Member of pop band AKB48 publicly shaves head and begs for forgiveness after revealing she is in a relationship

From BBC News:

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A Japanese pop star has shaved her head and offered a filmed apology after breaking her management firm's rules by spending a night with her boyfriend.

A sobbing Minami Minegishi apologised to her fans and said she did not want to leave the band AKB48, in the video seen by millions on YouTube.

The production company behind AKB48 said Minegishi, 20, had failed to abide by its cardinal rule - no dating.

This is absolutely horrific. Since when did a production company, or anyone for that matter, have a right to interfere this much into someone's personal life and devoid them of acting out completely natural behaviour? I'm currently writing a dissertation exploring the relationship between music fan's construction of identity and the creation of a musician's persona and this has really hit home to the extent how creepy fan culture can become. I know a big discussion could be had on what's an acceptable relationship between the musician and fan in regards to how we idolise and present our appreciation towards a musician (especially our actions on this very site), but really this? I simply cannot see any justification for this to take place.

What I find the most shocking of all is that this has been deemed culturally acceptable; I just cannot understand how anyone could support a model of music creation where somebody's personal life is dictated towards sustaining fan's disturbing fantasies in which a musician is devalued of personality and deemed to be some sort of possession. Not to mention this whole situation is also horrifyingly patriarchal and misogynistic; this pop star actually felt ashamed for being human and being in a relationship. This is a woman who feels she's being disloyal towards a large population of male fans who openly objectify and fantasise about possessing band members because they know they can't be in a relationship, that's just messed up on so many levels. I also can't help but feel extremely uneasy about what lessons younger generations and society in general are learning from this; young girls are gonna see this and think her actions are right because she distorted her fan's creepy fantasies? This certainly exposes very big questions regarding how we value and personify musicians within celebrity culture, this certainly isn't just a one off example of unacceptable cultural values being presented and glorified within mainstream pop culture.

Sorry for the long post but after coming across this whilst researching this subject it just made me instantly seeth. Here's a more appropriately written article that pretty much summarises and echos my points in a better expressed manner.

Yeah, that Asian pop star culture doesn't make any sense to me.

One afternoon when I was in Odaiba hanging out with my wife, we came upon a performance of one of these bands near a shopping center. The band was composed of, I believe, about 7 teenage girls performing an mediocre, although very well-rehearsed and upbeat, song-and-dance routine. The fairly large audience was almost, if not entirely, composed of 25-to-40-year-old males, standing shoulder-to-shoulder, gazes unwavering, completely immersed in the performance. Having never seen anything like this, I naturally wanted to take a picture. When I did, someone who looked like an audience member came up to me, waving his arms around nervously and repeating "No photography!"

There's something very pathological about it for sure.

I heard about this too. I think Minegishi should just find a different occupation, rather than try to be some idol to a bunch of Salary Men twice her age.

otakus & weeaboos man

Serves her right! *masturbates furiously*

Masturbates her right! *serves furiously*

Wouldn't catch any of my SNSD waifus engaging in such disgusting whorish behavior.

Pretty fucked up indeed. But if she can't see how fucked up it is herself then something is also very wrong with her.

She needs to stand up for herself and tell them to cut the crap. Do they expect a larger fan base if she is thought of as single? Like if she got married would her fan base ditch her because now the feel like they can't idolize her any more?

So very odd...

Don't forget she signed this contract and has been part of this group since she was 13. If that's been her lifestyle during such a crucial stage of development, can you really blame her if she can't see this as fucked up?

Either way I wouldn't really see this as an individual issue, imo it's much wider than that. I wouldn't see it as just a Japanese issue either, this shit goes on worldwide; you only need how Disney-esque stars are portrayed as pure and innocent throughout adolescence, only to be labelled as deviants by the press when they begin to become sexually active. It's the same shattering of illusion, but it's the fact we manufacture and maintain the illusion as music fans which is the problem. You only need to look at her reaction to see how much damage this can do to people, imagine that attitude being reflected en-masse. To me, that's an incredibly scary thought.

I just really question as to what line, we as music fans, should draw in terms of our involvement with someone's personal lives. I'm sure many of us would be very excited to meet one of the featured artists here for example and the way how we engage with the artists personally reflects our enjoyment of their music. However at one point does it become unacceptable, even if society says it's okay? Quite obviously this is in no way acceptable and Yasushi Akimoto (the creator of AKB48 and other similar franchises) deserves a very swift kick in the teeth for profiting and promoting disgustingly sexist ideals, but is the idolisation of an artist the source of the problem itself? Sometimes I question whether art can be truly judged on its own merits unless the author is anonymous and a link cannot be made between their previous works (unless of course the concept behind the art relies on this).

But you said it yourself. Dating is natural. Even at the age of 13 I'd have the sense to realize that I'd probably want to date in the future. Especially if I'm going to be famous. Perhaps greed or really wanting to perform dominated any precognitive thoughts? Maybe she sacrificed herself for the support of her family/ her well being?

But there are limits to what you can sign away in a contract. I know you can sign abstaining from smoking or drinking (personal choices) but you can't sign away your life (even if someone was foolish/depressed enough to want to do so). I think dating/parternship is a naturally given right that should not be something that can legally be signed away. If you can't sign away your life you can't sign away companionship, both are intrinsic to the survival of the human race.

But this is just one of few fucked up realities in society. Others are being forced into a life of prostitution to make an income. Society just doesn't give a fuck as long as they are being entertained/pleased.

Then again I think its also wise to remember that a few prostitute might actually want to be prostitute. Perhaps she likes using the contract as an excuse herself.

Gotta love sexual repression.

I knew nothing of AKB48 until my wife inadvertently looked them up while researching this. They're trying to ban the latter in Texas formally and her department was legally reviewing a legislative bill that will do so.

Anyway, this is beyond fucked. Are the K-pop groups this controlling too? I only knew they were competitive as fuck and cost millions in investment for record labels.

  On 2/2/2013 at 10:31 PM, joshuatx said:

I knew nothing of AKB48 until my wife inadvertently looked them up while researching this. They're trying to ban the latter in Texas formally and her department was legally reviewing a legislative bill that will do so.

 

Anyway, this is beyond fucked. Are the K-pop groups this controlling too? I only knew they were competitive as fuck and cost millions in investment for record labels.

Dude I've been having gastrointestinal problem as of late like fainting and vomiting due to pain coming from that area. It typically happens the day of or after I smoke pot I get from the street.

After looking up that drug I went to the link of Cannabinoid_receptor. Then I clicked on the Gastrointestinal_activity in the same page and read this. "Inhibition of gastrointestinal activity has been observed after administration of Δ⁹-THC, or of anandamide."

I'm wondering if that has been the cause of my grief this whole time. Still awaiting results from the Endoscopy I had done but dam that is an eye opener.

Sorry for the thread jack. But dam. Maybe I do have something and the weed was just making it worse. I really hope I find out soon cause I'd like to get high again.

  On 2/2/2013 at 9:08 PM, triachus said:

Masturbates her right! *serves furiously*

  On 2/2/2013 at 10:22 PM, ZiggomaticV17 said:

But you said it yourself. Dating is natural. Even at the age of 13 I'd have the sense to realize that I'd probably want to date in the future. Especially if I'm going to be famous. Perhaps greed or really wanting to perform dominated any precognitive thoughts? Maybe she sacrificed herself for the support of her family/ her well being?

 

But there are limits to what you can sign away in a contract. I know you can sign abstaining from smoking or drinking (personal choices) but you can't sign away your life (even if someone was foolish/depressed enough to want to do so). I think dating/parternship is a naturally given right that should not be something that can legally be signed away. If you can't sign away your life you can't sign away companionship, both are intrinsic to the survival of the human race.

 

But this is just one of few fucked up realities in society. Others are being forced into a life of prostitution to make an income. Society just doesn't give a fuck as long as they are being entertained/pleased.

 

Then again I think its also wise to remember that a few prostitute might actually want to be prostitute. Perhaps she likes using the contract as an excuse herself.

If you don't mind I won't dwell too much on her individual circumstances as I personally think this more of a societal problem rather than choices she made individually, but to answer what you said I can see what you mean, nonetheless I think it's incredibly immoral to make someone sign a life changing contract and force them to abide by those rules when they're essentially children. She probably signed it overseeing these implications, every person is different so maybe she didn't think it was an issue at the time. But, she was still 13, of course she's going to make some bad decisions, that's what you do when you grow up. I agree that this shouldn't be within the contract within the first place (in fact there are reports from legal experts in Japan that say this could well be illegal) though, I just feel that no personal life circumstances should be within a contract.

Like I said previously though I feel this is a larger issue at hand, this to me is more of an issue in terms of the millions of fans who accept and support this, as well as younger generations who are obviously going to be influenced by this. When a major star from a highly respected national pop group does something like this and is put out by the press group as if it's a completely normal thing to do, you know that there is a very fucked up viewpoint in terms of patriarchal values going on in society.

Whether or not this is a fucked up aspect of reality to me is unimportant, I still think at its core this is completely unacceptable and both Yashushi Akimoto's presentation of this and the fan's desires to keep the members restricted from romantic relationships should be shown for the abhorrent and sickening behaviour it is. Then again being constantly stereotyped throughout my life has very well possibly made me incredibly sensitive to this sort of thing, hence why I've dedicated so much time to writing in this thread.

Oh and before you carry on please don't feel I'm getting angry at you or accusing you as being supportive of anything that I'm against. We cool

  On 2/2/2013 at 10:48 PM, Squee said:

 

  On 2/2/2013 at 9:08 PM, triachus said:

Masturbates her right! *serves furiously*

 

 

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lol

Gotta love victim-blaming.

  On 2/2/2013 at 10:48 PM, Squee said:

 

  On 2/2/2013 at 9:08 PM, triachus said:

Masturbates her right! *serves furiously*

 

 

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  On 2/2/2013 at 11:03 PM, triachus said:

 

  On 2/2/2013 at 10:48 PM, Squee said:

 

  On 2/2/2013 at 9:08 PM, triachus said:

Masturbates her right! *serves furiously*

 

 

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  On 2/2/2013 at 11:11 PM, Squee said:

 

  On 2/2/2013 at 11:03 PM, triachus said:

 

  On 2/2/2013 at 10:48 PM, Squee said:

 

  On 2/2/2013 at 9:08 PM, triachus said:

Masturbates her right! *serves furiously*

 

 

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Masturbation serve

 

 

Japan's shame culture thing is very disturbing, with all of the shame suicide and repression and what not. It sounds like the opposite of the sort of world I would like to live in.

i read some shit about Japanese girls getting snaggletooth dental implants to emulate this girl group, lol

  On 2/2/2013 at 11:03 PM, sweepstakes said:

Gotta love victim-blaming.

Hunh?

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I think Minegishi should just find a different occupation, rather than try to be some idol to a bunch of Salary Men twice her age.

its not just Japan, Korean pop stars undergo the same type of scrutiny.

Pop culture worldwide is just a generally sickening psychological problem shared by humanity.

I hope everything works out for the better for this young lady.

That's dedication!