Episodes
| Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Surrounded, By Cuteness | 20231113 | 20231114 (R4) | Why are some things cute, and others not? And how did cuteness go global, from manga cartoons to Disney characters? These are questions explored in this book by Joshua Paul Dale. Cuteness is an area where culture and biology get tangled up. Seeing a cute animal triggers some of the most powerful psychological instincts we have - the ones that elicit our care and protection - but there is a deeper story behind the broad appeal of Japanese cats and saccharine greetings cards. Joshua Paul Dale, a pioneer in the field of cuteness studies, looks at how the cute aesthetic spread around the globe, from emojis and Lolita fashion, to the unstoppable rise of Hello Kitty. He's a Professor in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at Tokyo Gakugei University, and Irresistible delves into the ancient origins of Japan's culture of 'kawaii', or cuteness. In this first episode, Joshua describes the sudden culture shock which made him realise that cuteness was everywhere around him in Tokyo. He says: `I walked out of my apartment to find the road blocked not by a row of prosaic red-and-white stripes signalling danger, but by a long line of large, plastic Hello Kitty characters, each holding a rainbow. I soon realised that cutified' construction barriers were popping up everywhere in Tokyo, sporting frogs, monkeys, ducks, rabbits and dolphins. It was a bizarre transformation of mundane city streets. It was like a switch flipped in my brain; suddenly I noticed that cuteness - kawaii - is everywhere in Japan. When did its relentless spread begin, and why did it happen here?` Reader: Adam Sims Abridged and produced by Elizabeth Burke A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4 He says: “I walked out of my apartment to find the road blocked not by a row of prosaic red-and-white stripes signalling danger, but by a long line of large, plastic Hello Kitty characters, each holding a rainbow. I soon realised that ‘cutified' construction barriers were popping up everywhere in Tokyo, sporting frogs, monkeys, ducks, rabbits and dolphins. It was a bizarre transformation of mundane city streets. It was like a switch flipped in my brain; suddenly I noticed that cuteness - kawaii - is everywhere in Japan. When did its relentless spread begin, and why did it happen here? ? Joshua Paul Dale, a pioneer in the field of cuteness studies, explores how the cute aesthetic spread around the globe. |
| 02 | Ancient Japanese Cuteness | 20231114 | 20231115 (R4) | Why are some things cute, and others not? And how did cuteness go global, from manga cartoons to Disney characters? These are questions explored by Joshua Paul Dale, a Professor in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at Tokyo Gakugei University. He's a pioneer in the field of cuteness studies, and his new book looks at how the cute aesthetic spread around the globe, from Lolita fashion and emojis to the unstoppable rise of Hello Kitty. In Episode 2, Professor Dale traces the roots of the cute aesthetic to ancient Japan, exploring images and beliefs which have spread across the globe. “All small things, no matter what they are, all small things are most adorable ? – words from a classic work of Japanese literature, The Pillow Book, written more than a thousand years ago. The author was a courtier, Sei Shŀ?nagon, and The Pillow Book contains one of the earliest articulations of an aesthetic that eventually became today's culture of ‘kawaii'. Japan was largely peaceful in Sei's era, leaving the upper class little to do but cultivate beauty and taste in all aspects of life, and although the nobility numbered only a few thousand, their aesthetic values spread across the land. What's more, the idea that artistic pursuits could lead to self-improvement became established in this era. The modern attitude towards ‘kawaii' reflects this idea: in Japan, people believe that cultivating the appreciation of cute things has a positive effect on one's own life; cuteness is a force that can help to combat unhappiness, anxiety or even dissatisfaction at work. Reader: Adam Sims Abridged and produced by Elizabeth Burke A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4 Joshua Paul Dale, a pioneer in the field of cuteness studies, explores how the cute aesthetic spread around the globe. `All small things, no matter what they are, all small things are most adorable` - words from a classic work of Japanese literature, The Pillow Book, written more than a thousand years ago. The author was a courtier, Sei Sh?nagon, and The Pillow Book contains one of the earliest articulations of an aesthetic that eventually became today's culture of kawaii'. Japan was largely peaceful in Sei's era, leaving the upper class little to do but cultivate beauty and taste in all aspects of life, and although the nobility numbered only a few thousand, their aesthetic values spread across the land. What's more, the idea that artistic pursuits could lead to self-improvement became established in this era. The modern attitude towards kawaii' reflects this idea: in Japan, people believe that cultivating the appreciation of cute things has a positive effect on one's own life; cuteness is a force that can help to combat unhappiness, anxiety or even dissatisfaction at work. |
| 03 | The Border Between Wild And Tame | 20231115 | 20231116 (R4) | Why are some things cute, and others not? And how did cuteness go global, from manga cartoons to Disney characters? These are questions explored by Joshua Paul Dale, a Professor in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at Tokyo Gakugei University. He's a pioneer in the field of cuteness studies, and his new book looks at how the cute aesthetic spread around the globe, from Lolita fashion and emojis to the unstoppable rise of Hello Kitty. In Episode 3, Joshua visits Zao Fox Village, some 300 kilometres north of Tokyo where he lives. There, Japanese tourists flock to cuddle baby foxes and admire their cuteness. But the foxes remain wild - despite human contact, they do not respond to human affection. Professor Dale then tells the fascinating story of a Russian experiment to tame wild foxes, through selective breeding across many generations. The experiment was secret – this kind of genetic science was banned in the Soviet Union. It was also highly effective, yielding startling results. Reader: Adam Sims Abridged and produced by Elizabeth Burke A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4 Joshua Paul Dale, a pioneer in the field of cuteness studies, explores how the cute aesthetic spread around the globe. In Episode 3, Joshua visits Zao Fox Village, some 300 kilometres north of Tokyo where he lives. There, Japanese tourists flock to cuddle baby foxes and admire their cuteness. But the foxes remain wild - despite human contact, they do not respond to human affection. Professor Dale then tells the fascinating story of a Russian experiment to tame wild foxes, through selective breeding across many generations. The experiment was secret - this kind of genetic science was banned in the Soviet Union. It was also highly effective, yielding startling results. |
| 04 | Beautiful Babies | 20231116 | 20231117 (R4) | Why are some things cute, and others not? And how did cuteness go global, from manga cartoons to Disney characters? These are questions explored by Joshua Paul Dale, a Professor in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at Tokyo Gakugei University. He's a pioneer in the field of cuteness studies, and his new book looks at how the cute aesthetic spread around the globe, from Lolita fashion and emojis to the unstoppable rise of Hello Kitty. In Episode 4, Joshua explores the cult of Shirley Temple – and reveals the troubling connection between concepts of “cuteness ? and racist attitudes in the past. He begins with a history of baby shows. PT Barnum, the legendary showman who founded the famous Barnum's circus, was a major influence on American popular culture in the 19th century. In the 1850s, while organising flower, dog and poultry shows, he was struck by the thought that the public would flock to a competition that judged babies. Barnum's first baby show, held in 1855, attracted more than 60,000 spectators, who each paid 25 cents to view the 143 contestants. Women comprised three-quarters of the guests. In Europe, baby shows were seen as distinctly American and slightly vulgar - but they drew in the crowds nonetheless. Reader: Adam Sims Abridged and produced by Elizabeth Burke A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4 Joshua Paul Dale, a pioneer in the field of cuteness studies, explores how the cute aesthetic spread around the globe. In Episode 4, Joshua explores the cult of Shirley Temple - and reveals the troubling connection between concepts of `cuteness` and racist attitudes in the past. He begins with a history of baby shows. |
| 05 | The Future Of Cuteness | 20231117 | 20231118 (R4) | Why are some things cute, and others not? And how did cuteness go global, from manga cartoons to Disney characters? These are questions explored by Joshua Paul Dale, a Professor in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at Tokyo Gakugei University. He's a pioneer in the field of cuteness studies, and his new book looks at how the cute aesthetic spread around the globe, from Lolita fashion and emojis to the unstoppable rise of Hello Kitty. In Episode 5, he tells the story of how emojis were invented by Japanese schoolgirls, looks back to the origins of manga, and explores the future of cuteness with a new kind of furry robot – designed to outlive its owner. He also puts on a “fur-suit ? to attend a convention of 9,000 “furries ? in Pittsburgh, exploring first-hand what it takes to become cute. “Cuteness opens doors in our brains that would otherwise remain shut, it breaks down barriers and gives us an opportunity to experience another sort of existence – one in which we guard ourselves a little less and invite others in a little more. In a world that feels increasingly polarised, is this such a bad thing? ? Reader: Adam Sims Abridged and produced by Elizabeth Burke A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4 Joshua Paul Dale, a pioneer in the field of cuteness studies, explores how the cute aesthetic spread around the globe. |
| 05 LAST | The Future Of Cuteness | 20231117 | 20231118 (R4) | Why are some things cute, and others not? And how did cuteness go global, from manga cartoons to Disney characters? These are questions explored by Joshua Paul Dale, a Professor in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at Tokyo Gakugei University. He's a pioneer in the field of cuteness studies, and his new book looks at how the cute aesthetic spread around the globe, from Lolita fashion and emojis to the unstoppable rise of Hello Kitty. In Episode 5, he tells the story of how emojis were invented by Japanese schoolgirls, looks back to the origins of manga, and explores the future of cuteness with a new kind of furry robot - designed to outlive its owner. He also puts on a `fur-suit` to attend a convention of 9,000 `furries` in Pittsburgh, exploring first-hand what it takes to become cute. `Cuteness opens doors in our brains that would otherwise remain shut, it breaks down barriers and gives us an opportunity to experience another sort of existence - one in which we guard ourselves a little less and invite others in a little more. In a world that feels increasingly polarised, is this such a bad thing?` Reader: Adam Sims Abridged and produced by Elizabeth Burke A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4 |