Well, I spent a long time without being called Bobby...

[TommyA]

... but it has come up a little too often in the last month, as I listen to people's conversations.

I had a student tell me that his boss saw me at our office, and asked what my name was, and when my student said "Tommy" his boss said "Bobby?".

Then the same night, I was talking to our head teacher and 2 other students in Japanese, and then one of them said I sounded like Bobby.

This week I taught a company lesson, with about 12 students in each class, all male, and when they were at lunch and I was preparing for the next class, I heard about 2 tables LOUDLY whisper "Bobby".

Finally yesterday, I was waiting at the JR station for my girlfriend, so we could buy our tickets to Kyoto for Golden Week, and a bunch of University Students were getting out of the station. I got the usual stares, but I heard a few groups, mutter, you guessed it "Bobby".

Az, now I know what you feel like. It isn't as frequent as you appear to get it, but it is more frequent than I have ever had it in my short 10 months here so far.

I can't wait until my contract is up, and I can grow my hair out again, then there will be no mistakes as to who I am.

[Azrael]

It honestly doesn't matter what your hairstyle is or what kind of clothes you wear. You could even be short and fat. But as long as you are black and male, you = Bobby. I guess the sunovabitch has made a few appearances on TV again lately, which is why the label is making a comeback. I've heard it a few times too in the last few days.

And, you're coming to Kyoto Golden Week, eh?

[RoxFontaine]

Yeah, you could have blonde straight hair and you'd still be Bobby. Sucks to hear that you've been getting that.

[digable]

I left Japan right before Bobby got big and filled the Bob Sapp vacuum. Didn't really get anyone calling me Bob Sapp, though. I guess if I had a fat, bald hideously wrinkled head, I would have. But it's not just Japanese kids who do things like this. When I was a VISTA in Montana ABOUT 8 years ago, the kids there would call me Michael Jordan. I look nothing like him.

[stsparky]

Would you rather be called Santa or in Kyushu the Dutch & German child-kidnapping "Black Santa?" AKA Sinterklaas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterklaas) ... I think he's the one with a gang of Black men called Zwarte Piet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwarte_Piet) who takes 'bad' kids:
“... Those who performed badly would be beaten soundly by Servant Ruprecht, and those who performed well were given a gift or some treats. Those who performed badly enough or had committed other misdeeds throughout the year were put into Ruprecht's sack and taken away, variously to Ruprecht’s home in the Black Forest (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Forest), or to be tossed into a river. ...”
It gives Gaijin Perimeter a whole new dimension - specially when hanging out at the Blue Note in Fukuoka - when you see kids turn and flee at the sight of me and Jolly pals ...

[koku]

I was called Bobby but that's because it was the nickname I already had and chose for myself. :D Sorry if I'm not helping.


But it kept me from ever having to go crazy when someone called me "Bobby" :clap:

[xinster]

bobby's still famous after he got his ass kicked by hong man choi? WHY??

[TommyA]

Yeah I will be in Kyoto with the girlfriend, on the 29th and 30th, just 2 days, but it will be my first time there, so it will be cool to do some sightseeing.

I'd rather people be indifferent than call me outside of my name. My dad kinda raised me like that. Before these incidences, I literally experienced it ZERO times, and now it has been super frequent. Maybe because I was being exposed to people outside of my school (who know and respect me), but I always am out and about in Nagoya, and have never heard it till recently.

I haven't watched much TV lately, has he popped up again somewhere?

[soulinhand]

I had been called Bobby and Im short. Like 5'6" with muscles and brown skin. It didnt matter, whether I had hair or not. I was called Bobby. He is well known hear and stuff but it is still irritating as hell. THe liitle kids at the elementary school I went to sometime started to call me Bobby at first until I corrected them and told them my real name. If they persisted I paid them no attention and played with the other kids. It soon stopped. But the funniest thing I was called was Remy. I was in Shinsaibashi with my wife ( girlfriend at the time) and a guy in a car tells his friend that he as just seen Remy Boiyaski(sp???) from K1. we just laughed cuz dude is like 6 feet plus and Im a disiel short dude. but it really doesnt matter what you look like, people just come up with totally off the wall statements to who you look like. not just japanese people, all countries.

[Digital Masta]

I never got the Bobby thing but I'm a few shades lighter than Bob Sap, Bobby, Az and TommyA (my family on both sides ranges from...light brown to incredibly light :P). I don't doubt though that if I'm there for long enough I'd be bound to come across it.

[kilreli]

dont worry Bobby, even the best fall down
:mario:

[Azrael]

dont worry Bobby, even the best fall down
:mario:
You know, that is incredibly not funny.

[TommyA]

Damn you got to it before me.

I really don't think people would or could understand it, unless they experience it. Until then, it is just a joke they can read about on the internet.

Not saying this is something causing me a ton of stress or anything, it is just a frustrating occurance, that doesn't need to exist. I know Japanese people are smart enough to tell when other Asians aren't Japanese, but can't tell Az, soul, kokujin and I from an AFRICAN K1 fighter. I would think, with all of the exposure this guy gets, it would be hard from mistaking us from them.

Hmmm, next time I am going to offer my autograph to the next person who says Bobby, and sign it Tommy.

[Ceirnian]

I think he was addressing this
bobby's still famous after he got his ass kicked by hong man choi? WHY??
Not calling any of you Bobby.

[TommyA]

Ahh context. I failed to pick it up. Damn internet and it's weird forum post ordering. My mistake.

[Azrael]

I wish Hong Man Choi had done more damage. At least enough to make that fucktard never appear on TV ever again.

[羽之助]

Unfortunately, being an idiot never gets old in Japan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf7V-Fuqtak#GU5U2spHI_4
Near the middle, I think (sorry, I'm in the office and YouTube doesn't work) is a skit called "Senpei Desu" that consists of an overweight man talking slow, hitting his head, and saying "Senpei Desu". The audience eats it up.

[xinster]

i got this blonde teacher thats all into saving disadvanted black kids and she said one time she worekd at this urban youth camp and after an entire summer the kids would still confuse her and another white redhead girl even though there was massive weight/height/feature/clkothes differences. Japanese people must confuse the shit out of pretty much everyone

[Azrael]

Unfortunately, being an idiot never gets old in Japan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf7V-Fuqtak#GU5U2spHI_4
Near the middle, I think (sorry, I'm in the office and YouTube doesn't work) is a skit called "Senpei Desu" that consists of an overweight man talking slow, hitting his head, and saying "Senpei Desu". The audience eats it up.
So true. Half the acts here are people making fools of themselves. Another reason why I hate Japanese TV.

I think its also contributes to why Paris Hilton is so popular here.

[trckstr]

Not saying this is something causing me a ton of stress or anything, it is just a frustrating occurance, that doesn't need to exist. I know Japanese people are smart enough to tell when other Asians aren't Japanese...



Um, they're not smart enough to tell when other Asians aren't Japanese. I got confused for Japanese by every Japanese person I met and they always expected me to be able speak the language. Even after I told them I didn't speak Japanese with my terrible western accent, they wouldn't believe me.

[Niff]

i know that bobby whatever was on TV and i know black people in japan are irritated by being called "bobby" no matter what their actual name is.. but a few days ago i saw a clip of him talking with some random japanese pop singer.. holy shit. that is really bad. i can't help but somehow think that japanese people get the idea that tall bald black guys speak like monkeys and get japanese words wrong constantly.

[羽之助]

Um, they're not smart enough to tell when other Asians aren't Japanese. I got confused for Japanese by every Japanese person I met and they always expected me to be able speak the language. Even after I told them I didn't speak Japanese with my terrible western accent, they wouldn't believe me.

Don't forget the Japanese woman who was arrested for being a suspected illegal foreigner because she "looked Asian" to the cops.

[kilreli]

I think he was addressing this

Not calling any of you Bobby.
yes...thats...exactly what i was using it for...yes.... :stirthepo

:mario:

edit: now i feel like a cold blooded jerk...:gloomy:

[yattadesign]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo8bg71xZDY&mode=user&search= :bang: :bang:

Seems to be fairly new?

[TommyA]

I guess it is only my gf then. Maybe because she lived in the states for so long. But she can point out every non Japanese from a mile away. So yeah, not a fair judgment.

I would love to become a talento, so I could show Japan another side, at least teach them the difference between African and African American, or at the VERY least, Bobby from Tommy.

[TommyA]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo8bg71xZDY&mode=user&search= :bang: :bang:

Seems to be fairly new?

I "LOVE" how he just HAS to have the mean scary face. They love him here though.

[ParryDat]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo8bg71xZDY&mode=user&search= :bang: :bang:

Seems to be fairly new?

Is that really him speaking? :lol:

[ParryDat]

Sapp certainly enjoyed his fame:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1oIrLs2CcU&mode=related&search=