Private Eyes are Watching You

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you can’t escape my
Private Eyes
they’re watching you
they see your every move
Private Eyes
they’re watching you
Private Eyes
they’re watching you watching you watching you watching you   

from “Private Eyes” by Daryl Hall and John Oates

This sign is not art with a capital “A” but it does have a strong graphic design. I have seen it in a few places in Tokyo but it is not as omnipresent as the signs for Starbucks, McDonald’s, or YouMe Town malls. With the kabuki-style eyes, it could only be in Japan, right? What does it mean? It is hard to translate things with as much flair as the original but basically it says something along the lines of, “Don’t let crime out of your sight!” or “Don’t look the other way when it comes to crime!” Although it is as small as a bumper sticker, it has a big visual impact. What do you think? Would you hesitate to do something wrong if you knew these eyes were watching you? With their strong design, do you think these would also have a large commercial impact if sold as souvenirs?

 

One Reply to “Private Eyes are Watching You”

  1. The green colour of the eyes gives me a bit of the shivers…maybe it’s because I’m not used to seeing eyes of that shade. But then again, many villains (especially in children’s stories) are known to have green eyes and green is often resembles to colour of sickness. As an introvert, I extremely dislike anyone watching me. I really like to go about my own business without anyone watching.

    Don’t know if these eyes will be popular on souvenier items. They might be popular around Halloween, though 🙂

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