21:59
Dran
If there is an Idol out there who has really been catching my interest lately, it's that 14 year old Manx girl, Beckii Cruel.
We on the internet are oft accused of being assholes with nothing better to do than troll. And when this girl got her big break after a video of her dancing to Danjo, a 2ch meme, went viral on the aforementioned BBS, I was shocked to see the news begin to bring out the worst in H!P fans and non-fans alike.
Mudslinging comments about her surfaced almost immediately, calling her anything from ugly to untalented and everything in between. One Hello!Online user described her as being "fake". How does one become a fake Idol anyhow? Even more surprising, however, is how kindly 2ch seems to have reacted to her by comparison.
2ch, a notorious haven for xenophobia and outright racism, managed to find the appeal in her videos dancing to their memes. So when a forum of racist Japanese nationalists can, why can't the west? Well, we have a habit of thinking of ourselves as more accepting of different cultures here in the west than in Asia, but it seems to me that this is just ignorance. I can think of many reasons why people hate her...
Simple racist dislike to anything non-Japanese? It's not as ridiculous as it sounds. I've heard it before, I'm sure you have too.
Perhaps it is jealousy. This girl has been given alot for people to get jealous about. A career as an Idol in Japan (for however long it lasts), the chance to meet celebrities and Idols - notably Sayumi Michishige, whom she seems to have developed some kind of affinity with. "True, but I'm not jealous of her!" I hear you say. Well, perhaps not, but that's the feeling I get when people say "She's not even that great at dancing!" or "Why did they pick her? XXXX is so much better at dancing!"
Or maybe people simply dislike her. Not everyone can, and if she isn't your cup of proverbial tea, then that's fine. Though often it's hard to tell these people apart from the ones above with troll-mentalities.
I, however, come from the camp of people who actually like her. Despite what people say, she is actually cute. She is also very talented. And most importantly, she is having fun and fulfulling some kind of dream. Seriously, how many of us get to reach our dreams in our lifetimes?
I said before on H!O that perhaps one of the reasons that I like her is also because she is Manx, and being Scottish myself, means we both belong to Celtic ethnicities. Not the same ethnic group, but the Irish, Scots and Manx are all descended from the same ancestry. Anyway, I was joking when I said it, but actually having an Idol that speaks in the same language as you always makes life easier for the fan. I can follow her on FaceBook or converse with her on NicoNico Live, something I probably couldn't do even if I tried with Maasa.
Language barrier is one of the most frustrating things for us non-Japanese fans, so it's nice to get past that.
But I think I'll cut this entry short. I've been without internet for days, and am stuck at the moment on an unstable 3G connection.
So I shall leave you with one last comment....
Danjo is the catchiest song in the world. Danjo Dan Danjo Danjo (woop woop)
3 comments:
HA and you give out to me for posting about korean music and here's you with beckii. But meh I am indifferent about her. Fair play to her for reaching her dream/goal but she's not really my thing. And ya I'd say a lot of the bashing is due to jealousy. And I was just about to click on that video but then remembered how catchy it is so I shall move on and listen to more kpop :P
I think she got taken up over the myriad other web dancing/singing Idol wannabe's - BECAUSE she is different, being white, rather than Japanese, so she is instantly recognisable as different, even if she may not be as good a dancer as say xxxayu3.
I've heard a song a few times, but it hasn't really struck a chord with me, personally yet - but it's not bad.
As to why 2ch have been kind to her? That's a difficult question to answer, and so I won't bother - no one really understands the thoughts from 2ch, lol.
As much as I am jealous of her for meeting the various H!P groups (and for being photographed with her arm around Chisato, the lucky git!) in a way, I'm proud that one of us has finally 'made it' to a point where they have been taken in by the Idol community, and can actually do the things WE all want to do, and meet the people we all want to meet.
Go Beckii!
eeesssh i dislike this girl. I don't see her having fun - she looks plain boring (and bored) to me... maybe she's not, but thats the feeling she gives me :x I think her voice is awful to listen to .. >__<
I admit I'm jealous at her for meeting our beloved idols, but I already disliked her before that, and I never wanted to be an idol.
I think... people like and dislike an idol mostly because of chemistry. It just doesn't work for me.
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