Japan Solves Rat Problems By Turning Them Into Pikachus

• BobYoMeowMeow wrote on 2011-10-28 22:35
  [Image: http://fastcache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/9/2011/10/pika.jpg]

  
  
  

  So! Here's one way to deal with a city rat problem. A Japanese performance art collective called Chim Pom used nets to catch rats off Tokyo's Center Gai street -- known as "super rats" for their supposed ability to withstand human-made poison. Then they taxidermied the rats, painted them yellow, and stuck wires in their tails. Voila! Real life (dead rat) Pikachus! Gah.
  
  For those not familiar, Pikachu is a species designed for the "Pokemon" media line, which includes video games, manga and an anime series that stars Pikachu and other Pokemon. Plus the backpacks. Never forget the backpacks. Pikachu's catchphrases range from the cute (piKAchu) to the unbearably cute (pika-piKA chu). Amidst all this cuteness, though, is the dirty secret the members of Chim Pom don't skirt: "Pikachu is also a rat."
  
  Highlighting the latent creepy ratness in an agressively adorable overlord is exactly what Japanese art collectives should be doing. There's something very Emperor's New Clothes about it. As in, Pikachu is the Emperor, being a rat equals being naked, and Chim Pom is totally the little boy who speaks truth to power. In an interview with Ping Mag, Chim Pom member Ushiro said they're also commenting on "the type of girls that hang around Center Gai" dressed up as Pikachus. These girls are most likely tweens and sorta harmless. But also...they dress up as Pikachus. Soooooo yeah. Boo that type of girl!
  
  Chim Pom slapped the exact right title on their taxidermied Pikachu project ("Super Rat") and released it just in time for the filming of Pharrell's Tokyo documentary for Palladium shoes. What timing! And now we've got a behind-the-scenes clip on the making of. Watch out for the rats.
  
  

  
  
  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/25/chim-pom-super-rat-video_n_1030697.html?ir=Weird%20News
  
  The cat lol'd
  so hard
• Lan wrote on 2011-10-28 22:36
  Cynic wont like this but HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA.
• Kollin wrote on 2011-10-28 22:40
  I laughed hard (sorry Cynic D:). Creative and creepily cute.
• Chillax wrote on 2011-10-28 22:50
  That's disturbing.
• Piero wrote on 2011-10-28 22:51
  That's gross D:
  They're playing with dead rats.
• Lan wrote on 2011-10-28 22:56

  Quote from Piero;639198:

  That's gross D:
  They're playing with dead rats.

  
  
  We cut up dead rats in bio.
• Misaka wrote on 2011-10-28 22:58
  Oh, how I love Japan's creativity.
• Piero wrote on 2011-10-28 23:07

  Quote from Lan;639203:

  We cut up dead rats in bio.

  
  
  But they paint them and put wires in their tails D<.
• Dejosa wrote on 2011-10-28 23:07
  [FONT="Century Gothic"]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  
  Crazy Japanese.
  At least they're not crazy as people killing dogs/cat and serving them as food.
  (Which, I'm disgusted by that taste from eating Dog in Hong Kong.)[/FONT]
• Lan wrote on 2011-10-28 23:09

  Quote from Piero;639208:

  But they paint them and put wires in their tails D<.

  
  
  We play with their organs and dead foetuses ._.
• Strawberry wrote on 2011-10-28 23:48
  Awh, it's funny, but really nasty. Why would anyone want to play with the dead body of rats? They carry a lot of diseases around too, I bet. ; o ;
• Blassreiter wrote on 2011-10-28 23:52

  Quote from Dejosa;639209:

  [FONT="Century Gothic"]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  
  Crazy Japanese.
  At least they're not crazy as people killing dogs/cat and serving them as food.
  (Which, I'm disgusted by that taste from eating Dog in Hong Kong.)[/FONT]

  
  
  Well, not that I am for eating dogs and cats but I don't think that eating dog is more crazy than putting formaldehyde in a possibly diseased-rat and evolving it into a Pikachu. The consumption of dogs/cats has more of a literal purpose than making art from a dead rat, who agrees? Why is eating dogs/cats more "better" so to say? Because every living thing has to eat in order to live. Eating an animal, no matter what it is can be justified just by saying you were hungry(or greatly starved). Making the carcass of a rat into a Pikachu can be seen as more crazy if you think about it. The rat died just to become an amusing sculpture for humans while eating dogs/cats can basically feed the mouths of starving children in third world countries. Which is more "better"? Eating an animal in order to live or killing an animal and making it into something that is amusing yet it does not make anyone live or save lives?
  
  Last note, I don't support consumption of dogs/cats however I don't believe that chickens and cows should basically be slaughtered in place of dogs/cats either. I am not bashing anything/anyone either, just stating what's on my mind.
  
  Regarding the forum topic: I thought Pikachu was a mouse. Raticate was the rat.
• Kayate wrote on 2011-10-28 23:53
  Shocking is all I can say. Who every noticed my pun becomes god.
• Cannibal wrote on 2011-10-29 00:00
  I think it's pretty cool. Taxidermy has always been interesting to me.
• Excalibuurr wrote on 2011-10-29 04:16

  Quote from Nexon;639280:

  I think it's pretty cool. Taxidermy has always been interesting to me.

  
  
  Taxidermy is pretty cool too, although the idea of painting and adding items into the body disgusts me for some reason.