Monday, September 20, 2010

Your input is greatly appreciated.

Questions for today:

Why are all these people wearing sunglasses at night?
Black eye?
Corey Hart devotees?
Didn't feel like doing their eye make-up?
Stoned?

and

Why can't SMAP sing?

Thank you for your time.

13 comments:

  1. i've never listened to SMAP, but i kinda laugh to myself whenever i hear their name. For some reason it makes me think of STDs.. Not sure why. i guess maybe because it sounds like 'the clap'..?

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  2. Sunglasses for vampires. obviously :)

    SMAP shows us that ANYONE can make it given the right amount of publicity. the end :)

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  3. It's usually eye makeup for me. I like wearing them on the train because it's easier to catch people giving me stinkeye.

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  4. SMAP... a testament to the ability of Japanese people to look past people's deficiencies - either that or an exmaple of how Japanese talent are so manufactured now that they don't actually need to have talent.

    Oh, alright - I have to admit that I have a soft spot for SMAP - just not for their singing. Can still remember the show where they were asked to sing the lyric parts of different SMAP members - and none of them knew the words of their own songs. Gotta laugh... but the crazy thing, is that this doesn't do them ANY harm at all.

    As for sunglasses at night... I prefer this to "lensless" glasses (i.e. frames but just flat glass/plastic inside) that are the trend these days. What the... can someone please explain?...

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  5. I hate smap. I don't like any of those tarentos. Every time I flip the TV on, the male tarentos are making stupid "MAJI?!?!?!?!" faces and the ladies are squealing or gazing adoringly at something or other.

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  6. -phx-: Ha! SMAP=STD. You gave me smap! Fucker! Shame on both of us for not using condoms!

    Jdrama, I think you're right about marketing... but I still wonder -- why didn't they choose some people who could sing in the first place? It can't be that hard to find. And half of the group doesn't even seem that charming.

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  7. Beth, I like the eye make-up excuse. Here's another one for you: what's with all the eye patches? I don't get that. Do that many girls have pinkeye?

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  8. I vote for Hart. Love that song!

    I've thought about the smap question too. I figure controllability is the managers' primary criteria - but it still should be easy to find people easy to control, young, and able to sing too.

    Also an iconic song or two can often carry a group for a long time. Spice Girls had "Who Do You Think You Are" and "Wannabe", Spears had "Hit me baby" (well more of a phenomenal video than song, but same effect). I think "sekai ni hitotsu dake no hana" is pretty damn good. None of these songs required singing skill.


    The Morning Musume/AKB48 business models are genius. The managers have real control and keep all the economic rents.

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  9. Ben, I do admit to liking Shingo a little bit. At least he's kind of funny, and very expressive. But I've seen them perform at, for instance, the Kohaku New Year music program... and they were so terrible. Embarrassing. Off key. Awful!

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  10. Jen, I can't say I know much about other tarento. I have seen the Arashi show a couple of times. Can they sing any better?

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  11. Don, I love that song too! Anyone who's wearing shades in the dark for that reason gets an A+.

    OK, a great song can carry a band... but for 20 years?

    Ugh, Morning Musume and AKB48. Fine, they have limited talent, that doesn't bug me. But the overt sexualization of girls in school uniforms really grosses me out.

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  12. When I feel ugly and old and wrinkly and tired, I wear sunglasses, even at night. If I haven't done my makeup, too. Once you get into the habit, it just feels so much more comfortable to hide behind sunglasses.

    I don't do it that much anymore though. I hardly even brush my hair.

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  13. WH, that makes so much sense! Hiding from the world. I guess I've done that a couple of times when the world was just tooo bright and my eyes couldn't take it.

    Brushing of hair is highly overrated, imo. I almost never do it.

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