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The story
Comedian Cunning Takeyama has aired his personal theory that comedians who speak out on politics are “second- or third-rate,” adding that it’s “something done by people whose work has dried up” — remarks reported as a piece of advice aimed at Ungirls’ Takkyu Tanaka. On the 5channel Geisupo Sokuho+ (entertainment/sports news) board, the thread drew a wide range of reactions: some debated the topic by naming comedians who’d previously drawn attention for political remarks, others pointed out that Takeyama himself has made political comments in the past, and plenty of the discussion just drifted off into idle chat.
Cunning Takeyama (55) appeared on the TV Asahi program “Cream Nantara” (Mondays, 11:45 p.m.), aired on the 7th. He performed a bit from 20 years ago, revealing his commitment to the “kire-gei” (angry-outburst comedy style) he was known for back then.
The segment’s concept was “Time Slip 20 Years Back!? Encountering Nostalgic Shows & Scandal-Prone Idols.” Tetsuhei Arita announced, “A time machine has been developed.” Stepping into the time machine built by an assistant director, the cast found a “recreation” of TV Asahi’s headquarters from 20 years earlier. The bit recreated the recording sets of old shows like “Warai no Kin Medal” (Comedy Gold Medal) and “Ikinari! Ougon Densetsu” (Sudden Golden Legend), running quizzes tied to each recreated scene.
In the recreated scene from “Warai no Kin Medal,” Takeyama busted out his old-school kire-gei routine.
Source: nikkansports.com / Read the original article here
What people said
Meanwhile artists and actors flock to Democratic Party events in America.
whoever came up with this segment
go look in a mirror
turns out it's a boomerang from his own past
my bad
Not a fan either
he's rich so he can do whatever he wants
That just doesn't land with Japanese sensibilities at all, it's not funny here.
And I guess Nagai Hidekazu counts too?
He doesn't even do "comedy" anymore
No need to dutifully read the article on 5ch, it's just a way to kill time. I'm literally writing stuff that has nothing to do with it lol
Plenty of people wouldn't get it even if they read the article
He IS talking about himself, read the OP
Sounds like he means La Salle Ishii and Suidobashi Hakase
oh, and Taro Yamamoto too lol
Isn't Yamamoto more of an actor than a comedian?
Come to think of it, haven't seen Tamuken on Wednesday Downtown lately
It IS a self-introduction, read the OP
Forgot about Woman Rush Hour's Muramoto, and Two Beat too
Actually, those are custom-made glasses
Background and Talking Points
Whether comedians should speak out on politics is a topic that keeps resurfacing in Japan’s entertainment world, with figures like La Salle Ishii and Suidobashi Hakase — comedians who leaned harder into political commentary as their TV work dried up — often cited as examples. At the same time, some in the thread noted that Western comedians have a tradition of skewering politics for laughs, suggesting Takeyama’s remarks may reflect a broader gap between Japanese and Western views of what comedians are for. That said, the source article cited here is actually about a TV Asahi segment recreating a bit from 20 years ago, and the article text doesn’t confirm which program or context produced the thread-title remark warning Ungirls’ Tanaka. It’s also worth noting that the thread’s discussion drifted more toward pointing out boomerangs from Takeyama’s own past remarks and general chit-chat than toward the actual merits of the debate.
*This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5channel (Geisupo Sokuho+) thread “Cunning Takeyama: ‘Comedy Is Done the Moment It Touches Politics’ — ‘Second- or Third-Raters Do That. People Whose Work Dried Up Do That.’ Warning to Ungirls’ Tanaka.”
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