Why are japanese male idols, effeminate ?

Ok so, after reading the "Is anime racist?" thread it got me thinking about japanese culture and I now want to know why exactly there appears to be a trend for effeminate looking guys in japanese culture?
Is this really a trend or are the feminine guys actually rare/ am i just being stupid/ignorant?
why/how did this trend start?
are there any benefits to being a feminine guy/ having your population have feminine guys?

I'm not trying to be rude or racist I'm just curious... if this trend doesn't exist then why does it seem like it does?

 

Crab People! Crab People! Crab People!

 

Taste like crab, talk like people?

 

I just know that I would never want to go to Japan. I don't like fish and I hear that's pretty big in Africa.

http://www.independent.ie/unsorted/features/they-eat-fish-in-japan-over-there-in-africa-73813.html

 

Perspectives vary from culture to culture... barbarian.

 

Seriously, anyone have an answer for this?

You need only look at the ever more feminine leads for the final fantasy series, or take Jean from VF5R (from the neck up he could just as easily be a female character, srsly, he wears a choker, lipstick, eyeliner, and has long silky white hair).

Are these attributes/characteristics not considered inherently feminine in japanese culture? Is it just an american mindset that we have been nurtured into, where rugged is manly and soft is feminine?

 

It's not just Japanese. Were you around during the 80's. Hell are you around now. (Mtv, bromances, hot topic, etc, etc)

 

It's a pop trend in Japan, Jean was actually invented to meet this trend. So Chibita and Suguru looking like women is apparently really sexy out there. Emasculated much?

http://games.kikizo.com/features/sega-am2-vf5r-interview-oct08-p3.asp

 

I think this is an interesting topic, I could call it "the representation of masculinity in the west compared to Japan". If you think about it, even in the western "anime" we use to watch when we were little, there was always a stereotipical alpha male (think HE-MAN), who would make plans and save the girl, while in Japan you always had different model of masculinity (like Lupin, very skinny, tight trouses) or even feminine leads (ghost in the shell, even akira to a certain extent has a strong female character). I think nowadays you can see it clearly in hollywood blockbusters where the main hero always has a woman, cause otherwise the audience gets confused (he drank EVIAN, is he gay?)

 

LOL

Very interesting thread.

Keep post your ideas guys. I'm really enjoying to check this thread.

 

your thoughts?

 

Apparently, you never seen Berserk, Fist Of The NorthStar, DBZ, Tengu Tenge, Cowboy Bebop, Street Fighter Tekken, Ninja Scroll, Jojo, Shigurui and so on. BTW, HE-MAN was very "homoerotic" just like 300(Film)

 

I would like to see someone say he-man is not gay and not laugh. Plus Homosexuality was always a big Japanese culture (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shudo) and did not become taboo until the Christians came around there.

P.S. Homosexuality is a part of all huge culture.

 

funny enough, all those have very strong female representation, for example in berserk gatsu is first very independend but then he teams up with a group and he comes to rely on the witch girl, DBZ has got very strong girls like the android, Jojo in the series where they are in a US prison the main lead is a girl, in a women only prison! and she has to save her father Jotaro! so the typical roles are completely reversed. Girls save men in Japan!

 

Right, just like American TV were every guy is pussy wup. This thread is not about characters being pussy wup. Is about dudes who look like "Girlie man" as Arnold puts it. That's why I mention those "Animes" Every single type of film has the female being "Bossie" no matter what country it came from. And truth be told, is almost like that in real life. Fact, not every guy in Japan looks like the guys from Tokio Hotel . Fact, alot of male youngsters in US major citys wear the tightest pants know to mankind. Is like this in Europe, South Africa and Latin America.

 

But I you think about male representation in general, it seems to me that the west has got a more orthodox approach to masculinity (main lead is always macho) opposed to Japan, where the main lead is softer, as well as not always requiring to save/kiss/get the girl in the end. (Ryu Hazuki lol)

 

Shinobi I think the topic was about representation of men in media, movies and such. Not so much about analyzing how men dress in the streets.

 

BTW the female lead in Jojo's stone ocean is Jotaro's daughter in case you didn't know.

 

I remember when MGS2 came out for PS2 and everyone hated Raiden coz compared to Snake he was so effeminate. I read in an interview that Kojima simply asked his designer to come up with a 'beautiful man' and Raiden was born. It's just a different perspective on male beauty, maybe more in line with western boyband types appealing to teenage girls.

However, if you look thru the last few decades every male pin up/hero has become more feminine. It used to be men like Richard Burton, Burt Lancaster etc that were the male leads in films. Gradually that rugged style of man has made way for more effeminate men like Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Michael J Fox, Leo DiCaprio, list is endless. So I don't think it's nearly as isolated to the east or Japan as you're thinking.