2 posts tagged “idols”
I'm starting to realize I am somewhat of a rarity here. I do NOT, under any circumstances, think bikini photobooks for anyone under atleast 15 is right. I can actually look at a western or just European girl in general and find her attractive.
I can admit that even the Hilary Duffs and Lindsay Lohans we have here probably have more range than Ai Takahashi.
Oh, yes, I said it. The girl is NOT an especially good singer. Momusu? Sure. But I seriously doubt anyone would be able to make it by with that voice in America. Not that I'm tooting America's horn, I hate it here, at the moment. But, as we don't generally have "idols", our music buisness still has some kind of standard, and I don't think a single person in H!P could reach it except maybe Nacchi or Mikitty. And if Yossie got some real vocal training, her too.
I am not looking at the j-pop world from star-spangled American glasses, I'm just admitting to it's apparent downfalls. Or, downfalls from my point of view.
Idols are fanservice.
Their entire existance is to be a product, and while the Britney Spears's and such of yester-year (oh, like SHE still has a career anymore, right? She's a thing of the past.) are as well, I can't stand them, either.
I think Koharu MIGHT be able to make it here (thi sis all hypothetical. it'll never happen, but say she was American and not Japanese.) on her cuteness and youth alone. When at her age, they'll let you get away with being tone deaf.
But it seems in idol land, they'll let you get away with being tone deaf even if you're 20 (just....not being 20. Because anything over 15 is old.)
My point is: I was raised a certain way. While I do not agree with my mother on most things, there are still many of her lessons I have kept with me, because I have always agreed with them. I grew up around only musicians. Both sides of my family, just about everyone has mastered, ro near mastered, and instrument of some kind. Because of this, I have very high standards as far as music goes, and I know a less than stellar singer when I hear one, and I'm certainly not going to be afraid to mention it. So, along with being pessimistic and nti-picky about music, I'm also, apparently, old fashioned in thinking that photobooks are there only for one reason, and that reason is not one any child should be associated with.
End story.
I sort of feel like the blacksheep of j-pop blogging, these days....
You know, I'd always considered the girls,a s girly pop idols, probably had it easy. But today, I was thinking about what the leaders do. Why choose a leader for Berryz or Momusu? Why do they need one? I mean, bands obviously need them, because leaders generally work with the manager some, and write their own music, but Momusu et al just do what the producer tells them to do. The producer does it all.
The most I've even heard the leaders speak of doing s rounding the girls up backstage, but surely someone else usually does that anyway.
However, he girls must put in much more work than someother groups. They not only release atleast 4 or 5 singles a year, they also have a weekly show, performances and such on Utaban and shows like that, concert tous, various sports actvities (futsal, isn't it? Like wussyfied indoors soccer?), photobooks, photoshoots for singles.
Bands generally take downtime between albums, but these girls work around the clock. I'd never even considered that. It actually makes me wonder why the girls would want to join H!P. You have a high chance of getting snubbed, an equally high chance of being stalked by some perverted mowota, and very little rest time. Does the idea of stardom truely have that much reign over these girls?
Then again, some idols must work even more,looking at Koda Kumi. The girl seems to have a button on her back you can press whenever you want a single, and it pops out (where it pops from and how, I don't care to consider.)
