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The story
Kasuga Toshiaki, one half of the comedy duo Audrey, explained on TV Tokyo’s “Achikochi Audrey” why he turns down fans’ requests for photos, describing it simply as “basically being shoplifted from.” The fact that he’ll shake hands but draws the line at photos sparked discussion, with 5ch users split between those sympathetic to his reasoning (“photos could be misused,” “that’s the classic kind of photo gangs exploit”) and critics arguing that “since he’s in a business built on popularity, he should just go along with it.”
Audrey’s Kasuga Explains Why He Won’t Take Photos With Fans: “Basically Being Shoplifted From”
Kasuga Toshiaki of the comedy duo Audrey appeared on TV Tokyo’s “Achikochi Audrey” (Tuesdays at 12:30 AM) on the 27th, where he revealed why he says no to photos.
The topic of how to handle fans came up and got a lively discussion going on the show. At one point his partner and co-host Wakabayashi Masayasu remarked, “Kasuga really doesn’t do it at all, huh.”
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
Isn't handshaking the more unpleasant one?
Maybe because photos can be misused?
Probably because a photo could end up being used for something shady, like by organized crime
Even an innocent-looking family photo could get posted on social media, which would be unpleasant
With a handshake, the only downside is a bit of unwanted contact — nothing else to worry about lol
That one's easy to understand. Shady business types have long used "I happened to shake hands with a celebrity" photos to make themselves look legit — it's a classic trick.
Honestly, he should just charge like 100 yen a photo
Sounds like the tax office would show up after counting all the posted photos lol
Isn't that Wakabayashi you're thinking of?
Being more well-liked can't hurt.
Because once you say yes, people like that come swarming over without hesitation.
Apparently he once signed a chopstick wrapper, and years later found out someone had kept it carefully for 20 years — after that he started signing literally anything.
Because Akashiya Sanma's fan service is on a godlike level, it's apparently rough on younger comedians.
They get compared with "Sanma-chan did that for me, so why is someone at your level refusing?"
Apparently with Sanma, if you talk to him he launches straight into a comedy bit, and the person who approached him ends up wanting to leave.
Turns out his blunt, no-reaction natural self is funnier anyway.
Wakabayashi was leaning more toward the popular crowd ("first-string") even back in his school days, actually.
everyone's turned into an unconscious secret-photographer with zero sense of guilt about it.
And on top of that, this is an era where mass media runs ordinary people's covertly taken photos and videos on the news, calling them "viewer-submitted."
Once phones got cameras, and on top of that social media made it easy to share images with friends or total strangers, more people became unconsciously inconsiderate.
Though cameras are also useful for documenting disasters and accidents.
What about those photo tabloid weeklies that have been around forever?
would that line actually work on him?
If what's in Re: #1 is true, he'd let you.
Apparently in the TV industry's eyes, they're on a higher human tier, so it doesn't count as a crime.
By that logic, that's only after you've already been filmed.
Sounds like those idol Polaroid (cheki) sessions.
If someone picked a moment that wasn't disruptive and politely asked "Is a photo okay?", he'd probably say yes like normal.
Apparently his stance is no even if you ask properly
He probably just has a clear on/off switch
Well, it's at least consistent.
no wait, they're basically an organized theft ring.
Background and Key Points of the Debate
The reason celebrities sometimes adopt a “no photos, but handshakes are fine” policy is generally understood to be that they and their agencies are wary of unauthorized photos being repurposed on social media, for shady promotions, or to give organized-crime figures an air of legitimacy by association — it’s not an unusual policy in the entertainment industry. Kasuga’s description of it as “being shoplifted from” is a metaphor in that context, and it’s easy to misread it as him literally suspecting theft, which isn’t the case. The thread split into two camps: (1) critics arguing that since he’s in a popularity-driven business, he should accommodate photo requests, and (2) those who accept that drawing a clear line between his on-stage and off-stage self is a reasonable approach in its own right. Commenters also brought up Akashiya Sanma’s style of saying yes to literally any request as a point of comparison, along with the observation that this kind of gold-standard service can create silent pressure on younger comedians — which reads as less a verdict on Kasuga personally than a commentary on the industry’s broader dynamics.
*This article is composed of excerpts and a summary from the 5ch (Geisokusokuho+) thread “[Entertainment] Audrey’s Kasuga Explains Why He Won’t Take Photos With Fans: “Basically Being Shoplifted From”.”
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