BEFORE AMERICAN IDOL, THERE WAS JUST 'IDORU'
Without us even knowing it, we have all become Japanese. For awhile now, I have had "The Japanese In Me", but now, the Japanese is in you too. This is the first article of three that will focus on just a few of the many ways that popular culture in Japan has silently infiltrated our conciousness and is taking root. The tide has turned, the roles have been reversed, Japan is now the new trendsetter of cultural-cool.
The Idols and Talento in Japan, have reinvented what it takes to become famous -- young and female.
Inspired by the popularity the all-female French 'Ye-Ye' pop music movement in during the 60s in Japan, Japanese record companies created their own versions called "Idoru".
They were teenaged, they were fresh-faced and innocent --and they had no real talent.
All they had to do was prance around on stage, look cute and adorable, sing the pop songs written for them, and they were instantly famous.
But when fans tired of one particular idol, after they had consumed all the albums, the
magazines, the fashions imitated, then all was forgotten and they moved on to the next idol.
Over and over in Japan this process has repeated itself for decades. The Idoru genre expanding itself into TV, where 'retired' idols and B-grade movie stars mingle and milk their fame for all it's worth.
On TV they become 'Talento', or those with no talent. You may vaguely recognize their names, but you can't remember what they've done. Suddenly they're featured on every show that you watch.
And now, America too has been entranced by the Idol phenomenon.
In the 90's Japan had Amuro, Utada, Hamazaki:
In America now we have Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Rihanna:
Japanese record labels have had much longer to hone their craft; creating, packaging, and selling the public the concept of the Idol. And thanks to hugely popular show American Idol, we aren't too far behind.
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