Voices
in
Japan

quote of the day

A show with a national reputation groups performers by male-female gender categories serves to reinforce binary thinking about gender and possibly results in encouraging human rights violations against non-binary people and others.

19 Comments

Noritaka Moriyama, 39, an associate professor at Waseda University who specializes in LGBT issues, referring to NHK's New Year’s Eve TV entertainment special "Kohaku Utagassen.” Some academics and members of LGBT advocacy groups are voicing concerns that the variety show, whose performers are divided into two teams of men and women, is divisive and makes sexual minorities feel excluded.

© Asahi shimbun

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

19 Comments
Login to comment

There are only two genders. If I had a dollar for every gender that is in existence, I would have $2 and a bunch of counterfeits.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Anyway, most Japanese will probably be watching Korean shows on Netflix and maybe stopping once in a while to watch a certain artist, or have it playing in the background in another room.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

It is just an incredibly boring, and incredibly wasteful show to watch. With Gaki no Tsukai now gone forever there will be no Japanese TV playing in the household tomorrow night. It's going to be Cobra Kai season 4. Kohaku should have stopped about 30 years ago.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

How many people actually watch it? In most households I think it's probably no more than background noise to the eating, drinking and merrymaking that is hopefully going on.

I think we had it on a couple of times way back when the kids were teenagers and wanted to watch their favourite singers, but otherwise we used the telly to play video games on New Year's Eve, the one day in the year when Mr Cleo could be persuaded to join in. Nowadays we watch a film.

As for the 'binary thinking about gender' encouraging 'human rights violations' .... grow up, and stop being so precious.

Look what's between your legs, and act accordingly.

If you have to be different, then be different quietly.

And wot GBR48 said.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

The LBGTQ discrimination controversies are becoming tedious to me.

To a lot of people.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

A show with a national reputation groups performers by male-female gender categories serves to reinforce binary thinking about gender and possibly results in encouraging human rights violations against non-binary people and others.

Clearly the Neo-Marxists are infiltrating Japan higher education.

Never watched more than one minute of this show but it’s a very popular cultural event in Japan right? Yep, now even the Marxists are using the old successful divide and conquer technique.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I'd love to read his comments on the Penis Festival.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"...............serves to reinforce binary thinking about gender............."

It needs to be reinforced, urgently.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Seems like a big mountain of nothing. If you have asexuals/transexuals who present as female and are good/popular enough to be on the show, have them participate on the 'Red' team. If you have any asexuals/transexuals who present as male and are good enough/popular to be on show, have them participate on the 'White' team.

Something tells me that a person believes they are neither male nor female and presents as neither may not be popular enough to perform on the show, likely due to being unreliable or being overtly controversial. This eliminates the issue by itself.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

''who specializes in LGBT issues''

No Q? Very discriminatory.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

The LBGTQ discrimination controversies are becoming tedious to me.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Males and females are different. There's nothing to be ashamed of about that. It's natural.

15 ( +15 / -0 )

Separating people by gender on a Japanese TV show doesn't encourage 'human rights abuses'. Suggesting it does trivialises real human rights abuses in dictatorships, where people are being tortured, raped and murdered, and undermines those who are working to prevent them.

The white noise of 'first world problems' in the West is drowning out the screams of people around the world who are suffering real abuse. Those doing it just to platform themselves and their own issues should be ashamed of themselves.

12 ( +13 / -1 )

If the performers themselves identify as the gender of the team they are assigned to, what’s the problem?

People who watch UtaGassen to complain about gender issues have too much time on their hands. In fact, people who watch UtaGassen period have too much time in their hands. UtaGassen hasn’t been entertaining since DJ Ozma’s group wore the naked suits, and the Southern All Stars guy said the “M-word.”

1 ( +2 / -1 )

He could have also mentioned how "Kohaku" means red and white, red being female, a color associated with menstruation, and white for male, symbolizing purity.

A very long list of Japanese traditions are "binary" and "encourage human rights abuses."

-7 ( +4 / -11 )

Sexual minorities feel excluded from Kohaku? Lol, it seems that half the men's team are Gay.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites