Osaka Comedian Don Nakata Kaus Addresses Matsumoto Hitoshi Problem and Criticisms
Exclusive 120-minute confession: "If he has laid his hands on customers and amateurs," ...... Former special advisor to a major figure who has supported the "comedy empire" for more than half a century speaks out about a string of troubles.
Young comedians have changed.
To preserve an environment where young talents at Yoshimoto can grow and improve, Kaosu believes it’s necessary to deliberately cut off interactions with other talent agencies. From this series of discussions, glimpses of Kaosu’s comedian philosophy, valuing theaters above all else, can be seen.
“At Yoshimoto, theaters and audiences are paramount. Without theater audiences, masterful performances wouldn’t emerge. Comedians who distance themselves from theaters, focusing solely on television, become too busy to refine their acts or their material, and they grow afraid of returning to the theaters. Such comedians, even if they lose their television jobs, may not be able to return to theaters because theaters have advanced beyond television in terms of audience appeal. While there was a time when television was dominant, that’s not the case anymore. Consequently, nowadays, there are hardly any young comedians aspiring to be like ‘Downtown.’ Instead, they all want to achieve success in theaters, win every comedy award, make a mark, and embark on nationwide tours.”
In response to Kaosu’s narrative, last year’s M-1 Grand Prix winners, “Reiwa Roman,” have declared that they “basically won’t appear on television.” When asked about Yoshimoto Entertainment during Matsumoto’s hiatus, he stated, “There are plenty of comedians who were previously restrained by Oozaki and those who are about to emerge.” He concluded his remarks about Yoshimoto as follows:
“Yoshimoto is a national treasure. It regularly stirs up public discussions, and everyone enjoys criticizing it online. In a way, this serves as stress relief, making Yoshimoto a company that helps people cope. Our scandals are straightforward, just like Matsumoto’s or the dark business scandal. When people see such simple scandals, everyone feels like they could be journalists. So, in reality, everyone loves Yoshimoto.”
How Matsumoto and Yoshimoto Entertainment interpret the words of this veteran remains to be seen.
From the April 19, 2024 issue of FRIDAY
PHOTO： Kei Kato (Kausu Nakata), Takayuki Ogawauchi (Mr. Osaki), Ippei Hara (Hitoshi Matsumoto), Shinji Hasuo (Mr. Okamoto)
