I think that some of the arguments that Cheng makes in her “Ornamentalism” article about perceptions of East Asian women align with the views of Wada Ayaka, a Japanese pop idol who recently graduated from the group she was in for 15 years, Angerme (originally called S/mileage). Ayaka has a reputation for being a feminist, and she doesn’t hesitate to express her views on this subject, which isn’t very common among idols in her agency. She also graduated from college with a degree in art history while being an idol, and she loves talking about these subjects, which bothers some of her fans who don’t want an idol to be too “intellectual.” Last week, she released a solo song addressing the way some of her male fans perceive her and other idols, which almost dehumanizes female idols as if they exist solely for the gaze of their fans. Here are some of the lyrics translated into English:
“I’m an idol, and not just anyone.
I don’t live my life for you”
“I’m an idol, but I don’t need idolatry.”
“Where are you? You’re really lost.”
“However, from time to time, I think that I love you as if you were my son.”
Also, someone just translated an interview with her where she discusses feminism and art history: https://twitter.com/queenAgonna/status/1184257904033095680?s=20
Skye, thank you for introducing me to this pop idol. It is very encouraging to see a Asian woman standing up for what she believes in and standing her ground. I find it interesting that you talk about how her fans aren’t too fond of her intellect. Do you think this is specifically because she is an idol? Because at Cornell, Ivy Leagues, and colleges/universities in general I notice a high East Asian student population, so it seems that on a “normal citizen” basis, being educated, renowned, and accomplished doesn’t seem to be a problem. What does this say about what we want our younger generations of girls to think and believe? Do we want them to thrive for greatness and success in terms of knowledge or clout?
Thanks for the response, Kennedy! I think that a lot of people listen to Japanese idol groups (particularly girl groups) as a way to escape from their daily lives, and so people expect the members to keep things lighthearted. I think that’s why when idols like Ayacho speak up about actual things happening in the world or talk about art from a feminist point of view, they’re annoyed. Some fans might also just flat-out oppose feminism. It’s interesting because it seems that most of the female fans and the few nonbinary fans I’ve seen on Twitter appreciate what she’s doing, but then many male fans (many of whom are from Japan, and I’ve seen a few from Latin America and a few from the U.S.–not sure about international fans elsewhere) criticize Ayacho for talking about these things.
You might also be interested in J-pop anti-idols or underground idols, who don’t hesitate to sing and talk about whatever they feel is important (e.g. BiS, Oomori Seiko).