Is possible that Japanese TV sucks just because Japan is smaller than America? In America, HBO & company are big enough to support themselves, but since Japan's population is half as much, even in the best case scenario, you'll only ever have half as many people watch the The Suzumes or whatever.

Moreover, if sophisticated audiences are avoiding J.TV because of its low production values, do they watch Japanese movies? Those are mostly shot on celluloidでしょう？ But it's my understanding that those are also only marginally popular.

Could it be that the Japanese waste too much time at work to establish the kind of solid core of middle brow consumers who support the good shows on American TV?

Or is this just a case of the elites being too lazy to let their greed see past the easy profits of crap TV to the advantages of expanding the market?

1. I sure wouldn't, but that doesn't mean other jackasses around the world wouldn't. I mean:

Would you enjoy dancing/playing poker with the stars, or maybe watching them live together in a house and bicker at/sleep with each other?

Or would you enjoy watching random idiots and sometimes celebrities hurt themselves, perhaps as a test of their "fear factor"?

These two types of shows have caught on the US recently, and if they aren't directly inspired by Japanese TV (though "Most Extreme Elimination Challenge" was just retooled reruns of a Japanese show) they at least are exploiting similar lowest-common-denominator interests in the general public.

My point is not that American TV is better, but that the dislike of bad American reality celeb TV is no different from the dislike of bad Japanese reality celeb TV.

Both Japanese and American celebrity are awful, but awful in different ways.
I think the collections of gabbing, laughing, too-loud タレント are directed towards isolated, lonely people; they serve as substitute friends (much more lively and 面白い, than the real thing- if you're a bit dense).

I don't care if it isn't real, 学校へ行こう！ still has a huge place in my heart. No, I do care; it makes me sad that it isn't real and I feel cheated, but I refuse to reject the show outright because of it. Is/was that 100万円生活 show faked too?

I suspect I hate Japanese tv a lot less than some others here, but that's cool.

1. Maybe. It depends on what they were doing. I'm not a big fan of the "Let's go to some restauraunt and tell everyone how good the food is" kind of show, but if they had to sing kareoke without looking at the words or something it could be entertaining. Also if they had to master some crazy skill like in that East v. West special that comes on after New Year's (no idea what it is actually called, but I seem to remember it being explained to me as an annual thing) then that sounds like fun too. Also if they were relating neat-o 裏ワザ stuff.

Also I heard rumors of an American remake of トリビアの泉, so maybe this idea can be tested in the real world at some point. Hmm, maybe that was a while ago though. Don't know if there is anything to it.

2. My purchase habits are not related to the commercials I see on tv, so this isn't really applicable. I just don't like to buy a lot of stuff in general. I know, I know - I'm a bad consumer.

The person I dislike the most in Jpn TV is Tamori, who is snooty and arrogant (probably because he is racist) whenever there is a foreigner on his show.

"some crazy skill like in that East v. West special that comes on after New Year's"
It's called オールスター隠し芸大会、lauren.

And Tamori is a racist?Did'nt know that.
Back in the days in 70's,before he was doing the noon day show,He did some international mahjong
jokes with phony Korean and Chinese et al.Definitely not politically correct these days.

"Is possible that Japanese TV sucks just because Japan is smaller than America?"

Well, the UK is smaller than both the US and Japan and the BBC surely produces some of the best TV in the world. Size shouldn't be a problem. I just presume what appears to me as cheap and tacky production values holds some appeal.

Japanese TV seems to be so limited in its scope and content. Fuck knows how commissioning editors in Japan can look themselves in the mirror each morning. Japanese TV rarely wavers from the type of programmes that will interest the masses, mainly due to the financial backlash that would result were a show not attract a 15%+ TVR (shock horror). As we all know, Japan is a society based around shameless commercialism; the buy and sell, and importance of conforming to the social standing one gains from buying the products advertised. Sorry to have gone off on a bit of a tangent.

Anyway, Japanese TV really needs a kick up the arse. A few programmes here and there that weren't directed toward the masses in the hope of gaining some kind of critical acclaim rather than financial are whats needed. I won't hold my breath.

Also, marxy do you have an e-contact on here anywhere? I couldn't find one. Sorry if i am being useless. If you don't want to post it on here then could you drop me a line, i need to ask you something.
Thanks

My e-mail is n_s_b1982@yahoo.co.uk

lauren wrote: "Also I heard rumors of an American remake of トリビアの泉"

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...

I met Tamori once in the TBS building by accident. He was pretty nice to me. Talked to me for about 15 minutes and gave me an autograph and one of his stickers.

Now I'm wondering how much of そこが知りたい was faked. I liked that show alot. Obviously the "visits" to places were staged, but just how much room for fakery was there in that kind of show? Considering how much "news" gets faked, I guess I'll believe anything at this point.

none from mine,Chris B.Believe EVERYTHING!

I want to believe!

Once upon a time。There were movie tycoons making cartels called The Big Five System,五社体制.They had directors,technicians,actors,and writers.And
they owned these talents like plantation slaves.It was arthouse sweathouse.But they did make quality products.

Then Television pops out.Nothing to show in the beginning but boring NHK program(still is)So CIA sets up NIPPON TELEVISIONor NTV(CH4) to influence Japanese public without passing commie infiltrated newspapers.Things started,but still nothing but Wrestling and imported American TV dramas,like RAWHIDE and I LOVE LUCY occupied the tube.So TV stations started to have contract with small productions that supply new faces,which have no contract with The Big Five Cartel, we will later call "tarento".

With the helps from DENTSU,TV flourished,outpaced the movie tycoons,turned Big Five into dinosaurs.Would be the second class movie actors and actresses,tarentoes now became real stars.But no real talents emerged from the TV world,because they didn't raise any.No Japanese university(even until today)had department nor faculty for those who want to be broadcasting professionals.So TV stations started to exploit from sinking movie studios.Directors and screenplayers who were losing their opportunity because of the decline of the film productions partly due to the rise of TV,rushed to do almost any dramas on the air.

TV world grabbed movie veterans until there were no more coming out from the source.(Studio died by the late 60's.)But that was OK.Because now you have video,and you can take camera out of the studio,so you can now have all kinds of variety shows.No need for professionals.More amateur entered the industy.
By this time,TV station became NEW Big Five.NTV(4),TBS(6),FujiTV(8),TVAsahi(10)and of course NHK

By the 80's,serious concern of declining quality had loom out of the industry .Because movie studio trained people were retiring.But it was bubble days,the go-go-years.DENTSU gave a go to what would be the most extreme shows you can imagine.With good viewing rates everything were justified.Yarase were justified.Weirdness and bad taste were justified. It was also the time of Fuji TV,with the slogan"It ain't a TV if it ain't funny"おもしろくなければテレビじゃない.People stop to think by watching TV or expecting to think by watching it,as if DENTSU wanted everybody watching TV not to think at all but feel the message in the commercial.

And the bubble bursted,Stations start to cut down the production cost and outsourced to the outside small program making production.So now TV station is just a hub of tarento production and program production and DENTSU.No creative reformation,No quality control and No ultimate responsibility.

And Gaijins watch the shows and start wondering what on earth is going on here.

That's all very interesting, Aceface. Any book recommendations on where I can read that narrative?

"So TV stations started to have contract with small productions that supply new faces,which have no contract with The Big Five Cartel, we will later call "tarento"."

Are these jimusho mainly Watanabe Pro or did they just control the music shows at this point?

"No creative reformation,No quality control and No ultimate responsibility."

This is an interesting point, which is that when a show like "AruAru" gets in trouble, it's the production company rather than the network ultimately responsible. The network just pulls the plug once the advertiser pulls out, and all blame is on the producer. This kind of fits in with the van Wolferen concept of Japan having no one with ultimate responsibility. And it means that yarase and fabrications are likely to go on - you can always just pass the blame down to the underfunded production companies when things go wrong.

"People stop to think by watching TV or expecting to think by watching it,as if DENTSU wanted everybody watching TV not to think at all but feel the message in the commercial."
That, in a nutshell, is the physiological effect of TV programming on the limbic system, in any country, regardless of factors like quality. Let's not forget that with the exception of NHK and other public-subsidized stations (whether compulsory or donation-based like PBS) TV's raison d'etre is to lull you into a semi-hypnotic state, tenderizing your brain for the commercials. For me, having a divx/mpeg capable DVD player has been great way to circumvent commercials and geographical limits on programming (when I can get my tv and natto-binge prone wife to relenquish the remote).
A little off topic, but with Japanese TV, can Aceface or anyone else tell me why the channel numbers that appear on the screen often don't correspond to the channel number of the station? For example press for channel 4 and it says, like, 36 (I'm not near a TV right now so I can't give you the real numbers.) I'm pretty sure it's not just local.

A fairly entertaining articla about the effects of TV on the human brain. http://www.brainsturbator.com/index.php/brainsturbation/comments/more_dirt_on_the_demon_box_tv_science/

巨怪伝～正力松太郎と影武者たちの一世紀～
佐野眞一　文芸春秋刊

日本テレビとCIA～発掘された正力ファイル～
有馬哲夫　新潮社刊

テレビの黄金時代
小林信彦　文芸春秋刊
are what I read.
Definitely more in the market,but I can't guarantee the credibility nor I have chance nor interest to read them all.Almost all of J-movie history books has big five cartel related issues.
You can rely pretty much what Japanese wikipedia says on these issues,since there are few neutral resources.

Laotree:
It depends on where you live,but basically these channel numbers are that of just in Kanto area.(and the television device is made to apply that)So in other parts of the country,these channels' programs are shown in franchaise or alliance of these network which has different channnel numbers.

What a great safari! Wow! Is that a true intellectual? I thought those were extinct! What's that Cheney? Hand you your gun?

This SPAM keeps getting weirder and weirder.

Examples of van Wolfrens rightness are everywhere you look. Problem maintaining the nuclear plant? Blame the subcontractor. Leaked out 500,000 customer records onto Winny? Blame the subcontractor or a virus. Stock market cant actually function? Blame the integrator. I wonder who they will blame for the next Godzilla attack?

Aceface:
Didnt know that there were no broadcasting courses in universities here. That does however explain the confused looks when I tell people my bachelors is in Radio, TV & Film however.

Chris B:
That's what the situation WAS when I got into the industry back in '94.Maybe you can find it in somewhere but I don't think it is considered as "the source" from the institutions.

And about Van Wolfren,The past four or five books he wrote is bashing America for not taking any responsibility in global affairs and domestic politics.Now he is being published nowhere but only in Japan.I wonder who or what is he blaming for this situation.

I think there are some senmon gakko type places teaching media production now, but thats all I've heard of.

Ritsumeikan University is starting a 映像学部 that I think at least in theory will provide real training in film and tv production and management.

It is often said that the graduates of Doshisha University's Media Department (where the faculty are some of the most outspoken media critics) have trouble getting jobs at the major newspapers. There is the old idea that Japanese companies don't like graduates to come in with preconceived ideas. If you already think the kisha club are bad, there's a good chance that you're not going to work out at a newspaper.

I could see the same problem with TV. You can teach the kids that yarase is wrong, but that only makes them less employable.

Most of the media literacy students are頭でっかち.
Especially that professor of Doshisha is known as 一言居士
Rebel type is actually wanted,for they are more ambitious.鼻っ柱が強いほうが使えるからね。

media literacy student×
student of media department○

Aceface I was sure you would know the answer to my question. Another Kanto-centricism, eh? Is 一言居士 a derogatory term or could I apply it to you as a compliment?

"Another Kanto-centricism, eh? Is 一言居士 a derogatory term or could I apply it to you as a compliment?"

But I type more than one word!
So Laotree you live beyond Hakone I assume.
Don't spend too much time with those Tigers manias and come to the civilized part of the country sometime....

with Aceface as moderator this is becomming one great blog. thumbs up .

well at the risk of pointing out the obvious alin, at least aceface contributes to the discussions.

i agree chris. that's exactly what i'm actually saying. reading his tasteful and balanced/balancing comments i don't feel the need to be a hooligan anymore.

"So Laotree you live beyond Hakone I assume.
Don't spend too much time with those Tigers manias and come to the civilized part of the country sometime...."

Yeah Ace I'm closer to 彦根 than 箱根! One of those dyed-in-the-wool Kansai-ben speaking gaijinやで.
東京行ったら、可笑しいと思われるちゃうか？
I wouldn't say we're uncivilized here, but I do need to get up to the big city sometime a-hyuk a-hyuk.

Just a question, what exactly is their to fake in 学校へ行こう? It's been a while since I saw it, but it didn't strike me as a show presenting stuff worth faking?

I saw one segment on "Gakkou he ikou" where some girl and guy met up behind the school, and the guy tells this whole story about how he bought two lucky charms somewhere and he wanted to give one to the girl, but he was too embarassed.

And then she was like... I already have the charm! (She bought it at the same place after noticing him buy it!)

The point was the way it played out was WAY TOO PERFECT and was clearly scripted. So what they are faking and scripting is what these kids say to each other.

anyone noticing that often a (more likely than not) faked/scripted/acted out scenario is actually pushing a rather progressive point. domestic scenarios are the ones that come most to mind but also things to do with xenophobia etc.

i might be trying to suggest that often inertia is greater in , shall i say, civil society, family system etc then in the media.

Like "Visit Disneyworld"?

oh mate, i think my job is done.

I'm curious to know what people around here think of shows like 世界うるるん滞在記...educational entertainment or exploitation of the third world? (A little of both I'd say.) I find it interesting to see how people in, say, New Guinea live, but can't help feeling a little uneasy about the possible underbelly-circumstances.

The natto diet scandal must be big, even the otaku are making flash animations about it: http://iiaccess.net/upload/view.php/000915.swf

My albeit limited experience working on Japanese TV is that everything is fake, everything is forced, and everything is corny. I took part in a kind of "vox pop" street interview job last year -- they were pretending to stop Australian guys in Harajuku and ask them their opinions about Japanese celebrities. In other countries, when they do those street interviews with strangers about contemporary issues, they are always real people with real opinions, who are stopped by reporters as they go about their business. But not so in Japan. In Japan, even the street interviews are scripted. That's right they gathered a whole bunch of us Australian guys in Harajuku, pretended that they stopped us all walking by ourselves, and then told us what to say in the interview. I am sure they do this all the time. This is the Japanese approach to television making. To my mind, it represents a big loss of creativity. If us guys had been allowed to say what we really felt and believed, I am sure there would have been some interesting and original views expressed -- even some funny views. That would have been interesting. By making everyone follow a corny and cliched script, it just looks tired. Japanese audiences seem to lap it up though. Which is why Japanese TV will always remain trite and second rate -- I can't believe there are foreigners who actually like this crap!

Given the Japanese love of health fads and scares (see any Beat Takeshi health related program), combined with endemic hygienic phobias, it hardly surprises me that health data was faked on this show. I saw one of the Takeshi shows where they went into entertainers' homes and measured the amount and types of mold. One verdict was that all potted plants had mold in the soil and would make you sick. Um, sure. IF you have a completely compromised immune system (a la "Bubble Boy").