this quote is sending me
Reminded me of how Japanese audiences were similarly intrigued by an American Olympian's optimistic vibe:
As per this site:
During the 1972 Olympics, which was held in Japan, a strange moment stuck with the Japanese audience.
During the figure skating competition, the American skater Janet Lynn fell during her performance, but she gracefully smiled as she sat there on the ice for a moment. This led to Janet Lynn becoming a huge overnight sensation in Japan as the public was fascinated by her graceful optimism.
As she caught the Japanese media’s attention in a major way, the media frequently covered Lynn after her incident at the Olympics, and she would use the peace sign in photographs and interviews often. It’s believed that this is how the peace sign became popular in Japan as a way to show gracefulness, which later evolved to being seen as “cute” and “loveable.”
