Johnny and Associates - one of the biggest agencies of J-pop singers - has been overwhelmed by allegations against its founder (who passed away in 2019) that over decades he allegedly molested hundreds of young artists. An affair that was kept hidden for a long time despite the fact that the first allegations surfaced in 1999. The inadequacy of victim protection measures in Japan.
Oh yeah. The industry is just straight up creepy. The “talent” gets scouted as kids and gets used up for a couple of years until they get “too old” and maybe some of them transition into successful entertainment careers in adulthood. Some are able to go back to a “normal” life if their career was short and easily forgotten. Others might get away with a short gravure career… Others still go on to join the AV industry.
Of course, some enjoy their careers, and have no regrets about their choices.
But change is still badly needed. The idol industry has contracts that get really fucking close to straight up slavery with how tightly the agencies control the personal lives of the “talent”. And that some are willing, doesn’t excuse the treatment of the many who aren’t.
And that’s just industry standard, before we even consider the abuse happening behind closed doors.
I really do not like the phrase “teen idol market”
Oh yeah. The industry is just straight up creepy. The “talent” gets scouted as kids and gets used up for a couple of years until they get “too old” and maybe some of them transition into successful entertainment careers in adulthood. Some are able to go back to a “normal” life if their career was short and easily forgotten. Others might get away with a short gravure career… Others still go on to join the AV industry.
Of course, some enjoy their careers, and have no regrets about their choices.
But change is still badly needed. The idol industry has contracts that get really fucking close to straight up slavery with how tightly the agencies control the personal lives of the “talent”. And that some are willing, doesn’t excuse the treatment of the many who aren’t.
And that’s just industry standard, before we even consider the abuse happening behind closed doors.