Please read through the discussion below and respond, response to the specific classmate’s thoughts and comments on the assigned reading and visual
1) In today’s reading, we continued reading Takeyama’s Staged Seduction: Selling Dreams in a Tokyo Host Club. In Chapter 3, we explored the stories and the perspectives of two former male hosts instead, Koji and Yoshi. Both come from similar backgrounds, outside the city with little interest pursuing common office careers, Yoshi had a criminal background, Koji ended up dropping out of high school. Similarly, they were both able to find careers in host clubs in order to receive financial reward and benefits unlike their everyday lives. Because of their customers, they were able to afford finer things, receive lavish gifts, etc., which all came at a cost in the end. In Koji’s case, he was left in debt while Yoshi was ultimately tired and could not keep a work-life balance. Male host seek to differentiate themselves from sex work as they are trying to find a modernized way of earning income, but struggle when their masculinity is challenged in this line of work.
In the videos for today’s discussion, I think the one that stuck out the most would be Boyfriends for Hire in Japan because it kind of gives us an insight, at least on a surface level on what is expected of male host and their living conditions, which I found to be quite harsh despite working for “The King of Hosts”. It is clear that not everyone is fit to be a host, you can have perfect looks, but if you are too soft or innocent for the industry, you might not mesh well, but Yoshi kind of contradicts Reiji’s segments in the end of the video. Additionally, I think it is odd that despite having the potential of making $50,000 USD, some hosts are living together in poor living conditions, hoping to work harder like their superiors to live alone.
Question: Assuming most consumers know human trafficking could be involved in host clubs in Japan, why do you think they continue to spend money at these clubs?
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Please read through the discussion below and respond, response to the specific classmate’s thoughts and comments on the assigned reading and visual
2). Today’s reading discussed masculinity defined by sexual performance and the meaning of manhood in cultural perspectives. Seeing that medications to treat ED have become more prevalent, it has been more accessible and and easy solution for the generation who has always known about the option. Those seeking ED treatment simply were not ready to let go of such a life-altering function. Although it would not resolve major problems in their life regarding their masculinity, it would at least allow them to be successful to some extent. However, when referring to the older generation of Mexican men who struggle with ED, they tend not to associate manhood with sex and instead with machoism. They prefer to settle down, seek closer bonds with loved ones, and come to accept that their bodies are aging. In the reading, we also explore two different perspectives, a man who is struggling with ED after dealing with a tough divorce and another who is infertile who strives to have children but is unable to provide for his wife and their religious beliefs can make it complicated.
In the videos, I think you can kind of see how masculinity is reinforced through sex. So, it seems like the media is kind of creating a fantasy for men so that their masculinity doesn’t have to end here, it doesn’t stop just because you’re 50-60 years old. As far as the birth control video, I do think that it would be hard for a large majority of men to take birth control because we have a large majority of men who don’t like to wear condoms. So, I feel like if men don’t see in the importance in condoms, why would they see the importance in birth control?
Question: Do you think there would be a medication to increase the libido of women if there isn’t one already?