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One of the most popular Japanese music acts, Mr Green Apple, is currently embroiled in a controversy.
Their most recent music video for their new song "Columbus" has recently been removed due to insensitivities and many fans finding the video racist.
Like the title of the song, the video shows the members dressed up like various historical figures such as Columbus, who in America is already been considered a controversial historical figure, and Napoleon.
In the video the members find a land full of "ape-like people" ( which many fans interpreted as the Native Americans) and they train these people to do things such as pull them around in carriages and salute to them.
The song was originally sponsored by coca cola to be used for advertising purposes but coca cola has since released a statement saying they have removed all advertisements with the song.
The band has since released an apology for the insensitive music video, saying it was never their intention to create discriminatory content or promote tragic history, and said that their intention was for the video to look like the historical figures were at a house party.
Here is a link to the full apology on their website.
(I also could have sworn the member who thought of the music video idea also personally released an apology? But I am having trouble finding it. If I can find it again I will update to include it. )
I just wanted to comment on a side note:
I sort of drifted away from Jpop the last few years. This is not the first racism controversy I have seen in Jpop, I think this is like the 4th one by now? And this will probably not be the last.
I'm glad the group removed the music video cause with this dance group I use to like in the past, I stopped supporting them because they had racism in their video and instead of taking it down they just removed/region locked it on youtube cause all the international fans were upset and kept all the videos on the Japanese sites like NND. They also didn't even issue an apology.
This was probably around 10 years ago? (Maybe less?), but i'm happy things are changing at least a little by now where they took it down and issued an apology.
Their most recent music video for their new song "Columbus" has recently been removed due to insensitivities and many fans finding the video racist.
Like the title of the song, the video shows the members dressed up like various historical figures such as Columbus, who in America is already been considered a controversial historical figure, and Napoleon.
In the video the members find a land full of "ape-like people" ( which many fans interpreted as the Native Americans) and they train these people to do things such as pull them around in carriages and salute to them.
The song was originally sponsored by coca cola to be used for advertising purposes but coca cola has since released a statement saying they have removed all advertisements with the song.
The band has since released an apology for the insensitive music video, saying it was never their intention to create discriminatory content or promote tragic history, and said that their intention was for the video to look like the historical figures were at a house party.
Here is a link to the full apology on their website.
(I also could have sworn the member who thought of the music video idea also personally released an apology? But I am having trouble finding it. If I can find it again I will update to include it. )
I just wanted to comment on a side note:
I sort of drifted away from Jpop the last few years. This is not the first racism controversy I have seen in Jpop, I think this is like the 4th one by now? And this will probably not be the last.
I'm glad the group removed the music video cause with this dance group I use to like in the past, I stopped supporting them because they had racism in their video and instead of taking it down they just removed/region locked it on youtube cause all the international fans were upset and kept all the videos on the Japanese sites like NND. They also didn't even issue an apology.
This was probably around 10 years ago? (Maybe less?), but i'm happy things are changing at least a little by now where they took it down and issued an apology.
heather
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See, I always have feelings about these apologies because, literally, what other intention is exists?
In any capacity, the message was very much set in stone.
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See, I always have feelings about these apologies because, literally, what other intention is exists?
In any capacity, the message was very much set in stone.
Seriously
I saw the music video and there was literally No Way the only intention of the music video was to be a "house party". There were a few short scenes of them partying, but 90% of the video was them training the "apes" to act more human and have control. The message was loud and clear.
heather
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ExactlySeriously
I saw the music video and there was literally No Way the only intention of the music video was to be a "house party". There were a few short scenes of them partying, but 90% of the video was them training the "apes" to act more human and have control. The message was loud and clear.
And I loved their music... my playlists are getting shorter and shorter...
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yikes...
sooat
Stanpeople who keep doing those type of things in the year of 2024 is an absurd
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As a casual enjoyer of Mrs Green Apple:
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I’ve been listening to Jpop for almost 15 years now and if there’s one thing I’ve learned after all this time, it’s that literally EVERYONE will disappoint you at some point. Don’t root for anyone 100%As a casual enjoyer of Mrs Green Apple:
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I have only one JP group that I'm 100% supportive of and that's TEAM SHACHII’ve been listening to Jpop for almost 15 years now and if there’s one thing I’ve learned after all this time, it’s that literally EVERYONE will disappoint you at some point. Don’t root for anyone 100%
Even my CN favourite ended up with a cheating scandal.
So if the nations favourite like Meng Meiqi can get into a scandal like that, then there's no hope for most of my JP faves either...
