Famous English Teacher/Gaijin Celebrity Thane Camus Teaches English To Morning Musume
Thane Camus, who not only represents Westerners on TV in Japan but also happens to be the Great-Nephew of Albert Camus (The Stranger, anyone?), is also a heck of an English Teacher. Or more properly, a heck of an entertainer when it comes to exploiting other people’s lack of English Skills.
Here, specifically, he exploits that lack of skills in the most famous of cute girls, the ladies of Morning Musume.
Part One:
Part Two:
On a side note, Thane is probably really mostly Japanese. Also, NeoMarxisme continues to be the thinking man’s TV in Japan or, more properly, where TV in Japan goes when he actually wants to think about TV in Japan.
Thanks to these videos go to TV in Japan reader Calvin!
Oooh, I can’t stand this guy. He’s a terrible actor, and just generally rubs me the wrong way. Every time he pops up in a dorama I want to throw something at my TV.
I’m a little curious–do Japanese people know he’s only famous in Japan?
May 5th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
Most “gaijin talent” in Japan are famous only in Japan.
May 5th, 2007 at 8:12 pm
hahah, thanks man. i was reading on sites (not sure if they’re credible) but thane came to japan at either age 3 or age 6. his past is i guess, really unknown. this video made me crack up.
May 5th, 2007 at 9:18 pm
This was one of my favorites.
You guys should watch the full episode.
Thane isn’t that bad, but then again he hasn’t popped in any of my doramas.
One foreigner I can’t stand is Madonna.
Grrrr!!!
May 5th, 2007 at 11:08 pm
It takes a truly gifted teacher to know another language and culture so well.
May 6th, 2007 at 12:06 pm
LOL I loved this. It was so funny! “Reina, elevator, people people people people. Wow!”
May 6th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
Cringe-inducing. Thane is truly the Stepin Fetchit of Japan. He is clearly intelligent so it is befuddling why he consistently takes on this grating role as a caricature of a foreigner.
May 9th, 2007 at 11:30 pm
Cringe-inducing. Thane is truly the Stepin Fetchit of Japan. He is clearly intelligent so it is befuddling why he consistently takes on this grating role as a caricature of a foreigner.
May 9th, 2007 at 11:30 pm
He doesn’t come off as grating if you watch the entire episode… it becomes more obvious that he’s just playing to the MM girls’ strengths and weaknesses (and he’s not above teasing them for their mistakes).
May 11th, 2007 at 4:12 pm
There wasn’t hardly any teaching done at all. On top of that, he used broken English. A professional teacher doesn’t mock their student’s lack of ability though it was entertaining.
May 21st, 2007 at 2:12 am
Anyone managed to save these clips? Seems they’ve been taken down since a while back.
January 23rd, 2008 at 8:11 pm
After a little bit of digging I found the whole clip at stage6.
http://www.stage6.com/Hello-Morning-Subtitle/video/1956229/H!M-#265-[2005-06-26]-Haromoni-Academy—English-Lesson
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January 27th, 2008 at 6:30 am