Johnny Kitagawa's posthumous cancellation

Most people outside of Japan have probably never heard of this man, but there is currently a sex abuse scandal around him that is like a cross between Harvey Weinstein and Jimmy Savile.

Johnny Kitagawa died in 2019 at the age of 87 and was eulogized by celebrities at a public event held at the Tokyo Dome where a message of condolence was sent by the Prime Minister himself. Basically, he died with his reputation intact, even though accusations were already known.

In this sense, he is like Jimmy Savile. You can google Jimmy Savile obituary and find that the obituaries printed on the occasion of his death, at the age of 84, did not hint at anything unsavory. He had "a flair for good works" and was known for his charity work. He had been knighted.

Like Weinstein he was a producer, not of movies, but of boy bands. Like Weinstein he had the power to make or break careers in the entertainment industry. And people were afraid to speak out against him because of it.

Johnny Kitagawa and the Code of Omerta in Japanese Entertainment

Some TV producers even seemed to be proud of the fact that they didn't care about allegations of abuse:

Quote:

Senior TV producers pronounced themselves thankful for the company’s professionalism and uninterested in much else. “As a producer I’m not interested in rumors of sex scandals. It doesn’t concern people like us who are making programs,” said Tamon Andrew Niwa, a former producer with TBS in a story I wrote for Newsweek Japan (2005). “His stars can sing and dance, they’re well mannered, remember their lines and are never late,” he said. “They run a tight ship. If someone quits (the agency), I always assume there must have been a problem with that performer because it is so professional.”

Now, finally, years after his death, it's like a switch has been thrown and suddenly everyone is rushing to distance themselves from his agency (although Johnny himself is dead, the talent agency he founded still exists).
Johnny Kitagawa: Japan firms cut ties with boyband agency over sex abuse

Quote:

Major Japanese brands are cutting ties with the country's biggest talent agency after it was engulfed by a sexual abuse scandal. Firms including Nissan, Asahi and Suntory say they will not renew any contracts with Johnny and Associates. Toyota, which previously had a contract with one of its top stars, told the BBC it had no plans to sign any more deals featuring Johnny talents. Japan's agriculture ministry has also said it would stop hiring the stars. Johnny and Associates is Japan's biggest J-pop and boyband talent agency. Last month, an independent investigation into the agency found its late founder, Johnny Kitagawa, had abused hundreds of boys and young men over a six-decade career as one of the most powerful entertainment figures in Japan.

It may partly be because this agency is no longer needed, or to be feared, so that there is no longer any price to be paid for publicly disassociating with the agency. Funny how that is. People were happy to turn a blind eye to it in the past, but suddenly they are all rushing for the door at once.
He abused hundreds of boys over the years and got away with it till the day he died. Its only his successors who are now finally paying any price for it.

via International Skeptics Forum https://ift.tt/KXPGhy2