ONE HIT WONDERLAND: “Turning Japanese” by The Vapors
Is this song about what you think it is? I really don’t think so…
Support Todd on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/toddintheshadows
Is this song about what you think it is? I really don’t think so…
Support Todd on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/toddintheshadows
@Classiccoverage
March 3, 2026 at 2:02 am
We will eventually get a Dave blunt episode along with junk food junkie
@drewsky295
March 3, 2026 at 2:02 am
reunited in 2020 and released two pretty good albums, love to see it
@SynymynBuhnz
March 3, 2026 at 2:02 am
I remember when this song came out and my friends would always make the jerk off motion and squint their eyes every time the song was on the radio.
@Zocorax
March 3, 2026 at 2:02 am
1980 was like the music malaise year
@hive-sys
March 3, 2026 at 2:02 am
8:17 well, if it's anything like what japanese audiences purportedly thought about aneka's "japanese boy", they probably thought it sounded too chinese.
(that's what the japanese division of aneka's label hansa actually said in regards to that song btw, i'm not making that up)
@AlexXenophon
March 3, 2026 at 2:02 am
Thank you. Really. Thank you.
@nfugitt89
March 3, 2026 at 2:02 am
He's "turning Japanese" because he's squinting
@TheDesolateOne84
March 3, 2026 at 2:02 am
Look up the urban dictionary definition of Jap's eye. I can only apologise.
@Phoenix_Talion
March 3, 2026 at 2:02 am
I go back and forth between on what "Turning Japanese" originally meant — "something so racist that I'm not going to be able to reverse engineer it 40 years on and they're smart enough not to dig up that grave" or "Hey guys, check it out! I figured out how to play the stock Asian riff, lets build a song around it!"
@johnrunion5357
March 3, 2026 at 2:02 am
there used to be a joke that if you masturbated too often you would go blind. there was a movie entitled can i do it until i need glasses? after hearing the urban legend about this i just thought it was a variation on the phrase if you don't stop you'll go blind. can i do it until i need glasses? in that too much masturbation would cause your eyes to … become like an asian person's eyes.
@stizanley3987
March 3, 2026 at 2:02 am
Great vidoe again!
@jsmountain
March 3, 2026 at 2:02 am
I did actually look up The Jam when this first came out nearly a decade ago, and I have really enjoyed them!
@HexZero
March 3, 2026 at 2:02 am
THAT RACHEL DOLEZAL BIT HAD ME CACKLING
@gm_construct4697
March 3, 2026 at 2:02 am
It does mean masturbation, I don't get why the band denying it is proof. Why would they ever admit to their hit song being a racist metaphor for burping the worm? It's so clearly what the song's about
@dycebastion
March 3, 2026 at 2:03 am
The style council were better than the Jam.
@Markstubation01
March 3, 2026 at 2:03 am
I like this song, in another universe they’d have had multiple songs at the same calibre.
@jrevillug
March 3, 2026 at 2:03 am
12:20 theme song should be the B-side to Turning Japanese – Here Comes the Judge
@robertparker6280
March 3, 2026 at 2:03 am
I love this song. I don't care how dorky (or dirty) it is.
@PXAbstraction
March 3, 2026 at 2:03 am
5:48 You mean QUALITY electronics!
@DimIsHigh
March 3, 2026 at 2:03 am
Their greatest hits album, obviously called "Turning Japanese: the best of The Vapors" is unironically one of my absolutely favourite albums, when it comes to "easy" music. I listen and love a lot of other music and I'll still fight anyone on this preference – and also "Business as Usual" by Men at Work, for the very same "easy post punk/new wave". You can't always be in the mood for Wire, Television or Pere Ubu.
@romeocharliedelta
March 3, 2026 at 2:03 am
Very late to the party here, but… This song is about involuntary celibacy, straight up. Ya know "Turning Japanese" = starting to squint from going blind from masturbating too much, like in the old myth. Like when I was a teenager, our house was really old, and we only had one bathroom. If my brother or me were taking too long showering, or shitting, our dad would come bang on the door and shout "ya know, if you keep play with it, you'll go blind." But the song definitely needed a hairy palms reference.
@femmeshark
March 3, 2026 at 2:03 am
Seems that "a town called malice was by a band called "from the jam", and not "the jam"
@michaelweigand9346
March 3, 2026 at 2:03 am
I give a hard second on The Jam. So many…jams…
@andrewkaye2108
March 3, 2026 at 2:03 am
Lol. During High School and after, I listened to KROQ in L.A. and they played the Jam a lot. So I know what you are talking about. They had some good songs.
If Turning Japanese wasnt about masturbation, then what the hell was it about?
IDK, I think they just dont want to admit it now, but it really was about that.
Timeless song either way.
@wolvepotter5858
March 3, 2026 at 2:03 am
Anyone here after The Vapors’ sudden reunion 5 years after this episode?
@inalasahl
March 3, 2026 at 2:03 am
The “In Living Color” spoof of James Blunt’s “Your beautiful” is the best music spoof In
Living Color ever did. I hope you do that song some time just to hear you mention the spoof.
@ryugaboumera4490
March 3, 2026 at 2:03 am
DUDE, I FUCKING LOVE A TOWN CALLED MALICE
IT WAS PART OF THE MORBIUS OST!!!
@adonutstar
March 3, 2026 at 2:03 am
From the year 2025: Todd is right. The Jam rule. Down in the Tube Station, Away From the Numbers, Mr. Clean, Private Hell… all good places to start along with what Todd mentioned.
@Tomdatruth
March 3, 2026 at 2:03 am
Heres an weird fact but might help you with the explanation.. the top of ones …'member' in the uk wouldve commonly been referred to as your 'Jap's eye' 😅
@Tomdatruth
March 3, 2026 at 2:03 am
Ive worked with the guitarist Ed a few times. He directs mostly bbc series. Super nice guy, and will talk to you happily about the band, and this song!
@LaVieDeReine86
March 3, 2026 at 2:03 am
The asian riff was also used in Kung Fu Fighting. It's from way before that in 19th century theatre. But yeah, you probably remember it best from Kung Fu Fighting.
@JoeyArmstrong2800
March 3, 2026 at 2:03 am
The Jam were an amazing band. I grew up in England and they were as big as The Beatles but couldn't get arrested in the States.
@JohnSmith-zw8vp
March 3, 2026 at 2:03 am
This is even better than the original:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0X3CLJVMJU
@Tatterdash71
March 3, 2026 at 2:03 am
I spent several minutes cleaning my laptop screen only to realize it's part of the background.
@MrDaBossBABY6969
March 3, 2026 at 2:03 am
Surprised no one is bringing up the Jackass crew in Panda costumes fucking around in Japan to this song
@thereyvan
March 3, 2026 at 2:03 am
2:42 "to vaguely understood Eastern culture, and to oblique references to touching yourself"
this song walked so Pinkerton could run
@BillAdams-fb3jm
March 3, 2026 at 2:03 am
I still like Liz Phair's cover of "Turning Japanese" (yeah, she covered it — it was the B-side of a singlw from Whip Smart).
@mookie2637
March 3, 2026 at 2:03 am
No mention of the Kirsten Dunst version? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0X3CLJVMJU
@cheezemonkeyeater
March 3, 2026 at 2:03 am
"It's about Jim Jones, the reverent who murdered his followers with poisoned Kool-Aid. Not exactly what you expect from The Vapors."
Why not?
@justinprice8404
March 3, 2026 at 2:03 am
https://youtu.be/sqxy0gcQa4s?si=mkUk5Up2USrPOm03 Slow Down
@justinprice8404
March 3, 2026 at 2:03 am
https://youtu.be/t2WdOXmFO6c?si=04q7lxtmpeusIBth I Got By In Time