Papa Smurf In Clay
Japantown, San Francisco, where I stayed for the alternative newspaper conference. Picked up a paper, too!
If you want to read my column where you live, contact the editor of the local alt weekly or the editor of the features section (usually called "Life" or something) of the daily and ask them to pick it up.
That's no smurf! That's a mogwai!
brian at January 28, 2007 7:56 AM
The person who made that thing deserves to suffer a thousand painful deaths.
Lena at January 28, 2007 10:48 AM
That is no mogwai, a mogwai's seys are hiher up in a broader face and they dont have an extened muzzule, not to mention their ears are more triangular anf the distincly have a hand with an opposable thumb and their fingers are furless.
You need to brush up on your fictional xenobiology
lujlp at January 29, 2007 1:56 AM
eyes are higher
lujlp at January 29, 2007 1:57 AM
You phillistines crack me up.
That is a tanuki. The statues are a traditional decoration in Japanese restaurants. In Japanese mythology, the tanuki is a spirit animal associated with gluttony and virility. He's also a wily shape-shifting prankster. When he wants attention or to distract humans, he drums on his oversize testicles. Tanuki testicles are part of their mythology. In the popular anime movie Pom Poko, the animals used their testicles as parachutes. When represented as statues, tanuki traditionally carry a sake bottle and an I.O.U.
Real tanuki have spread from far eastern Asia to as far west as France. They're related to foxes and badgers. The best English translation of "tanuki" is "raccoon dog." They're pretty cute. And they do have extremely big balls.
cjumper at January 29, 2007 11:35 AM
"They're pretty cute. And they do have extremely big balls."
I'm glad you're so happy with them. But when it comes to "tanuki," I'll remain a philistine.
Lena at January 29, 2007 5:17 PM
To me, Mogwai is a great drone-metal band from Scotland. Not sure of their testicle sizes.
I did want to congratulate Amy on being reinserted in the local Silicon Valley/San Jose weekly alternative "The Metro," which is where I first discovered her years ago. She disappeared for awhile but now she's back (along with "Cecil Adams'" "The Straight Dope.") Goodness abounds!
Charly in SJ at February 2, 2007 8:26 PM
Ah. What? Who thinks that is Papa Smurf? Does the guy that made that even know what a Smurf is? Little, blue, white hat, poor man version of seven dwarfs, and they had one foxy lady in Smurfette.
DUI at February 18, 2007 9:12 PM
Is there some "accuracy in smurfdom" organization you lead?
Amy Alkon at February 18, 2007 10:37 PM
Good site.
Alex at February 27, 2007 8:02 AM
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