QI Controversy

It may not have received much air-time in the UK, but QI has landed me in the unenviable position of trying to defend the BBC. QI recently aired an episode which listed Tsutomu Yamaguchi as the "Unluckiest man in the world." Yamaguchi's "claim to fame" being that he survived both the atomic bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

This has, not surprisingly, upset a lot of Japanese, even to the point where the mayor of Nagasaki has sent a documentary to the BBC to air about Yamaguchi. With many Japanese feeling victimized since they where the only victims of a nuclear attack.

I have to defend the BBC here.

Whilst I wish they had not covered this, I feel that the Japanese are also not whiter than white in this. They have shown no understanding for the British sense of humour which is quite dark at the best of times, and have not understood the whole clip. The premise is that he is EITHER the unluckiest, or luckiest. And the even more amazing thing is that the trains where still working! Given the state of British railways, that is quite impressive! 

It is not at all disrespectful (from a British point of view) to Yamaguchi, but almost respectful. He survived, then went on to have a long and active life! Good for him! In the middle of all this devastation! Celebrate that fact that whilst thousands died needlessly, and painfully, he survived. 

Twice.

Tough as old boots he is.

And that is a good thing.

And for any Japanese who reads this. 

You want to talk about pain and suffering? What about the thousands victims of the Japanese military who had to spend months and years in pain, and where deemed to be less than human for that unforgivable crime of not being Japanese, and surrendering? Or the "medical" experiments carried out in the name of "research?"

"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

War is bad. On both sides. Japan cannot play the victim card all the time. When it comes to war, we are ALL victims.