Interesting article!

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[Warning: Sexually explicit discussion of cultural customs in historical Japan found in the comments. Proceed at your own risk.]

Many thanks to icajoleu for forwarding this to me! :) I love that my friends keep an eye out for my crazy interests...this article is short but addresses a few different interesting ideas.

Harry Potter Loves MalfoyBy Jennifer

Comments

Part 2

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In response to this thread, this comment continues from here.

7. Re:
Back to the topic of sexualization - since it's not "real", whatever that might mean, the boys have nothing to worry about, nor does the public worry about them. Although there have been voices in the japanese entertainment industry who say that JE produces "worthless boys", meaning that they are confused as to their role in society (which might also imply confusion over their gender). They advocate a more "decent" marketing of the boys. But I don't think we'll ever see that happen, I'd predict that things will get even more sexualized in the future.

Okay, this really interests me. See, it's one thing if society accepts this and that there is no reality in it for how the boys are perceived, BUT, what about the boys themselves? What must it be like for them to grow up in a mostly-male environment that cross-dresses them, has them posed together in bed and all kinds of other suggestive things - at a point in their lives which is very formative. How are they to generate a healthy self-identity?

See, I think that it must be hard enough to cope with being an idol, much less to have gender issues tossed on top of that. Would a fifteen year old boy in JE understand the cultural traditions that have generated his image and would he be able to fully switch personas off and on? How much (in their heads) is real and how much is faked? Do you know what I mean? How does this not seep into their lives and psyches?

I can't help feeling a bit like JE prostitutes (at least with the groups that I'm seeing now) these boys. I know that sounds harsh, and yet, I am still a fan. I have to trust that their homes and families provide enough of a grounding and structure to minimize and bad effects of being in this "world." That's the adult woman in me talking - the fangirl doesn't care and just enjoys the show. :)

Ok, that's all I can manage to get out right now. I hope it's not too incoherent. I'm afraid I wandered around a bit and maybe got off point, so forgive me for any weirdness. :D

Re: Part 2

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so forgive me for any weirdness.

Ugh, and the typos! I didn't proofread very well...

Answer to 7) (Part 1)

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7. Okay, this really interests me. See, it's one thing if society accepts this and that there is no reality in it for how the boys are perceived, BUT, what about the boys themselves? What must it be like for them to grow up in a mostly-male environment that cross-dresses them, has them posed together in bed and all kinds of other suggestive things - at a point in their lives which is very formative. How are they to generate a healthy self-identity?

Well, the part of their lives we get to see is mostly-male. But behind the scenes? They are surrounded by women - the staff of the magazines (in one episode of Kanjani8's weekly TV show "Honjani!", they have to impress the editors of Duet, Myojo etc. who are all women), their own staff, make-up artists, stylists, the people in charge of refreshments, costumes... plus the people they work with, or the rare Hello!Project / JE collaborations. The cross-dressing is also not viewed as radical, in the land which created the word "cosplay".

See, I think that it must be hard enough to cope with being an idol, much less to have gender issues tossed on top of that. Would a fifteen year old boy in JE understand the cultural traditions that have generated his image and would he be able to fully switch personas off and on? How much (in their heads) is real and how much is faked? Do you know what I mean? How does this not seep into their lives and psyches?

Ina and I have talked about this many, many times too. :) Where does the fan service end?
I don't think cultural traditions (like shudô) are much present in people's thoughts at all, maybe yaoi manga authors wouldn't even know what shudô is, much less someone like, say, Jin. *grins* But I do think that they are very aware of the androgynous bishônen ideal, of the fine line between "behaving gay" (which on japanese TV is something to be laughed at) and "oozing pheromones" for the girls in the audience. I often wonder how their mothers feel about that. If I were Jin's mother, I couldn't look at some of his dance acts. He would make a terrific pole dancer, and as his mother, that is something I wouldn't like to think about.
Plus, there have been at least two public scandals about former JE guys sueing the management over sexual harrassment, the main reason why the JE dorms in Tokyo were closed.

Answer to 7) (Part 2)

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I also do think that there is quite a lot of touching going on behind the scenes. It's not uncommon for boys in puberty to experiment, even without questioning their own sexuality. I have heard stories from a friend whose japanese male friend went to a border school for boys - the things that were going on there, I couldn't believe it. So much for the conservative japanese...

I wonder how it is for the boys who really are homosexual, or bisexual (I can't help the feeling that Takki belongs to the latter category). It must be heaven and hell at the same time.

I can't help feeling a bit like JE prostitutes (at least with the groups that I'm seeing now) these boys. I know that sounds harsh, and yet, I am still a fan.

I'm with you on this. It's like prostitution, what with the fixed salary they get from Johnny-the-pimp, the semi-nude photo shoots, the "two hours of a sleep a night are enough" attitude. I shy away from thinking too much about it, to be honest.

I have to trust that their homes and families provide enough of a grounding and structure to minimize and bad effects of being in this "world." That's the adult woman in me talking - the fangirl doesn't care and just enjoys the show. :)

*laughs*
Ina and me were joking that even though Japan is supposed to be a 1,25 children per family country, lots of Johnny's (like Kame) have quite a lot of brothers - so it's easier to "sell one kid to JE". (Yeah, I know, this joke is brutal, sorry!)
I've wondered how mothers can sign their children up to JE. But this is while thinking that JE has remained unchanged for the last twenty years, which is simply not true. During the "golden days of the Juniors", when Tackey and Tsubasa still hadn't debuted, the future as a Junior must have held lots of tempting promises.

Ok, that's all I can manage to get out right now. I hope it's not too incoherent. I'm afraid I wandered around a bit and maybe got off point, so forgive me for any weirdness. :D

It wasn't incoherent at all! It's a very interesting discussion, and I'm really interested in your opinions. :) And don't worry about typos, I probably won't notice them anyway, since English is not my mother tongue. And I apologize for my own grammatical and spelling errors!