I may not have digital video recording capability, but a lot of other people do.
As I wrote on New Year's Eve, we watched the Kohaku, NHK's annual New Year's Eve program: a live broadcast of the year's popular songs. The DJ Ozma production number was way over the top for NHK's staid programming, especially where the stated theme is Family and Home. From us it wrung cries of "Oh! My! God! Are they naked? No … But— No. What's with the silver lamé lederhosen? Hah! He's flying! Can't they point him so he's facing the audience? Oh! Ack! Euw! Fake flower penises!"
That provides a tidy précis of the salient points, but you can watch it if you want. Lots of people put it up on YouTube. I picked this version because at the end it includes the reactions of the Red Team Mediator (Nakama Yukie, who played Gangster Sensei) and some of the celebrity guest judges. Nakama-san says, "Uh. Oh my. Well. What do you think about that?" The girl guest judge says, "Oh. Well. It was … interesting." The guy behind her says, "That was the best Kohaku ever."
Someone also posted the NHK apology they slipped into the broadcast a short while later. He says, "We've had some calls. People are concerned that maybe the backup dancers were naked. But they weren't. They wore body suits. We're sorry to have disturbed you."
On New Year's Day I checked the Kohaku site and found a more extensive apology (it's gone now) at the top of the page. Basically, they said, "They weren't really naked! We totally didn't know they were going to do that! They wore bikinis during the dress rehearsal! We're sorry sorry sorry!"
The incident even made the gossip column in yesterday's Washington Post. Also, an Arts column in the New York Times.
The people of Japan may be miffed, but, hey, this is why I watch the Kohaku. Oz watched it because I did. He says I now owe him several vampire and/or zombie movies.
[A food show just started on TV Japan. They're celebrating Year of the Pig by eating some.]
364 words | January 3, 2007 08:44 PM | Lost in translation