Forum - View topicAnswerman - Why Isn't Idol Culture Bigger In America?
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MoonPhase1
Posts: 497 |
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Even with Idolm@ster, we only get basically the filler stuff for it. Though that’s probably because they likely want to much money to have the main series for it localized. I’m of course referring to both the games and Anime.
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ChimeyChime
Posts: 64 |
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yeah, this. The Japanese idol culture honestly scares me. Especially all those immature little boys acting like an idol having a relationship just killed their puppy. Awkward. |
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DerekL1963
 Subscriber Posts: 1119 Location: Puget Sound |
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Wait, what? We got the entire anime - and all we got is filler? That's going to take some explaining. |
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MoonPhase1
Posts: 497 |
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Xenoglossia and Puchim@s are just extra series in the Idolm@ster franchise. The main series is done by Aniplex and there is no word of them or anyone licensing it. |
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DerekL1963
Subscriber Posts: 1119 Location: Puget Sound |
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Again... Wait, what? Idolm@ster is streaming on Crunchy and has been basically forever. There's no BD/DVD release, granted, but that's a specific situation and not "all we got is filler". And none of this has anything to do with the topic of the article and discussion. |
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#sukkar
Posts: 120 |
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The male idol side of this is pretty interesting too.
Before AKB came to prominence, Johnny's Entertainment was the top agency for idols, and idols were typically male. There were definitely female idols, but Johnny's had a stronghold on the industry. The expectations they put on them is crazy - there were two members of NEWS who were kicked out of the band for a single incident of underage drinking and made to apologize. They often manufacture these "bad boy" images for them but the moment they do something that plays into that, they get in trouble are forced to make amends, often to the detriment of their own career. |
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Puniyo
 Posts: 271 |
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Has no one seem One Direction fans in their prime? That's something I wish I really hadn't had the misfortune to witness, but in England, they were inescapable. I was childhood friends with someone who got really into 1D, and... man. Taking a look at the fallout on twitter from when that guy left the group should illustrate my point. |
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Mistaken
Posts: 71 |
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i hope idol culture never touches the US. disgusting culture.
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Jose Cruz
 Posts: 1796 Location: South America |
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What do you think that Caty Perry, Christina Aguilera, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears and Taylor Swift are? They are idols: stars manufactured by media companies to drawn the sympathy of the crowds. Of course we don't use the term "idol" but that's irrelevant since they perform the exact same roles. I think that the main difference is that in the West the "idols" are advertised as being individuals while in Japan they are often groups. But we had stuff like Backstreet Boys and Spice Girls.
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DerekL1963
Subscriber Posts: 1119 Location: Puget Sound |
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They're pop idols, which aren't the same thing as idols - which the article explains at length.
No offense, but rather than having me explain... I'll just recommend that you go read the article. (Just for starters, the way pop idols and idols are marketed are wildly different.) |
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writerpatrick
 Posts: 680 Location: Canada |
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The US did have an idol culture but it was more male oriented. It effectively started in the 60s with companies noticing the popularity of the Beetles and took off in the late 70s with individual make singers. The Monkees were accidentally popular. They were never meant to be considered a real band, yet fans did. They were part of Bubblegum Pop which declined as male idols became popular. In the 80s we got a lot of boy bands. And there are a number of corporately created stars, but it's not as clear in the US because they tend to hide things.
The biggest problem with pop music today is the manufacturing of idols. Just look at shows like American Idol. They're effectively a casting call for idols. But even The Mickey Mouse Club could be considered an attempt to create popular performers for Disney. And in the case of Annette Funicello they was successful. |
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Joe Mello
 Posts: 2298 Location: Online Terminal |
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Many aspects of idol culture have trickled over into western-speaking nations, but we tend to refer to those people as "pro wrestling fans."
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TarsTarkas
 Posts: 5920 Location: Virginia, United States |
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It has been here in the United States for both sexes for decades as other posters have mentioned. While it is slightly different than in Japan, it still meets all the common complaints. It is just easier to bash Japan, while pretending that our country doesn't have more sick and psychotic fans than Japan does. |
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H. Guderian
Posts: 1255 |
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The point I'd like to argue against is that they're supposed to be the "one" for you. Part of the fun is competition. Arguing with your friends about groups or which is Best Girl. There's a lot of fun on the Meta level. As to why the 'relationship' thing breaks it isn't because the fan actually considered they'd be a couple (of course there are some like that, in every fandom) but it just breaks the illusion.
If you were watching Lord of the Rings and during the final climatic fight scene Aragon turns to the camera and makes a silly face and says 'I can't die, I'm the main character!' it would be hard to take following scenes seriously. If the audience then complains the immersion was broken, we'd believe them. Part of the idol concept is they're working all the time on being entertainers to make everyone happy. Having a relationship, as anyone in one would know, is a different kind of work and certainly not designed to please everyone. Its far more minor than my example. Now personally I support the idols doing whatever. I was a Serizawa fan before and after that time she was spotted with a ring to stop men from hitting on her. It was a stupid controversy. But yeah while I don't agree with the outrage I can't say I don't see the origin of where it comes from. To the guy that mentioned Pro-Wrestling, you're spot on. Remember how that's all a show? Look up the careers of the guys that were huge rivals, but secretly friends, and then what happened when one of them revealed they were not bitter enemies, but good friends? So to continue, the Japanese Idols are relateable people that are still low enough to struggle. Engaging with their struggle to become an idol is part of the fun!! Western Idols are Gods. We idolize Western idols for what they've become, we idolize Japanese idols for their effort/story. If part of the story comes up fake, its hard to commit. Especially after the story changes by some big reveal! If an idol started out married with kids the storyline would be consistent. |
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Jonny Mendes
 Posts: 997 Location: Europe |
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Another big difference is unlike they way idols are marketing in Japan. They must have a image of been examples for the Japanese youth, no drinking, no smoking, no drugs, no jumping from relationship to relationship, purity, well behaved, and even if they are working in music/acting/modeling, they still have to be good at school, and also a example as a unknown boy/girl can make it big with hard work and full time dedication to their dreams and education) In the west they are exactly the opposite. bad boy/girl image, sex, drugs and alcohol, going from rehab to rehab, changing BF/GF week by week, drop school to dedicate to the entertainment, etc. American Idols probably don't last a month in Japanese idol industry. But that's the way their audience like them as bad boys and girls. And also the reason Japanese Idol culture is not what Americans look for in pop idols. And talking about purity, if you look at Japan youth, many don't enter a relationship before adult age, with 40% of unmarried people between 18-34 are still virgins. Many Japanese prefer to wait until after collage age to think about love, because education and career come first. And most idols don't even care about romance because the career in the industry come first. And they don't even have time to think about that because of all that thing they have to do in a day. School, training, rehearsal, concerts, promotions, modelings, been with the fans, etc. Most idols left the entertainment industry before adult age. The ones remaining, after become adults, stop been idols and become full fledged singers/actors/models and can have romantic relationships. |
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