Stare-apy for the Socially Inept (+ Edits)

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As much as I want to be outrageously snarky in this post, I don’t think I can bring myself to do it. After all, social anxiety disorder is pretty serious stuff, especially in Japan, the birthplace of the hikikomori (引き籠もり or “pulling away”) phenomenon. In an attempt to help out those who are uncomfortable in social situations, Avex has introduced a DVD titled Miterudake (ミテルだけ) or “Just Looking”. The DVD is labeled as “interactive”, but there are really only two activities that users are expected to perform:

1. Choose one of fifty relatively-diverse women

2. Endure them staring at you for about a minute (eyes up, boys)

[yframe url='www.youtube.com/watch?v=A12dH72757U']


3. Repeat (does this count as an activity?)

So basically, the only purpose of the DVD is, as its creator states, 「人と目を合わすこと」, or to help people “adapt to others”. As weird and pointless as it may seem, I can’t deny that there are people out there who do have a major fear that they’re constantly being judged by others. Still, I think it might be more cost effective to just realize that most people aren’t actually staring at you in real life (especially not in Japan, where a lot of “normal” people still find sustained direct eye contact to be rude) than to go and buy a $25 DVD. Or you could just find a picture of the Mona Lisa.

But hey, whatever floats your boat. I’m certainly not one to tell other people how to manage their neuroses. One thing I can say for sure about this DVD, though, is that it’s bound to act as inspiration for many x-rated spin-offs. You just wait and see–in the next few months, scores of new AV DVDs will hit shelves of sketchy Akihabara porn shops with similar premises and similar titles (“Just ____ing”). Come on, it’s Japan. You know it’s true.

Anyway, sorry this article was a bit boring. To make up for the lack of entertaining sarcasm, here are some links to more Miterudake clips and spoofs on the Youtube and NicoNico Douga. You can also find more clips on the Miterudake website (as well as links to the personal blogs of some of the women, which is kind of creepy).

EDIT: Here’s a video from Koichi. Thanks, Ko.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muGL99W6v6o']

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  • Chimiko

    I agree w/ Koichi.
    I am already kind of hikikomori-ish, but I would never buy DVDs like that.

    That Koichi clip in the middle of the video w/ him smiling idiotically… is funny.

  • http://youtube.com/ch1ka ch1ka

    There are only women… are they saying that men are the ones who can be socially inept? and are they asuming that women have great social skills?

    hmm… maybe this is one that only applies to japan

    This may be completely unrelated but…
    i heard that japan had the highest rate of suicides?
    is this true?

  • DeeLeigh

    So, if you end up laughing, does that mean you are on your way to no long being socially “special”?!? Umm…I have got to say this is the most awkwardly funny thing I have ever heard of…Umm…yeah…

    I have to say, though, the guy having conversations with his computer and watching TV with his computer REALLY no longer has a reason to leave the house…

  • diojenisu

    Whoa…. Akihabara incident….
    Should i expect some coverage, guys?

  • http://tofugu.com Tofugu_Erin

    I don’t think any of us planned on writing anything about it.

  • q335r49

    japan’s hopelessly unsophisticated ideas of human nature, and our stupid stupid fascination with the groteque : a match made in heaven

  • http://www.sanokame.com Sano

    For some reason I want to try it, I don’t have any social problems but this looks interesting. It doesn’t really help those who have problems, but for those who’re not even trying it must feel good to have someone to talk to, even if he/she isn’t very talkative.

  • http://toshogu.blogspot.com tornadoes28

    How is people staring at you in a DVD going to help? Since they really aren’t staring at you.

  • taroroot

    @tornadoes28: But to a really socially anxious person they seem like they are staring at you. So to them they er the closest thing to a human person.

  • Khai

    LOL

  • Ramaja

    I think point of all this is to get those hikikomori used to others staring at them. They probably are unable to keep their eyes up confronted with others, even less when they are been stared by young (or old, or racially different) women.
    Keeping our eyes on someone else’s makes most of us nervous because of an ancenstral reflex meaning “defy” (try looking in dog’s eye and see if he/she can sustain it for long)
    This is the reason why these girls won’t smile at all: smiling is a sign of encouragement, and this goes against the reason for this DVD to exist.

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  • http://starile.livejournal.com starile

    Why do they only use women in this DVD? I’m sure some hikikomori young girls might be able to use some help getting comfortable with dudes around them. It’s not like the only people you see on the street are all women. Then again, it might creep out people a little to have guys staring I them? Hm.

  • Eevee

    no, no, no Koichi… you lost all those “cool points” when you said xp instead of experience. xD

    Very interesting stuff here. Yeah, I think they could have some regular people maybe saying, “Hi, how are you.”, “Good morning”, regular things like that. Get these people used to REAL LIFE situations.
    That one girl… she looks really sad. I guess she senses that the guys aren’t going to be looking at her face.

  • http://stshores24.com stshores24

    Second video’s been removed by YouTube…and I just gave you some karma points, Koichi, so if you lost any cool points, maybe those will make up for it. ;)

  • http://www.fanfiction.net/~difficult2describe Difficult2Describe

    Whoa…that’s just creepy.

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  • Kitam

    i enjoyed it.. im going to blockbuster and see if its in stock.

  • mrthundercleese4

    they should make a step series off this..step 1: dealing with a smiling woman step 2: dealing with a blank expression Step 7: dealing with an angry oba-sama stare Step 10: Chuck Norris stare

  • Kitam

    i wouldnt make it past the boobs..
    just being honest =(

  • tomususan

    Preety scary and funny.

  • http://www.myspace.com/heatlessangel heartlessangel

    haha I won she blinked first take that ! where’s my medal?

  • http://www.xanga.com/criticaldamage15 criticaldamage15

    how about the ones with men? coz i think i need help with that.

  • Lingxiaxiou

    I was staring at the rack bc I was told not to…gah!

  • michelle

    Do you have any friends? you kinda sound mean..

  • http://www.youtube.com/FinalSlammer FinalSlammer

    Whoever make these and sells them, and some BUYS IT, they're wasting their yen.

  • Grant

    Do not give that to a paronoied man,

  • Grant

    Do not give that to a paronoied man,

  • http://www.tofugu.com koichi

    smap

  • Anonymous

    Socially Inept (+ Edits) en Looks very funny
    HAHA !

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