Thursday, February 21, 2008

Souki and I Discuss Kamei's Scandal and the Idol Business, Part 2

This is a continuation of my last post, so make sure to read that before you read this one. Basically, Souki looked over the previous post and wanted to correct a few things.

February 21st, 2008
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: it wasn't that I lost interest, it was that I couldn't pretend to argue with someone who's obviously more versed than I am XD
CatchFiveBats: Ahhhh.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: What I was arguing from the beginning is that I didn't blame any H!P idol for being sneaky about it.
CatchFiveBats: mmm
CatchFiveBats: I get what you're saying.
CatchFiveBats: And, honestly, I really can't either.
CatchFiveBats: But that doesn't change the fact that they're not allowed to.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: The rules ARE the rules, totally.
CatchFiveBats: And that they're out of H!P if they do it.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: Yeah, that won't change at all.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: I dunno
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: I think
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: what it is with me is that I see H!P like Disney
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: I shouldn't, totally
CatchFiveBats: Yeahhhhh, not like Disney...
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: but I mean, you have Hannah Montana having a boyfriend and not putting on her seatbelt
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: and she's still very much idolized.
CatchFiveBats: But it's not idolizing in the same sense, really...
CatchFiveBats: I mean, I see what you mean.
CatchFiveBats: And it's a good point.
CatchFiveBats: But Japanese idols play such a severely different role from those that are idolized over here that you can't compare them.
CatchFiveBats: Or even approach them in the same way.
CatchFiveBats: Because then you just end up hating the idol business in Japan.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: Yeah, totally.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: I guess it's not a slave trade, but it IS rather strict, comparatively.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: Since the "idol" thing is kind of a side-effect here in America.
CatchFiveBats: But keep in mind that this is in Japan.
CatchFiveBats: They're a much more hardworking society than us.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: Yeah, it keeps them disciplined
CatchFiveBats: Exactly.
CatchFiveBats: It's not that much more strict than pop 'idols' over here, when you take that aspect into account.
CatchFiveBats: I mean, it's more.
CatchFiveBats: But not as much as you would think.
CatchFiveBats: From what I know, anyway.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: No, it definitely is. Idols are a business in Japan.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: Here
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: Vanessa Hudgens, miss High School Musical, had a nude photo scandal thingamajig.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: And she's still on for the next movie, from what I hear.
CatchFiveBats: Yeah.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: Disney's keeping her.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: It's definitely less strict
CatchFiveBats: In Japan, if nude pictures of an idol surface, she's fucked.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: and the "idol" thing is definitely a side-effect. It comes riding on the coattails of the initial success. if that makes sense.
CatchFiveBats: Exactly.
CatchFiveBats: In Japan, idols are that, and only that.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: Yeah. Here they're primarily something else.
CatchFiveBats: Over here, it's just idolizing someone famous.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: Yeah.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: Idols are literally IDOLS in japan. Almost like buddha statues you pray to.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: only not quite like that.
CatchFiveBats: Sort of, yeah.
CatchFiveBats: It's like in Haruka 17.
CatchFiveBats: They give people dreams.
CatchFiveBats: Or, in the case of wotas, something to live for.
CatchFiveBats: Since most of them can't get a real girlfriend anyway.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: Lolz, I totally wish wotas didn't see it like that...it gives me lulz. Pitiful lulz, but lulz nonetheless.
CatchFiveBats: They're a different type of otaku, and you know how otakus are viewed over there.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: Yeah. They're maybe one step above gaijins XD
CatchFiveBats: Heh.
CatchFiveBats: Something like that.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: I dunno the hierarchy. I just know every japo girl's gonna want my black shaft.
CatchFiveBats: XD
CatchFiveBats: Wotas outside of Japan are a different story, though.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: Yeah.
CatchFiveBats: They're just into it because they like seeing cute girls do stuff.
CatchFiveBats: And be cute.
CatchFiveBats: And sing and dance.
CatchFiveBats: For most of them, it's not a lifestyle.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: Yeah.
CatchFiveBats: In my case...yeah, basically a lifestyle...
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: Still...
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: I agree that idols are personalities, like you said, besides being pretty faces
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: but some things just ARE scripted...
CatchFiveBats: Yeah, of course.
CatchFiveBats: They're obviously given a lot of direction on how to act and all that.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: I mean, god, some things are just too fucking obvious...
CatchFiveBats: Yeah, for sure.
CatchFiveBats: As an example, talking to the camera on the alo-hello DVDs ("I love meetings the fans, blah blah blah, watch my DVD a trillion times")...I'd be very, very surprised if they actually liked most of the wotas that come to handshake events.
CatchFiveBats: >.<
CatchFiveBats: They scare even me.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: That's where I stop thinking an idol is cute. When it becomes so terrifyingly fake. Because I'm not a wota, but I definitely think Kago Ai has wit and Maasa Sudo's too fucking cool.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: But that video you showed me recently....
CatchFiveBats: ...?
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: the one with all the "YAY"s
CatchFiveBats: Heh?
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: There's a girl in the video
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: and she's watching the singer do her thing on a television
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: and then she's mimicking her
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: and stuff
CatchFiveBats: I have no idea what you're talking about.
CatchFiveBats: XD
CatchFiveBats: I've watched a LOT of H!P stuff recently.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: If I could hum it XD
CatchFiveBats: Was it on a talk show?
CatchFiveBats: Or was it like an idol DVD thing?
CatchFiveBats: Or what?
CatchFiveBats: I'll know if you give me more details.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: music video.
CatchFiveBats: hmmmm
CatchFiveBats: Momusu?
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: Not momusu.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: It's one girl
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: Koharu!
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: Right?
CatchFiveBats: OH
CatchFiveBats: OH
CatchFiveBats: XD
CatchFiveBats: Koi Kana is fucking ridiculous.
CatchFiveBats: That's a terrible example.
CatchFiveBats: XD
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: XD
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: yeah, probably
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: but you get what I mean
CatchFiveBats: Koharu is a terrible example.
CatchFiveBats: Yes, I do.
CatchFiveBats: And there are GOOD examples (XD) that would better prove your point.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: Yeah, totally, I dunno. Pick any lame momusu vid where they do the peace sign winking thing.
CatchFiveBats: lulz...Reina...
CatchFiveBats: ~.^ V
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: KILL
CatchFiveBats: I think that's cute.
CatchFiveBats: But anyway, as a wota, you learn to deal with the fake, cheesy stuff.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: Obviously if you're moe~, but I'd probably value an idol that's more like Maasa or Kago Ai.
CatchFiveBats: Yeah.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: Where mostly you do say "damn she's so fucking cool/cute" genuinely
CatchFiveBats: I've never seen Maasa seem fake.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: Me either, honestly. She's always kicked ass and taken names.
CatchFiveBats: I think Kago acted more childish than she really was sometimes...to fit into the moe mold...
CatchFiveBats: But yeah, she's a hoot.
CatchFiveBats: Or...was...
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: she left?
CatchFiveBats: Yeah, Kago was expelled.
CatchFiveBats: Remeeeeember???
CatchFiveBats: We talked about this.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: THAT was THE Kago??
CatchFiveBats: YES
CatchFiveBats: THAT WAS THE KAGO
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: FUCK NO
CatchFiveBats: Yeah, she's the only Kago.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: AWW KAGO
CatchFiveBats: I know, it sucked.
CatchFiveBats: And was really random.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: What the hell. XD
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: That's where the facade comment comes in, too. You never really know a person. You're just enthralled with the person you see on TV.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: See, I had NO clue that was THE Kago.
CatchFiveBats: Yeah.
CatchFiveBats: She had a really shitty family situation, though.
CantSpellShotaWithoutHOT: Really?
CatchFiveBats: Yeah...

From there, I went on to explain Kago's family situation, and that was that. Hopefully this alleviates any issues that could have come about from the previous post.
- cfb

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