Why Do Japanese Idol Groups Look So Young??

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[@TienNguyen-dg4fe]

As a Vietnamese, I can confirm Viet and Thai sound so similar. When I was at uni, we had a pick-up soccer game between Vietnamese and Thai teams. It was hella confusing since everyone thinks the opponents can speak our language. Can't wait to see Joey in Vietnam, hope he'll share the experience on his channel or on trash taste.

[@ICU23000]

Definitely can confirm, I watch a couple of muay thai fights on youtube, and it confused the hell outta me when I felt like I should be able to understand the words they were saying but I just physically couldn't

[@hop-skip-ouch8798]

I don't know either of the languages but I've seen travel vlogs and the local languages did seem to have a similar flow to it. Nice to have confirmation.

[@jaekvj]

Lmfao i am Thai and i used to work in a restaurants and everytime vietnamese customers came in we were all confusing each other by speaking our own language towards each other 😭😂 and my chinese boss was even more confused

[@FrederikEngelmand]

Sounds like, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian. We can kinda understand each other but it's so confusing

[@nam430]

@@FrederikEngelmand except the case here is that they sound similar so you **feel** like you understand but you actually dont

[@trapperscout2046]

As someone who grew up speaking Ilocano (but never learning Tagalog), I'm often fooled into thinking that Indonesians and Malaysians are speaking in Tagalog or another Filipino language. I get this weird feeling that I should be able to understand what they are saying, but I can't.

[@tenochalthoff1925]

As an indonesian i always have the feeling i should understand tagalog too

[@victoriazero8869]

@@tenochalthoff1925 Conversing with Malays as Indonesian is beyond hilarious as you'll understand 90% of everything but completely and utterly fail the important 10%. Some positive words in Malay is negative in ours, and vice versa.

[@FF18Cloud]

I have the unfortunate issue of having a language barrier with my spanish-speaking future mother-in-law when you barely speak Spanish, but in the weird situation where she meets your parents and they're able to understand *some* Spanish words to be able to kinda communicate, cuz Tagalog, lol It's kinda funny though when I bring some Filipino food and get to use the whole puto joke But then, when I go to the Philippines, since I don't know any Tagalog myself but have been picking up *some* Spanish and really eating more Hispanic food than Filipino food, lmao... Imagine my weird new Yorker elitist ass face when I'm in tacloban ordering a taco, and I get the "taco" on a triangular flour tortilla... It's funny cuz, my fiance was trying to make pan de bono's yesterday, to find out that kosher salt is indeed different than table salt that she was like, "oh no, I made ACTUAL pan de sal" Lol, she gets "pissed off" that Filipino food takes like, bad translations of Spanish words.

[@shaoronmd]

I haven't heard Indonesian consistently yet, but whenever I hear Malay, there are some words that are very similar with Tagalog

[@catubigklahrinz9553]

We speak Filipino and my parents watch Indo/Malay shows. I think I hear Filipino but understand nothing.

[@ShadowFox10587O]

A couple of confused foreigners and garnt at an idol concert would be hilarious

[@PrograError]

sounds like Inkigayo or Music Bank...

[@chikasnotmadjustdisappoint6266]

I think we all know why...and the reason is...*shivers*

[@lmaoded777]

Real

[@SMA2343]

I legitimately have no idea. But I think I can piece it together

[@robuxbuyer7523]

😭

[@Sliced_cheese98]

Pedo city

[@cryingbball]

There’s a reason the age of consent in japan is 13.

[@VampireHunterR]

Can we get Joey's sister on Trash Taste on the show and ask to tell story about growing up with Joey as a kid 😅

[@ekio3572]

nah no need

[@BorislavVeselinov]

@@ekio3572 disagree

[@omkushwah7994]

@@BorislavVeselinov Thys have a private life and don't want everything on camera

[@janevim11]

as a long-time idol fan that got into idol culture at around 12 years old, and through groups that were specifically associated with anime for little girls, I have to add that there is that Hannah Montana esque charm to it. look at these girls! they're just like me! but they give it their all to perform and give their fans some fun, happiness and hope and so they garner love and support. and who would not want to spend their free time singing and dancing instead of going to science clubs or something. and the hyperfemininity of a lot of these groups was (and is) still a big point for me, you don't really see girls being purely girly and liking it and being loved for it. oh and then years later I realized that I'm also sapphic, so, that kind of plays into that too.

[@prodigypenn]

From what I've seen idols start alot eaarlier than 18 or 19, alot of them start 12-14 years old,

[@alexandresobreiramartins9461]

Or even younger, soometimes.

[@lovesiriusblack]

I've watched Sixteen (after becoming a fan of twice) a show were they are creating the group and man, how they treat kids and the trauma that will haunt them for the rest of their lives are not worth having my favourite music group for -.-' Jihyo, a member of the group, became a trainee to become an actor at the age of EIGHT.... I hope this gets outlawed and parents who vicariously live their lives through their kids is a thing of the past... and the companies profiting of this entire thing is so wrong...

[@prodigypenn]

@lovesiriusblack I believe those are KPop groups? Korea is on a whole different game when it comes es to idols, from what I know young people get recruited into training camps where they might spend years training to debut as an idol, in Japan it's usually much less demanding. They just recruit anyone who they think might be interested and maybe an audition, then some casual training just to get everyone on the same page.

[@pite9]

The portuguese were the first europeans that Japan got in contact with. That's why they call bread Pan. What's funny is the portuguese introduced them both to guns/muskets and Christianity at this time.

[@8bitdiedie]

Also Tempura.

[@porcorosso4330]

also kasa for umbrella

[@custos3249]

Pretty typical, that guns/swords were introduced at the same time as Christianity.

[@depremere3991]

@@custos3249 god wills it

[@Kardinaalilintu]

@@depremere3991 what a dreary god.

[@madensmith7014]

From my experience my school event performances in the Philippines, some kids are just way into dancing and singing. Honestly, I've seen a lot of similarities between idols and those people leading our class. Idols are just able to put in more effort and enthusiasm into it as it is an official job rather than something you do maybe twice a year along with a class of students that can't be arsed to do the same. Teenage years tend to be when people are most expressive and society still allows you to do so. When you've reach your twenties, it's all about college, university, work, getting married, and that's what society expects you to be at. I think that's why idols tend to be young. Acting celebrities somewhat have a pass in that since they can get into roles that fit their ages. Singers are more valued for their voice than their appearances.

[@bittertea]

It's not that there is space for young performers to express themselves in say a family friendly format to a young audience. In Japanese society there is a tendency idolized and fetishize youth, (typically girls) much younger than 18, to an audience that is much older then they are. That is what is meant by "They look like very very young." 1:58 It goes beyond music acts, to other things. A lot them are not good singers. It's not like they were suddenly hit with Charice level singers at once suddenly. Doesn't work like that at all. It's for their sex appeal.

[@madensmith7014]

@@bittertea I notice that many of the idols aren't exactly that skilled in dancing or singing, most of it comes in production value and more dedicated practice, that's why I compared them to students in school rather famous young talents in their own fields like Charice or Bieber. I haven't really misunderstood what people mean when they say "They look very young", but that's not the point I'm making in my original comment unless you want a thesis for all my thoughts on the matter. Just pointing out that young people like to sing and dance, and that the idol industry in Japan is capitalizing on that enthusiasm that young people have. Once you reach your 20's, that enthusiasm tends to wear off for the reasons mentioned above, unless that talent was properly nurtured or you don't live in the depressing life of Japan. Talking about the economy, job market, and work culture in Japan would even be an apt topic to discuss in addition to this chapter. I've yet to talk about the perspective of the actual viewers, from the surface idol fans to the more creepy ones following in some underground idol groups, but I don't have enough material to discuss about it and this is a KZbin comment, not a thesis.

[@eoretaspace]

Joey's on point about the Korean part, right now theres a Korean comedian who's really hot by capitalizing that lingo similarity playing a skit character named Danaka who is a Japanese Host club man that can speak broken Korean

[@jisoup]

omg tanaka san?

[@sanashi27]

On the subject of Japanese using foreign language like the German word Arbeit (arubaito), I saw from a manga I read before that's set in the Showa era that explained that apparently there were Germans who were frequently in certain cities or towns (I think some are port towns?) and so the locals there picked up some of their language. It also got popular to just use foreign language especially for the younger generations or something. I remember reading that like, last year or something and thought "Ah, so that's why." cause I was curious too from hearing foreign words in some anime dialogue.

[@IshtarNike]

Yep. Literally the reverse version of weaboos saying "Nani"

[@sowpmactavish]

@@IshtarNike surprise fuckin surprise people pick up language

[@dewaeryadi7776]

because yes, some of them are actually really young, its been like that since the first japanese idol group Johnnys back in 1962, one of its member Aoi Teruhiko was 14 years old when the group formed and in the 80s golden era of idol, Akina Nakamori and Seiko Matsuda, also Onyanko Club the predecessor of AKB48 debut as teen idols

[@toptextbottomtext9833]

I'm Vietnamese-American and I feel the exact same way with Thai how Garnt feels about Vietnamese. Also our food slaps from north to south.

[@TheNeroKennedy]

A fellow Vietnamese here, big agree. Hope Joey will be able to experience difference regional style food lol

[@toptextbottomtext9833]

@@TheNeroKennedy I hope the go to Hue because central food is so good but a lot of non Vietnamese people don’t eat it because it’s not as mainstream.

[@HowToActivateNeurons]

SEA(South East Asia) food is just built different

[@tibia-the-dog]

I hope Joey gets to try the street food honestly.

[@billbadson7598]

_"The expectation messes with what you're actually hearing."_ As someone who has eaten both green ketchup AND purple ketchup, I understand this perfectly. Both were flavored identically to red ketchup, but I almost threw up eating the purple stuff, because my brain would not accept it.

[@spiele_maus]

The Idol culture is one of the things that I never got a fan of. Idol-Groups, Maid cafés all that stuff, I don’t have anything against it, I just don’t care about it. But that’s just my opinion

[@mattbaltimore7195]

Same.... I just don't find it enticing and that anime film Perfect Blue just added it up to eleven for not liking it at all....

[@pauloazuela8488]

I'm not a fan but I appreciate the efforts they did

[@pauloazuela8488]

​@@mattbaltimore7195To be honest perfect blue just sums up the dadm side of celebrity life worldwide , not even just idols.

[@sohailansari3822]

​@@mattbaltimore7195 you will love oshi no ko too

[@heliumfreak5364]

Why do they look so young? Because thats what the market they are targetting likes to look at.

[@Lexyboogie]

I came across a video on my feed of Babymetal's lead singer when she was super young and doing the idol competitions, and I couldn't get over the fact that literally the entire audience was filled with men. There's a big problem with your industry if the majority of your business strategy is marketing teenage girls and younger to adult men,.

[@EyesDontCry]

To be fair, the majority of things in entertainment simply attract a larger male audience, and metal music isn't really an exception. I don't know anything about this stuff but it's just the case that men seem to be more into these things than women generally speaking. Like for example in rap, the majority of rappers black or not have majority white audience, especially more alternative groups and almost exclusively guys. Alot of these rappers I would say heavily orientate their music to the complete opposite of a white male audience, and yet that is who shows up at their shows and listens to their music. Now I understand this isn't a one to one comparison, I'm just saying that just because music or entertainment attracts an audience, doesn't necessarily mean that audience is intentionally being marketed towards, sometimes that's just how things turn out. Now maybe they are targeting their audience in this way, I simply don't know but to me it just makes sense that metal music would garner a majority male audience, if you used an example of more of a pop group who has lyrics and style that appeal more so to women, and then showed them having a majority male audience, I would find that to be far more wierd and would like to look into those examples more.

[@mckendrick7672]

Men like young girls, who woulda thunk it. 💀

[@yomu6285]

Yeah because people enjoying a cute type of metal is bad. I fucking hate that people have to judge me because I like cute shit. Yes, I enjoy cute stuff. Who the fuck cares!? It's not hurting anyone and it makes me happy. Holy fuck.

[@The_Rising_Dragon]

That is not a healthy take, mate. I am a 5'11 Bulky man, with a thick beard, and I enjoy cute things, because they are genuinely adorable! I wish people didn't say I am not allowed to enjoy cute and wholesome things, because it is unmanly or creepy. It is rather disheartening. :(

[@gandalainsley6467]

It was mainly the music. If you had a metal five year olds who made alright music their fanbase mainly would be men too.

[@orsaz924]

The use of katakana for different languages (12:07) seriously blew my mind 😂😂 I was holding my head and going "Yo you can use it to do shit like that ?👀🤯" 😂😂 Truth be told, this was a very funny and instructive-ish highlight

[@AlexF623]

The UK had spice girls too, I don’t understand why it is so hard to explain the concept.

[@Kardinaalilintu]

Spice girls hardly embody idol culture.

[@sowpmactavish]

Spice girls weren't moe, westies have no concept of moe.

[@Titi-oh]

It’s just japans version of underground rappers

[@Sara-rl3xi]

Lmao it's so weird to see the dichotomy between the East and the West. Where I grew up (SEA) idol culture is very popular. Even in the early 2000s, there would be huge idol fan clubs and events so it's weird for me to see people not used to them. Even the general population (like grandparents and uncles) know popular idol songs and groups. Regarding the age thing, the idol industry is very fickle, with over 90% of acts not returning profit in the first 3-4 years, which is why debuting at a young age is so "important". A lot of people don't like it, including myself, but that's how the industry has been for decades and it doesn't look like anything will change anytime soon.

[@vonniebunny8049]

I'm always disturbed by idol groups here in korea because they often look young and are young. A really popular one at the moment, newjeans, are in fact all 14-18. Its very creepy.

[@yachishairclips2250]

If you even debut in late 20s.. especially 24,25,26... you are considered very old to debut... Examples: Goo Hara of Kara, Solji of EXID (even got mocked for debuting in her early 20s+ not as pretty to Goo Hara), Solar of Mamamoo and Yunjin in Kep1er..

[@unklmonk651]

Are you just projecting your own creepy feelings? Because there's nothing creepy about NewJeans when their target demographic is the same age as the members. Other people just like their music.

[@janionii-sama3952]

There is nothing creepy in teenagers pursuing their dreams, I wish I had that same mindset when I was a teenager.

[@vonniebunny8049]

@@janionii-sama3952 thats extemely disingenuous. I'm not criticising the mere fact that they are idols 'persuing a dream' but that they perform incredibly sexualised dances and sing songs about giving men their cookies all while those same songs and dances were written and created by adults who should not be exploiting children in order to appeal to a target demographic of impressionable teen girls and 30 year old men who start timers counting down until they're of legal age. I'm also not keen on introducing 14 year olds to an industry where sexual abuse by higher ups is rampant, in a country that already highly discourages people who have been sexually assaulted from speaking up or going to the police for fear their own future may be ruined.

[@silverfox733]

​​@@unklmonk651 I myself am an idol fan.My favorite group is itzy.My favorite member is Yuna because she was my age and has a similar personality like me.I love her.But when I see fans sign and see old dude ,I used to think about like you too "They are fan of music of Itzy ".Then it hit me that Most idol groups don't have any say in the music.So one is not a fan of Itzy music ,they are fans of Itzy members .I don't know how to defend your statement.The 40 yr old man liking 15 yr old girl music is possible but very rare and most idol fans don't even care about the music of these idol groups.

[@Falnky]

5:38 I'm glad I'm not the only one who had this experience! I think "Man, my Japanese must suck, I can't understand this at all" before realizing they're speaking Korean 10 seconds later lol. Korean phonology is definitely different from Japanese but it's probably the closest I can think of.

[@alexandresobreiramartins9461]

I have a friend who literally can't seem to say Rei's name (Evangelion) without saying the R as the English R from ram. And what's funny is we're Brazilians, so that sound does not exist here at the beginning of syllables, what we have is actually the Japanese thrilled R.

[@CrythmX]

6:07 As a Vietnamese myself i relate to Garnt alot. The first time i heard someone speak Thai i thought they were speaking viet

[@Phanth43]

19-25 ain't bad, last year a kpop group debut with a 14 year old.

[@user-ss6vj3yh4u]

So, I'm an almost 30-year-old idol fan, and I'd like to share my perspective on the topic of what an idol actually is. Even though it's not always the case, being an idol can be described as the profession of "Being a Loved One." But that description can become much 'weirder' depending on each group's interpretation. Japanese society can be a lonely one. After the long and arduous process of job hunting, many people may not be able to find work that easily and may be left wondering, "Why isn't anyone choosing me?" "Why doesn't anyone accept me?" And this feeling of rejection can extend to one's love life as well. I might be projecting myself a bit, but still, it's not just me alone. An idol is that 'someone' you've been waiting for. Someone who accepts you, cares for you. Those on the stage who have been singing about love, how life hurts, but they will keep going. It just gives you hope. But that's not all because you can have a conversation with them. They will ask you how you've been and tell you a story about a mundane thing in their life. They give you love and care in this lonely society, and in return, you support them and let them "Be Your Loved One." That is what being an idol means. And yeah, you could see a problem, isn't it? It's not like this 'relationship' is always healthy. Not everyone has a pure heart. This applies to both fans and idols themselves. Even I could make an argument defending why idols are always so young based around how most Japanese people's good memories are in their high school, but there will still be a group who just want to make money from lonely men's 'hunger' for young girls. A REALLY YOUNG GIRL at that. So what should you take away from this? Idol is pretty awesome if you ask me. Some of them have really good and interesting songs too. (I recommend Ryutist, BiSH, Philosophy no Dance | if you're interested in Thai idols: Paintbrush, SiamDream, ShiningStar, and Happytail) But of course, there will always be a messed-up side to everything. That's all! Thank you for coming to my TedTalk! Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize this is Wendy's

[@sekar9901]

Yea, they sell parasocial relationship to their fans. That's why there's dating ban. That would lead to many problem tho, the fans can be really overprotective to their idol like it's their own, stalker problem, they feel bertrayed if the idol caught dating, they will angry and bullyed her, etc. They don't have freedom as human being, which is sad.

[@Kardinaalilintu]

That is so dystopian. Poor girls. Edit: maybe I should also write the rest of my thoughts to avoid coming across biased. I do also pitty the people stuck in that unforgiving and cruel worklife circle and pitty people facing the struggle to connect with eachother in a society where honesty, feelings and empathy have little room, in favour of your image being good, being assimilated to the group and never inconviniensing anyone. Not to mention the pressure to live a picture perfect life in order to be accepted. Sounds nightmareish, but maybe there is a benefit I'm oblivious to?

[@sekar9901]

@@Kardinaalilintu Ikr, i remember a girl need to apologize and shaved her hair because she caught dating. A fans (maybe more fans did this) would jerking off and rub his cum to his hand and went to handshake event. Fans have fantasies that the idol care about them, in reality they look uncomfortable during handshake (maybe feel disgusted aswell) and see them as a paycheck 😅.

[@icipher6730]

@@sekar9901 When I see yet another comment that makes a "parasocial = bad" equation, I just have to roll my eyes a bit. Have you ever experienced sadness when you learned that favorite musician, writer or another type of artist (not a passing interest, but a strong attachment) has passed away? Ever grieved over your beloved fictional character dying? Then you've experienced something that is called "parasocial breakup". And it is-oh no!-a completely *healthy* reaction. Parasocial relationships are *not* inherently negative, it simply is a different mode of interaction, and as long as you keep in mind that the person on the other end isn't really someone you know as an individual and your personal lives are actually separate, then it's completely fine. They aren't mean to replace reciprocal relationships with people in your normal daily social environments in the first place (if it that happens, only then you have a problem on your hands).

[@sekar9901]

@@icipher6730 Yes it's okay if people know that their relationships with media figures are not real. But my comment specifically toward Jpop idol tho. The company sell that "parasocial relationship" to the point they need to control their idol private lives. The dating ban imposed to keep up the illusion that they exist purely for the pleasure and adoration of their fans. "AKB48 has seen members leave or be demoted as punishment for dating, and its managers said Minegishi, one of the founding members, will be demoted to “kenkyu-sei” (research) status, relegating her to an understudy or backup dancer role in the 88-member group, which comprises three main teams and a smattering of smaller units." There's also an idol who get sued by the company because she caught dating. So dating is a sin and they get punishment even getting sued. So what's healthy about it? To feed the relationship fantasy they need to go through that.

[@mistermikeyjay]

If your mom is still in Thailand, they have idol groups there related to the big Japanese group, AKB48. They are sister groups, BNK48 out of Bangkok (or Krung Thep as you say) and CGM48 in Chiang Mai.

[@ChoobChoob]

It's quite the same with English and Dutch. When I went to Amsterdam I kept thinking there were English people from Liverpool standing behind me; I turn around and see 8ft giants whose speech was unintelligible; save a few words that we have in English but with more khakh.

[@ghosthunter0950]

I'm learning German now, and the words are spelled exactly how they sound which is surprisingly pleasant. can't say the same for the grammar though, that shit is complicated af in German but I have experience with an even worse language than German grammar wise.

[@rankoprose]

It is a hurdle to overcome, but speaking English in a stereotypical offensive way makes it easier to understand for Japanese who know some English. It just feels so wrong but it works.

[@akumuryuu]

I can't get enough of the "I've clipped into the restaurant and already got the meal" line.

[@nemoatlantis7148]

just like when Japanese insists on speaking japanese to foreign people so confidently, even though those foreign people don't understand japanese.

[@PimpMatt0]

When I was a kid I saw it as normal kid stuff for kids. I still like idol music but not as much as I did before. It's more for nostalgia now. I know there are weird older men who like that stuff for different reasons, if you know what I mean. It does have a history with that kind of stuff too. Pretty much like hollywood has a history if you get my drift.

[@ALLmasked]

for someone who likes atrashii gakkou and babymetal. its embarrassing to be summed up with other idol fans because of the implication.

[@henrygreen2096]

Atarashii Gakkou!? I am happy to find a fellow cultured individual.

[@Lexyboogie]

Go look at the audience at Su Metal's performances from when she was a kid. That video single handedly made me stop listening to Babymetal.

[@ALLmasked]

@@Lexyboogie not sure about those vids. but as for me. i separate the art from the artist. no rain no rainbow is too precious to give up.

[@DragonSamurai182]

Wait…. BABYMETAL is an Idol group? Are they an Idol group the same way that Hololive is, or are they an ACTUAL Idol group? I always thought they were just metal singers.

[@chams6275]

@@DragonSamurai182 a good chunk of idol groups have specific niches to cater to different people, Babymetal is pretty much an idol group in every sense of the word except for the fact that they perform metal songs and have a more hardcore look

[@paulwalther5237]

Non-English speakers assume English speakers have no idea what it's like to listen to a foreign language but in fact I've heard foreign languages and I know what it's like. That video to show what English is like for non English speakers... yeah.. that's me trying to understand German/French/Spanish/Japanese/Korean different languages/countries I've visited. And there's the song Prisencolinensinainciusol by that Italian singer who wanted to show English speakers... what it's like to listen to English as a non English speaker. It's a good song and he definitely achieved the effect... but how different is it from listening to an Italian song for an English speaker? I guess it's a bit weird because he's using English sounds instead of foreign sounds so (like you were saying in the video) it feels like you should understand but you don't.

[@thangnguyen9666]

Good luck with your trip to Việt Nam! Joey. Just a small reminder, if you go in summer. You should try to avoid going to the North of Viet Nam. Everyone thinks that the summer in Japan is hot and humid, North of Viet Nam is also that, but with double the heat and humidity. I have seen Foreigners, soaking their shirts within 30mins 😂 and constantly asking for water.

[@henrygreen2096]

The first time I saw 'As salaamu alaykum' in Japanese I was fucking losing my mind. The only time I've personally seen non-English katakana spelling was in _One Piece_ which has some French/German words but that was it.

[@ThatOneMalaysianGuy]

In jojo?

[@joebidenjr5902]

Where?

[@blenderpanzi]

13:00 "Maybe not German." German is pretty close to English. Not as close as Dutch, but some words are very close still.

[@handleless986]

It's weird because I can tell spoken Korean and Japanese pretty well now, they just have different quirks that is easy to pin point

[@stuntmonkey00]

Why is Garnt's description of Idol groups the same as what you would use to describe a host bar? lol

[@orangeapples]

They’re basically the same thing.

[@strongwuk]

Idols : merch and albums = hosts : food and drinks

[@janionii-sama3952]

Connor has the best explanation

[@ce461]

He should’ve just said similar to back street boys. Pretty band targeting teenagers/preteens, but Japan is creepy and only get middle aged men.

[@janionii-sama3952]

​@@ce461 I started when I was 15 yrs old, now I'm 28 and still into idols. When I was young, I can't afford idol merchandise now that I'm an adult I can buy a lot of merchandise to support them. Middle aged man has the most purchasing power that is why most of the time they are always present in their live performances and concerts and most likely with a ton or merch.

[@critic2029]

Some of them are that young. junior high and high school age idol groups are a thing. It’s part of the idol pipeline.

[@sekar9901]

I watched documentary about elementary school idol. Most of the audience are grown ass men, maybe similar to their dad's age. It's so creepy

[@Animemus]

Why is it that Japanese idols being young teens questionable? Like over here we have a lot of celebrities who started out as kids and teens. It’s not really different. It’s more so the demographics being different.

[@shirabe64]

It’s more the marketing and how they are treated as idols. A big part is selling their image. Some fans have just a strong dedication to the group because they are entertaining, some that are unhealthy have the idea that they could date one of the group. Encouraging that idea had been the marketing strategy in the past because those fans pay for so much merch and tickets and go to all the events they can to see that particular idol. It’s lead to a lot of stalking incidents for idols. A well known aspect of idol culture was the marriage ban, idols couldn’t have romantic relationships at all because they are supposed to sell an image of an available young girl/boy. So when an industry with all this throws young teens into it…

[@fandeslyc]

reminds me of when I saw a jp idol group's music video, and they ( probably underage girls ) were in lingerie That definitely made me not want to get into it

[@paulwalther5237]

As a foreigner you can't win. I'm a white guy so I go to Japan and they prejudge me by my appearance and I get annoyed at being instantly stereotyped before I even open my mouth. But when I was in Europe they had no idea I was a foreigner until I started talking and then I could see their face go from relaxed, confident, and friendly to oh **** it's a foreigner mode. Not that different from Japanese people to be honest. In Europe they just don't do it until you open your mouth so they get less time to panic etc. Of course in Europe if it's a big store they often have an English speaking employee they can just refer you to - and since I do look the same as them I think they panic a little less but they still panic sometimes.

[@toni6199]

As a Vietnamese, I hope you'll have a great time there

[@dcvalenzuela4540]

As an jpop idol fan, the easiest way to explain jp idols is that they are ojt celebrity. the litteral translation of an idol is they are young performers. the age requirement for idols if often on those who teens(13 -19 years old). If you want references, they are a lot of documentaries that explains how jp idols work one of which is title "Popcorn Dreams"(which a 3rd party documentary on AKB48).

[@alexandresobreiramartins9461]

The thing is Garnt was trying to avoid the (false) notion that idol fans are pedophiles. Yes, they do fap to their idols, but they would never have sex with them or accept the idea they're not pure untouched virgins, because that's the core of the fetish.

[@Kuroganemk2]

Or that there are a lot ofpedos.

[@tkpenalty]

Akb is dead tho

[@wiru48]

@@Kuroganemk2 Pervert detected, stop projecting, it's disgusting. They start young because it's a intermediate job for those girls. Most of them follows other paths after graduation (20-25 years) and they're still young to follow any other work (solo music, actress, model, etc). It's easy to understand.

[@wiru48]

@@tkpenalty for like 4 years...

[@elezraita]

I remember seeing Imagine Dragons when they were playing small venues in Provo, UT before they moved to Las Vegas and took off. Sure, a few of their members were different, and their sound was a bit more raw, but they were mostly the same as they are today. I have some ID music that probably less than 1% of their fans have ever heard. Anyway, it’s weird hearing them used as an example of a band that doesn’t play small venues when my first experience with them was just that.

[@finnishline]

If I tried to say English words in Japan like Japanese people pronounce them I'd be so concerned with coming off badly / racist. But that's probably just a mindset we have in North America.

[@patheticmortal373]

In Japan many would find it difficult to understand the English word *without* the Japanese pronunciation. They're often taught English by other Japanese people, and they have an "imaginative" use of English resulting in some interesting phrases. The Japanese for "smart phone" is sumaho. So it's suma-to ho-nu (ph/f sounds often become h instead). If you (in North America with non Japanese speakers) were to speak Japanese with English loan words it's an opportunity to teach Japanese pronunciation if it brought up.

[@Ash_Wen-li]

Don't be. Sometimes they struggle with the Western pronunciations of english words and when you pronounce it in a Japanese way it clicks for them

[@bastobasto4866]

north america ?

[@victoriazero8869]

Connor actually said just that that you HAD to spell it like a racist and it made him uncomfortable at first, and Chris confirmed similar experience because his fellow teacher wouldn't understand otherwise. Robotic lack of accent optional.

[@supervideomaker9136]

I think the difference is context. Like there’s a difference between a racist pronouncing L’s as R because they want to mock Japanese people vs a foreign in Japan who knows that Japanese doesn’t have L so they have to use R.

[@jackhorkheimer]

Funny how there are no symbols in the UK, in Ireland most road signs are symbols (I think to avoid squabbles over whether to use Gaelic or English), my favorites were the hockey player (actually supposed to be a construction worker with a sign) and the dude falling over the cliff.

[@startingfromlevelone9510]

They’re pop idols, the Spice Girls are an example they probably would have gotten. Or Britney Spears.

[@porcorosso4330]

we have idol groups in the west... back street boys, spice girls, one direction... I guess we call the bands... ... ... but yeah...

[@wchan39]

That's how I describe idol groups to westerners too. I would say something like, "Think of them as the Japanese equivalent to the Spice Girls or Backstreet Boys..."

[@pakxenon]

Westerners here speaking as if Honey Boo Boo and young beauty pageants are not a thing. Similar but different flavored.

[@DSQueenie]

2:12 you just say they’re like SClub7.

[@ChimeraLotietheBunny]

This is legit so good

[@DBC97]

As a Dutch speaker, I have the same with some sentences in German. Were I sometimes kinda can understand what their saying and sometimes it's a shot in the dark. How clishe that may sound some words are so close to Dutch and some sound completely different, so I kinda get the comprison by non-Dutch speakers even if it can be mildly annoying when it does happen.

[@MetalManiak93]

Must be the rice

[@Stalinsmustache]

6:07 Actually Korean and Japanese are very easy to distinguish. One sounds like anime and the another sounds like K drama.

[@Sintriel]

7:43 Joey: Vietnam gonna be lit. me: yeah, pretty sure that already happened in the 60's

[@TheCreepypro]

I have known about idol groups for years and I still don't think I get most things about them

[@hx615]

Still older than Cuties.

[@liamspruyt]

Arbeit is weird to use as its german? they were part of axis and one famous saying in german from that time "arbeit macht frei"

[@JETZcorp]

Let's be real here, if one was really, actually "into" little girls, Japanese culture and media have a lot to look at.

[@esrohm6460]

what the heck is an arudaito, like i am german and i can understand katakanafikation of english words most of the time but i have no idea what that is supposed to be. the only thing i can even think of would be aldi but wouldn't that be arudi

[@seankock7649]

Because they are MEANT to target young boys or girls...but sometimes it brings...bad people

[@vignesh306]

Garnt should've asked "Do you want the short version or the long version?" Lol

[@TheBlindAssassin24]

On the language note, I speak Spanish and that happens to me all the time when I hear someone speaking Portuguese 😂

[@stephensmith7327]

Depending on who you ask, because the Managment likes em young

[@raphaelzlimz8437]

Did notice from watching Japanese drama. A short drama about The dying culture of Female diver. I forget the title already.

[@Zero-qn8mk]

Honestly shorta wish westerners would stop looking down on other cultures all the time it's really patronising. Plus people do so much projecting. Btw I don't even like idol culture and all that crap I just wish people would live and let live.

[@shrimpified4413]

i'd be that friend "ayo, i have nothing to do, tell me all about it"

[@godseyeDealta]

what is クアトロフォルマッジ?

[@pumkin3405]

Im such a fan of young junior idols. Used to collect the magazines on beach/swimsuit day

[@BastardOfTheNorth]

Sus

[@malicekerendu3574]

What do you mean by that? 🤨

[@za-ir5ni]

Uh....

[@seik0uu]

I hope you aren't an adult

[@Ferg926]

Some one report this man

[@spiderdude2099]

The reason they're made to look like young children is......EXACTLY that horrible thing you're currently thinking "surely not" about...

[@blenderpanzi]

6:30 a bit like how Dutch sounds to people who speak German? But we can understand *some* parts of it. Not much.

[@hermandarmawan4610]

Do you know how old the absolute ace of SKE48 and one of the most popular AKB48 member, Matsui Jurina was when she debut? Jurina was born in 1997 and she debut in 2008.

[@socksjunior7792]

Jurina was something of an exception, at least among the 48G. Most girls debuted between the ages of 13 - 16. They pushed Jurina early because they knew they had a star in the making, and didn't want to wait to debut her.

[@camfunme]

Weeb accent description: l becomes r, f becomes h, c becomes k, a becomes e, e becomes i, and to break up strings of consonants add o's near start of word and u's near end of word.

[@loc4177]

Welcome to Vietnam, guys. It would be nice to have a little fan meeting.

[@ThatOneOddGuy]

I am that guy who goes deep into the questions

[@rovidelarosa]

Weird english word the Japanese adopted is service/sabisu. It means freebie.

[@alexandresobreiramartins9461]

Watch a Joey video where he tests his friend on understanding Japanese English. For example, "missu contestu", which is "miss contest" (a competition of misses), AKA beauty pageant, but the Japanese invented their own supposedly English term for it. Here in Brazil we have the same thing but to a far lesser extent. Like, here, a "billboard" is an "outdoor" and a "flash drive" is a "pendrive".

[@invertexyz]

10:30 I think a lot of the katana adoption is probably from games and anime using English words that sound "cool" in the moment, whether it's for a spell or attack or something like that, or to make something sound more mystical/powerful/foreign.

[@bennytdi]

Trying to order Coffee in Japan. LMFAO

[@bryanshoemaker6120]

Because they are young and in general the Japanese youth are more capable than most American adults. As I say this please keep in mind that this was 30 years ago and a lot can change in 30 years but it still seems to be true. I was amazed at how productive the Japanese youth were. The music scene in Japan is basically the exact opposites of the United States. To be on that stage these kids are paying with money out of their own pockets. They are going to school and working a job and trying to play shows.

[@ClubOneUwU]

Every time i hear Estonian i look up thinking: finnish, finnish? Just to be disappointed. Same thing with Meänkieli (though that sounds like someone speaking really bad finnish lol).

[@shakthi6351]

I do the keywords only thing even though I speak the local language..

[@5ifty6ixmediauk]

Surely the easiest way to explain is to compare it to the pop industry. Its the same principle, good looking, catchy songs, over publicised....

[@timmyturtle1066]

Joey should go bring Myeline with him as his translator.

[@carool1641]

They look their age, japanese girls usually look younger than they are due to their age, also kpop groups look older because of make up and styling

[@DenverEight]

It makes me think of the question, “What language do you think in?”

[@sonh788]

Korean sounds nothing like japanese. Thai and southern viet sound ridiculously similar

[@hexcodeff6624]

Katakana is super easy to understand for anyone speaking a real language

[@lisavijver9484]

But did they go to an idol group concert?

[@ItsLoHere]

9:12 At first I was like "where have I heard this story before", and then I realized Arin from Game Grumps did a similar thing when he was in Japan but tried to combine the Japanese words for "milk" and "tea"

[@Gorsky55]

What is gaunts t shirt

[@mauricioaguilera3194]

"Why do they look so youngs?" ... Because they are

[@potatoxgaming9466]

I like the virtue and self control of the idol tho. The proper idol (I mean)

[@ZeldasMask]

Idol groups along with vtubers just make me feel uncomfortable

[@decilence6184]

I think idol groups is to give people that happy children doing happy things , especially with how monotone some of the people's lives are. Also why do i have this "this weird let's talk about food" vibe

[@thatoneguyluke4358]

Hyper commercialized girl bands

[@ayameisastar]

Laughs in Mie prefecture. 😂 English signs? What English signs? This is the countryside! You’re on your own gaijin!

[@Emil_Stoltz]

Yeah, I swear; Asians age 10 years slower than other races. Kyo from Dir En Grey, for example, is 47 but looks 37