The American Media on Japan

For some reason, the mass media in the US really likes reporting on the bizarre facets of Japanese society. You won't find many serious articles on, for example, Hatoyama's proposal to make all expressways free; but you will find articles on such curiosities as maid cafes, white people serving as fake priests in weddings, and pornography marketed toward the elderly. Why is this? I think the American public still has difficulty considering Japan a "normal" country. The coverage of Japan tends to focus on the exotic, erotic, and eccentric. After living here for a fairly long time, I find this kind of coverage condescending. But what can we do about it?