Sorry I’m so bad at introductions for these things. I mean really, I don’t even bother sometimes. I hate introductions. So instead, I’m going to sum up last week’s Friday Fun via the language of multi-decade pop musicians/failed actresses.
”It's all your fault. Why should we apologise?” #IdolApologies pic.twitter.com/YQKhoIM6Sm
— 奧貝流行 (@auhby) June 29, 2018
Sorry folks, I was totally joking when I said my next CDR would all be armpit fart noises. But then I get over 1000 preorders! Of course I had to do it!!!
– #tentenko#IdolApologies— Nemo omeN (@OTStummer) June 29, 2018
Rei would like to apologise to the marshmallow mercilessly burnt during a previous Necroma live stream #IdolApologies
— Nick Thorpe (@HKT3030) June 29, 2018
So, let’s talk about outsider views of the idol industry. Whether its that controversial Tokyo Idols documentary or a Top 10 Clickbait video that claims idol fandom is a type of sex cult, let’s be real here: We and our hobbies usually don’t get painted in a particularly positive light outside of our little circle. The sad thing is, while there are some truths to these unflattering claims, a lot of the outsider perception of idol comes from incidents that were so exaggerated that they raised eyebrows even within the idol community!
Of course, I’m referring to that all-too-famous AKB48 head-shaving scandal. Yes, the go-to target of outsider finger-pointing for the evils of the idol industry. “Idols are FORCED to publicly shave their heads if they’re seen with a boy!” The thing is, Minegishi Minami chose to shave her head of her own free will. And she’s still a member today! I don’t follow AKB48 that closely, but most of my friends who do say that Minegishi is a drama queen like that.
Which got me thinking — can you possibly imagine how the more bizarre moments of idol could get twisted by someone who simply doesn’t know any better? Incidents of idols being completely over-the-top, only for VICE to see it and think that’s just a “shocking normality” in the industry? I already started a thread of this, before realizing that this could easily go into Friday Fun territory.
BiS holds a funeral-themed disbandment concert:
"Can you believe it, if an idol decides to end her career she has to LITERALLY watch her career die and is forced to attend her own funeral thats so fucked up" pic.twitter.com/rhg06UsSHy
— Rockin the party in the heck (@weeaboowitch) July 1, 2018
So, exactly what the above tweet says. This week’s hashtag is #OTTIdolMisconceptions and lets see if we can get WACK featured on Buzzfeed (oh good lord …).