Pop Culture Tuesdays XI

Japan has a lot of things that are 'Uniquely Japan', and for whatever reason just don't happen in other countries. Obviously this is especially true of Pop Culture phenomenon.

Japan seems to have an entire class of people whose job is simply to be over-exposed and be singing at you on the radio, staring at you from giant billboards or enticing you to buy some product. Basically they seem to be professional 'Jack-of-All-Trades (and masters of none)'.

It seems that in the US each Pop Sphere is independent from the others. Celebrities rarely whore themselves for a hairspray commercial, act in movies, and sing in Pop bands; they just do one. In Japan the movement between spheres seems to be much more common, and as mentioned in the previous Pop post, this leads to the creation of the Pop Aesthetic. And simultaneously is a huge money making machine.

For example, let's say I like Japanese band SMAP (I don't), and in particular SMAP member Takuya Kimura. So I buy their CD's, then I see Kimura advertising a hair product, now I need to have that hairspray because the guy from my favorite band uses it. Do you know what hairspray the members of your favorite band prefer? Of course not, unless you live in Japan. Then I need to go see Generic Action Movie because he is in it. And suddenly this guy has dominated every sphere, and in the process made lots of people (including himself) very rich.

Anyway, I'm getting carried away, all I wanted was to post these hair product commercials.

Please enjoy professional-pretty-boy Takuya Kimura and his open-mouthed hair twirling:







Gaa-tsu-byyyyyyy!