Hair of the Dog

Spotted on a Tokyo subway line: why, it's Scholastic Books' mascot Clifford, the Big Red Dog! And what's he have to say? "Getting too drunk really inconveniences everyone around you! Woof!" I don't remember that line from my childhood exploits with the big guy, but can only assume that the sentiment is an integral part of the "Be a Good Friend" lesson plan, which uses Clifford to explain that "friends have more fun working together and playing when manners are used." I guess Scholastic wasn't kidding about their motto of "Helping Children Around the World to Read and Learn."

The thing for children (and salarymen) to learn here, apparently, is that drinking's more fun when you walk that fine line between alcohol-induced nirvana and nausea... or at least have the "happy manners" to keep Mr. Friendly in your pants when you've had an extra chu-hi or six. Mark my words: it's only a matter of time before Scholastic puts Clifford's ass to work on the street pitching that perennial kids' favorite, Beer for Good Boys and Girls.

Comments

[Joseph Luster]

Wait, so is that little girl wasted?

[Matt Alt]

I was wondering the same thing. I suspect the footprints represent a whistling drunk who's about to take a tumble onto the tracks, but Clifford sure seems amused about it and his pals just don't seem to care. So much for "working together and playing."

The other great thing about this poster is the vaguely communistic slogan under the "Happy Manner" banner: Minna kimochi ii. Anata mo kimochi ii: "When everybody feels good, YOU feel good."

[Steve Harrison]

Oddly enough, what grabs my eye are the pay phones.

School me. I recall (and I may be backwards), that the green phone is for local area calling, and I remember red phones were for out of area/long distance. So what's the deal with battleship gray?

Man, I just love the look of that thing. Solid, purposeful. Blade Runner.

Just needs to do video.

[Matt Alt]

Green phones are the "normal" ones; the gray have an ISDN (remember that?) port for those who want to connect laptops, though I've never seen anyone actually do so. I think you can call internationally on either, but it's been years and years since I last used one. These days the "keitai" (cell) is king.

[Joseph Luster]

I've come to the nasty conclusion, after staring at it for a while, that the drunk walked by and peed on them all, and Clifford is rearing back to slurp them clean!

[hillsy]

Definitely urine-y footsteps. Chances are good that he "trowed a leak" against a wall, and it all ran down to his shoes.