Terry Ito Column Vol.67 Can you run faster if you set your butt on fire?

I was trying to drink some soup I had heated in the microwave when I touched a couple with my hand, but it was so hot that I instinctively put my finger on their earlobe. Everyone around me burst out laughing at my behavior. "No one puts their finger to their ear just because it's hot these days!" So, am I old-fashioned? That said, there is some justice in this behavior. The earlobe has a relatively low body temperature, so it's not wrong. So I decided to look into this old moral tale.

"If you cut your nails at night, you will miss your parents' final moments." In the old days, when the only light available was candlelight and it was dark, this saying was used to prevent people from cutting their nails too short. "If you go to bed immediately after eating, you will turn into a cow." Apparently, simply eating and then lying down is bad manners. "If you pee on an earthworm, your penis will swell." Apparently, earthworms are startled when pee is poured on them and squirt out liquid, which can cause a rash if you touch it. It's scary, so please don't get it on you. "Hide your belly button when thunder roars." By hiding your belly button, you lean forward and protect yourself. Children should sleep with their stomachs covered so they don't catch a cold. It makes sense. "If you're not a good son or daughter, you'll get hangnails on your fingers." This is a valuable lesson. Living an unhealthy lifestyle leads to poor nutritional balance, which means nutrients don't reach your nails. Furthermore, if you get hangnails, you won't be able to help your parents with kitchen work. I see. Let's take a closer look.

"When a cat washes its face, it means it will rain." This is amazing. Cats are very sensitive to humidity and air pressure. Their whiskers become heavy and irritating as they prepare for rain, which is why they wash their faces. Cats have amazing precognitive abilities. This makes me wonder if lions, tigers, and cheetahs, fellow felines, also wash their faces before it rains. "If you lie, Lord Enma will cut out your tongue." Having your tongue cut out means you'll never be able to lie again. Perhaps parents in the past instilled fear in their children to teach them this lesson. There are also lessons about food. "Don't eat eel and pickled plums at the same time." The oily taste of eel and the sour taste of pickled plums are very stimulating and can easily upset the stomach. It certainly works for children. On the other hand, there are also meaningless sayings. "Eating watermelon seeds will give you appendicitis." This is something of an urban legend. In fact, some people recommend eating watermelon seeds because they are nutritious. Another example is "When you sneeze, someone is spreading rumors."

Looking at it this way, in this day and age, you can easily find anything online, but I can imagine our ancestors racking their brains to pass on the art of living to our children. It was a wonderful time. When I was a young director, I once experimented by setting a comedian's butt on fire to see if he would become serious if his butt was on fire. We ran a 100m straight course with and without fire, and the one with the butt on fire was just a little faster. After the finish, we put out the fire with a fire extinguisher, but it's something we would never be able to do now. It was a fun time in the Showa era.

Terry Ito (director)

Born in Tsukiji, Tokyo in 1949. After attending Waseda Jitsugyo Junior and Senior High School, he graduated from Nihon University's School of Economics.
In March 2023, he completed the Master's program at the Graduate School of Media and Governance at Keio University.
He joined the television production company IVS Television, where he worked on variety shows such as "Tensai Takeshi's Genki ga Deru TV" and "Neruton Benikujidan."
He then went independent and worked on planning and directing a number of television programs, including TV Tokyo's "Asakusabashi Young Clothing Store."
His book "Comedy North Korea" became a bestseller, and he subsequently made numerous media appearances under the name Terry Ito.
In addition to his work as a director, he is also active in a variety of fields as a producer, entertainer, and commentator.
YouTube channelTerry Ito's Comedy Backdrop'
Currently writing a column in LALALA USA
https://lalalausa.com/archives/category/column/terry