Shiina Ringo only selling music to guys

[SoulExperience]

Why do men think that if a woman is sexy, or being what they think is sexy, is to appeal to men? So silly.

Shiina Ringo is literally doing her thang (yes thang) and you just HAPPEN to find her/what she's doing to be sexy. That being said, that doesn't really give anyone the right to objectify her etcetc.

If anything, I think she embraces female sexuality a little bit. Something that seems to be suppressed in Japanese society (imo)

Here's a quote for you:

"Naturally, everyone thinks women are ever-changing. They are free to become whatever they want, but become paralyzed by unnecessary things, such as the eyes of society and men.” (Its from an interview in Lips Magazine)

[frecklegirl]

Just want to say, mad props to BlueApple and Turtle for keeping the feminism/anti-sexism alive in this thread. Inseu, there's no such thing as a "male feminist"--just a regular old "feminist," which isn't limited to gender, and honestly anyone who believes men and women should have equal rights is, by definition, a feminist, and that's just about all of us these days, whether we like identifying with that word or not--and no need to quickly reassure us that you aren't one, heaven forbid anyone think you're less of a man!!

It's my opinion that a lot of people are actually turned OFF by Ringo's voice. When I try listening to artists that Ringo fans like who have that same voice quality--Yuuko Andou, YUKI--I don't enjoy it, whereas Ringo's voice never bothers me.

I dunno, just because someone acts sexy, doesn't mean they're out to invite the male gaze. You can want to look sexy all on your own, just because it makes you feel good, without wanting to attract male attention.

And I do believe Ringo is very clever and very subversive. I think you're letting the sex appeal she holds for you cloud your ability to view her as the intelligent human being capable of exposing and subverting culture that she really and truly is. I don't think most of us would like her so much if she didn't have that appeal of being very smart.

[Entry№1]

Didn't Ringo say the music video for "Honnou" was about women owning their own sexual fantasies and functioning sexually without men? Even though the imagery was coincidentally very convenient for the Seinen demographic, I kind of want to believe she was being honest. (She also said it took place on a spaceship, and that that fact accidentally got lost in production, but I'm pretty skeptical about that, too.)

I think Ringo started off being a lot more feminist than she is now, but the term "feminist" is ambiguous, because, though all feminists want to empower women, we may differ greatly in the way we think it can or should be achieved. Some would call the "Carnation"/"Onna no Ko wa Dare Demo" Shiina Ringo just as, if not more, feminist than "Fuck off G-Men" Shiina Ringo.

[deadgrandma]

Maybe she doesn't give a fuck and just wants to dress pretty and occasionally drop a bra strap or two

[Inseu]

Originally Posted by frecklegirl

Just want to say, mad props to BlueApple and Turtle for keeping the feminism/anti-sexism alive in this thread. Inseu, there's no such thing as a "male feminist"--just a regular old "feminist," which isn't limited to gender, and honestly anyone who believes men and women should have equal rights is, by definition, a feminist, and that's just about all of us these days, whether we like identifying with that word or not--and no need to quickly reassure us that you aren't one, heaven forbid anyone think you're less of a man!!

And I do believe Ringo is very clever and very subversive. I think you're letting the sex appeal she holds for you cloud your ability to view her as the intelligent human being capable of exposing and subverting culture that she really and truly is. I don't think most of us would like her so much if she didn't have that appeal of being very smart.

There are plenty of "male feminists". I did bend the term to describe guys who get very angry when an evil fanboy starts to "objectify" his favourite female singer.

Personally, I think these guys are missing out on the "sensual world of Shiina Ringo". Incredibly catchy avant-garde, jazzy pop-rock songs sung by a sexy nurse dominatrix whose powerful voice touches my soul. That's like a twisted fantasy come true.

Also, it's just music...I love her lyrics, but really don't try to over-analyze them and draw conclusions about the artist.

[W3iHong]

Male perspective here:

Yeah, she is pretty hot, pretty cute. But if I wanted to watch some lady strut their stuff and be every man's fantasy, I would go somewhere esle.

So, no. Ringo is not someone I would watch to touch myself. I asked myself this too, "Why am I not touching myself when I watch her?" I realized I couldn't bring myself to it. So in my heart, Ringo has her own special place.

It was most likely that Ringo didn't intended to attract male listeners by dressing provocatively. Maybe it was some male listeners thinks of her like that. It's all cool.


In my school, I often see guys with photos of a SNSD girl plastered on the smartphone's background. A little creepy but this shows what they like.

[Nimh]

From what I understand, Ringo has a large gay male following, and if you believe the critics on this site, lots of old grannies. Hetero guys are like, fourth or fifth on the demographic fan chart.

[Inseu]

Originally Posted by Nimh

From what I understand, Ringo has a large gay male following, and if you believe the critics on this site, lots of old grannies. Hetero guys are like, fourth or fifth on the demographic fan chart.

I did read an interesting old thread called "Is Shiina Ringo a gay icon??"

But only 10% of the populace is gay, maybe less...I think it's hogwash to say that she has more gay male fans then hetero male fans.

[Glathannus]

Originally Posted by Nimh

Ringo has a large gay male following

Some people might construe that as: "Ringo has a bear following"

On a more serious note, I don't know if I'd rank hetero males 4th or 5th largest demographic among the fanbase, or if it's even a good idea to rank them at all. Even if hetero males were #1, they still aren't a majority on their own, and that matters more than whatever rank anyone can come up with. If the male fans of all sexualities banded together, maybe they could have a coalition majority. In Japan, probably not.

[Carlx]

I strongly consider that Shiina Ringo's music has a lot of sexual energy as a consistent element and she's well-aware of that, she's got the sensitivity to reinforce it on stage with the subtlety of a geisha. (well, sometimes in a not-so-subtle way...)