
Sing to Me: Karaoke is self-compromise as spectacle - tintinnabula
http://reallifemag.com/sing-to-me/
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wmil
Singing at social gatherings is pretty much universal across human societies.

The real question isn't "Why is karaoke popular?" it's "Why is breaking into
song at other bars frowned upon?".

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saurik
In most social gatherings you have people who are at least vaguely talented
singing alone or you have a group singing (maybe even most of the people
present); Karaoke is different: it highlights individual lack of talent.

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Uhhrrr
Hm - I think Karaoke is a chance to express yourself with the help of a ready-
made backing track. Together with the reverb of the mic and an audience of
friendlies, karaoke is your best singing self, not a self-compromise.

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bitwize
I think "self-compromise as spectacle" is a recurring theme in a lot of
Japanese pastimes -- from karaoke to Those Wacky Japanese Game Shows to just
getting shitfaced with your coworkers (and boss!) on Fridays. Japanese people
have few opportunities in their daily work and social lives to let their freak
flag fly. The tension that comes from having to maintain your tatemae nearly
24/7 has got to be released somewhere and karaoke bars are one of the "safe
spaces" created for that purpose.

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wccrawford
Why target the Japanese with that? I've yet to meet a group of people that
didn't act like that in some way, many did it quite a lot when they weren't
having to represent something professionally... And some did it even then.

I worked at a company where the local manager would occasionally dress in a
cow costume and let employees throw foam brick at his udder.

Sure, the Japanese "invented" and named karaoke, but it has been whole-
heartedly adopted by so many peoples.

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bitwize
Karaoke is not nearly as prevalent in, for example, America as it is in Japan.
Maybe Korea or the Philippines can come close.

