Idol Thoughts.
Reading idol blogs is always massively interesting to me, especially when arguments crop up. I've been spurred into speech by this post and its parent post.
I've had an idol blog for a few months now, but I can never bring myself to finish a thought and post there. One of the reasons it's been so hard for me is that I really am not one of those Blogging Idol Fangirls that is capable of writing up a biting, witty review of every concert and PV I come across. Hell, I even have trouble posting my opinions on the forums these days. I'm getting pretty fed up with idol fans in general lately, just because I feel like half of them miss the point and the other half are so far in that they can't accept any point of view that does not mirror their own. That's a harsh generalization, and I'm certainly not accusing anyone of anything, but I feel a little left out these days.
I've been a fan of Hello!Project for coming up on six years. I've done a great deal (though certainly not all I could) to learn about the company and its girls, listened to all the music I could find, and bought as much as my seventeen-year-old wallet could allow. But I was never a wota, even as much as I adore Yossi and the other girls to this day. I never crossed the line from fan to devoted follower, and I knew that I was not that hardcore from the start. I didn't have the money or resources to buy every H!P item I could find, I never had the chance to go to Japan and see their concerts or dinner shows; I spent every penny I had to see Yossi and Rika in Seattle, bought as much as I could afford, and gave 110% all weekend to alert them to my existance. It was still one of the most unbelievable weekends I've ever had, and one of the reasons that it was was simply because it is a rare treat for me to spend so much time in the same place as two of the women who came to mean so much more to me than I ever could have forseen.
Being a true "wota" means essentially devoting yourself to a girl you will never have a personal relationship with. Spending absurd amounts of money on her, both literally and through the purchase of her merchandise. Devoting all your free time to learning about her, seeing her perform, writing her letters, and generally supporting her in any way possible. These things are all basic protocol for any fan who is dedicated enough to cross that line for the sake of his/her girl of choice. Supporting other groups is out of the question; the thought that you would betray your girls for the sake of your own entertainment would make you an outcast. Idols are not simply singers or actresses, they're (to steal a phrase from aforementioned blog), essentially marketed as "surrogate girlfriends".
And even just reading back over those past two paragraphs really amplifies the whole psychologically damaging scope of this industry. Taking these young girls, training them to not only sing and dance, but to answer questions in certain ways, to avoid romantic relationships, and to essentially become this twisted image of the "perfect girl" would be seen by any sociology student as nearly abusive. Japan has never given a lot of power to its women, and idols demonstrate a pristine way to exploit the emotional weakness of both young, impressionable women and the average lonely member of society to gain a remarkable profit. Sure, idols have tons of "normal" fans when they're popular; in that way, Morning Musume and AKB48 alike can be compared to groups like The Spice Girls, whose catchy music, distinct personalities and unique flair for performance gained them stadiums full of screaming fans until they lost Geri Halliwell and everything went to shit. Trends will come and go, but being a wota is a lot more than just learning a few songs and moving on with your life. The average (some would say, "normal") music fan will buy a CD or a DVD of a song or concert they like with the intention of listening to it, but they won't listen to a song they don't care about or aren't enjoying and then go out and buy ten copies of it so their favorite artist won't be sad about the fact that their release wasn't up to par or ensure their ranking on the Billboard Top 40. Things like this set idol culture apart from the rest of the musical world, and once you move beyond the casual fans, you really start to understand what you're dealing with.
To these men and women, love for an idol is like a relationship; and losing interest in your girl, or her group, or, indeed, finding another group that brings you similar joy, is comparable to being unfaithful. This is the main reason, beyond money, dedication or anything else, that I can never be a true wota, no matter how emotionally attached to these women I get.
Like many current and former H!P fans, I've been affected by Upfront and Tsunku's sloppiness and lack of inspiration for a few years now. Despite being idols, Morning Musume girls still depend on their music to stay in business, and with a few glorious exceptions, they've not exactly been releasing Hall of Fame work. The girls are not at fault, of course, but that doesn't change the fact that Momusu's hayday is over. Whether they'll rise again remains to be seen, and while I'm sure avid H!P fans will adamantly fight any mention of this, the old grey mare just ain't what she used to be. That's life in the entertainment industry; everything changes and ends sooner or later. Which is why I'm happy that the OGs graduated, even though part of me still passionately wishes Tsunku would toss them all back onstage together for one more good tour- they've grown up and out of their shells, now, and if they hadn't been set free, they'd be stuck singing the same old songs with minimal promotion, no love lives and only their minute posse of remaining wotas instead of getting married, starting families, designing clothing, modeling, running in marathons, furthering their careers and letting go of their childhood limitations.
I'm not saying the girls are miserable or anything; I've never believed that idols are completely fabricated, and that's why they work- it's a combination of a persona and a person. Each girl is a performer, but she also develops an emotional attachment to her craft, as any actress or singer does, and those that don't jump ship (unless the water's too rocky for them and they're thrown overboard... and in Kago's case, eaten by filthy, brainwashed sharks). Being an idol allows a girl so many amazing opportunities she'd never have otherwise, and despite the emotional and physical strain, I feel like there are a lot of people who come out of it gracefully. The entire concept and the balances between humanity and illusion tend to make my head spin. Let's also not forget that, as much as I analyze the negative aspects of this industry, I also take part in it on a regular basis. I wouldn't be pounding out paragraph after paragraph if this topic didn't mean as damn much to me as it does, after all.
Anyway, back to my point. I've been very into AKB48 since I saw the girls perform at Webster Hall last fall. I hadn't felt this way about idols since Yossi graduated Morning Musume; I was learning songs again, memorizing faces, watching concerts. It was like Sayaka and Sae had lit a fire under me; I was suddenly driven, and I continue to be driven as I gear up for their concert at AX. And yet, in the back of my mind, there's still a level of guilt. Should I be so supportive of the girls in AKB48 when my true devotion was always to Hello!Project? Or is it okay to allow myself to make this transition, now that all the members I truly supported have left the group and the music doesn't do it for me? Can I still call myself a fan of current H!P and several of its members if I don't actively support their work?
I feel like I'm between a rock and a hard place. H!P wota are livid with the fans who have started moving on, most likely because, in the back of their minds, they realize that they're losing their paying fanbase, and because of that, their girls are in jeopardy of going under. Meanwhile, AKB wota are not so accepting when it comes to the old H!P crowd; it's hard enough to be a new fan of anything without feeling totally out of place, and in a world where being on top of your shit is one of the key differences between a fan and a poser, it's hard to find niche. I don't really care if people judge me or undermine my level of "devotion", or whatever, because as I previously stated, I'm not a wota. My whole life does not hang on these girls, even if watching their performances and learning about them does bring me a genuine amount of joy. I guess the real issue for me is finding where I belong in the grand scheme of things. I'm not a wota, no, but I'm not a "casual fan", either. I spent at least two or three hours a day reading about, listening to and watching these girls. I buy their merchandise when I can, I rearranged my whole summer to see them in concert. I intend to make a trip to their theatre top priority while I'm in Japan next summer. I guess I'd just like some level of respect and equal treatment, even if I don't qualify for the Big Leagues. The way I see it, I get the best of both worlds; the levels of fun, joy, and in some cases, honest fan-to-performer love and grattitude that come with 'getting to know' the girls, and the financial and emotional stability of not devoting my life to them.
If only that were enough for me. I go back and fourth about most things that have meaning in my life, and this has been a key interest of mine for a long time. In the end, the Japanese (and, honestly, most of the foreign) wota will never even know I exist, and (apart from a few brief meetings and tokens of affection) neither will the girls. I don't know if my integrity as a fan has been strengthened or diminished by the opinions I have, but all I really care about is the experience, in the end.
I'm leaving out so many points, and this whole post is massively disorganized, buttttt hello 3:30. That's all for now.
I've had an idol blog for a few months now, but I can never bring myself to finish a thought and post there. One of the reasons it's been so hard for me is that I really am not one of those Blogging Idol Fangirls that is capable of writing up a biting, witty review of every concert and PV I come across. Hell, I even have trouble posting my opinions on the forums these days. I'm getting pretty fed up with idol fans in general lately, just because I feel like half of them miss the point and the other half are so far in that they can't accept any point of view that does not mirror their own. That's a harsh generalization, and I'm certainly not accusing anyone of anything, but I feel a little left out these days.
I've been a fan of Hello!Project for coming up on six years. I've done a great deal (though certainly not all I could) to learn about the company and its girls, listened to all the music I could find, and bought as much as my seventeen-year-old wallet could allow. But I was never a wota, even as much as I adore Yossi and the other girls to this day. I never crossed the line from fan to devoted follower, and I knew that I was not that hardcore from the start. I didn't have the money or resources to buy every H!P item I could find, I never had the chance to go to Japan and see their concerts or dinner shows; I spent every penny I had to see Yossi and Rika in Seattle, bought as much as I could afford, and gave 110% all weekend to alert them to my existance. It was still one of the most unbelievable weekends I've ever had, and one of the reasons that it was was simply because it is a rare treat for me to spend so much time in the same place as two of the women who came to mean so much more to me than I ever could have forseen.
Being a true "wota" means essentially devoting yourself to a girl you will never have a personal relationship with. Spending absurd amounts of money on her, both literally and through the purchase of her merchandise. Devoting all your free time to learning about her, seeing her perform, writing her letters, and generally supporting her in any way possible. These things are all basic protocol for any fan who is dedicated enough to cross that line for the sake of his/her girl of choice. Supporting other groups is out of the question; the thought that you would betray your girls for the sake of your own entertainment would make you an outcast. Idols are not simply singers or actresses, they're (to steal a phrase from aforementioned blog), essentially marketed as "surrogate girlfriends".
And even just reading back over those past two paragraphs really amplifies the whole psychologically damaging scope of this industry. Taking these young girls, training them to not only sing and dance, but to answer questions in certain ways, to avoid romantic relationships, and to essentially become this twisted image of the "perfect girl" would be seen by any sociology student as nearly abusive. Japan has never given a lot of power to its women, and idols demonstrate a pristine way to exploit the emotional weakness of both young, impressionable women and the average lonely member of society to gain a remarkable profit. Sure, idols have tons of "normal" fans when they're popular; in that way, Morning Musume and AKB48 alike can be compared to groups like The Spice Girls, whose catchy music, distinct personalities and unique flair for performance gained them stadiums full of screaming fans until they lost Geri Halliwell and everything went to shit. Trends will come and go, but being a wota is a lot more than just learning a few songs and moving on with your life. The average (some would say, "normal") music fan will buy a CD or a DVD of a song or concert they like with the intention of listening to it, but they won't listen to a song they don't care about or aren't enjoying and then go out and buy ten copies of it so their favorite artist won't be sad about the fact that their release wasn't up to par or ensure their ranking on the Billboard Top 40. Things like this set idol culture apart from the rest of the musical world, and once you move beyond the casual fans, you really start to understand what you're dealing with.
To these men and women, love for an idol is like a relationship; and losing interest in your girl, or her group, or, indeed, finding another group that brings you similar joy, is comparable to being unfaithful. This is the main reason, beyond money, dedication or anything else, that I can never be a true wota, no matter how emotionally attached to these women I get.
Like many current and former H!P fans, I've been affected by Upfront and Tsunku's sloppiness and lack of inspiration for a few years now. Despite being idols, Morning Musume girls still depend on their music to stay in business, and with a few glorious exceptions, they've not exactly been releasing Hall of Fame work. The girls are not at fault, of course, but that doesn't change the fact that Momusu's hayday is over. Whether they'll rise again remains to be seen, and while I'm sure avid H!P fans will adamantly fight any mention of this, the old grey mare just ain't what she used to be. That's life in the entertainment industry; everything changes and ends sooner or later. Which is why I'm happy that the OGs graduated, even though part of me still passionately wishes Tsunku would toss them all back onstage together for one more good tour- they've grown up and out of their shells, now, and if they hadn't been set free, they'd be stuck singing the same old songs with minimal promotion, no love lives and only their minute posse of remaining wotas instead of getting married, starting families, designing clothing, modeling, running in marathons, furthering their careers and letting go of their childhood limitations.
I'm not saying the girls are miserable or anything; I've never believed that idols are completely fabricated, and that's why they work- it's a combination of a persona and a person. Each girl is a performer, but she also develops an emotional attachment to her craft, as any actress or singer does, and those that don't jump ship (unless the water's too rocky for them and they're thrown overboard... and in Kago's case, eaten by filthy, brainwashed sharks). Being an idol allows a girl so many amazing opportunities she'd never have otherwise, and despite the emotional and physical strain, I feel like there are a lot of people who come out of it gracefully. The entire concept and the balances between humanity and illusion tend to make my head spin. Let's also not forget that, as much as I analyze the negative aspects of this industry, I also take part in it on a regular basis. I wouldn't be pounding out paragraph after paragraph if this topic didn't mean as damn much to me as it does, after all.
Anyway, back to my point. I've been very into AKB48 since I saw the girls perform at Webster Hall last fall. I hadn't felt this way about idols since Yossi graduated Morning Musume; I was learning songs again, memorizing faces, watching concerts. It was like Sayaka and Sae had lit a fire under me; I was suddenly driven, and I continue to be driven as I gear up for their concert at AX. And yet, in the back of my mind, there's still a level of guilt. Should I be so supportive of the girls in AKB48 when my true devotion was always to Hello!Project? Or is it okay to allow myself to make this transition, now that all the members I truly supported have left the group and the music doesn't do it for me? Can I still call myself a fan of current H!P and several of its members if I don't actively support their work?
I feel like I'm between a rock and a hard place. H!P wota are livid with the fans who have started moving on, most likely because, in the back of their minds, they realize that they're losing their paying fanbase, and because of that, their girls are in jeopardy of going under. Meanwhile, AKB wota are not so accepting when it comes to the old H!P crowd; it's hard enough to be a new fan of anything without feeling totally out of place, and in a world where being on top of your shit is one of the key differences between a fan and a poser, it's hard to find niche. I don't really care if people judge me or undermine my level of "devotion", or whatever, because as I previously stated, I'm not a wota. My whole life does not hang on these girls, even if watching their performances and learning about them does bring me a genuine amount of joy. I guess the real issue for me is finding where I belong in the grand scheme of things. I'm not a wota, no, but I'm not a "casual fan", either. I spent at least two or three hours a day reading about, listening to and watching these girls. I buy their merchandise when I can, I rearranged my whole summer to see them in concert. I intend to make a trip to their theatre top priority while I'm in Japan next summer. I guess I'd just like some level of respect and equal treatment, even if I don't qualify for the Big Leagues. The way I see it, I get the best of both worlds; the levels of fun, joy, and in some cases, honest fan-to-performer love and grattitude that come with 'getting to know' the girls, and the financial and emotional stability of not devoting my life to them.
If only that were enough for me. I go back and fourth about most things that have meaning in my life, and this has been a key interest of mine for a long time. In the end, the Japanese (and, honestly, most of the foreign) wota will never even know I exist, and (apart from a few brief meetings and tokens of affection) neither will the girls. I don't know if my integrity as a fan has been strengthened or diminished by the opinions I have, but all I really care about is the experience, in the end.
I'm leaving out so many points, and this whole post is massively disorganized, buttttt hello 3:30. That's all for now.