How to respond when someone calls you a dancing monkey?

35 comments

1. Does this happen in person…. Like ever?

   If you’re talking about reddit, the only negativity you can possibly feel from someone else trying to childishly disparage you is insecurity you personally feel or have otherwise internalized about your job. Fix that and no response is necessary.

2. Have a hobby that you care about more than your job. Let your job be just a day job. It’s better than fast food.

3. I wouldn’t waste my breath on someone who says things like that. If that’s how they think clearly their world view is too small to realize that they too would be a “dancing monkey” as they also have people they report too and must do as they are told in their job.

4. In person? I haven’t met anyone that rude in person thankfully.

5. I’d tell them to try it and see how they do.

   People shit on Eikaiwa teachers all the time but there is an absolute gulf between the good teachers and bad.

6. People who think like that are probably in very different circumstances than you and speak out of ignorance. These are likely the same types of people who probably harass/scoff at older conbini employees. Obviously, anything is better than being jobless, especially in a foreign country. I wouldn’t give them your energy and live to their standards; you know best what you’re really there for.

7. I thought u/wasabibuttcream had been banned from this sub?

8. “yeah and they even got me this fancy monkey suit to go with the job!”
   – ALT (derogatory)

9. Put on my little hat and tuxedo, hit play on my radio, and start Flossing like my salary depends on it.

10. Dance and make monkey noises at them

11. [deleted]

12. I would dance a jig while howling like a monkey

13. Embrace it, live it, be it.

14. First of all, nobody has ever said anything like that to my face, because I’m a physically imposing male. Funny that.

    Second, building imaginary hierarchies of foreigners is loser mentality. I don’t care if you’re a glory hole janitor, I’m not going to waste time sniffing farts with my buddies about how much better we are. When I have met somebody who so obsessed with status like that, they are invariably an insecure social climber. I’ve met genuinely rich and successful people in this country, and you almost never hear them speaking so derisively of their “lessers.” Met a lot of adjunct professors and low-level IT bores who do, though.

15. No one will ever say that to your face. So I assume you’re seeing that on reddit. So the best thing to do would probably be to stay off of “other” Japan expat subreddits.

    But, anyone who criticizes someones line of work like that is obviously insecure about some aspect of their life. They aren’t worth your time.

16. Call them a cunt and tell them to shove their opinion up their ass.

17. Well if they already consider you a monkey maybe you should grab their nuts and/or throw your feces at them.

18. The simple answer is probably just stop going to Hub.

19. It won’t happen to your face but you may overhear conversations that rank the hierarchy as; Rakuten›headhunter›English teacher. The worst culprits are people working in Finance.

20. Every job is what you make of it.

    People looking down on others just want to feel better themselves. It’s pitiful.

21. If you give a fuck about what people in Japan call you to feel good about themselves, move on. Almost to a fault, those kind of people are deeply unhappy with something in their lives.

    As for those in other industries who somehow think they are above those mere teachers, lolz, they almost certainly have shittier conditions and pay than back home, so they feel that they have to shit on SOMEone so they don’t have to think about that too much. A rarified few are on better wickets, but most know deep in their hearts they are just the same as dancing monkeys. They just might make slightly more money as they dance.

22. There’s nothing wrong with being a dancing monkey for a year or two. Embrace the monkey.

23. I learned to take it as a compliment. Hell, taking ownership of any cliche is a quick way to kill the negative meaning. I work hard. This dancing monkey has students passing every goal and assessment beyond company expectations. Be the best damn dancing monkey you can be.

24. So much butthurt in here.

    Ask yourself why that term even exists. If it upsets you, do what you need to do to get out of the fast-retail English job. The reason it has a negative connotation is the people that stay in those jobs for decades, refusing to learn any Japanese and then crying about their shit pay and lack of status in society. Tokyo Ham and STD types of people tend to be what you end up after a few years because they were too dumb to realize the job is intended to be temporary.

25. Fling some shit at them.

26. Throw shit at them.

27. A two day old username rolling out the ‘dancing monkey’ line? Looks like the fringe dwellers of whatever the latest incarnation of japancirclejerk is are back trying to be funny.

28. During the times it has been my job, I put my head down and pretend to be embarrassed while mumbling agreement.

    During the times when my job isn’t being a monkey, I tell them I actually have a certificate in teaching. That shuts them up 90% of the time because they equate having a cert with being a doctorate or something.

    If they don’t let up after that, I ask them why we’re having this conversation in Japanese. *That* shuts them up.

29. No one has ever been rude about me being a teacher, online or to my face.

    I’d just laugh at them though. I’ve really enjoyed my 22 years teaching in Japan, learned a lot, made some good stuff, and basically retired in March at the age of 44.

30. Give them the ” look” the look that says ” where I come from and you come from are very, very different, my morals and respect for human life is very different compared to yours, if I were you I’d be careful about insulting someone you know very little about, especially Their capabilities” it helps if your 6ft+ and jacked

31. Say “yo Mama “

32. Honestly, if someone goes out of their way to be a dick, then best to ignore them.
    They have things going on in their own lives and they feel like they have to take it out on you.

    Without quesiton, they will always be in a worse position than you will be, so just let time deal with them.

33. Just ignore it.

    I’m sure there some miserable English teachings positions but it’s not indicative of everyone’s reality. I was a teacher back in the US (and tbh, would rather be working here as a ALT than a teacher). I like being in the education field. People say there’s no upward mobility, that’s only partially true. Sure, you can get complacent and just end up bouncing around between dispatch gigs. But there’s certainly room for developement and opportunities that can come up. I came over as an ALT, worked on getting a TESOL, did some professional development, ended up getting a direct hire gig. My job pays relatively well, I get over a month of paid vacation, I pretty much get to leave at four everyday, I can cycle to work across really pleasant countryside. Rent where I am is cheap, I can save every month. I’m by no means living large but I’m content for now and if someone thinks my job is otherwise then whatever. For now I’ll keep doing what I’m doing, keep working on developing skills, and when the time comes to move on I will do just that.

34. In person? I start dancing and, when they’re distracted from laughing, I’d punch them in the throat.

35. Only 30-50 year old reddit anons in r/deadbedroom with a Japanese spouse use this term. No actual grass respecting person would ever say this.