Wada Akiko’s Comment Escapes Scrutiny as Announcer’s Remark on Men’s Smell Leads to Termination

On the same day that Kawaguchi was fired, Wada Akiko, who appeared on “Akko ni Omakase” (TBS), also faced backlash.

 

Wada made a controversial comment about Kitaguchi Haruka, who won the gold medal in women’s javelin at the Paris Olympics. She described Kitaguchi as looking like a “sea lion.”

 

Kitaguchi, who values “good luck rituals,” often lies on the ground at the competition venue and leisurely eats castella. Wada saw this.  

The studio guests also laughed along with Wada’s remark.

On social media, reactions included:

“That’s incredibly disrespectful to a gold medalist!”

“It’s immediately clear whether being called a walrus would be something to be happy about.”

While there are voices of criticism saying, 

“She said it with affection,” 

“She had no ill will towards Akko-san,” 

There are also voices defending her.

To begin with, in these developments 

“Is it weird that ‘disliking the smell of summer men’ leads to contract termination while ‘looking like a seal’ is acceptable?”

There have been voices questioning the disparity in treatment. However,

“It is exactly a ‘microcosm of the entertainment industry’.”

This is what a TV network insider says.

“A prominent figure and a lesser-known freelance announcer show a clear difference. Wada-san is considered a top figure at the major talent agency ‘HoriPro’ and is a significant contributor to the entertainment industry. No matter how much public outrage there is, TV networks cannot treat Wada-san carelessly. HoriPro has many popular actors and talents like Haruka Ayase, Satomi Ishihara, and Kyoko Fukada, so dismissing top figure Wada-san could affect other castings and projects.

 

There is no direct pressure on TV networks, but there is a tendency for them to exercise discretion on their own. On the other hand, for a freelance announcer, weighing ‘contribution to the agency’ against ‘handling the fallout from controversies’ might make it quicker to let them go. Moreover, individuals who make thoughtless discriminatory comments are likely to cause further controversy. The earning power and influence of Wada-san are vastly different from those of a freelance announcer.”

 

It may be unfair, but it seems that in the entertainment industry, success is all that matters.