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Why do you think "best" awards are so popular in Japan's show business world?

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It's a way to stroke the egos of celebrities. Really not a unique concept, not too long ago in the U.S. there was an insane amount of awards shows every year. I swear, one year they had something like 30 different awards shows, everything from the usual emmy and oscars all the way to blockbuster award shows and hollywood video awards shows. While it does seem rather dumb that they are giving out awards in Japan for the dumbest concepts such as hair style, best clothing, etc. etc. the psychology behind it, sucking up to famous people, is hardly unique to japan.

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I don't think they are popular. I think they are reported on a lot because they are advertisements pretending to be awards so they get press coverage. And some people are gullible enough to believe that they are really awards that people earned, or wanted to get.

Kind of like when some singer says "My dream is to appear on NHK's new years show" and people really believe that that is their dream.

All commercials, All the time.

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People in show business are so mediocre and talentless they need to have their self image pumped up with a constant stream of fake praise. If they can win a "best" prize they feel a little bit better about their empty, vapid existences. The phenomenon is not unique to Japan or even show business. People are always trying to justify their pointless little lives.

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Not popular, just a fad created by retarded talent agencies

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These "best awards" are just another "badge" for people to pin to their empty chests for others to see. Trying to gain some sense of self-image and pride in a society that lacks a true sense of self-worth. Caught in the self-destructive fantasy of believing that "you are what you where."

S

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oops! "wear."

S

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Because Japanese show business is so bad and talentless, the public need to be told who is good and who to watch. Bamboohat is right, its just advertising.

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what bamboo said

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Poor self esteem. Or something. Ask the US video and music industry. They seem to understand.

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It has to be realized that these "awards" are not awards in themselves. Rather they are vehicles by which companies and industy groups get traction in the mass media. As such, the company behind "best smile" is a business involved in oral care. "Best Diamonds" is a company involved in the mining of precious stones, etc.

Moreover, on another level their is the issue of shallowness in show business. Because of cultural and language barriers, Japanese entertainers find it very hard to be big on a global scale. As such, the domestic entertainment industry makes up for this by developing their own little construct of which the "best" phenomenon is but one attribute.

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These events such as Nail Queen, Best Leatherist, etc, are clearly not newsworthy, so I don't understand why a Japanese editor doesn't just ignore the faxed invitation to the event when it comes to his desk? Why don't editors just say, "No, this isn't news. I'll send our photographer to something more important instead."

I think the media - both TV and tabloids - have been conditioned over years to fill their programs and pages with this sort of manufactured content from the big agencies and the corporate sponsors who are paying the agencies to send their talents to the event.

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because back slapping, self congratulation and vertical hand clapping like a sealion are such fun

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It probably goes without saying that talent agencies are, in actual fact, advertising agencies, or at least, tied very closely to them. Award shows on Japanese TV are only serve to raise a 'talento-san's' celebrity profile, thereby simultaneously raising the profile of the products they become synonymous with too. I remember reading an article not so long ago (perhaps featured on Japan Today?) that the salaries of so-called 'TV talents' are actually one of the lowest in Japan, not much more than a convenience store clerk.

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I think because "mediocre" awards are just not as interesting.

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Because the Japanese entertainment industry is tightly controlled by a small number of agencies who have a huge amount of power over the media. They can threaten to withdraw popular acts from TV shows and magazines if you refuse to promote their latest vacuous "talent".

I doubt anyone cares who has the best nails etc... but a lot of people watch wideshows so these celebrities and their sponsors get exposure through these meaningless awards.

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It's like modern film. IT ALL SUCKS.

So they stroke each other's egos to make it seem like they are providing some sort of valuable service and they give it a name. In Japan, they become the "~ist" or something like that. In Hollywood, they give you a bogus award for your "performance" and allow you to comment on world matters so that the rest of us can laugh at your pretentious butt.

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i'd like to see a best gravurist idol award. with full on swimsuit competition, topped off with oil wresting.

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Why not just do away with the swimsuit requirement. Not the compitition... just the suit.

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Cheap publicity?

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its all rubbish.

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Well, very easy answer to this question, SOMEBODY has to be the best, right?

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It's advertising. It's because Dentsu runs things. It's cheap publicity. Most of these events are held in low-rent spaces, ie at the Dentsu headquarters.

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So where's our "best" award for today? I'm sitting here with my morning coffee and a hundred one liners but no "best-ist" to use them on!!

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As Triumvere said, it's cheap publicity. And how else is Japan allowed to embarass itself on a big stage, other than with Aso's comments?

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So where's our "best" award for today? I'm sitting here with my morning coffee and a hundred one liners but no "best-ist" to use them on!!

You are hereby dubbed the best posterist.... The trophy's in the mail.

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my favorite ones are cashier of the year, steel drum maneuvering of the year, elevator girl of the year, department store gift wrapping of the year, packing items neatly into convenience bag of the year, bowing and greeting customers of the year, and all the other wonderful ones to keep 0.1% of the weird employees happy.

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