Got a lot of great feedback on my last Idol Thoughts post from last Wednesday! I’m really happy that people seemed to enjoy it! <\/p>\n
This comment comes from Skoban<\/a>!! Thank you!<\/p>\n In the glut of idols we presently have, it\u2019s refreshing to see such counterculture idols such as BiS. I completely agree, especially about them being interesting. Even if it’s only a gimmick, it’s just interesting. Of course, it’s not something that makes me a fan, necessarily, but BiS does a good job of pushing the boundaries. Which, again, is what BiS is about. <\/p>\n I also agree that this seems to be lasting longer than most idol gimmicks, and that this oddness is at the core of BiS. Say what you will about them as a group, but they have stuck to what they do. And yes, I very fondly remember the days of Momoiro Clover wearing only yukata. They even made it work for Ikuze. I was disappointed with their Pinky Jones costumes and wanted them back in the yukata, which didn’t happen. But yeah, I liked that schtick and it’s sad to see that go. But really, most gimmicks can only go so far. BiS just don’t have a gimmick, instead having a unique aesthetic. <\/p>\n Next up, Ray from Idolminded wrote a post in response to mine! Here’s the link to that, which you absolutely should read if you found what I wrote interesting.<\/a> <\/p>\n Essentially, he shares why he isn’t fond of BiS, going off of my post. And while I generally think I do respect BiS a lot more, I can totally see where he’s coming from. In fact, I have another friend who sees BiS exactly the same way, and didn’t want to read my BiS post because it was THAT abhorrent. Really, for the same reasons that Ray has. <\/p>\n And really, I definitely respect that opinion. This paragraph in particular is my favorite: <\/p>\n “And to me, that\u2019s what BiS feels like. They\u2019re an exercise in difference for its own sake, an exercise in mockery at something they can\u2019t quite measure up to. (Which is ironic, since Pour Lui by herself would make a wonderful mainstream idol.) They seem to offer an emperor\u2019s new clothing of hipster cachet, letting fans have their cake and eat it too by saying that idols are stupid and we\u2019re the anti-idols, but wait you can treat us like idol and we\u2019ll heap scorn on you and make you love us for that scorn\u2026 And so really, we just get the idol dynamic turned inside-out by self-loathing from all involved, but basically functioning the same way it does for the rest of the idol industry.” I also find it hard to be shocked by BiS. I think at this point they have Lady Gaga syndrome; they started out too weird, and now people just expect it. Really, the only thing I would not expect is if BiS suddenly did a cute song with nothing that makes them really BiS. <\/p>\n The biggest reason I was wondering this is a couple of questions – how could BiS improve (or how could Bis have been better from the start) and are there any other avant garde idols?<\/p>\n For the first one, I think they would have been more effective as counter culture idols if they started out that way. Their first PV was My IXXX, the infamous “nude” PV. It establishes them as weird group, even as an avant garde one, but it doesn’t leave too much room for future weirdness. However, if BiS had started out as a relatively “normal” idol group and did that before or even during their cuteness. I think the most surprising BiS news ever was their collaboration with Dorothy Little Happy. There’s just not much of a baseline for BiS. It’s hard to even think of them as idols. I think if they embraced being idols first and then weirdness second, they would be a lot more shocking, interesting, and would cause more impact. <\/p>\n As for the second one, MAYBE Bellring Shoujo Heart, but that’s pushing it. Babymetal gets close, but I still don’t think they’re quite there for being avant garde, not yet. <\/p>\n Ultimately, I still think BiS is an interesting group worthy of respect. However, despite being avant garde, I don’t think they’re perfect by any means and still have a long way to go. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Got a lot of great feedback on my last Idol Thoughts post from last Wednesday! I’m really happy that people seemed to enjoy it! This comment comes from Skoban!! Thank you! In the glut of idols we presently have, it\u2019s … Continue reading
\nPersonally, I\u2019m not a fan either, but when you hear news about BiS, you know that it\u2019s likely to be something out of the norm.
\nA member in her seventies? A Ryogoku Kokugikan concert that bombed? A music video making fun of the Miichan scandal?
\nSay what you like, you can always expect BiS to push the boundaries. And in that unique way, it\u2019s interesting to just keep up with whatever ridiculous thing they\u2019ll come up with next.
\nIt breaks up the monotony of \u201cHere\u2019s idol group with gimmick X\u201d, where the gimmick can last so long. {Tangent: Remember the days when MomoClo\u2019s schtick was their yukata (as opposed to AKB\u2019s school uniforms back in the day) which they eventually discarded once they d\u00e9buted? Although I guess you can argue Babymetal did well by sticking with their \u2018gimmick\u2019, though they treat it with respect}
\nSorry about the tangent. But I guess all in all, my stance is the same as yours: I may not be a fan of BiS, but I appreciate that they exist.<\/em><\/p>\n
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\nIt is sometimes hard to reconcile the fact that BiS are idols but are seemingly anti-idol. And I don’t know how to reconcile that myself. The only way they can really break boundaries is if they are subjected to the boundaries themselves (this COULD be arguable, but I’d say it’s accurate). So being idols is kind of necessary for this avant garde non-idol thing. Yet, they don’t act like idols, and are often kind of the anti-idols. So it’s a odd balancing act they have to do. Could any idol be critical of the idol industry and do something ‘anti-idol,’ but still be an idol and be more successful at this than BiS? it’s hard to ask. <\/p>\n