fantasy tea time

This is an extremely stupid story that's over on CNN, about a Japanese cafe with a very unique service: Cafe provides royal treatment. Basically, Japanese women came come to the cafe, escape the oppressive doldrums of their daily lives... and get their tea served up by a shining white western knight. And they love it. Every Japanese girl's dream! Ugh.

I just shake my head at this. But the more I thought about it, I realized the concept could be interpreted in a couple of different ways. There's the idea that Japanese women fantasize about having a western prince sweep them off their feet (which literally happens in the segment). Yuck.

Then again, I realized there is a bit of a role reversal happening here—instead of the subservient Asian woman, we're seeing the white man in the servant role. And that's hella fantasy. Perhaps it's actually a little bit of both. Either way, it's a really stupid idea, a stupid story... and nobody comes off looking very good.