Ten years ago, a J-pop idol shaved her head in apology and shocked the world. Little did we know, she was simply giving us a glimpse into the future of celebrity culture.
Back at the start of 2013, Minami Minegishi was a 20-year-old member of the zeitgeist-dominating music group AKB48. She had been rising up the ranks of the dozens-strong pop army until weekly tabloid Shukan Bunshun published a story on Jan. 31 with allegations that she had spent the night at the home of her boyfriend, another J-pop performer.
This seemingly benign development between two young stars turned into an entertainment emergency as die-hard fans looked unfavorably on their beloved idols dating and having relationships. Hours after the story came out, the folks behind AKB48 demoted Minegishi to a lesser “trainee” status in the group.
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