[news] Ai Kago suspended indefinitely from H!P for smoking - Page 3

stardusties · #1 10th February 2006, 04:31 AM

oh man that's not cool, I don't know how serious Japan takes on smoking, [i really don't know how they take it here in the states either, they seem to let stuff go easily...] but i do know Asian countries, or atcually..any country OTHER than the US is very strict on their rules with pretty much all illegal activity.
So I think her getting away with just a suspension is maybe not as marsh as it should be. Nacchi was suspended on terms of plagarism, but i don't know which is worse of the two..smoking or plagarism....

eh, anyway, maybe she is doing it for the weight loss, but the best+most effective way for her to do that is to get rid of her kuso girl title and start working out and excersizing because smoking is extremely unhealthy. and She needs to learn that,

Kikaru · #2 10th February 2006, 05:16 AM

Well, to be honest, she kind of brought it upon herself. First of all, smoking is not healthy anyways, and I do hope it quites, just for the sake of her health. Second of all, it's not just a H!P rule, but like someone said before, it applies to everyone in Japan. Had she been at some other job, she would have faced the same consequence. But I do hope she's not suspended for too long. W songs are rather growing on me.

With the Mari issue, I do think that was a little overboard. Sure, she knew, but she was over 21 at that point, and she should be able to make her own decisions.

starr5245 · #3 10th February 2006, 08:36 AM

That's pretty sad!!! Since she's in the group for years, it seems to abrupt to end her career in Morning Musume now...

walking proud · #4 10th February 2006, 03:13 PM

I think that she deserves the same treatment as everyone else in Japan, but suspension is a bit far....

andre2907 · #5 10th February 2006, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walking proud

Note: In Japan, the legal smoking age is 20.

ROFL. 20?! It's scary how in Japan you see many many 12-14 year old smoking. REALLY young kids smoking, lots and lots of them. Even in schools you can see Jr. High students smoking. It's quite surprising the legal age there is 20.

Plus, I think it's true, this girls aren't allowed to live!! Geez, she's 18, she made a mistake, why is she being fired? It's not like you can't see underage kids in Japan smoking in almost every corner and public place. And WTF, Mari Yaguchi being fired because she was IN A SUPERMARKET WITH A GUY? Please, give me a break! And Ami Suzuki being blackmailed? In US, younger celebrities do much worst things and nothing happen to them..

superdonut · #6 10th February 2006, 05:10 PM

Hmm... I think they are being a little harsh... probably because where I'm from, so many young kids smoke. To me, I just think it's stupid, but if you want to do it to yourself... go ahead... ^^; I never really thought about it, but I suppose idols do have to be pure... so smoking, no boyfriends... but they are human...

Also... Ai is suspended... does that mean that she'll come back? Because, even though she was a bit stupid in smoking (and getting caught... haha ^^ ) I really like her...

drewbilation · #7 10th February 2006, 06:33 PM

^ Yeah, like what happened with Nacchi's scandal back in '04.

[ Melinda ] · #8 11th February 2006, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dokidokisuru

^ Yeah, like what happened with Nacchi's scandal back in '04.

Nacchi -scandal? What happened there?

walking proud · #9 11th February 2006, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by [ Melinda ]

Nacchi -scandal? What happened there?

She was writing poems in her photobook that were "her's" and she was really ripping them off from elsewhere. Kind of a stupid move, considering how many people read her photobook, there's bound to be someone that notices...

aiko_hoshi · #10 10th February 2006, 08:28 PM

exactly. she is an IDOL. she isn't supposed to be seen as a human, but something more than that.
and showing that she smokes isn't an IDOL behavior.

kago knows this. it's her fault. and now she has to deal with the backlash.

SunshineSlayer · #11 10th February 2006, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aiko_hoshi

exactly. she is an IDOL. she isn't supposed to be seen as a human, but something more than that.
and showing that she smokes isn't an IDOL behavior.

kago knows this. it's her fault. and now she has to deal with the backlash.

As I just said, the idol industry needs to change. It puts completely unrealistic and unfair expectations on these girls.

bluegie · #12 10th February 2006, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

As I just said, the idol industry needs to change. It puts completely unrealistic and unfair expectations on these girls.

I quite disagree with you on this topic. Like I said, idols are people worshipped by lots of people, especially the young ones. If kago smoking is nothing at all, what do the young girls think? They will probly say that "it looks really cool to smoke" or "i wanna be like kago... if I smoke, people will respect me blah blah". It's like aibon is delivering a wrong message to the young ones. To me it's not about the crazy boy-fans or the management team (probly they may have a different meaning to kago's smoking tho

). I dun care what those stupid boys or upright's doing. I just care about the negative impact on the teenager's somking habit..

ohsixthirty · #13 10th February 2006, 09:19 PM

it just seems really harsh to kick her out...

bluegie · #14 10th February 2006, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by touchedstar

it just seems really harsh to kick her out...

oh they haven't kicked her out yet. i bet it will be another 2-3 month suspension

***ImpactBreaker*** · #15 11th February 2006, 12:57 AM

Also, if people think being an idol is being exploited, then why not be happy that she got a suspension from a slavery work?

bluegie · #16 11th February 2006, 09:54 AM

I understand what you're saying, SunshineSlayer. I dun think fans will turn their back on her (except probly those hardcore boy-fans thinking aibon is an angel). We're just pointing out the fact about what aibon should had known about the consequences before she got caught on smoking. I know ayu smokes, and I know she was probly a bad girl when she was young (I think many fans know about that). When I knew ayu smokes, I had two worries: her health and the negative impact on youngsters. I only hate ayu smokes (the habit), but I dun hate her in person.

Therefore I know why you feel sad about this punishment.. but aibon is a different case. She's been set up as a innocent girl in the beginning by the management team. We know that "innocent girl doesn't smoke". This is the image of aibon. Being a funny girl, love teasing people, yet innocent. She could be forced to be like that, but it's the path she's chosen. If she breaks the image, she breaks the contract as well. Standing in the management's shoes you would suspend aibon as well. Let's think in this way... probly the suspension is just a way of the team to convert aibon from innocent image (which it's broken according to boy-fans) to something else. Probly it's good for her... so she can act more naturally later on.

It's just bad that aibon started with this image. Ayu didn't try to be innocent and cute in the beginning... Thus it may be easier for the public to accept her doing something not really good (e.g., drinks a lot and smokes...

) . Same goes to kumi. Some people may think she loves sex and probly loves doing all sorts of cool things, and I always thought she smokes and consumes alcohols... Then I just found out earlier that she doesn't smoke or drink

. So here you go, each image must have its own sacrifices.

Quote:

Originally Posted by [ Melinda ]

Nacchi -scandal? What happened there?

she plagiarized someone's poem or writings and used on her photobook or something. People found out that in Dec 2004 (and her thing was released back in 2000 or sth..). She's been suspended by the management for like 2 to 3 months. Her popularity did decline quite a bit after this event..

Alessia_Tateno · #17 11th February 2006, 01:58 PM

for what I know, W new album date is cancelled because of this -.- I dont think Tsunku likes to act like that but the business is business you understand?

hallelujah_united · #18 11th February 2006, 02:24 PM

Well, underaged smoking is still a crime since there is a law prohibiting it, and therefore Kago has to be punished. Otherwise underaged people all over Japan are going to be even more confident that they can get away with it than they already are. It's sad but necessary, because she is after all in the public eye.

But it's true that underaged smoking is a really big problem around the world, and there is a need to tackle it more seriously. I'm happy that H!P is taking an appropriate stance (firing her would have been bad because after all she is only 18 and most probably wouldn't have been able to cope with the disappointment) on this issue.

Even though she's committed such a mistake, I hope that she'll be able to bounce back and put this issue behind her. She's been punished, now it's time for her to learn from it and move on.

Mirai Noah · #19 11th February 2006, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hallelujah_united

Even though she's committed such a mistake, I hope that she'll be able to bounce back and put this issue behind her. She's been punished, now it's time for her to learn from it and move on.

Exactly. I hope that she learns from this.

#20 11th February 2006, 06:00 PM

I'm just waiting till Gackt's drag queen Grandmother, I mean, Tsunku croaks so then H!P can finally get its act together.

He's ruined her entire career. I doubt she'll be able to get back into the buisness by herself. Personaly, I think the whole "idol" thing is corupt and perverse.