Sympathy Grows for Akiko Wada Amid Online Criticism and Network Calls for Recording

Controversies involving celebrities and famous people continue. Akiko Wada’s “sea lion” comment is one such issue.

Wada, 74, made a remark on her show ‘Akko ni Omakase!’ (TBS) about Haruka Kitaguchi, 26, who won a gold medal in women’s javelin at the Paris Olympics. She commented on Kitaguchi eating cake while lying down:

“She looks like a sea lion, lying down. How cute.”

The comment received widespread criticism on social media and caused a major backlash. In response, Wada apologized at the beginning of the show broadcast on August 18. However, her visibly exhausted appearance prompted sympathetic comments such as “She seems so pitiful,” “It feels like bullying an elderly person,” and “Seeing her like this makes it feel like Wada is being defamed.”

Seeing the dire situation, voices within TBS are expressing concerns about the continuation of live broadcasts, such as “It seems that live broadcasting has reached its limit,” and “Given Wada’s age, long hours of live broadcasting are likely unfeasible. It would be too late to address major troubles once they arise.”

“The show started in 1985. At that time, Akiko Wada was 35 and known as “God Aunt” with a sharp wit and dynamic presence. The decision then was that Wada’s sharp-tongued talk was best suited to live broadcasts. Being a news program, it required the immediacy of live updates, and the scripts were kept very simple. Most of the talk was unscripted, including Wada’s, so the “happenings” and “accidents” during broadcasts were entertaining, and viewers had the patience to enjoy them.

Inappropriate remarks during the show were not uncommon. However, unlike back then when the internet didn’t exist and fewer people were concerned, what was once overlooked is no longer ignored. There is concern that the show could face a situation leading to its cancellation. Thus, opinions are emerging that it would be better to switch to pre-recorded broadcasts.”

 

 

 

It is obvious that the environment surrounding the program has drastically changed over the past 40 years, and Wada herself is aware that things are not as they once were. However, “She is very much in high spirits and has no intention of retiring, let alone stopping live broadcasts” (program staff)

Considering that Wada’s talent agency, Horipro, is involved in the show’s production, it would not be easy to switch to pre-recorded broadcasts. However, without any measures, there is a high risk of another “slip-up” causing a major backlash.

“Indeed, Akiko Wada genuinely views ‘sea lions’ as cute animals. She likely did not think that comparing someone to a sea lion could be seen as derogatory. There are posts on social media saying ‘It would have been better if it were a seal or a sea lion,’ but perceptions vary from person to person.

In this case, people who view sea lions as symbols of ‘ugly creatures’ overreacted and caused the uproar. If someone had been there to explain that ‘sea lion’ is not used positively in general society, this commotion might not have happened” (Entertainment journalist Hiroyuki Sasaki).

Thus, the aforementioned script writer suggests the following plan.

“The problem is that the other participants on the show are all celebrities who can’t speak up to Wada. If someone had said, ‘Comparing her to a sea lion is inappropriate!’ and turned it into a joke, and if Wada had apologized, this situation might not have escalated. Therefore, there are voices within the network suggesting that it might be a good idea to include knowledgeable experts such as critics, lawyers, and scholars who are not influenced by Wada in the show’s lineup.”

Is it a case of an “expert commentator” giving opinions to another “expert commentator”?

Perhaps it would be worth considering gathering expert commentators and turning the show into ‘Akko’s Current Affairs Talk’.