[2004] Ayumi PVs and American People...
 

Alright, we all know how Ayumi has amazing music videos that are always interpretive and fun to try and figure out... but one thing seems to bug me now and then...

Why do a majority of the people / minor-casts in Ayumi's music videos american?

I mean, where do people get them from o_o? Why isn't it japanese people instead? Do those people even know what Ayumi is saying? Let alone listen to her music? If they do... wow o_o; Is there like an american community within Japan? Or do people fly over to Japan to do the shootings x.x?

Some of the videos I've seen american people in are...

• Because of You
• Greatfull Days
• Moments (Children)
• Ever Free (The child)
• Free and Easy
• No way To Say
• Whatever
• Vouge
• Ourselves
• Evolution
• Dearest
• Seasons
• ANGELS SONG

There are some more I missed out... but it just makes me wonder about those people sometimes... lol

Fly High and Real Me I know was done by pure japanese casts... but why is it that there are some american o_o;...

Yeah...it's weird how there are so many Caucasians in Ayu's videos. I mean, you don't see Japanese and Chinese people in American music videos all the time.

But I think the reason is that Japanese people tend to have this fanaticism over Caucasian people. It's really aparent, or at least it is to me. That's why there's so much english in Japanese songs, and Japanese stars try to imitate western styles.
I guess Ayu has this fanaticism too; either that, or she's trying to satisfy her fans' appetite for every Caucasian by putting Caucasian people in her videos.

i agree... poeple in japan see teh US as liek teh coolest place ever. Its easy to see that japanese try to act more american there and even here...

I dunno i guess since Ayu knows what people like, she just does it... mabey she likes it herself...


dont forget teh BOSS CM, she married a whiet guy :laugh that was wayyy outta line lol

I've always wondered about the caucasian people as well, but I guess it's something only Ayu and the people who work with her would know :shrug

I think America has way too much influence in Japanese media..:(..

and you forgot endless sorrow PV....

They could just be caucasian Japanese people. :shrug

I guess it just works out better :P

Japanese people are fascinated with western culture and are interested in caucasians...

actually...it happens in most Avex videos...

Honestly,some cute caucasian kids are much more mysterious than Japanse kids�@for Japanese.
So these kids often appear on dark PV like endless sorrow,moments.

Ayumi is special existence in a certain meaning.
Surely,Avex want to attach something western have to ayumi.
Fashion is big power for ayumi.
So ayumi continue appearing on fashion magazine.
And fashion in Japan is influenced much by western.
Therefore,it's no surprise western appear on ayumi's CM about makeup set.

However,there are much more PV without western than ones with western.

I think you mean to say white, not americain...
I think, just as English is hip and cool, white faces are hip and cool. That's just my guess...

yah to them western people r cool but is it also possible exotic as in rare in Japan. so they use them. mmmm maybe not.

it's something i spend some thoughts on. only i have no acceptable explination. imo it's just stupid.

yeah there are a few westen people in ayu vids, hmm maybe it because it rare to hav them in j pop vid and ayu want her vids to be different ?? :think
but wouldnt it be great if westen pop singer started having more asain people in there vids too... :rolleyes

most of them i am assuming are either professional models from western countries who are hired and flown over to be in the video.

others, like the kids, are most likely military dependents. when my father was stationed in japan, i went to a few auditions for things, and i knew several people from school who were in several japanese maginzines.

hmmmm i always thought the people were british?!!

I agree with you ayumin, I think if she used Japanese kids it would just ruin the video somewhat....the white children just look more exotic and more mysterious than if she used pretty pony~pretty pony~pretty pony~ kids...which is also why I don't like Chemistry's PVs cuz they only use pretty pony~pretty pony~pretty pony~ kids and it doesn't look interesting at all.

if they asked me to be in an ayu video, you wouldnt hear me complaining!

A lot of the caucasian people in her vids are Russian - Endless Sorrow is one of them. The kids from The Triology are Russian. Most of them are probably Russian, being so close and all. I couldn't imagine them flying people in from America specifically.

Dearest was filmed in LA, so those people are American, but not all white people are American, so not all whiet people in Ayu's vids are American.

Ashley

I second this.:D

Some of her videos are filmed else where... Probably in LA

Maybe they use "White" People to get more attention. I don't think Ayu personally picks the people that are going to be on the videos. I would think that the Director's have a say in this. Maybe "white" people draw more attention to the videos which results on more records sold. But I dunno i could be wrong.

Actually Japanese have a thing for "white" people because of the way they look... like their different hair, coloured eyes and their like tall. They call them 'gaigin', they really like "white" people cos they soo very different from them... i mean like thats y people dye their hair right?? cos they wan it to b different from everyone elses (thats if u hav dark hair)... i can go into it awhole lot but i wont... its a social thing... i read it from sum book about Japanese today society

i mean if u think about it she's(ayumi) is pretty much trying to look like the "white" people wif the whole blondish hair... almost blending in....

Well, I think I read somewhere that the Caucasuins (sp?) are actually from American Naval or Army Bases in Japan. I think that would make sense... maybe? But about Ayumi having white people in her videos, there was a whole article here that talks about subservient stereotypes in Japanese women &Western influence. It's not a perfect explanation, but it's a pretty interesting read.

Well that brings out another question. Why does she only use japanese dancers at her concerts? I've seen most of her concerts and I've noticed that 99% of her dancers/back up singers are japanese. Maybe she puts "white" people on her videos and japanese at her concerts? I dunno just thought I should bring this out.

We're all people... it shouldn't matter where they're from. If a British artist used a French actor in their video there's a chance you wouldn't notice. Or care, for that matter.
Sometimes perhaps there's a meaning, but other than that, I don't see why so many fans pay attention to this.

yes i think white is more appropriate . i think white people are more " exotic " in japan than if they cast asian people . look at japanese fashion magazines like vivi most of the model are half japanese half white they are not fully japanese

old school thread lol

^@gothicayu: that's true. The look of their models is very interesting to me.

My favorite non-Japanese person in Ayu's PVs is that little boy who asks "Do you want a blue candy?" in walking proud. He's so cute!

I think that she uses Non-Japanese people to make the video get the right feeling. Like, in Startin', I think it's supposed to look something like Britney Spears' Toxic, so it features a lot of black and white people.

hi !

endless sorrow is probably my favourite pv (of any artist). there is so much hidden meaning in the pv.

same with free & easy. many people might identify with jehanne d'arc for:
being a freedom fighter in a war or if someone likes medieval history.
but it appears ayumi doesn't identify with jehanne for such reasons.

have you noticed ayumi tries to remind everyone "asia is one", "the world is one", "1 LOVE". did you notice for the last song at the asia tour 07, she wore a shirt with the words "team message" as she sung "who..." ?

it's so fascinating to observe ayumi, her pvs and her concerts... if she really is similar to jehanne, wouldn't this be so shocking ? if she is indeed "fated" to "glitter" and is one those who are "the light of the world" wouldn't this explain why she uses so many foreign actors ?

"of all the nations"
"Go everywhere and announce the Message"

^you know that Team Message is just a Japanese clothing brand that collaborates with Ayumi for her concert shirts?

I always wondered that too.

[apologies to everyone, i've edited what i wrote below]

i was aware that team message is a clothing brand.
but it's interesting that one alphabet of the team message clothing brand is changed, just for ayumi's concerts.

A

"A" is often what you always see in her concerts, cd-covers, necklaces etc...
and in her concerts, another theme such as lowering from the roof is

O

she also typically wears something else around her neck, eg: in 2001 dome tour for endless sorrow.


my theory is that:
ayumi sings about selfless love and freedom - to people of different nations.
ayumi really believes what she sings (truth, sincerity, honesty).
ayumi is someone i really respect.
ayumi seems to be like a good samaritan - and offers selfless and voluntary love, through her singing voice to reach whoever, in different nations.

and i feel this theory explains why foreign actors are used.



"A Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw the man's condition, his heart went out to him. He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. In the morning he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill—I'll pay you on my way back.'

"What do you think? Which of the three became a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?"

^ If you really listen to 1Love it's not about uniting all the nations, it's about her will to change things.
"I go before I get sleepy with it -- What I want is JUST 1 LOVE
It's my nature to always get out of the line somehow
If you want to hurt me, feel as free as you like with sharp words
I can't follow someone that goes ahead of me."
She wants more exitement and isn't satisfied with anything until she gets it.

The A is the first letter in Ayumi's name and she never stated that it has a deeper meaning than that. The logo for Team Message was designed for Ayumi, so it's no wonder she's using/wearing it.


IMO, Using western people in a PV is a social thing. In Japan everything that's different is highly wanted by the younger japanese public.


Gaijin (外[outside]+人[people]) is actually a politically incorrect word and is avoided by most japanese and furthermore the japanese media, because it was a term for people not accepted into the community.

i think they're just fascinated by caucasian/western people..it's typical of the modern japanese culture