The Japanese idol world has been hit with multiple scandals in the past week, and depending on who you ask, these incidents range from serious infractions to absurd overreactions.
I do think this is a thing in the US a bit as well with the Disney stars specifically. Drunk driving is a big career death in some cases (of course that’s very dangerous behavior so it’s not bad to take a stance I guess).
But yeah it’s way out of hand in Asia. I hate that they pull the older work of the artists in some cases! We should still be able to enjoy their music as usual. This is also why physical media is better than streaming in some cases.
I’m glad there has been a shift with some more modern thinking media not boycotting artists like Netflix. Sawajiri Erika was in Followers after her drugs scandal and T.O.P. caused both outrage and sensation by being in Squid Game. But those are artist who already had a bit of a wild party image before getting caught with illegal substances, things would be much more difficult for idols who have to keep up a proper image. I think even if mainstream media in Asia would become less proper, the innocent idol girl groups would still have to obey the same social rules anyway. Things like self production and focusing on less judgemental fans could help though, like how you said your friend became an influencer after being an idol and could show off having a boyfriend.
Anyway, I’m glad I’m not famous, way too much drama!
There is an interesting parallel to another scandal from earlier this year that had new developments just the week before Maya Imamori's scandal. In June, then-17-year-old Saki Ishihara was sacked from her idol group after she was found to have engaged in underage drinking, same as Imamori. As of this month, Ishihara, now 18, has been reinstated by her talent agency (though not as part of her previous idol group). In announcing Ishihara's return, the agency wrote an appeal: "Failure is something anyone can experience. We sincerely request that you grant this 18-year-old youth an opportunity to regain trust and fulfill her dreams." https://official.01familia.jp/news/4037
I do think this is a thing in the US a bit as well with the Disney stars specifically. Drunk driving is a big career death in some cases (of course that’s very dangerous behavior so it’s not bad to take a stance I guess).
But yeah it’s way out of hand in Asia. I hate that they pull the older work of the artists in some cases! We should still be able to enjoy their music as usual. This is also why physical media is better than streaming in some cases.
I’m glad there has been a shift with some more modern thinking media not boycotting artists like Netflix. Sawajiri Erika was in Followers after her drugs scandal and T.O.P. caused both outrage and sensation by being in Squid Game. But those are artist who already had a bit of a wild party image before getting caught with illegal substances, things would be much more difficult for idols who have to keep up a proper image. I think even if mainstream media in Asia would become less proper, the innocent idol girl groups would still have to obey the same social rules anyway. Things like self production and focusing on less judgemental fans could help though, like how you said your friend became an influencer after being an idol and could show off having a boyfriend.
Anyway, I’m glad I’m not famous, way too much drama!
There is an interesting parallel to another scandal from earlier this year that had new developments just the week before Maya Imamori's scandal. In June, then-17-year-old Saki Ishihara was sacked from her idol group after she was found to have engaged in underage drinking, same as Imamori. As of this month, Ishihara, now 18, has been reinstated by her talent agency (though not as part of her previous idol group). In announcing Ishihara's return, the agency wrote an appeal: "Failure is something anyone can experience. We sincerely request that you grant this 18-year-old youth an opportunity to regain trust and fulfill her dreams." https://official.01familia.jp/news/4037