The first part of the Harada's Bar episode featuring Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai has been uploaded. A lot of focus was on Sakurai as a person, rather than his work.
In one section of his chat with Katsuhiro Harada (also known as the director of Tekken), Sakurai addressed the memes on the internet featuring him, and how he's not always a fan of some of them. He's also over people using his "icon" on social media to make jokes. Here's exactly what he had to say:
"I feel like... I want them to stop using my face or icon to say what they want to say. Even if it's a joke. You shouldn't use other people's power for your own principles."
One example Harada showed (as can be seen below) was a meme featuring Sakurai's face with the text "never ask me for anything ever again" - with Sakurai clarifying he's never actually said this before.
Harada also described how Sakurai's fans often have the habit of latching onto every single piece of information about Sakurai and not letting it go. Sakurai had one simple response to this:
"Give me a break." [laughs]
Although Sakurai isn't a fan of this kind of behaviour, he also understands it can't really be helped when he appears in the public space:
"It's about the role of each person. Some people have to appear in the media because it's their role. And if you do, it's important to do your best. I'm like that too."
You can see the first episode of Harada's chat with Sakurai over on his YouTube channel.
[source youtu.be]
Comments 115
Insert Sakurai meme here.
"You shouldn't use other people's power for your own principles."
Memes are based on principles?!
...which ones..?
@BloodNinja (insert Principal Skinner meme)
......I feel like him saying this will just cause more Sakurai memes to appear. lol
Some people take Video Games WAY too seriously and it's not only sad, but actually really pathetic.
Sakurai worship is kinda disturbing. People call this man "daddy" for cryin' out loud!
guess work isnt the only thing sakurais tired of. id honestly get tired of seeing my face plastered everywhere too, bringing up his gripes while also understanding it cant be helped is a good way to go about it
New meme using the line, “You shouldn't use other people's power for your own principles” in 3, 2, 1…
@BloodNinja I mean, that's a translation of what he's saying, so I feel like you kinda need to read between the lines there. From context, he clearly intends to say he doesn't like his likeness/popularity being used for memes
@Zach Seeeeymooooour!!!
@Danny429 WHOOSH
Um, Idk how to respond to this saying I'm a user of His memes, One of his memes, Uh Bye.
@Synecdoche here you go
https://ibb.co/zJKBH8Q
This is the internet. If you say you don't like something, the opposite will now happen.
Dumb culture Is taking over
I get what he means, a meme is an image or moment in time that’s removed from it’s context. Just imagine saying something or making a gesture talking about something as harmless as a video game and the next thing you know a variety of people are using it to promote their extreme politics or to insult someone.
@Zach Hope you're ready for an unforgettable luncheon!
@Zach
"Should I stop using Sakurai for memes?"
"No. It's Sakurai who is wrong."
Masahiro Sakurai?
At this time of year?
At this time of day?
In this part of the country?
Localized entirely within the internet?
@Nameless_Shame Yes.
@Aerona
...may I meme it?
@BloodNinja don't get too stingy on a poorly translated japanese quote
Internet 🙂: "I am going to make a Sakurai meme"
Sakurai 😀: "Based on something I actually said, right?"
Internet 😐: "..."
Sakurai 😨: "Based on something I actually said, right???"
@Joeynator3000 .
Without a doubt, tell people not to do something and they do it more.
Removed - inappropriate
If you really want them to listen Sakurai, make Navi the last character in Smash Ultimate.
That'll show 'em 💯
@Noid youve never heard of kojima have you?
Does the guy ever stop whining?
His ego is almost as big as Kamiyas
Oh my . . . I feel so bad right now. Maybe I should change my profile picture. I’ve had this meme as my profile picture for quite some time now.
@HamatoYoshi @FNL
That's hilarious because it's coming from the Nintendo Life comment section... The whiniest place on the internet.
Sad to see comments that are basically like "He doesn't want to be in memes? LOL, that's a meme" here.
He's asking people take his feelings into consideration. That's not doing it. Give him a break.
@HamatoYoshi My favorite is how he's allegedly the "hardest working man in video games" and everyone is begging him "oh, please take a break, daddy Sakurai! You have given us so much, you deserve to rest!"
And yet he bragged about how he played over 240 Playstation games in a year that he spent complaining about how tired and near-death he was from working on Smash Bros. Somehow he found that time for that.
@Nego Thank you for being a light in all this darkness. Famous or not, Sakurai is a person like all of us and whether or not some people want to admit it, his feelings do matter. I think I will change my profile picture. I really do feel bad about it. Plus, it’s been my profile picture for far too long now anyways.
@FNL exactly! The guy is a joke, anyone would think he coded Smash Bros single handed. If he doesn’t like his job then quit!
Time for moar memes!
@FNL "And yet he bragged about how he played over 240 Playstation games in a year"
That's the equivalent of booting up a new game everyday while at work. Are we sure he wasn't just trying to find inspiration for post Ultimate content?
@HamatoYoshi By his own account in interviews, he's mentioned that his work on Smash Bros basically amounts to "supervising" everyone else's work, doing data entry when it comes to setting the values for hit boxes and such, and obsessively focusing on minute details like whether Fire Emblem Swordfighter #68 should wiggle their toes after their UP + B or shuffle 2 pixels to the left.
@Richnj "That's the equivalent of booting up a new game everyday while at work. Are we sure he wasn't just trying to find inspiration for post Ultimate content?"
I mean, sure, we could pretend that's what it is. But that hypothetical scenario is completely undone by his own interviews, where he has stated that he was "playing Death Stranding feverishly until the very end". Reasonably, we would have to assume that this wasn't the first and only game that he played all the way through to completion. Death Stranding is not a short game, either.
There, I changed my profile picture. Hopefully this is more respectful. It fits my username better, and I don’t think it’ll disrespect the man who really has worked very hard to give us such a wonderful series of games. And I feel like Super Smash Bros Ultimate is his best effort yet too.
I mean I do get it... kinda? The example shown suggests that he actually feels contempt for fans, and assume he doesn't like that people could infer that.
I respect it. After seeing memes as a whole for quite a few years you'd wish that only funny people or folks with something to say would make them. He has the right position and if he chose to shut down worthless ones I respect that too. Seems to be the ones that bother him most.
MashedPotato Samurai does it again!
A good reminder that Sakurai is a human being.
@Nameless_Shame
…no.
I love how this comment section is teaching people about the ego and narcisism of Sakurai.
Going against the party line and counter narratives are sometimes hard to come by on here.
I'm disappointed to see people so dismissively ignoring his feelings. I understand you can't prevent someone from using your image these days, so Sakurai shouldn't expect that, and as the article says, he doesn't. But he would prefer we not do it. Whether you've ever posted a meme with him or not, we can be empathetic to his discomfort, right?
@BloodNinja I think part of that sentence got lost in translation. Either that or he's talking about political memes — which probably don't use Sakurai. But if one did, I'm sure it would cross his feed.
"Meme" means "boob" (slang for breast) in Turkish.
Therefore, Sakurai doesn't appreciate being featured in bewbs.
@Silly_G that would depend on if Sakurai even appreciates Turkish though. 😉
Somebody needs to take a ride in the Whaaaaaaaambulance hahaha.
I'd like to introduce you to the Streisand Effect.
STOP USING HIS LOVELY FACE
Man, this turned into a weird thread of reactions. Majority intentionally ignoring the point he was making and a handful demonizing the guy for being human. Yikes.
Guy simply said he doesn't like his face being used to push messages unrelated to him, for comedic effect or not. You'd figure that'd be a rational expectation.
Sounds like he's forced to be in the spotlight and hates. I do take him as the sort of guy that just likes to keep his head down and work in peace in quiet but I'll bet that he isn't given that choice. Nintendo probably see him as the "face" of smash bros and they need him there to talk anything smash related.
@the4seer I have to disagree with you there…
IGN is worse.
@glaemay Say it with me...WHOOSH
@Nego Good luck stopping thousands of people that recycle his memes. He’s a public figure, and keeps putting himself out there. Something important for him to do, is to stop reading social media about himself.
Some of those comments could do well with a little more compassion. Guy works tirelessly to improve one of the most popular nintendo franchises and complains about fake information being spread about him as well as weird usages of his Identity. Then there are some people who have got nothing more to say except: "stop whining!".
The only thing making his problems hard are people who comment like this and laugh about it, all the while continuing to do just the opposite. It's just not funny
@FNL finally someone one the same page as me, he seems completely void of humour and personality yet is worshiped. I like my gods to have sense of humour especially about themselves
Well meme culture is stupid so I can understand his feelings. Plus too many people lack any originality and just copy and paste the same meme for the thousandth time.
@Zach @Xiovanni Both of you, extremely well played!!
NINJA APPROVED
@Solaine What if you've never played one of his games?
@BloodNinja Not to speak on their behalf, but just to interject on my own take; so what?
Last year, we had people dogging on Junichi Masuda over him enjoying his own birthday, how dare he, and it wasn't cool then either. And what he did the year prior was I'd say a bigger deal than Sakurai's discomfort at his personal image's misuse by complete strangers. Or freaking playing the game his friend made and enjoying it, what a weird angle to attack him at? And I'm no fan of Masuda being a straight-up lier to Pokemon fans either. Heck I don't really follow much of Sakurai here either. Wish he would stop trying to get people to play Fire Emblem but it's hard to hate the guy over liking something and wishing to share his joy of it as well.
This isn't that big a deal in the long run, but some base level sympathy isn't that hard to share.
@BloodNinja no reason to make fun of him for saying his stuff eitherway, even if you have not played his games.
On a sidenote: Don't you want to at least try? or is it that you tried and don't like it? Not wanting to argue or anything, just curious what it is you don't like
@Clod I don't owe the guy any sympathy. He put himself in the public eye, he has to learn that position has ups and downs.
I never used it, but after this complaining, I'll start
@Solaine He's pretty quirky, and the memes that came about from his likeness can be funny. He's a bit too soft to be in the public eye, that's what I'm gathering. I'm not sure what he is expecting from it.
I was speaking rhetorically, not personally. Just saying, there's a breakdown in your logic because you're suggesting that we owe him because he worked on a game. We don't, especially if we have not played a game he helped make. He put himself in the public eye. The best thing he can do is stop paying attention to social media, and live his life. He doesn't need to know what every single entity on the internet thinks about him.
@BloodNinja It has nothing to do with debts to be owed. Just simple basic humanity. Unless that's too much to expect?
You are not wrong on it being an expectation that comes with the position, but it falls on each and every one of us if we want to personally pursue that negative endeavor of slighting another just because they can.
Either way, do as you will. As I said as we all well know, it's not that big a deal. Logging off Twitter is also a plus, I never use the blasted thing.
@Clod He hasn't done anything for me, so I don't need to do anything for him. It's important to understand where one's sphere of influence ends, and master it, rather than trying to over-extend into areas out of our reach. I'm thousands of miles away from him, have never played his games, have never personally met him, and I know for a fact that he isn't going to over-extend himself for me or any of us. That actually goes against basic humanity. Unfortunately, it's a dog-eat-dog world we live in, and survival of the fittest is a real truth we all have to wrestle with. I'm not gonna waste time on a guy I'm miles apart from and don't personally know. I'll save my compassion for those that are within my sphere of influence. I feel better about giving the homeless woman I met on the way home from work a care package with clothes, blankets, a couple hundred dollars, and some food and water than giving this whiner on the internet any sympathy for a position that frankly, he should be grateful to be in.
It's amazing to me that the people who have the most, also seem to complain the most. What does he have to complain about? He's immensely successful and has his good health. A few out of context memes should be the least of his worries.
@BloodNinja Your edits keep making me need to completely rewrite my response because they keep jumping to different extremes. Reel it in a bit, this isn't on the level of gratitude over fighting homelessness versus annoyance over misrepresenting a high-level employee's deeds.
Look, I'm not going to change your worldview that's a bit too extreme I'd say, but you do you, there's nothing inherently wrong with that. But the guy did nothing wrong, or at the very least nothing wrong in this context, so maybe don't go after him over the wrong details?
Or do, what the hell. For the third time, it's not that big a deal and he will certainly get over it. I just find it impolite and in poor character.
@VoodooTrumpet YO it's Mashed Potato Samurai 😯
@Clod Most people are afraid of honesty. Next time, don't ask if you don't want to hear it, because I'll always give you an honest answer.
@CactusMan If I met him in person, i would treat him with common decency, nothing more. In the meantime, I hope my path never crosses with him, because he doesn't sound like he's that great a person.
@BloodNinja You never met the man and yet you've concluded he must not be a nice person? Sad.
@Vexx234 No, because he constantly puts himself in the public eye, then complains about the negative attention that inevitably comes packaged with it like he's some victim. It's not sad. It's one person that I'm never going to meet, anyway. He seems to like to be the center of attention, but only if you are polite. Such nonsense.
That ship has sailed Sakurai. And you know full well. People don't actually respect you. They only want things from you.
Welcome to the internet in 2021. Surprise! It's a terrible place because human beings are terrible creatures who are more inclined to be such with the "protection" of an anonymous username.
@Heavyarms55 I do.🥺
Touchy much? Just focus on coding games and taking care of your poor sore arms.
That's a bit of an overreaction to a joke. The meme he posted was actually made by people DEFENDING him, not mocking him.
@BloodNinja I did not mean to make playing his games a point of argument, that was just a bit of irony on the side. It is not sakurai doing anything, i just don't see any reason to complain about him complaining by random comment users.
It was meant as an appeal to be a little more nice to people on the internet in general, sure there are always negative or positive reactions when you are online. Still got every right to complain in my eyes, as it would annoy me as well. he says something, people apparently repost it with a quote he never said, then he says he doesn't like it. I fail to see the problem with that complaint.
Maybe it just comes down to opinions though and we can agree to disagree
@Solaine Okay, I'm nice when I want to be, just like anybody else. Not everyone deserves kindness. There are times where kindness works and is necessary, and times where it breaks down very quickly in the face of adversity. You have to know when to use what, and in what situation. Sorry, that's just what people have shown me, after I am nice to them and then they take advantage of my kindness. So no, I will never just be nice to someone for no reason, especially some celebrity that thinks he's all that and a bag of doritos.
@BloodNinja Fair enough, i can understand that point of view, especially online. This might be one of those time where it is unnecessarily mean though, or maybe i am getting a bit preachy now, it is late over here, i am really sorry.
This place got super spicy
@Solaine You're totally fine, I've got nothing against what you are saying to me. I appreciate the conversation, actually!
@timp29 When is it not?! LOL
@BloodNinja See mate you are projecting alot of things onto a man you know nothing about. The man worked hard to get where's he at in life. "Fame" my have been attached to him, but I don't know the man and I doubt that was his life's goal to become a celebrity.
You seem to pulling all these random conclusion based on n I guess interviews? Or just him talking about his work in general? I have no idea, but whatever you are getting your assessments from, it's a very poor way to judge people.
@CodyMKW who?
@Vexx234 I don't think it's a problem. I'm never going to meet him, so I don't need a very deep assessment of him.
@NinTasha someone vandalized Sakurai's wikipedia page a while back and changed the name to Mashed Potato Samurai and used the image of the man Voodoo posted
Haha, cool video. Best wishes to Mr. Sakurai and everyone who has made Super Smash Bros. such a great game series!
Not really fair to post an article like this without at least slightly dipping into Japanese culture and how such things may not be appropriate for them.
Uh-oh. Someone's about to find out what the "Streisand Effect" is.
@Chocobo_Shepherd In a time where "feels" have been exploited for fake outrage and virtue brownie points desensitization has taken center stage... Unfortunately.
If social media would have been around back in the olden days, I'm sure Benjamin Button would have felt the same way. Just let the man age gracefully to his infancy in peace.
@CodyMKW ah ok, I see
@Tupin Good intentions dont really mean he cant take slight issue with having his name/face attributed to something he didnt say.
Especially when you consider Poe's Law, people may not know that the joke was, in fact, a joke. And there's definitely precedent where folks have shared quotes from famous figures, where it turns out that famous person never said the thing.
There is no escape. The people who are respectful of his wishes will most likely be drowned out by those who don't care a whit.
If he doesn't want people using his face, then maybe he shouldn't have invented Kirby--a character all about using other people's faces. /s
He has a point. I agree.
Don’t forget, this is also the same man who threw a hissy fit because the cutscenes for SSBB got leaked before release and refuses to create another story focused adventure mode for a Smash Bros game because of it.
Don’t get me wrong, I have no I’ll will towards Sakurai and all the hard work he puts into his projects, but at the same time I’m not going to pretend like he’s a perfect saint that can do no wrong nor can’t be criticized when he makes a bad decision
Finally, with all due respect I have to ask that he get over himself in regards to the memes about him because like it or not, this is the internet and he shouldn’t get special treatment just because of the franchises he’s been a part of.
@FNL Curious, I didn't recieve a notification for this reply.
Speaking of curious. If he is playing games through to completion, I'd love to know how he hit 240 games on one platform. I think I managed about 20 on PS during 2020 when I was stuck at home doing nothing.
Dude has a stick up his A$$ and needs to smoke some weed and lighten the F up...dont hear jordan crying about the crying jordan meme and lets be honest he is way more famous then this guy is on the world stage...outside of gaming Sakurai isnt known at all ie. ask my mom who jordan is and she will know and may even ask which one but ask her who Sakurai is and she is likely to respond a Japanese steak house near us.. Point is this guy thinks hes way more famous then he actually is...
I don't use memes and I don't think I've seen one with him on it, but unfortunately it's the internet and it's something he should shrug off. Won't help giving it attention since he'll appear in more memes now.
@the4seer i’ll do you one better, fi
Cry me a river, who cares
Poor guy. That must suck.
Nintendo C&D to take down memebase and delete all memes in 3...2...1...
I don't get why he looks at those memes?
Another thing I wonder - all these superstars - Sakurai, Kamiya, Kojima - I don't like any of their games, is there something wrong with me?
I gotta admit, memes are pretty cringey in general, so I can understand his viewpoints. I wouldn't want my face being used in completely unrelated topics just to generate likes.
Oh well, it will never stop
The man just shared his point of view on a small matter in a long discussion. It's wishful thinking, nothing more than 1 of the 1000 sentences that were spoken that evening. A small thing blown up out of proportion. Sakurai knows exactly that some monkeys will make another stupid meme out of it, but nevertheless he felt that some people aren't educated enough to know how lame it is to have a fake quote with your picture on it. He knows it's not going to change anytime soon. He's not whining, he's just smashing trolls by answering questions. Reading comments of the guilty specimen here I can sense they feel cornered now.
Stop having such a memeable face then.
Memesahiro Sakurai
Way to Streisand yourself.
@FixLagBrosLag I think you're exactly right.
How have people never heard of the Streisand effect? You are about to see at least 2-3 times more memes.
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