5 posts tagged “nasty rumors”

Quote from fybabe's blog:

WAR!!!
je vs kodansha!!! O.o

ohno denied to smoking pot but admitted to 3p.
je went to calm down the major tv stations, newpapers instantly.
je adamantly refused any sort of coverage/interviews for nino/toma's coming dorama to be showcased in gendai.
but the biggest bang to kodanshi was je to cancel all the yearly je calendar publishing rights with them, which brought in around 200million yen a year.
they claimed the person responsible for mag publications in je died suddenly O.o this had a huge impact in je... <---most likely killed by yakuzas XD

this editor was wondering if recent surface of je boys' scandals had anything to do with that important guy's death?

so... can anyone explain to me why JE did this?  Was the magazine that covered the news published by Kodansha?  I've looked into it but I can't find it on Kodansha's website www.kodansha.co.jp or on cyzo's site http://www.cyzo.com/2007/09/corporate.html ...  Kodansha is huge and has a lot of affiliates... Cyzo doesn't appear to be directly linked with them but I'll keep looking... I may just fail at finding stuff.  OTZ  I think there's got to be a link there somehow becuase otherwise I don't know why Johnny would pull his deals with them.

NOTE:  As junbug6272 pointed out, Ohno admitted to  女性二人と遊んだ事　- more or less "playing around" with two girls.  This doesn't explcitly mean threesome... that seems to be merely Cyzo's spin.  It may indeed mean threesome but we'll never know and from the only photos available I'm going to assume they were just drunk and messing around.

It seems like JE is just doing a little damage control of Arashi, limiting their exposure so as not to draw extra attention.  Predictable enough for for JE.

JE will have to find another publisher for the JE calendars (200 million yen a year? shouldn't be hard OTZ).

And what?  Someone in charge of magazine publications in JE died!? orz That is just strange...  Don't know what to say there...

I guess we should all be relieved at Ohno's confession...  I mean, the "playing around" (whatever that means) isn't the greatest news to have out, and I guess that means the photos still stand, but after the pot scare it's nothing. 

Any way you look at it, here is the beginning of some of the effects.  OTZ  Bad, bad, bad for Ohno's reputation.  Ohno, whyyyyy~~~ another quote:

ohno is warned by the cm sponsors about his behaviour. and his part in the au cm will be edited out.
but sponsors warned they will be watching how the situation would go...
damn!
and they have been hearing the antis voices in 2ch.
so have all ohno fans given up on him??

...yep.  OTZ there go the lovely AU cms.  I wish I knew more about how to show my support. ;-; I wish more people were doing that.  Check Princess_Jime's vox for how to show your support!  I'll be posting links too, shortly.

Apparently people HAVE still seen the AU by KDDI CMs airing.  AU has said something about pulling them but they don't seem to have done so as of now.  Chances are if they had pulled the CMs they would have done so quietly and discreetly, without making a statement.  I'm betting the reason they seem to have MADE a statement is so that they can publicly disown Ohno's ACTIONS while still being able to air him in the CMs. 

...you know, everyone is human, everyone makes mistakes, and every celebrity has got to have some skeletons in their closet.  It's impossible for them to really be as wholesome and perfect as they're portrayed.  I know it's a bit disappointing in some ways, I know...  But do people really have to go into such a tizz about it? orz Can we all just assume that every celebrity has something like this in their past or private life, and it's not our business, and even if it becomes public, can we grant them some grace?  I've done plenty of things in my life I'm not all that proud of and wouldn't want on a newspaper cover.  It's easy for individuals to make mistakes.  And I don't think that should have to mean the end of their careers.  I know some people are put off by the threesome rumors... I personally wouldn't make that choice for myself.  But it's Ohno's decision and it's not part of his life as an idol, and it's not the public's business.  Of course as has been been pointed out it wasn't neccessarily more than fooling around drunk.  

I hope to see Ohno handle this appropriately & maturely from here on out, but I know that him making this mistake is not the end of the world and doesn't change everything else about him.  I'm not saying people shouldn't take responsibility for their actions; they should.  I, for one, want to see Ohno step up to what he's done, without the rest of the world condemning him.  Let them take responsibility themselves and don't use the opportunity to condemn and act superior. Everyone has faults.  If any among you is flawless, let them cast the first stone.

I know it's easy to say this kind of thing in regards to an idol I LIKE, and when other idols get into trouble... I may make some lighthearted ribbing... (in fact, Akanishi has taken quite a few jabs at my expense... orz  I have never really cared for him but I also don't really base that on his scandals.  There he's on even ground with everyone else.)  but ultimately this is how I think.  I suppose businesses need to look at their actions differently than individuals, and I know there will be people who's image of Ohno will need some time to recover.  But I hope people don't permanently dismiss him because of it.  Nobody's perfect and it's not about, "well, at least I've never done THAT, so I'm better than him."

Just because Ohno's done this doesn't mean that by promoting his image as a member of Arashi, publishing companies and networks and so on will be supporting what he's done. Or so I think.  So I really hope that public disapproval won't be overwhelmind and sponsors will still continue to be able to support Arashi.  This is one part of who he is and not the main part, not the public part, not the part we should be concerned with.  I hope things can continue, business-as-usual.

damn.

now, off to class i go.

A quick look at certain aspects of the Japanese media (so far as I'm aware - what I say is not definitive) and how it relates to the latest story about Ohno, for anyone who's interested... aka,

Why this magazine made the wrong move

This story was published by a tabloid, correct? That alone probably means it's dismissable to most people.  So of course major media and news companies wouldn't cover the story.  Well, true. 

But I think the main reason you can bet this isn't going to be out on major media comanpanies, isn't so much an issue of legitimacy, as it is of money.  Agencies in Japan don't follow the American "Any Publicity is Good Publicity" policy, thankfully. This is not an issue most media companies will tackle because they depend on Johnny's idols and their appearances, likeness, interviews, tv shows, etc,  for their sales and ratings.  If they step across the line and anger Johnny, he has the right to deny them future access to his idols... and since he has a monopoly over the idol market, that's crippling to these companies.  (A company without access may still publish about Johnny or his idols but they will be denied interviews and access to promotional material.)  I don't even know if major media companies would give much coverage to this scandl if this turned into an actual legal battle... if they did have to cover it they'd give it really minimum exposure.  Bad Johnny's publicity is not good for Johnny, his boys, or the companies who have access to them.

So only media companies who don't have JE access in the first place would dare publish these kinds of stories.  And frankly, I wonder what they were thinking.  I'm nearly positive it's all lies, so they must have really been on a suicide mission. 

A quote from the NY Times:

So influential is the 68-year-old Mr. Kitagawa that media analysts and reporters say he has tightly controlled what newspapers, magazines and television programs report about his clients and himself.

...Yeah.

Johnny's not going to instantly go around cancelling his contracts (IE, Arashi's appearances) with these companies for unproven allegations.  Barring legal action and overwhelming public disapproval, he's not going to do anything.  So like it's already been confirmed by other sources... we don't need to worry about any of their upcoming appearances.  Those are staying put.  And these companies are also not going to do anything to jeopardize that...  Idols are part of their income as well. 

Johnny has a LOT of power.  And this magazine has definitely crossed the wrong people.  Provided that this story is false, as I believe it is, they have every right to sue for libel.  Civil lawsuits are not common or popular in Japan, so I can't say whether or not he will, for sure.  However, Johnny has proven that he's not against it. 

If you're not familiar with the nasty lawsuits against Shukan Bunshun... well, I don't recommend that you familiarize yourself too much.  But anyway, THIS magazine was apparently considered reputable.  Here was a magazine that apparently had some access to Johnny's idols... it & all the its sister publications in that organization were hence denied access.  The outcome of their accusations against Johnny himself was Johnny suing for defamation of character... and the magazine apparently had to pay him 1,200,000 yen for claims that they couldn't prove.  That's about $12,000 USD and a lot of bad publicity.  Please note that one of their claims of harassment WAS in fact admitted in court... but all rest were unproven.  No one really knows the truth about the rest of those allegations, but since the issue has been put to rest I strongly suggest you ignore it and accept what has been proven...  Worrying won't change anything and it's a long-dead argument.

Link to NY Times source :

http://www.nytimes.com/library/world/asia/013000japan-talent.html

The reason I bring this lawsuit up and provide you the link is because I think it's a fascinating case study of how Johnny has handled these kinds of issues in the past. (As well as an interesting glimpse into the Japanese media, how it operates, and what some of its weaknesses possibly are).  I don't want to go into discussion of that event or its outcomes; it's closed.  However, similar to Ohno's case, this is not merely a tabloid or magazine bringing out personal history and so on, but serious accusations with legal implications. Johnny clearly doesn't take these things lightly. 

One thing I will say about Ohno's case - if the magazine is accusing him of one-time use of marijuana in that karaoke booth (please!  who'd be so stupid) it will be nearly impossible to prove or disprove.  What I fear, and what may possibly get the police involved, is that this will spark allegations of continued, habitual, recreational use.  Even if that's not directly stated, it's too easy for people to make that quick assumption.  They're two fairly seperate things.  If the accusations bleed into the latter case you can expect a little more thourough investigation (which will certainly turn up nothing).  However, that may be able to dispel rumors entirely.  If the magazine holds its stance that this was only one-time use - since it has only accused Ohno and only claims to have "proof" of one time Ohno supposedly did this - like I said, it will be difficult if not impossible to prove or disprove.  BUT.  Innocent until proven guilty.  If they can't outright prove it they may still speculate and rumor but Ohno will be declared clean and Johnny will surely have grounds to sue.  And like I pointed out, he's proven that he isn't afraid to do so.

SO.

Anshin shite.  Don't worry, relax.  Johnny and his lawyers have so much power it is maybe a little frightening... but I'm certain things will work out for the best.  

I have just about HAD it.

The more I see of this RIDICULOUS scandal the more I'm like, "...wtf, this is a BS rumor."

There is NO WAY it's possible or true.  I'm not in denial, I just KNOW by now that it's ridiculous. Common sense.

They have taken one (lying) witness and a few photos of a normal guy goofing around when he's drunk, and blown it way out of proportion.

Never mind that it's not even true.  It's still wreaking (temporary) havoc on their reputation and their fans, and must be incredibly stressful for them personally.  I feel terrible for Ohno.  The mess these people have caused with their reckless actions...  It's horrible.

I'm pissed off.  I'm pissed off at this magazine for messing with my band, my boys, my fandom.  They picked the wrong people to fight with.  You do NOT fight with JE.

I want to see Johnny take them to the floor.  Sue them pantsless.  This is unforgivable.

[/rant] there.  got that out of my system.  OTZ

...because we're all worrying.

the magazine has baseless allegations, no actual proof.  One witness who claims as much... this alone is not proof.  Chances are she's lying for attention, because Arashi and Ohno are HUUUGE right now and people want to take advantage of that.

I know I've been worrying as much as anyone.  I've looked somewhat thoroughly to find information on Japan's laws regarding marijuana, because I didn't know anything about it before.  I think it's important to be informed of all aspects of an issue like this.  Know your rights, understand the situation, etc.  But nobody get the wrong idea!!

It's just a tabloid.

They have no proof.  They have a ridiculous claim and nothing to back it up.  A ridiculous claim from three years ago.  how on earth WILL they back it up?!  They CAN'T, really.

In the next week or so, we can all hope to see:

If there is a police investigation, Ohno will be declared clean.

The magazine will retract its former statements and publish an apology

If we're lucky, Johnny may sue for libel.  (on the other hand, civil lawsuits aren't all that common in Japan... but worse scandals have blown through JE and Johnny has actually sued for libel once.  I'd like to see charges for invasion of privacy, because *I* think it is, but since it seems like the girl legitimately sold that magazine the photos, I don't think they can press charges for that.)

I know it's a serious accusation , but made by a cheap source...  I think it will be hard to fully relax until it's all over, but it will end!  It makes me sad to see all the fans saying things like, "now I won't be able to sleep tonight."  GET SOME SLEEP! ;-; It's important, you neeeeeed it.  Remember, it's a baseless accusation, almost certainly false.  Worry because you care about Ohno like we all do, but don't worry too much!  The situation isn't dire.

On a positive note, it makes me really happy to see how many people, despite some nerves, are still expressing their support for Ohno.

Hey everyone, I have a message for all of you, in light of all these rumors...

I hope we're all mature enough to look past the photos with women.  There have been scandals with women before; he's a healthy adult male and the photos were tame anyway.  More concerning is all these threats about weed.

REMEMBER, I am SPECULATING about worst-case scenarious.  At the moment we have no proof of anything; the accusation is flimsy and reeks of attention-whoring.  Even if the police investigate, I am 99.9% certain they will find nothing.

IF it is true... which it probably isn't... 

Stuff to keep in mind:

~Please continue to support Ohno Satoshi no matter what.  Marijuana is a very soft drug that does little or nothing to your health and though it can become a habit, it is not addictive.  Repeat: it is not a physically addictive drug.  it is not a dangerous drug.  Unlike with drugs such as cocaine, meth, or heroin, you won't need to be worried about Ohno's health, and please don't think less of him for it, either way.

~The Japanese Police are VERY strict about marijuana use.  I am NOT posting this to scare; I'm posting this because I think, as fans who care about our artists, we need to stay informed and be fully aware of the situation.  Penalties for marijuana use vary from country to country.  I'm having a little difficulty finding good English-language sources still but penalties for marijuana use in Japan are incredibly harsh.  Quoting what I have found here & there, (as I find more I'll update with sources)

"Evidence obtained through illegal means (such as illegal searches) is routinely admitted in court. Some 98% of all people charged with a crime are convicted by Japanese courts.

People go to jail for possessing less than one gram of hemp and they face many social penalties too (loss of job, expulsion from schools, etc.). Theoretically you can go to prison for five years for a single joint. Larger quantities, cultivation or smuggling will lead to prison sentences of up to seven years. Smugglers caught with a few hundred grams to a few kg of cannabis are routinely sent to prison for 3-4 years."

I'm afraid I don't think we should be dismissing this scandal as lightly as we do most.  This isn't just, "oh dang, maybe he'll get suspended, waaah, I guess he's not going to marry me or Nino after all."  This could be very serious.  Until it's been dismissed thoroughly, which I believe it will be, this should make all of us a little nervous.

For a some of us, we may not be very concerned about the possilbility that Ohno may use Marijuana on occasion.  Personally, I'm not.  I know it's a tame drug and I have good friends who are wonderful people, who DO have their act together and aren't aimless stoners, who smoke weed.  It's not a huge deal or the end of the world.  But even so, please don't dismiss this as a light concern... because if it's true there will be HUGE, HUGE problems for Ohno, Arashi, and their reputation.

~All that said, I highly doubt this article is true.  It was phrased pretty strongly but there's little evidence at this point - just hype. I don't think Ohno would be stupid enough to smoke a joint in public.  It's just a little too out there, especially in Japan.  It seems like just another cleverly-timed attack aimed to profit off of his success and tear him down.

~There is no proof of Ohno's drug use.  JUST RUMORS.  Don't jump to too many conclusions.  It is a serious charge; however, it's okay to think it's just BS right now BECAUSE IT PROBABLY IS.  Yes, the police will investigate.  I don't trust the Japanese Police very much and don't hold them above underhanded tricks.  However, with an accusation this flimsy, I don't think they'll find anything.  And if there's no proof they cannot touch Ohno.

Here's a link to VampyrReps' rough translation of the article: http://arashi.groups.vox.com/library/post/6a00e398bd883a000100fad69d814f0005.html

No matter what happens here, Ohno Satoshi is the same Ohno Satoshi he's been all this time.

Please continue to support him through this.  He needs our support now more than ever.

Please continue to support Arashi.

Please don't get too caught up in the hatred being spread, either by the magazines towards Arashi, or towards other fans... Everyone is reacting differently to this.  You may disagree with another fan's point of view, and go ahead and say so, but please be respectful!  We are all sincere in how we care about Arashi. 

Bottom line - Ohno is still Ohno.  True or not, please don't overreact and don't let this change how you feel about him.

Stay strong for Ohno Satoshi and for Arashi.  I know this is an upsetting, emotional time, and we're all a little afraid of what will happen next.  Stay strong!

Let's all hope and pray that soon there will be a police report stating that he's clean, and the magazine will print a retraction.

I know we're all a bit scared and nervous right now.  But stay positive!  Let's weather this storm together!

Much love to Ohno, Arashi, and all the fans,

Ingrid