澳大利亚-- Herald Sun
Japan AKB48 pop idol Minami Minegishi shaves head in penance for spending night with man
FANS leapt to the defence of a Japanese starlet after she shaved her head and issued a tearful YouTube apology in an act of "disgusting" penance for a night with a man.
Pictures of the roughly-shorn head of Minami Minegishi, 20, were emblazoned on national newspapers and Japan's Twitter scene was abuzz over news that the pop princess from cash-generating juggernaut AKB48 had broken the band's cardinal rule: No Dating.
A sobbing Minegishi told fans she had decided to shave her head in contrition after a popular weekly magazine published claims of a night of passion with a 19-year-old boy band member.
"I don't believe just doing this means I can be forgiven for what I did, but the first thing I thought was that I don't want to quit AKB48," she says in the video, which had been viewed on YouTube more than three million times.
Minegishi, who had long, silky hair at the time, was snapped leaving the apartment of Alan Shirahama, a dancer in an off-shoot of the popular boy band Exile.
Tabloid magazine Shukan Bunshun published its article Thursday, and hours later Minegishi was pleading to be allowed to remain with AKB48, one of the world's most successful acts by revenue.
The tryst was "thoughtless and immature", she told fans.
"If it is possible, I wish from the bottom of my heart to stay in the band. Everything I did is entirely my fault, I am so sorry."
AKB48, a 90-strong pool of girls in their teens and early 20s, is a money-printing machine that makes much of the accessibility - and the implied availability - of its idols.
Fans have frequent opportunities to meet their favourites, who are rotated in and out of the public eye, according to popularity.
In return for their chance to grace television screens, subway adverts and the covers of Japan's countless celebrity magazines, members of the collective must adhere to strict rules of behaviour.
They are allowed to have "one-sided romantic feelings" for a boy but can never progress beyond hinting at their crush - and must never disabuse their legions of male fans that they might one day stand a chance with their fantasy woman.
AKB48's management office said Minegishi will be demoted to a trainee team as punishment "for causing a nuisance to the fans", with the demotion effective from Friday.
But many of those fans took to Twitter to defend the star, saying there was nothing wrong with an adult woman leading a "normal life".
Author and critic Hiroki Azuma said it was "disgusting" that Minegishi had been pressured to the extent where she had to resort to medieval means to make amends for a perfectly normal romance.
User @Shige_Onz demanded to know: "What's the point of this public execution show? It's like something from the war or a totalitarian state."
In Japan, shaving one's head has long been a public display of contrition, although is usually only done by men or boys.
In June last year, another AKB48 member, Rino Sashihara, 20, made a pained apology after a magazine article revealed her free-wheeling history with a boy. She was demoted to a regional sub-group as a punishment.
While much is made of their supposed innocence, the band is heavily marketed on its sex appeal, with skimpy outfits and coquettish smiles the order of the day.
A television commercial in which the girls seductively passed candy from mouth to mouth was a huge hit, despite - or because - of its homoerotic overtones, which sparked complaints from more conservative sections of society.
Most recently, a photograph that showed naked former AKB48 member Tomomi Kasai with a young, apparently Caucasian or Eurasian child cupping her breasts, set off police probe and led to the pulping of about 670,000 copies of a popular weekly magazine.作者: Amuse 時間: 13-2-1 10:49 PM
美国ABC 电视网 News Blog
Pop Star Shaves Head in Remorse for Dating
TOKYO – In a long list of publicity stunts thought up by Japan’s most popular pop group AKB48, this may be the most bizarre. Or is it?
Minami Minegishi is one of the most popular idols in the 90 plus member super unit. The 20-year-old singer offered a tearful apology on YouTube Thursday, saying she shaved her head to atone for committing a cardinal sin – violating the group’s no-dating rule.
The video, posted to the band’s YouTube channel, followed a Japanese tabloid report claiming Minegishi spent the night at a 19 year-old boy band member’s apartment. Published photos showing the star sneaking out of the building with sunglasses and mask covering her face set fans abuzz.
The nearly four minute confession that followed, began with a deep bow but ended with Minegishi sobbing and pleading to stay in the band.
“I was supposed to set an example for younger members, but my actions were extremely careless and senseless,” she said. “My mind has gone completely blank. I don’t know what I can do or what I should do, but I couldn’t bear to do nothing.”
AKB48, made up of girls ranging in age from early teens to mid-20s, has developed a cult following in Japan with its bubblegum pop sound and a projected image of innocence, though their suggestive lyrics and Lolita like outfits suggest otherwise. Members cater to a predominantly male fan base, with a heavy emphasis on access and participation. They regularly hold “handshake” events, and their CDs come with ballots that enable fans to vote in an annual all member election, where top vote-getters are rewarded with more prominent roles in group singles and music videos.
The implied availability means the girls must adhere to strict rules of behavior, which includes no dating.
Minegishi claimed the decision to shave her head was her own, but online skeptics have questioned whether the clip was actually a publicity ploy orchestrated by Yasushi Akimoto, the producer behind AKB48. The apology amassed more than 4 million hits in one day.
The group is no stranger to controversy.
Last March, a television commercial featuring the girls seductively passing candy from mouth to mouth drew fire from viewers who complained it was “encouraging homosexuality.” Last month, an AKB48 member was photographed naked with a young boy cupping her breasts from behind, prompting allegations of child ****ography. Police launched an investigation and pulled the magazine featuring the photo from stands.
Another member caught in a crime of romance, was demoted to a regional sub-group as punishment, despite a public apology.
For now, Minegishi has been relegated to a trainee group, where she has vowed to start from scratch.
“I don’t expect you to forgive me, just because (I shaved my head),” she said in the YouTube clip. “This is all entirely my fault. I apologize from the bottom of my heart.”作者: Amuse 時間: 13-2-1 11:40 PM