I’m one hypnotic frenzied writing session away from a giant winding post about how magazines gave us curated, focused cross-sections of the world around us, and how we interacted with them before the dopamine reptile brain event horizon era. I really have a lot of thoughts on this.
I don’t know if this is real and I almost don’t want to
I used to go to work by public transport for many years before smartphones where a thing. Every day I want to the store in the train station and browsed / bought magazines. It was expensive but I miss it dearly.
I tried it again a few years ago but it's not the same. A lot of information is really available online. So I bought only niece magazines focused on medieval history or those cheap stories, everything else just wasn't intending any more.
My eyes are such that I can't tell if the script on that cardboard container is Tamil, Thai, AI, or something else.
This is made more difficult by google search continuing to suck out loud and returning results that include nicknames for people and TikTok home recipe challenges instead of historical facts on international menu items.
Even "verbatim" barely works anymore.
Anyone know what other names the McTaco may have gone by in the past?
Here is a full translation of all the Japanese text from the magazine cover.
(Some phrases are stylized or old-fashioned “magazine hype,” so I’ve translated them naturally but kept the tone.)
“A full 32 pages packed with the heat and atmosphere of America and its police!
Your hands will get hot as you turn the pages!”
Middle Text Block
アメリカポリスの特殊部隊
“Special Units of the American Police”
SWAT大特集
“Special Feature: SWAT”
ロサンゼルス・ポリス
アトランタ・ポリス
フィラデルフィア・ポリス
“Los Angeles Police
Atlanta Police
Philadelphia Police”
SWATを中心に、ポリスの攻撃力について迫っています。
緊迫した突入、制圧の作戦がわかる！！
“Focusing on SWAT, we explore the offensive capability of the police.
Learn about high-tension entry and suppression tactics!”
とっておきのアメリカン・ポリス・プレゼントを
抽選でドッサリ大放出！
“A massive lottery giveaway of special American police goods!”
**アメリカン・ポリスのウソ・ホンベン
BEST 218**
“American Police: Truths & Lies — BEST 218”
Right-side Column
素晴らしきかなアメリカンポリスの世界
“The wonderful world of the American police”
ポリス映画・TVについて語ろう！！
ポリスの歴史を語ろう！！
武力を伴ったポリスの権力について考える！！
そして『ワイルダー・ザーン(ザ・ソウル？)』をさぐる！！
“Let’s talk about police movies and TV!!
Let’s discuss the history of the police!!
Let’s consider police authority and the use of force!!
And let’s explore the ‘wilder side’ of the police!!”
(“ワイルダー・ザーン” seems to be a stylized or foreign phrase used for flavor.)
〈アメリカン〉ポリス
映画・TVカタログ
“American Police:
Movie & TV Catalog”
Bottom-right (small text)
監修 水野晴郎
“Supervised by: Haruo Mizuno” (a known Japanese film critic)
Editorial Advisor | Haruo Mizuno
(repeated in English)
If you want, I can also:
📌 translate the cover into smoother natural English magazine wording
📌 identify the foods shown
📌 explain the cultural context behind this type of 80s–90s Japanese “mook” magazines
42 Comments
wesker@lemmy.sdf.org · 36 pts · 267d
I live for strange Japanese 80s/90s printed media
MTZ@lemmy.world · 34 pts · 267d
Bgugi@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 266d
"what layout would you like for your magazine?"
"Eeehhh... Just gimme the 'benadryl'"
YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 266d
Reading it feels like I took a handful and started furiously sprinting to the bad side of town, you know, cause of the "implications".
Proprietary_Blend@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 266d
Ohhh. Cyber!
CleoCommunist@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 265d
Love that pink
ggtdbz@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 19 pts · 267d
I’m one hypnotic frenzied writing session away from a giant winding post about how magazines gave us curated, focused cross-sections of the world around us, and how we interacted with them before the dopamine reptile brain event horizon era. I really have a lot of thoughts on this.
I don’t know if this is real and I almost don’t want to
affenlehrer@feddit.org · 9 pts · 267d
I used to go to work by public transport for many years before smartphones where a thing. Every day I want to the store in the train station and browsed / bought magazines. It was expensive but I miss it dearly.
I tried it again a few years ago but it's not the same. A lot of information is really available online. So I bought only niece magazines focused on medieval history or those cheap stories, everything else just wasn't intending any more.
YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 266d
Honestly, I don't even care if it's real. I just want a translation.
Enzy@feddit.nu · 18 pts · 266d
Not bald Not obese enough No vest No sunglasses
Must be the 70s
xx3rawr@sh.itjust.works · 12 pts · 266d
"Be the American the Japanese thinks you are"
DearMoogle@lemmy.today · 7 pts · 266d
Those fries are going to get cold!
arcterus@piefed.blahaj.zone · 6 pts · 266d
Is this what .ml means when they say to find a trustworthy source?
Formfiller@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 266d
Law and order the Muck bang division . These are their stories dong dong
PeriodicallyPedantic@lemmy.ca · 5 pts · 266d
I see at least 3 different fast food chains in a single meal. Now that's dedication
klugerama@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 265d
What's the cup barely visible on the left? I'm wondering if that one explains the gigantic taco.
PeriodicallyPedantic@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 265d
You're right. At least 4.
I see McDonald's, a&w, Carl's jr, and whatever that cup in the left is (no idea, but I don't recognize it as one of the other 3).
cdnwaffleiron@lemmy.ca · 5 pts · 266d
Entertainmeonly@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 4 pts · 266d
My wallet can taste this meal. That whole table of food was only $37.
OldChicoAle@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 266d
Uh maybe like 5 bucks in 1987
lolola@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 4 pts · 267d
What's the doubled-over ketchup/avocado waffle running along the left forearm
Entertainmeonly@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 3 pts · 266d
The McTaco 🤢
Kiernian@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 266d
My eyes are such that I can't tell if the script on that cardboard container is Tamil, Thai, AI, or something else.
This is made more difficult by google search continuing to suck out loud and returning results that include nicknames for people and TikTok home recipe challenges instead of historical facts on international menu items.
Even "verbatim" barely works anymore.
Anyone know what other names the McTaco may have gone by in the past?
hide@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 5 pts · 266d
That picture is AI. Meanwhile the magazine picture also has food on the table from Carl's Jr, so the taco could just be from a different restaurant.
Entertainmeonly@lemmy.blahaj.zone · -1 pts · 266d
Mcdonalds has never made a taco.
CleoCommunist@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 265d
They made tacos? Why? Fr cabt they Just keep doing burgers?
Well The good thing Is them not existing but...
YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 266d
Where dafuq do they sell this glorious monument to capitalist hubris?
Tikiporch@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 267d
Something from Red Burrito perhaps? Based solely on the Carl's Jr stuff on the table.
klugerama@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 265d
You mean Green Burrito?
Stamau123@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 266d
Might be a chalupa of some kind
Surp@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 265d
I used chatgpt for this so no idea if it's valid.
Here is a full translation of all the Japanese text from the magazine cover. (Some phrases are stylized or old-fashioned “magazine hype,” so I’ve translated them naturally but kept the tone.)
American Police
(アメリカンポリス)
Top-right: 定価 1,800円 — “Fixed price: 1,800 yen”
Blue header: ワールド・ワイド・プレス — “World Wide Press” Wild Mook 44 — (Mook = magazine + book)
Main Yellow Text (Center-left column)
アメリカの熱気とニオイが、立派にポリスたちをもちメリットいっぱいのぞこんだ32ページ！ ページをめくるキミの手が、あつくなる！！
“A full 32 pages packed with the heat and atmosphere of America and its police! Your hands will get hot as you turn the pages!”
Middle Text Block
アメリカポリスの特殊部隊 “Special Units of the American Police”
SWAT大特集
“Special Feature: SWAT”
ロサンゼルス・ポリス アトランタ・ポリス フィラデルフィア・ポリス “Los Angeles Police Atlanta Police Philadelphia Police”
SWATを中心に、ポリスの攻撃力について迫っています。 緊迫した突入、制圧の作戦がわかる！！ “Focusing on SWAT, we explore the offensive capability of the police. Learn about high-tension entry and suppression tactics!”
極秘ファイル：SWAT攻撃マニュアル “Top-secret file: SWAT assault manual”
ビッグ・プレゼント!!
“Big Giveaway!!”
とっておきのアメリカン・ポリス・プレゼントを 抽選でドッサリ大放出！ “A massive lottery giveaway of special American police goods!”
**アメリカン・ポリスのウソ・ホンベン
BEST 218** “American Police: Truths & Lies — BEST 218”
Right-side Column
素晴らしきかなアメリカンポリスの世界 “The wonderful world of the American police”
ポリス映画・TVについて語ろう！！ ポリスの歴史を語ろう！！ 武力を伴ったポリスの権力について考える！！ そして『ワイルダー・ザーン(ザ・ソウル？)』をさぐる！！ “Let’s talk about police movies and TV!! Let’s discuss the history of the police!! Let’s consider police authority and the use of force!! And let’s explore the ‘wilder side’ of the police!!” (“ワイルダー・ザーン” seems to be a stylized or foreign phrase used for flavor.)
〈アメリカン〉ポリス 映画・TVカタログ “American Police: Movie & TV Catalog”
Bottom-right (small text)
監修 水野晴郎 “Supervised by: Haruo Mizuno” (a known Japanese film critic)
Editorial Advisor | Haruo Mizuno (repeated in English)
If you want, I can also: 📌 translate the cover into smoother natural English magazine wording 📌 identify the foods shown 📌 explain the cultural context behind this type of 80s–90s Japanese “mook” magazines
MTZ@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 265d
Very cool and interesting. Thanks! 😮
Alsjemenou@lemy.nl · 4 pts · 266d
This, btw, is the depiction of extreme obesity in Japan
kelpie_returns@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 266d
SkyezOpen@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 266d
That's what peak performance looks like.
CleoCommunist@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 265d
Thats the professional obesisty
Saltycracker@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 265d
Carl jr or macdonalds. Did they bring fries to Carl jr
KumaLumaJuma@feddit.uk · 3 pts · 266d
Uhh, is no one going to ask why this is like $18??
chatokun@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 266d
Closer to $12 at current exchange, and a cursory search suggests some popular magazines are 1500yen per issue, so doesn't actually seem that off.
KumaLumaJuma@feddit.uk · 2 pts · 265d
Man it has been ages since I had to exchange, I’m shocked at how different it is, although I have to remember it’s been bloody 12 years since I left 😱
I’m old.
eezeebee@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 266d
Multiple fountain drinks weren't enough so he called in the can of root beer for backup
tym@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 266d
FuyuhikoDate@feddit.org · 3 pts · 266d
Let's talk about it. I have absolutely no idea. Is this setting like "obvious plant"?
melsaskca@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 266d
That's multitasking! You can't even see his boot on the throat of an immigrant underneath the table.
vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 265d
Average Carl's Junior enjoyer