Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2013/02/itano-tomomi-to-graduate-from-akb48-this-year/

Nooooooooo! Tomo-chin!

 

It's a term that just used for idol groups like AKB48, Morning Musume, Momoiro Clover Z, etc.

 

It's still a silly term though. It's just a Pop group.

The regime they're on is also ridiculous - the latest controversy of "Oh no, a member of the group slept with someone" caused a fan reaction of:


It's like a jail sentence or something. She shaved her hair, for the love of god, they need a life, she's 20 years old.

 

If by that you mean that she should listen to her manager without question and she shouldn't have a life like a human being then thanks, that's againts everything I believe in concerning human rights. As for "statuses" in the group, it's pretty dumb too... but why am I even questioning, it's Japan, they always come up with something odd-bizzare.

Sleeping with your boyfriend is not something people should frown in disapproval about, just saying.

 

You do not represent your company when outside of the company.

Your personal life and your professional life are two things that should never be mixed together. If the contract you signed violates your basic rights as a human being then it's null and void to begin with, valid contracts cannot infringe upon any rights protected by law.

 

I'm just saying that the treatment of those young women is neither fair nor very human - they're treated like objects more so than like people and groups like this should be frowned upon. Idolizing such treatment by supporting the group isn't the way to go. That is, unless this was just a media stunt. If it wasn't, the poor girl is pretty brainwashed already to have shaven her head "in atonement".

Do note that Stephanie's case is controversial - she may take legal action againts the company and if the judge determines that she was unlawfully fired, she may not only return to her job, she'd also get compensation. To me, the issue smells fishy at best, but hey - that's for a judge to decide.

 

There were previous cases where the smokers lost, and the court found in favor of the company. And there are some states that have laws as such like Florida, Georgia,and Pennsylvania. I'm just saying she chose to shave her head to show her sorrow, no one made her do that.

 

She shaved her head because she was desperate to protect her position in a screwed up society that supports drastic regimes imposed on a band of teenage girls and exploits them for entertainment. She signed up for it to attain the idolized status, not really thinking much of what limitations it will entail in the long run. Classic Stockholm Syndrome, except she signed up to be a "hostage" in this situation.

Her career stands quite literally on her way to happines as a person not because she's "busy" but because of contrived, bullshit rules - you can't be serious in justifying this. "Only in Japan".

 

Yes, I can. People who want to be an idol have to obey the rules of the group otherwise they affect the other members of the group.And again, other countries have idol groups, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, People's Republic of China, and Indonesia have idol groups to my knowledge.

 

Meaning all the countries that happen to have a history of objectifying and exploiting people?

China and their Olympic Children, Taiwan and their inhuman labour conditions, South Korea and human trafficking, Singapore and the ban on homosexual relations between men, Indonesia and their excessive use of force againts protesters of all sorts?

Yeah, that makes sense.