History of Japanese pop culture

Japan Pop! Popular Idol Analysis

Japanese and Western popular idols vary greatly in their approach to entertainment and popularity. Whereas western popular idols focus on their ability to express their unique and individual personas, Japanese popular idols typically aspire to relate to community members and build a sense of rapport and camaraderie with fellow community members. In Western societies, typically fame within the pop culture is attributed to and individuals ability to stand out in a crowd. In Japan however, the phrase "the nail that sticks out gets hammered down" refers to the disdain that popular idols and other performers receive for standing out in a crowd. Japanese popular idols are in fact, encouraged to blend into the crowd rather than stand out from it.

In Japan performers are encouraged to in fact, blend in with the crowd; those that emphasize the needs and well being of community members are more cherished than those that stand out as individuals. This contrasts greatly to the American idealism of individuality. Most American popular idols are often recognized for their ability to "stand out" from the crowd. These ideas are explored in greater detail below.

According to sociologists Eric Barnouw and Catherine Kirkland, popular culture personalities and performers within Japanese culture serve to provide entertainment, but also serve to help develop and foster relationships and outcomes that make sense to the public, and offer comfort in a chaotic world (Aoyagi, 324). Many Japanese and Asian idols save as figures that help make sense of the world, and their cultural personas aspire to relate to their audience (Aoyagi, 325).

Very often popular idols in Japan and in Asia may not always offer the best talented performances, but they have the unique ability to relate to their audiences in unique and satisfactory ways. Performers aspire to reflect the concerns and dreams of their audiences, and offer a model of attractive lifestyles and strong, popular friendships (Aoyagi, 326).

Popular idols in western cultures typically project images that exonerate the ideals exemplified in the phrase "the squeaky wheel gets the grease." American popular idols use whatever means necessary to gain fame and fortune. They relate to the community in the sense that they often follow popular trends and styles; however, most are also interested in pursuing personal interests that promote personal gain and success. Slick advertising, promotions and marketing campaigns often are the key to success for many American popular idols. Their success has less to do with their ability to relate to the community, and perhaps more to do with their ability to market themselves and enmesh themselves with popular themes at the time they are performing.