Although I’ve expressed my distaste about AKB48’s lingerie pillowfight video to my friends a number of times, I’ve never addressed my distaste for them on this blog, but after reading the article “Risque AKB48 commercial draws fire for lesbian overtones” (The Japan Times, 23 April 2012), which contains the line “A commercial showing members of wildly popular all-girl band AKB48 passing bite-size candies seductively from mouth to mouth is under fire for encouraging homosexuality,” something needs to be said. Some pictures below the cut may be NSFW.

Screenshot from http://www.akb48cho.jp/cm/index.html
If you, like me, apparently missed the commercial for Puccho candy while it was on air, the commercials in question can be viewed here: http://www.akb48cho.jp/cm/index.html
The issue at hand is problematic for two reasons: first, the reactions detailed in the JT article expose the homophobia some of the viewership, as the opposition is not because it’s teens’ kissing but because it “may encourage homosexuality. “Furthermore, “‘I don’t want to see commercials like this,’ said another viewer, who also complained about a music video [clearly “Heavy Rotation”] by the group ‘in which girls, including teens, hug each other in their underwear. . . . It is very distasteful.'”

"Heavy Rotation." Screenshot from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkHlnWFnA0c
It is distasteful, but not for the reasons the viewer who complained probably meant. The second problem–and, in my opinion, the larger problem–is that the commercial represents an exploitative patriarchal view of homosocial behavior. AKB48 is a fan idol group marketing a certain kind of femininity, namely cutesy moe, to its fans, and because of this, the undertone is that the act of near kissing is meant for an audience of straight men (even though the fan base includes teenage girls as well). That is, the women are not passing chocolates in a sexy manner for their own pleasure, but for an audience–and as a widely aired commercial, it sends a message about voyeurism and female sexuality, particularly to the younger fans of both sexes.
Going back to “Heavy Rotation,” there’s no denying the voyeuristic nature of the video. The opening shot is of a keyhole and our gaze passing through it as one of the members removes her shirt to reveal a pink and black corset-&-stockings ensemble. Later in the video, members are shown kissing (again, quite innocently), sharing a bubble bath, and sharing food (near kissing) as if a camera were on them (which it is, of course). Again, this imagery contributes to the idea that romance or even sex acts between two women are either girlish and innocent (experimental, meaningless, everyone is still totally straight!) or, for adult women, are a show put on for men rather than an expression of desire or love between consenting adults. It contributes to the idea that bisexuality is a myth, something women do to titillate men, be trendy, or seem edgy. It contributes to the myth of sexy schoolgirl slumber parties (with the idea that there will be a male gaze in the form of interlopers to witness any kissing games or explorations). This, of course, seems to be a selling point of AKB48, particularly in light of “Heavy Rotation.” It contributes to the idea that women are a sexual accessory. It contributes to the idea that a sex act between women is analogous to the “lesbian porn” marketed for straight men.
I’ll be the first to admit that the commercial is actually very cute and innocent, and I imagine it would have still raised eyebrows if the lineup had been boy-girl-boy-girl because kissing on TV is still not as normalized in Japan as it is in the US. But what bothers me about the commercial is that it’s just another version of the dorm-room poster “Kiss” by Tanya Chalkin–it isn’t about owning one’s sexuality, women’s liberation, coming out, pride, or helping raise awareness about, visibility for, or the status of queer issues. This commercial is just mainstream-marketing women’s sexuality as something to be consumed by men.* That’s what we should be mad about, not “promoting homosexuality.”
Aside: I feel I am likely to get at least one comment from someone telling me that two women kissing is a beautiful thing, and that why am I angry about commodifying female sexuality–bonus points for noting that so many women consume boys’ love manga. Can you imagine these videos getting greenlighted for television if they were an all-male band having a sexy half-naked pillowfight in fancy underthings, or, conversely, a charming athletic romp with near kisses in a locker room? Jonny McGovern has us covered on that front, but that’s hardly mainstream and certainly isn’t marketed to women. Double bonus points if two women making out is hot but two guys making out is gross. On that front, it might be a better use of our time to discuss why men’s bodies are considered to be “gross” in mainstream culture.
Note
*I’m not anti-porn, but I think the mainstream narrative of women’s sexuality has a severe problem separating “things women do in ‘girl on girl’ porn” and personal kinks that have roots in taboos from narratives and acts that do not posit “this is how this combination of people must always work; this is normal.”
I find it interesting that the Heavy Rotation video was directed by Mika Ninagawa. Because it is a woman controlling the camera and the sexuality presented was beyond ridiculously over top, in a way I see it as kind of subversive and a little *winkwinknudgenudge*.
Of course, it *is* still obviously being presented for a stereotypical male audience, so the fact that the director is female can in some way be used as justification for perpetuating the exploitative patriarchical view. Still, it adds an interesting layer that I think often gets left out of the Heavy Rotation debate.
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Interesting point! While watching, I never thought to myself “oh, this is directed by a man/woman” (which is good) but Ninagawa doesn’t quite take the over-the-top aspect quite into the parody zone. I’m not quite sure how “Heavy Rotation” could have been similarly themed but not played straight (pun not intended).
You’re absolutely right about how a female director’s work can be read as justifying the patriarchal aspects, just like women who don’t support gender equality. Ninagawa obviously knew this video would sell, so I’m sure making money and giving the fans the fanservice they expect were large factors into what sort of video she directed–which makes me wonder how many and whose music videos are directed by women and what else Ninagawa has directed.
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Dear Leah,
If you haven’t already read Merry White’s book THE MATERIAL CHILD, COMING OF AGE IN JAPAN AND AMERICA, I think you might enjoy doing so. I think you’d find chapter 7, ‘Sexuality, illusions and reality’, especially interesting. (The book was published in 1994 and, so, is somewhat out of date, but, even so, I think you’ll recognize people you know in the students Merry White interviewed. Please click on http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?an=merry+white&bt.x=0&bt.y=0&sts=t&tn=the+material+child to see secondhand copies of THE MATERIAL CHILD for, by and large, reasonable prices.)
And, you can find a variety of TED talks on ‘Women reshaping the world’ at http://www.ted.com/themes/women_reshaping_the_world.html .
Sincerely,
James Wiegert
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I read The Material Child twice –once in undergrad and once in grad school. It’d be great to see an update, though I have just recently purchased White’s new book on coffee culture.
I’ll check out the TEDTalks you linked–I’ve seen the Gevinson one but not the others. Thanks!
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Dear Leah,
When clicking on the links in the Comment I just submitted to your blog, I discovered that the ‘TED talks’ webpage is slow to load. When it has loaded you should see several rows of photographs with titles of talks below them on the right-hand side of the screen.
Sincerely,
James Wiegert
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Yeah, I’m no fan of AKB either….pretty much for the same reasons you write about here.
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Compared to other young popstars in the US who do music videos in skimpy costumes (Britney Spears of my youth, I am looking at you), this isn’t really any different, but that just goes to prove how pervasive this behavior is. I think Community did an amazing (really biting, actually) parody of this cutesy, dumb sexy schoolgirl trope in their last Christmas episode/Glee parody: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwsATai–yg
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Yes! I loooooooved that bit. Boopdiboopdiboop SEX!
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