Rumours of Nudity....

[saharial]

I've heard a disturbing whisper on the net today that ShinJiro's next photobook is going to be a nude one and the concept is male prostitute...

I'm not really comfortable with this at all really. I don't know why because  I have no problem with nude photography at all, I think the human body is beautiful.  I liked the Shinhwa Wild! Photoshoot - though that was done before I became a fan so maybe that makes a difference.

I'm trying to work out why so here are some possible things that spring to mind...
 

• Perhaps its because its one photobook of one guy all nude for however many pages. It feels gratuitous and voyeuristic.
• Perhaps its because Shinjiro is quite slender and it might make him look too young :/
• I don't know who the photographer is so I don't trust the angle taken .
• The concept is demeaning, not just for Shinjiro but also for AAA
• Perhaps because I like Shinjiro but am not attracted to him

*sigh* anyone else out there have any thoughts?

 

Comments

[bravelioness]

I haven't heard this rumor, but somehow I wouldn't be surprised if Shinjiro took it this far. I also don't think it's necessarily that bad, given Shinjiro is a male gravure idol, and since female gravure idols do this all the time, well...yeah, you get what I mean. ><;;

Anyway, that being said, I personally would not want to see this book. I love Shinjiro to pieces and everything, but it's just not necessary. If he really wants to do this book, then I'll support him, but it really makes me wonder what exactly he's hoping for by doing a nude shoot. And I agree, his skinny body makes him look too young for this kind of thing. ><

I wonder what photographer wants to do this so badly? (And I wouldn't say it's too demeaning for AAA...remember Misako's photobook? -.-;;)

[saharial]

ahh see, i didn't know Misako had done one, but its a good fact to add into the mix. If its all Shinjiro's idea then fair enough, but i guess I worry he might be being taken advantage of.
I like confronting my feelings on this though, I always think that a strong reaction should be analysed a bit as to why. I'm curious to know why I still have that demeaning vibe for AAA even though Misako had done a nude shoot too. Does it mean I think its acceptable for women to do nude shoots and not men? I'm sure its not that, but you see what i mean right? I'm interested in feminism and gender studies and read a lot of stuff so i like to try and step outside my reactions and find out where they come from
(its 5.40am too so maybe i make no sense)
hmm.. it will certainly give me something to ponder during the day...

[bravelioness]

Yeah, Misako did a typical female gravure idol book! I don't know if there were many nude shots (I think not), but there were enough "demeaning" ones in there for sure! -.-;; Typically in the Japanese entertainment business, they try to make the men look tougher, so I get the feeling that this is all Shinjiro's idea, not something that Avex or anyone else is pushing in particular. Avex definitely, I think, would not be pushing for such a book. I don't know if you remember, but back when Nissy did "Love Exposure", Avex was completely against it. Because the film made him look weaker (as a male) and stuff like that, they really didn't want him to act in it. Still, he did it anyway, and after its success, they began to acknowledge that he was in it (although I still think they have a hard time acknowledging he did that--so now they push for him to do more manly things).

And I see what you mean here. Even for those of us who believe everything should be fair (that men and women get equal opportunity, including that if women want nude male books the way men want women's, we should be able to get it), our culture is so deeply embedded with the thought that women can be objects but not men, that a nude male photobook is a really strange idea for all of us. I never really identified as a feminist until recently, when I realized I do hold these sentiments. I'm not anti-men, but sometimes I do feel a little upset over what they can get away with, making women into objects, but not vice versa. Still, being a feminist in Japan is a dangerous game--you could go crazy trying to fight the sexism here, physically but ESPECIALLY mentally! >

[saharial]

ahh now you see how wrong Avex was to be against 'Love Exposure' - if i hadn't seen that movie, picked up at random from a film festival i would not be here talking to you! I was so enthralled by Nissy's character in Love Exposure i looked up who he was and hats how I discovered AAA and your lovely comm! I had no idea they had been against it, though once I found out he was a singer in a group I was maybe surprised he was doing a role like that, but admired him even more for it that he would pick something that didn't conform.

It does seem to be rather ingrained at unexpected times the idea that we can be object and not men. after all in Greek times the male statues were all nude and female ones were clothed. It changes little by little, but some cultures its engrained deeper than others i guess.

I do actually think Nissy gives of a very manly vibe which just goes to show that build has nothing to do with masculinity. My favourite Korean artist was able to pass as a female when he was younger, even after he built up his muscle he had a beautiful look but was still very masculine. I do prefer men who are more 'beautiful' rather than rugged and bristly - my friend at church even pointed out i like the feminine type which puzzled me because i find the vibe from them as SO masculine

I think its funny though the different perceptions of what's manly and what is not!

[bravelioness]

Oh, I know for sure Avex was wrong about Love Exposure. It was an amazing film and it definitely got Nissy more fans (like in your case)! In the end, it really worked out for them! (My case is different--I would never have gone and seen Love Exposure if I hadn't already been a fan of Nissy. Because it never showed in my home state, so I had to go all the way to New York to see it at a special premiere.) And yes, they were really against it! I think that's why after that they tried to put him in more "masculine" roles, so that people wouldn't think he's too feminine (although I think that's partly one of his selling points, in some ways).

Yeah, I don't understand why Greek statues were relatively equal in terms of "who" was the object, but these days only women can be. Japanese culture remains firmly patriarchal, and it's unheard of for a man to be made an object here (at least for a woman--men can be objects to other men, but not to women). This place is legitimately a feminist's worst nightmare.

And actually, Japan I think has mixed feelings of masculinity. Obviously they too have that big, tough guy image. But there's also another image that you constantly see being promoted in popular media in Japan today. That a beautiful man can be skinny and "feminine" in appearance, but it's what he does that makes him manly. (So, for example, viewing women as objects, raping women, like they had Tomo do for two different shows now, and doing anything that promotes men as being better than women, no matter what they look like.)

[saharial]

http://thegrandnarrative.com/ is one of the best sites I'm reading to do with Korean sociology and advertising/gender portrayal. It IS different to Japan, but one of the most important on my reader.
I've no idea if there is a Japanese equivalent, but it would be an interesting experiment to have one.

I also recommend 'Pink samurai' by Nicholas Bornoff - goes through the history of sex and sexuality in Japan from way back in history to modern times. You might not be able to get it where you are, so let me know and I'll find you a copy :)

[airah4]

That book sounds interesting, Kay-san! &hearts I recall all the loopholes sex artists used to find during Japanese history: (Like using tentacles or chopsticks to rape girls. *rolls eyes* Because at the very least, even if they weren't real male parts, they were phallus-shaped enough...)

About this photobook though...Hahaha, I honestly get the impression Misako encouraged him to do it. Not even literally, just maybe...how can I say this? By the way she styles herself? I think she's given him a lot more confidence, and I definitely think he's gotten a lot more after doing the photoshoot for Leslie Kee, the one we went to see. He wasn't nearly as nude as some of the people in the gallery, but he was nude enough.

I actually don't mind too much that he's doing this, only because I'd much rather a guy did it than one of the girls. Already Misako and Chiaki have had their sex image thing going on, and I feel like if one of them made this kind of book (Misako's photobook kind of borders on this, actually), then it would be even more disturbing for the group's image. Plus, I'd just much rather see a guy...The biggest concern I have for this is that it might mean Shinjiro becomes cockier, which is not a pleasant thought. >

[saharial]

I'm just really fascinated by my own reaction to it all as I've been reading into feminism and gender studies in the last few months and its a great example for me. I don examine my reaction carefully and the strongest one is that i think he's too slender looking - which starts to add in body image etc. if he's very slender and boyish looking does it make him look too young etc etc. I'm never sure if i am approaching this with too western a mindset as I still have a lot to learn about modern Japanese Culture, so its a good learning experience for me!

[airah4]

That's actually a good point, if it makes him look too young or not. But then you have to think about how with girls' photobooks here, the younger they look, the "better," according to the male population. There are books here with older models who look younger who specialize in dressing up as schoolgirls being molested or whatnot. The culture, I have to say, is messed up...I've been immersed in it for so long that I'm beginning to get used to it, though certainly not accepting of it. :(