speaker 1: all the way across the Pacific Ocean from the United 188 00:11:06,679 --> 00:11:10,360 Speaker 1: States to the nation of the Rising Sun. Well clearly 189 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:14,400 Speaker 1: they flew with their magical raccoon tale, of course, yes, 190 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:17,000 Speaker 1: and that's our episode of folks. Theakes has always so 191 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:18,200 Speaker 1: much for tuning. 192 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:19,600 Speaker 3: In yep, no, no, no, no. 193 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:28,720 Speaker 2: It starts right before the seventies, nineteen seventies, with a 194 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:32,360 Speaker 2: Wisconsin worn author named Sterling North. In nineteen sixty three, 195 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:36,640 Speaker 2: North wrote a young adult novel called Rascals, A Memoir 196 00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:40,880 Speaker 2: of a Better Era about his childhood, and in that 197 00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:44,760 Speaker 2: book he adopts a baby raccoon for one year. And 198 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:47,200 Speaker 2: the book was a huge smash when it came out. 199 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:50,840 Speaker 2: And admittedly I was not aware of this this work. 200 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:55,120 Speaker 1: Hey, same and Max, had you ever heard of this 201 00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:55,800 Speaker 1: as well? 202 00:11:56,200 --> 00:11:59,240 Speaker 4: No, I had not heard of this one myself. So yeah, 203 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:00,000 Speaker 4: this is all new news. 204 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:05,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, this is strange because for us, we're not of 205 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:11,360 Speaker 1: the generation that would have encountered Rascal the young adult novel. 206 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:16,640 Speaker 1: In the book, as he said, he adopts our protagonist 207 00:12:16,679 --> 00:12:19,560 Speaker 1: sterly and adopts a baby raccoon for a year, And 208 00:12:19,880 --> 00:12:22,200 Speaker 1: a lot of us might be surprised in the audience, 209 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:25,960 Speaker 1: especially the younger amongst us, to realize that this is 210 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:30,920 Speaker 1: part of the reason people in America still frequently describe 211 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:36,000 Speaker 1: raccoons as rascals. Look, this was such a big hit 212 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:41,320 Speaker 1: that The Tale After was published in nineteen sixty three. 213 00:12:41,679 --> 00:12:45,440 Speaker 1: By nineteen sixty nine, it was made into a live 214 00:12:45,559 --> 00:12:48,800 Speaker 1: action Disney film. I don't know if the mouse will 215 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:52,280 Speaker 1: let us play the theme song, but it's very nineteen seventies. 216 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:55,880 Speaker 2: We better act in deference to the mouse. You know, 217 00:12:55,960 --> 00:12:58,160 Speaker 2: we don't want to get We don't want to get sued. 218 00:12:57,960 --> 00:13:01,000 Speaker 1: We don't want to get moused. Yeah, so you can 219 00:13:01,040 --> 00:13:04,520 Speaker 1: fast trapped, even mouse trapped. Even better, so you can 220 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:09,080 Speaker 1: find on your YouTube of choice any number of clips 221 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:13,160 Speaker 1: from the live action Disney adaptation. At this time, this 222 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:16,960 Speaker 1: is all great for our author, mister North, and it's 223 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:20,200 Speaker 1: also great for kids growing up, both the readers of 224 00:13:20,240 --> 00:13:23,720 Speaker 1: the original book the fans of the film adaptation. Yet 225 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:27,440 Speaker 1: this is just the beginning of the story. If we 226 00:13:27,679 --> 00:13:30,720 Speaker 1: like we're starting in America, how about we fast forward 227 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:33,640 Speaker 1: to nineteen seventy seven Japan. 228 00:13:37,559 --> 00:13:39,880 Speaker 3: So here we are, fast forward into nineteen seventy We 229 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:42,160 Speaker 3: did it. We made Yeah. 230 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:47,679 Speaker 2: The Japan based animation company Nipon Animation creates a cartoon 231 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:52,079 Speaker 2: series called aria Guma Rasukaru. 232 00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:53,720 Speaker 3: Which isn't that kind of one. 233 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:59,040 Speaker 2: Of those Japanese sort of americanized words, because the word 234 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:03,640 Speaker 2: is rascal. Rasukara almost sounds like a phonetic kind of thing. 235 00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:06,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, Yeah, I like that. I think you're onto something. 236 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:10,120 Speaker 3: Rascal the raccoon is that would be the translation. 237 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:16,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, And unlike the young adult novel, unlike the I'm laughing, 238 00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:20,080 Speaker 1: unlike the Disney film, Oh my gosh, it's so it's 239 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:23,600 Speaker 1: so of its era. Please just please check out the 240 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:26,240 Speaker 1: Disney film, even if the mouse won't let us do it. 241 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:30,800 Speaker 1: Unlike those things, this is an epic anime series. It 242 00:14:30,920 --> 00:14:35,960 Speaker 1: runs for fifty two episodes. The Disney film tried to 243 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:40,240 Speaker 1: be a little more playful. There are lots of bucolic 244 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:43,360 Speaker 1: fun shots of this boy and his dog playing with 245 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:48,080 Speaker 1: the raccoon, But this adaptation says, no, we're gonna cut 246 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:51,200 Speaker 1: to the quick. We're getting to the dramatic roots of 247 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:52,600 Speaker 1: this young adult novel. 248 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:53,760 Speaker 3: Okay okay. 249 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:57,560 Speaker 2: So kids in Japan, originally this was kind of alien 250 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:01,680 Speaker 2: to them, this creature. They certainly never read the original book. 251 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:07,720 Speaker 2: But something about the kid featured named sterling Uh and 252 00:15:07,760 --> 00:15:13,040 Speaker 2: his animal sidekick is familiar. Rascal it It really took 253 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:18,160 Speaker 2: the the nation's children's hearts and minds by storm. 254 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:21,880 Speaker 3: Airing all year round, the show was a huge hit. 255 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:27,560 Speaker 2: Think of it like almost a precedent setting the type 256 00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:31,000 Speaker 2: of property for something like Pokemon or other big pop 257 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:32,760 Speaker 2: cultural crazes there in the country. 258 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:39,040 Speaker 1: Absolutely, yeah, people were cuckoo for raccoon puffs. I guess 259 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:39,480 Speaker 1: you could. 260 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:43,720 Speaker 3: Says there were rococo. 261 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:48,440 Speaker 1: So uh. This is where we see a turn in 262 00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:53,680 Speaker 1: the story because arguably Ari Russell Power became a little 263 00:15:53,760 --> 00:15:57,360 Speaker 1: too successful, And to tell you why it became too successful, 264 00:15:57,600 --> 00:16:01,200 Speaker 1: we have to spoil a book from thenineteen sixty three. 265 00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:04,960 Speaker 1: So before you get mad at us on the internet, 266 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:07,160 Speaker 1: this is the spoiler warning. 267 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:16,000 Speaker 3: Yes, indeed, we'll give you a little ten second countdown 268 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:19,560 Speaker 3: ten ninety seven fourth or two spoiler time time. 269 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:24,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, Like like so many coming of age stories 270 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:28,280 Speaker 1: in young adult novels, from Old Yeller to My Side 271 00:16:28,280 --> 00:16:29,240 Speaker 1: of the Mountain. 272 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:32,040 Speaker 3: No, racl didn't get Old Yeller, did he. 273 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:33,200 Speaker 1: He did not get Old Yellow. 274 00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:33,880 Speaker 3: Oh thank god. 275 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:36,800 Speaker 1: So at the end of the novel, what happens instead 276 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:43,720 Speaker 1: is our childhood hero Sterling realizes, Hey, I love my raccoon. 277 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:47,640 Speaker 1: I love baby Rascal, but all raccoons are in fact 278 00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:51,520 Speaker 1: wild animals, not domestic animals. So as much as I 279 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:56,080 Speaker 1: adore my little buddy, he isn't a pet. And so 280 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:57,400 Speaker 1: with great regrets. 281 00:16:57,040 --> 00:16:58,840 Speaker 3: You gotta let those ponies run, you gotta. 282 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:02,600 Speaker 1: Let those ponies ride. Yeah, ye, Sterling ultimately does the 283 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 1: right thing. He releases Rascal into the wild, so it's 284 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:09,600 Speaker 1: definitely not as bleak as Old Yeller, which we're not 285 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:11,639 Speaker 1: gonna spoil because. 286 00:17:11,520 --> 00:17:14,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, but it's you. You can tet you together, you 287 00:17:14,119 --> 00:17:14,719 Speaker 3: probably get there. 288 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:18,680 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, yeah, and it's still too close to both 289 00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:22,000 Speaker 1: of us, it sounds like. But the ending of Rascal 290 00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:25,000 Speaker 1: is bittersweet, and it's it's a good way to give 291 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:27,959 Speaker 1: a lesson to kids. It shows our protagonists growing up 292 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:32,000 Speaker 1: in the story. He learns his lesson, He loves his 293 00:17:32,119 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 1: time with Rascal, and he lets Rascal live his own 294 00:17:35,480 --> 00:17:37,120 Speaker 1: life as a wild animal. 295 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:39,159 Speaker 2: And what, however, appear to the children of the pan 296 00:17:39,280 --> 00:17:42,480 Speaker 2: did not take the meaning or the message. It's d 297 00:17:42,600 --> 00:17:48,400 Speaker 2: art no, it's that led to an explosion in raccoon 298 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:51,560 Speaker 2: importation for pet purposes. 299 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:54,760 Speaker 1: Right, It's kind of like uh if. A film critic 300 00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:58,720 Speaker 1: saw the first twenty minutes of Titanic and said, this 301 00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:01,400 Speaker 1: is a film about it. A amazing boat. 302 00:18:02,359 --> 00:18:03,439 Speaker 3: Real luxury liner. 303 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:10,600 Speaker 1: So requiem for a dreams of feel good buddy comedy. 304 00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:12,200 Speaker 1: It's about friends. 305 00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:15,040 Speaker 2: It's about the friends we made along the way and 306 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:16,040 Speaker 2: the limbs we lost. 307 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:20,960 Speaker 1: Oh jeez, So all right, you're absolutely right, folks nailed 308 00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:26,520 Speaker 1: it here are Raskoru was so very popular in Japan 309 00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:31,879 Speaker 1: that the idea of having a real life raccoon pet 310 00:18:32,119 --> 00:18:35,840 Speaker 1: became like the hottest Christmas toy would be in the 311 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 1: States like an Elmo of yesterday. 312 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:44,879 Speaker 2: Yeah, and this led to fifteen hundred raccoons being imported 313 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:50,040 Speaker 2: from the United States every single month, to the delight 314 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:54,119 Speaker 2: of children and perhaps the chagrin of parents all across Japan. 315 00:18:54,760 --> 00:18:58,760 Speaker 2: And just like the real life Rasukaru or Rascal, these 316 00:18:58,840 --> 00:19:00,680 Speaker 2: animals were very. 317 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:03,080 Speaker 3: Much not suited for domestic life. 318 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:05,840 Speaker 2: I want to backtrack real quick to my friends parents, 319 00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:09,320 Speaker 2: pet raccoon theirs was very much a rescue situation, right, 320 00:19:09,359 --> 00:19:12,520 Speaker 2: which could not have made it on its own in 321 00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:14,359 Speaker 2: the wild. So that was they were coming at it 322 00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:16,119 Speaker 2: from that conservationist perspective. 323 00:19:16,520 --> 00:19:20,080 Speaker 1: It was probably acquired as a child, perhaps due to abandonment, 324 00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:24,440 Speaker 1: and it was tame and familiar, possibly through the Yeah 325 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:27,960 Speaker 1: their research, Yeah, yeah, exactly, that makes sense, and that 326 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:32,679 Speaker 1: still happens today across the country. As as you were saying, no, 327 00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:39,240 Speaker 1: from nineteen seventy seven on, we see so many raccoons 328 00:19:39,359 --> 00:19:44,000 Speaker 1: imported directly from the US to families across Japan per month. 329 00:19:44,800 --> 00:19:50,679 Speaker 1: These guys are lovable, furry balls of beat me here, Max, 330 00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:57,320 Speaker 1: fucking chaos, no cabinet, no drawer left unexamined, pooping everywhere. 331 00:19:57,080 --> 00:20:02,160 Speaker 2: Massive, they've got opposable thumbs. They can anything right, right. 332 00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:05,480 Speaker 1: You would have to babyproof. You would have to raccoon 333 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:09,200 Speaker 1: proof your house the same way you would babyproof a house. 334 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:13,160 Speaker 1: And there's so much damage to these homes, this property, 335 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:18,560 Speaker 1: these apartments. True stories, some families did get raccoon pets 336 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:22,960 Speaker 1: in their apartments. And also just like the old Vietnamese 337 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:26,960 Speaker 1: pot belly pig craze where everybody thought the pig would 338 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:31,800 Speaker 1: say small and babyish for a moment, these guys do 339 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:35,280 Speaker 1: grow up and they get bigger, and as they become 340 00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:40,320 Speaker 1: adult raccoons, they could also turn violent towards humans because 341 00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:43,000 Speaker 1: you know, they're wild animals and they're in a place 342 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:48,280 Speaker 1: that is very stressfully different from their natural environment. So, dude, 343 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:52,800 Speaker 1: just like Sterling North as a child, these kids and 344 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:56,440 Speaker 1: their families are learning a hard lesson about wild animals 345 00:20:56,440 --> 00:20:57,000 Speaker 1: in your home. 346 00:20:57,520 --> 00:20:59,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's not quite as bad as like justin Bier 347 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:02,359 Speaker 2: we were abandoning his pet monkey at the border, but 348 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:03,320 Speaker 2: it happens. 349 00:21:03,359 --> 00:21:05,600 Speaker 3: In It did happen. It's in the same vein. 350 00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:09,800 Speaker 2: It becomes one of those irresponsible moments in pet ownership 351 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:12,320 Speaker 2: where you sign up or bite off more than you 352 00:21:12,359 --> 00:21:14,359 Speaker 2: can chew and then all of a sudden you maybe 353 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:18,320 Speaker 2: have to make the easy, easier decision, which you know, 354 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:20,560 Speaker 2: while it is the plot of the book, and in 355 00:21:20,600 --> 00:21:25,480 Speaker 2: the context of the book, it does make sense all 356 00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:27,760 Speaker 2: of this happening at once, all of these creatures being 357 00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:30,000 Speaker 2: released back into the wild at once, creates a real 358 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:32,760 Speaker 2: problem with the ecosystem. 359 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:37,520 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, one hundred percent. And life imitates art, as 360 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:40,600 Speaker 1: they always say, and they say it for a reason. 361 00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:43,920 Speaker 1: I forgot to mention, Noel Max, You guys will both 362 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:46,880 Speaker 1: love this fact because we're I think all three big 363 00:21:46,920 --> 00:21:49,719 Speaker 1: fans of Studio Jibli. Was it pomp Poco? 364 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:50,680 Speaker 3: Is that what it's called? 365 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:51,639 Speaker 1: Pomp Poco? 366 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:54,560 Speaker 2: Pomp Poco is the Jibli film that we were talking 367 00:21:54,560 --> 00:21:58,119 Speaker 2: about with the anthropomorphic talking, big bald raccoon. Sorry, I 368 00:21:58,119 --> 00:21:59,760 Speaker 2: don't know if that's what you're talking about. Record they do, 369 00:21:59,840 --> 00:22:03,680 Speaker 2: you their testicles to fly around. They inflate them like 370 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:06,479 Speaker 2: like parachutes or zeppelins or something. 371 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:08,240 Speaker 3: It's it's odd, to say the least. 372 00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:13,720 Speaker 1: But it's historically accurate for the folklore. What will interest you, guys, 373 00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:18,239 Speaker 1: I think, is that a Russell Korro please partner our 374 00:22:18,240 --> 00:22:22,760 Speaker 1: pronunciation here. We're not native speakers. The anime of Rascal 375 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:28,159 Speaker 1: also has a sleeper Easter egg in it. It features 376 00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:32,280 Speaker 1: very early work by none other than Miyazaki. 377 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:35,600 Speaker 2: Okay, okay, So back around, like Pompoko was not a 378 00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:38,399 Speaker 2: Miyazaki directly created film, but it was part of his 379 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:39,520 Speaker 2: animation studio. 380 00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:42,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, and High Walt Disney of Japan. 381 00:22:42,359 --> 00:22:46,479 Speaker 1: He's often yes, yeah, and it seems a little bit 382 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:50,399 Speaker 1: cooler than The Big Mouse anyway, So maybe there is 383 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:56,280 Speaker 1: a sort of artistic or esthetic through line here from 384 00:22:56,480 --> 00:23:03,560 Speaker 1: Arima Russel Caro to Pompuro because Miyazaki was literally working 385 00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:08,160 Speaker 1: on this anime cartoon anyway. So like you said, they're 386 00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:13,240 Speaker 1: these well meaning families, right, tried to get their kid 387 00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:17,760 Speaker 1: the coolest present. It didn't work out. It caused pandemonium 388 00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:20,480 Speaker 1: in the home. They let them out, you know, drive 389 00:23:20,560 --> 00:23:22,920 Speaker 1: to the edge of the city, just like the old 390 00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:27,719 Speaker 1: trope of letting a dog go free, or dogs probably 391 00:23:27,720 --> 00:23:29,280 Speaker 1: would just want to get back in the. 392 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:32,560 Speaker 3: Car, but we don't watch you anymore. 393 00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:38,520 Speaker 1: Rocks. All that means, yeah, everybody's crying. So the thing is, 394 00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:45,000 Speaker 1: the raccoon friends here are hardy, resourceful. They're real mcguvers 395 00:23:45,040 --> 00:23:49,640 Speaker 1: of mammals and most Importantly, they're omnivorous. They don't turn 396 00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:53,120 Speaker 1: down a free lunch, so they quickly begin to thrive 397 00:23:53,359 --> 00:23:58,040 Speaker 1: in areas across Japan. And this is where we see, uh, 398 00:23:58,119 --> 00:24:02,400 Speaker 1: something that we will call naturalization in the world of biology. 399 00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:07,040 Speaker 1: They're an invasive species, but they like where they're moving in. 400 00:24:07,119 --> 00:24:10,720 Speaker 1: They like the neighborhoods. So they're going across through the 401 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:17,360 Speaker 1: nineteen seventies and the eighties to all different prefectures of Japan, 402 00:24:17,640 --> 00:24:23,000 Speaker 1: even unto the very far northern part of Japan, Hokkaido, 403 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:28,200 Speaker 1: which is just so everybody knows, it's very far away. 404 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:31,160 Speaker 1: It's tough to get there. And they did a great job, 405 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:35,480 Speaker 1: and they became a menace. There's no other way to 406 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:39,000 Speaker 1: say it. They're popular. Like, look, you're raccoon. You just 407 00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:42,280 Speaker 1: did your time in a Japanese home based on the 408 00:24:42,320 --> 00:24:46,400 Speaker 1: fact that this one cartoon compelled the nation. You get 409 00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:49,760 Speaker 1: out and then you meet a lady raccoon who's been 410 00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:53,320 Speaker 1: in a similar situation, and you say, oh, hey, babe, 411 00:24:53,359 --> 00:24:55,960 Speaker 1: we had a lot in common. You know, we're not 412 00:24:56,040 --> 00:24:57,359 Speaker 1: doing raccoon ginder. 413 00:24:57,520 --> 00:24:58,960 Speaker 3: Oh wow, yeah, we're. 414 00:24:58,800 --> 00:25:02,159 Speaker 1: Not doing raccoon hin. We met naturally. I like your vibe. 415 00:25:02,520 --> 00:25:06,240 Speaker 1: So these raccoons trying to settle down, it's not a 416 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:10,200 Speaker 1: raccoon family. Yeah, they start a family of their own. 417 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:15,120 Speaker 1: Their population shoots up so quickly, and they engage in 418 00:25:15,359 --> 00:25:20,719 Speaker 1: continual acts of crime. These are all all raccoon families 419 00:25:21,760 --> 00:25:25,320 Speaker 1: in Japan now are considered crime families. 420 00:25:27,119 --> 00:25:28,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, and it makes sense, you know, with the whole 421 00:25:28,760 --> 00:25:30,680 Speaker 2: bandit look of them, you know what, it looks like 422 00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:32,560 Speaker 2: they're doing crimes, tippy toeing around. 423 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:36,120 Speaker 3: I thought that was a funny bit on Uh what 424 00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:36,560 Speaker 3: was it. 425 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:39,639 Speaker 2: It was John Oliver recently where I was talking about 426 00:25:39,680 --> 00:25:42,639 Speaker 2: crime rates, and uh, it's it was something like a 427 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:45,159 Speaker 2: It was a it was a publication for crime and 428 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:48,600 Speaker 2: it was called Reasons to Tiptoe or something, and it 429 00:25:48,680 --> 00:25:51,120 Speaker 2: showed like a criminal with a mask and a bag 430 00:25:51,119 --> 00:25:53,040 Speaker 2: of cash, just like tiptoeing. 431 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:53,080 Speaker 3: You know what I mean? 432 00:25:53,119 --> 00:25:57,080 Speaker 1: Oh, a domino mask. Yeah, we're just exactly which raccoons 433 00:25:57,160 --> 00:26:00,520 Speaker 1: naturally have. And also I want to say it does 434 00:26:01,359 --> 00:26:05,439 Speaker 1: folks correct us if we're wrong here? Do you like 435 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:07,919 Speaker 1: how I encouraged you guys to be wrong with me? 436 00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:10,520 Speaker 3: Of course, let's all be wrong together. 437 00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:13,919 Speaker 1: Let's all be wrong together. A domino mask seems like 438 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:17,520 Speaker 1: the most inefficient mask, you know what I mean, Like 439 00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:20,600 Speaker 1: the one that just goes over part of your eyes 440 00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:21,600 Speaker 1: and the rest. 441 00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:24,320 Speaker 3: Of the Superman rules right, Like it's like, come on, 442 00:26:24,440 --> 00:26:29,159 Speaker 3: we know it's you Clark somehow. And the crux of 443 00:26:29,240 --> 00:26:30,840 Speaker 3: his secret identity. 444 00:26:30,560 --> 00:26:34,640 Speaker 1: That's another question too, and not to derail us too far, 445 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:41,720 Speaker 1: but riddle me this. If Superman's glasses are his only 446 00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:46,679 Speaker 1: real disguise, does his optometrist know his real identity? 447 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:50,160 Speaker 2: You know who I saw pose that very question, Ben, 448 00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:53,440 Speaker 2: Who's that? It's a singer. She's her name is Aurora, 449 00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:56,160 Speaker 2: and she's a delight. She's from Iceland and she gets 450 00:26:56,240 --> 00:26:58,720 Speaker 2: compared to Buick a lot. But okay, she has some 451 00:26:58,800 --> 00:27:00,879 Speaker 2: really fine hot takes and that may well be a 452 00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:01,600 Speaker 2: thing that's been floating. 453 00:27:01,720 --> 00:27:04,960 Speaker 3: But she asked that very question. Uh, does his optometrist 454 00:27:05,080 --> 00:27:06,359 Speaker 3: know his secret identity? 455 00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:09,040 Speaker 1: Does he have to go to the optometrists? Even well? 456 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:13,080 Speaker 3: Vision argued, are a prop drug. 457 00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:15,520 Speaker 1: Store reading glasses or what are they? What do they 458 00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:16,520 Speaker 1: call it? Readers? 459 00:27:16,760 --> 00:27:19,159 Speaker 3: Another question that she poses in that same vein is 460 00:27:19,440 --> 00:27:23,000 Speaker 3: why is it that superheroes are always trying to keep 461 00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:25,879 Speaker 3: things the same and super villains are always trying to 462 00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:26,639 Speaker 3: change things. 463 00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:29,560 Speaker 1: Oh, I love that. I have a philosop that's great, 464 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:33,800 Speaker 1: that's deep. What was the name of that musician, Aurora? Aurora? 465 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:36,439 Speaker 3: Just one real cutie like metal, Yeah, Aurora. 466 00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:46,720 Speaker 1: Okay, I'll check out the music. These guys. The raccoons 467 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:51,560 Speaker 1: are reading crops across the nation of Japan. They're doing 468 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:55,720 Speaker 1: it as we record right now. They're causing hundreds of 469 00:27:55,760 --> 00:28:00,920 Speaker 1: thousands of dollars US equivalent every year. The government does 470 00:28:01,320 --> 00:28:07,439 Speaker 1: eventually ban the importation of raccoons, but it's too little, 471 00:28:07,800 --> 00:28:11,320 Speaker 1: too late. The Invasive Alien Species Act, which they've had 472 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:16,640 Speaker 1: for a very long time, now includes raccoons, and in 473 00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:19,879 Speaker 1: two thousand and five they were called an invasive alien species, 474 00:28:20,119 --> 00:28:23,560 Speaker 1: which means that you can no longer watch a sick 475 00:28:23,720 --> 00:28:28,320 Speaker 1: anime and buy a raccoon from the US. You also 476 00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:31,400 Speaker 1: can't transfer it, and if you like, you can't sell 477 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:35,400 Speaker 1: it to someone else in Japan, and if you have one, 478 00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:39,760 Speaker 1: you also cannot just throw it out into the woods. Dude. 479 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:40,400 Speaker 3: That's the thing. 480 00:28:40,440 --> 00:28:43,960 Speaker 2: Anytime you see these crazes that involve like living creatures, 481 00:28:44,320 --> 00:28:50,280 Speaker 2: they're almost always ill informed and really rushed without thinking 482 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:55,720 Speaker 2: about the aftermath for humans and for the creatures. 483 00:28:55,720 --> 00:28:57,800 Speaker 3: Themselves and you really do hate to see it. 484 00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:03,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly, So it doesn't sound like we're casting stones here. 485 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:07,640 Speaker 1: Two of the most famous and sadly continual examples in 486 00:29:07,680 --> 00:29:12,880 Speaker 1: the United States are going to be rabbit sails in 487 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:20,080 Speaker 1: Easter and black cat sales around Halloween. Those things continually happen, 488 00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:23,800 Speaker 1: and unfortunately it doesn't always work out for the rabbits 489 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:29,320 Speaker 1: or for the cats. In addition, however, to the agricultural terrorism, 490 00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:32,760 Speaker 1: all right, it might be exaggerating a bit there. Invasive 491 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:37,000 Speaker 1: raccoon crimes also include the following, and maybe we do 492 00:29:37,040 --> 00:29:39,600 Speaker 1: it like a hit. Listen, all uh, these guys are 493 00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:40,880 Speaker 1: getting everywhere. 494 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:46,360 Speaker 2: They are now. They're they're doing crimes, they're taking names. 495 00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:51,720 Speaker 2: They are destroying historic sites, including temples, which of course 496 00:29:51,800 --> 00:29:57,440 Speaker 2: have you know, incredibly important cultural and historical significance. 497 00:29:58,200 --> 00:30:01,000 Speaker 1: A lot of those are built of wood. The raccoons 498 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:06,120 Speaker 1: are also stealing fruit and fish from human vendors, usually 499 00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:09,680 Speaker 1: because they're getting into storage spaces. After me that they 500 00:30:10,160 --> 00:30:15,200 Speaker 1: of business. Yeah, but sometimes sometimes it's a land version 501 00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:18,960 Speaker 1: of a seagull who just swipes something from a tourist 502 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:21,120 Speaker 1: eating at the beach, you know what I mean. A 503 00:30:21,280 --> 00:30:24,880 Speaker 1: raccoon looks at you when you are selling fish or 504 00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:27,600 Speaker 1: buy fish, and thinks can that person get goat? 505 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:29,760 Speaker 3: I think they can. Yeah. 506 00:30:29,840 --> 00:30:32,920 Speaker 2: They're also you know, similar to the issues you might see, well, 507 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:35,480 Speaker 2: raccoons do this here in the States too, campsites and 508 00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:39,160 Speaker 2: garbage cans and mountain areas or like kind of more 509 00:30:39,200 --> 00:30:41,960 Speaker 2: like camping type areas. People put locks on their trash 510 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:45,240 Speaker 2: cans and their dumpsters because of bears and other critters. 511 00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:49,440 Speaker 2: Raccoons you will see often with like overturned trash cans 512 00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:53,280 Speaker 2: spilling refuse every wish where. And that's what they were 513 00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:55,920 Speaker 2: doing there too, messing with garbage cans and dumpsters. And 514 00:30:55,960 --> 00:30:58,960 Speaker 2: then I think most importantly in terms of the overall 515 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:03,360 Speaker 2: ecosystem question of it all, they're pushing out native species 516 00:31:03,400 --> 00:31:05,800 Speaker 2: with their sheer numbers. Yeah. 517 00:31:06,160 --> 00:31:11,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, And sadly, ironically, paradoxically, one of the native species 518 00:31:11,800 --> 00:31:15,160 Speaker 1: under the most direct threat is going to be none 519 00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:17,360 Speaker 1: other than the humble tanuki. 520 00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:18,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, the irony is thick. 521 00:31:20,040 --> 00:31:23,800 Speaker 2: Despite them not being super closely related, the tanuki and 522 00:31:23,800 --> 00:31:27,120 Speaker 2: the raccoon are competing for a lot of the same resources, 523 00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:32,080 Speaker 2: which means that these American invasive species raccoons are moving 524 00:31:32,160 --> 00:31:36,320 Speaker 2: in on the native tanuki's territory. 525 00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:42,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, and it's it's a country wide phenomenon. By twenty 526 00:31:42,840 --> 00:31:48,560 Speaker 1: twenty one, raccoons had provably naturalized in forty four of 527 00:31:48,680 --> 00:31:53,640 Speaker 1: Japan's forty seven prefectures. A prefecture imagined it like a 528 00:31:53,720 --> 00:32:01,360 Speaker 1: state basically. So these populations are now widespread in relatively 529 00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:07,520 Speaker 1: relatively more remote areas like Hokkaido, as we mentioned across Honshu, 530 00:32:07,920 --> 00:32:11,360 Speaker 1: and the crisis continues today. So this is a p 531 00:32:11,600 --> 00:32:15,160 Speaker 1: s A and a plea to protect your local tanuki 532 00:32:15,400 --> 00:32:19,160 Speaker 1: if you are in Japan. Luckily, if we want to 533 00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:22,640 Speaker 1: end on a positive note, the humble tanuki has some 534 00:32:22,760 --> 00:32:27,560 Speaker 1: serious balls, and because we are grown people literally figured 535 00:32:27,920 --> 00:32:30,800 Speaker 1: we haven't. We have alluded to this in a very 536 00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:34,280 Speaker 1: responsible way through multiple times thus far. 537 00:32:34,640 --> 00:32:36,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, do check out Pompoko. 538 00:32:37,080 --> 00:32:41,920 Speaker 2: It is a children's movie, uh that does depict these 539 00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:47,360 Speaker 2: magical members doing all kinds of crazy crazy stuff. 540 00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:50,560 Speaker 3: Standing scrotum is how you put it here, Ben? 541 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:53,480 Speaker 1: Yes? Yeah, yeah, yeah. You could learn a lot about 542 00:32:53,480 --> 00:32:59,960 Speaker 1: this due to the the folklore here. So we mentioned 543 00:33:00,120 --> 00:33:04,479 Speaker 1: that the tanuki have, similar to the kasuni or the fox, 544 00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:09,120 Speaker 1: have long been treated as an animal of myth with 545 00:33:09,240 --> 00:33:14,760 Speaker 1: magical symbolic powers in Japanese folklore. And yes, one of 546 00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:18,320 Speaker 1: the ideas for the one of the like stories you 547 00:33:18,360 --> 00:33:21,960 Speaker 1: see about tanuki in the wild is that they can 548 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:24,720 Speaker 1: stretch their ball sack to the size of eight to 549 00:33:24,840 --> 00:33:27,360 Speaker 1: Tommy Matts, I love. 550 00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:31,440 Speaker 2: How is that the metric, benc I don't think, I know, 551 00:33:31,520 --> 00:33:32,520 Speaker 2: is that like a futan? 552 00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:37,720 Speaker 1: What is like you remember when you see the traditional 553 00:33:37,960 --> 00:33:44,680 Speaker 1: Japanese rooms and they've got that semi sitting Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, 554 00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:48,520 Speaker 1: it's it's a measure that maybe native to Japan. 555 00:33:49,040 --> 00:33:51,680 Speaker 3: Uh, go go gadget balls is kind of what we're 556 00:33:51,680 --> 00:33:52,520 Speaker 3: talking about here. 557 00:33:52,640 --> 00:33:56,080 Speaker 1: That's well done. Yeah. So just like in the film 558 00:33:56,120 --> 00:34:01,080 Speaker 1: we were mentioning earlier, Uh, they're depicted using their scrotums 559 00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:05,960 Speaker 1: as boat sails, as nets to catch fish or umbrellas. 560 00:34:06,040 --> 00:34:10,040 Speaker 1: It's very go go gadget, go, go gadget godads. Right, Yeah, 561 00:34:11,120 --> 00:34:12,840 Speaker 1: it's really good. It's true. 562 00:34:12,960 --> 00:34:15,279 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's and this isn't just and it's that's the 563 00:34:15,320 --> 00:34:17,560 Speaker 2: thing that's so interesting. It's it's i think because of 564 00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:22,279 Speaker 2: the cultural you know, awareness around this lore, like it 565 00:34:22,320 --> 00:34:25,000 Speaker 2: would not have been shocking to a Japanese audience, but 566 00:34:25,120 --> 00:34:26,839 Speaker 2: when I was watching it, like with my kid. 567 00:34:27,120 --> 00:34:29,560 Speaker 3: We were both sort of taken aback because we did not. 568 00:34:29,640 --> 00:34:32,400 Speaker 2: Know about this and did not expect there to be 569 00:34:32,480 --> 00:34:36,359 Speaker 2: expanding Harlem Globetrotter's esque Macgiver balls you. 570 00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:40,719 Speaker 1: Know likely Yeah, and this also just for the note here, 571 00:34:40,800 --> 00:34:44,239 Speaker 1: this dates back to the Ede period. In the like 572 00:34:44,440 --> 00:34:47,960 Speaker 1: in the sixteen hundreds. Oh, people you could find. 573 00:34:47,719 --> 00:34:51,440 Speaker 2: Like calligraphic kind of you know, scrolls and things depicting 574 00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:54,640 Speaker 2: these various parachute sacks. 575 00:34:55,719 --> 00:34:59,400 Speaker 1: And uh and Max our good friend, Max, our brother, 576 00:34:59,520 --> 00:35:03,000 Speaker 1: Max's off camera and off mic and I'm having such 577 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:07,239 Speaker 1: a great time imagining your facial expression. There, yep, there 578 00:35:07,239 --> 00:35:09,000 Speaker 1: it is dead. 579 00:35:10,320 --> 00:35:12,239 Speaker 4: Go go gadget goads. 580 00:35:12,360 --> 00:35:16,839 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's good. That's good. It's not our best work, 581 00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:20,400 Speaker 1: but we're working live, and so are the Tanuki. So 582 00:35:20,560 --> 00:35:24,040 Speaker 1: is the government of Japan. So are the raccoons. Despite 583 00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:28,080 Speaker 1: all the problems caused by the Rascal boom, which is 584 00:35:28,160 --> 00:35:33,160 Speaker 1: the again, how ridiculous is this nineteen seventies a cartoon 585 00:35:33,280 --> 00:35:37,320 Speaker 1: is the entire reason raccoons are an invasive species in Japan. 586 00:35:37,719 --> 00:35:42,080 Speaker 1: Ever since then people have been trying to fight against it, 587 00:35:42,520 --> 00:35:47,200 Speaker 1: trying to save the native animal population. These ancient wooden 588 00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:51,239 Speaker 1: temples and so on. But if you ask members of 589 00:35:51,280 --> 00:35:55,600 Speaker 1: the public who are not experts in biology or invasive species, 590 00:35:56,280 --> 00:35:59,960 Speaker 1: they're going to tell you they love Rascal the Raccoon. 591 00:36:00,440 --> 00:36:03,759 Speaker 1: There's a video game that came out in the nineties. 592 00:36:04,040 --> 00:36:07,640 Speaker 1: There have been pop up stores that people have spent 593 00:36:07,719 --> 00:36:11,880 Speaker 1: a lot of money at. It's the merchandising is crazy. 594 00:36:11,920 --> 00:36:14,880 Speaker 1: You can still see plush dolls, cell phones. It's a 595 00:36:14,920 --> 00:36:17,279 Speaker 1: brand now, Rascal is a brand. 596 00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:21,160 Speaker 2: This would probably be of the same era as like 597 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:25,040 Speaker 2: the kind of animes that I grew up watching on 598 00:36:25,160 --> 00:36:29,840 Speaker 2: Nick Junior, like David the Gnome and those fairy tale 599 00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:33,120 Speaker 2: those Grim's fairy Tale Maybe those are more like early eighties, 600 00:36:33,160 --> 00:36:36,399 Speaker 2: but this is late seventies, so seventy seven, and it's 601 00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:39,760 Speaker 2: got the same vibe of that era of animember. Remember 602 00:36:39,800 --> 00:36:43,479 Speaker 2: those ben they were huge, like on Nickelodeon and Nick Junior, 603 00:36:43,560 --> 00:36:46,000 Speaker 2: because I guess they were cheap, they could acquire the rights, 604 00:36:46,040 --> 00:36:48,160 Speaker 2: and they just you know, were dubbed. But I remember 605 00:36:48,400 --> 00:36:50,279 Speaker 2: some of those Grim fairy Tales ones that are very 606 00:36:50,320 --> 00:36:52,080 Speaker 2: much in the style of this Rascal cartoon. 607 00:36:53,040 --> 00:36:54,440 Speaker 3: Pretty dark stuff. 608 00:36:54,440 --> 00:36:58,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, which I think was appealing to a lot 609 00:36:58,600 --> 00:37:02,800 Speaker 1: of a lot of kids when you saw a darker cartoon. 610 00:37:03,160 --> 00:37:05,520 Speaker 1: It's kind of like when you go to the Scholastic 611 00:37:05,560 --> 00:37:07,920 Speaker 1: book Fair, which we're always big fans of, and you 612 00:37:07,960 --> 00:37:10,400 Speaker 1: saw scary stories to tell in the dark. 613 00:37:10,680 --> 00:37:16,399 Speaker 3: Right, So Grim's fairy tale Classics. Oh, yes, I remember that. 614 00:37:16,480 --> 00:37:18,799 Speaker 2: I remember that was more or it was a little 615 00:37:18,880 --> 00:37:20,560 Speaker 2: little later than what I was talking about, But it 616 00:37:20,680 --> 00:37:23,680 Speaker 2: very much is the same style, and almost wonder. 617 00:37:23,600 --> 00:37:28,400 Speaker 3: It's by animation. Yep, it's like it's a house style. 618 00:37:29,440 --> 00:37:32,680 Speaker 1: There we go, there you go, and here we arrive 619 00:37:32,920 --> 00:37:37,400 Speaker 1: at the end of our show. We hope you appreciate it. 620 00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:41,239 Speaker 1: There is a parable here. We could argue in that 621 00:37:41,680 --> 00:37:47,120 Speaker 1: the story of the American raccoon in Japan has a 622 00:37:47,200 --> 00:37:53,680 Speaker 1: ridiculous origin, but it has real world consequences that continue today. 623 00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:57,600 Speaker 1: So we'd love to hear your thoughts on other ridiculous 624 00:37:57,719 --> 00:38:02,000 Speaker 1: origin stories of invasive speed or just weird pop culture, 625 00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:06,880 Speaker 1: or let's say, weird fascinating pop culture. In the meantime, 626 00:38:07,360 --> 00:38:07,560 Speaker 1: it's a. 627 00:38:07,560 --> 00:38:09,319 Speaker 2: Little bit of a different vibe. But I can't help 628 00:38:09,360 --> 00:38:11,400 Speaker 2: think of the cobra story. 629 00:38:11,640 --> 00:38:15,160 Speaker 1: The cobra, Oh, the cobra effect, the cobra cobra effect. 630 00:38:15,239 --> 00:38:17,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's just you know, it's just not the same, 631 00:38:17,680 --> 00:38:21,240 Speaker 2: but it's just the knock on consequences remained similar. 632 00:38:21,520 --> 00:38:25,160 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah. If there's one thing human civilization loves, 633 00:38:25,560 --> 00:38:31,560 Speaker 1: its consequences that they did not foresee, uh we do foresee. 634 00:38:31,880 --> 00:38:34,239 Speaker 1: The close of the show, thank you, as always so 635 00:38:34,320 --> 00:38:37,480 Speaker 1: much for joining us, fellow ridiculous historians. Thanks to our 636 00:38:37,520 --> 00:38:42,760 Speaker 1: super producer mister Max Williams, as well as his brother 637 00:38:43,360 --> 00:38:46,480 Speaker 1: Alex Williams, who composed this slap and pop and nope, 638 00:38:46,520 --> 00:38:49,080 Speaker 1: we got to get Alex back on the show. But 639 00:38:49,160 --> 00:38:52,799 Speaker 1: he's even more nomadic than me. He sure is. 640 00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:55,640 Speaker 2: And speaking of you, Ben, huge thanks to you as always, 641 00:38:55,640 --> 00:38:59,480 Speaker 2: but in this one for your research prowess coming to 642 00:38:59,600 --> 00:39:02,360 Speaker 2: us from that region of the world. Not to docks 643 00:39:02,400 --> 00:39:04,480 Speaker 2: you too much, but I know this is close to 644 00:39:04,520 --> 00:39:07,040 Speaker 2: you and something that is very much on your mind, 645 00:39:07,040 --> 00:39:08,600 Speaker 2: and I was really fun to talk to you about. 646 00:39:08,840 --> 00:39:14,799 Speaker 1: Oh Man, same same, big thanks to our favorite invasive 647 00:39:14,840 --> 00:39:19,160 Speaker 1: species on this show, Jonathan Strickland aka the Quizzer and Nola. 648 00:39:19,160 --> 00:39:22,200 Speaker 1: I gotta tell you not to big, not to big 649 00:39:22,480 --> 00:39:26,239 Speaker 1: up us to ourselves too much, but I think we 650 00:39:26,560 --> 00:39:30,160 Speaker 1: have on a metal level, we've been doing a great 651 00:39:30,320 --> 00:39:34,480 Speaker 1: job sliding in one insult for the for the quiztor 652 00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:37,320 Speaker 1: related to whatever we're talking about per. 653 00:39:37,120 --> 00:39:40,359 Speaker 3: Episode, It's sure it's on theme. I do appreciate that. 654 00:39:40,400 --> 00:39:43,200 Speaker 3: Ben a huge thanks to Christopherraciotis and needs Jeff Coots here. 655 00:39:43,200 --> 00:39:44,600 Speaker 1: It'spiat Rachel Big Spinach. 656 00:39:44,400 --> 00:39:46,799 Speaker 2: Lamb, who we owe an email back to to get 657 00:39:46,840 --> 00:39:47,600 Speaker 2: her back. 658 00:39:47,440 --> 00:39:48,080 Speaker 3: On the show. 659 00:39:48,160 --> 00:39:50,360 Speaker 2: She just pinged us again this morning, so I'm super 660 00:39:50,360 --> 00:39:52,000 Speaker 2: excited to bring her back and. 661 00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:54,280 Speaker 3: Talk about underwater explosions again. 662 00:39:54,719 --> 00:39:58,239 Speaker 1: Yes, it's a true story, folks. We know the world's 663 00:39:58,280 --> 00:40:00,239 Speaker 1: foremost expert on I'm. 664 00:40:00,120 --> 00:40:02,640 Speaker 2: Not crediting this person in every episode after having her 665 00:40:02,640 --> 00:40:05,920 Speaker 2: on one episode like five years ago, and we just 666 00:40:05,920 --> 00:40:07,160 Speaker 2: were that impressed by her. 667 00:40:07,320 --> 00:40:09,280 Speaker 3: And it's all coming full circle, y'all. 668 00:40:09,400 --> 00:40:11,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, the hugly right, check out that episode. 669 00:40:11,960 --> 00:40:12,399 Speaker 3: That's right. 670 00:40:12,600 --> 00:40:15,520 Speaker 1: Also, no big thanks to you as we were. The 671 00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:19,399 Speaker 1: energy is really great today as we were hopping in 672 00:40:19,440 --> 00:40:23,840 Speaker 1: to record. You have not just a statue at action 673 00:40:23,960 --> 00:40:26,799 Speaker 1: figure or a small German boy, but you've also been 674 00:40:26,960 --> 00:40:31,120 Speaker 1: acquiring some pretty cool choskis. Could you play a little music. 675 00:40:35,840 --> 00:40:40,320 Speaker 2: Bhudo wishes you a happy and productive life. 676 00:40:42,320 --> 00:40:42,919 Speaker 3: We'll see you next. 677 00:40:42,920 --> 00:40:43,880 Speaker 1: Tip folks. 678 00:40:50,280 --> 00:40:51,160 Speaker 3: For more podcasts. 679 00:40:51,160 --> 00:40:54,640 Speaker 2: From iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever 680 00:40:54,760 --> 00:40:56,320 Speaker 2: you listen to your favorite shows.