OK. So the details. JPOP label Avex has announced the formation of a new all-girl group called Chubbiness. Why that particular name, you may ask? Because the decided to use the gimmick of forming the group with members that they consider “chubby” or “plus-sized”. I use quotations because if you told me to find that common theme above, I wouldn’t have been able to do it.
I wouldn’t say this is completely surprising, as there has been a precedent elsewhere in Asia with KPOP playing home to Big Mama, the Bubble Sisters and Piggy Dolls in years prior. Asian pop culture has always been filled with slender beauty standards, though it’s tough to say whether this newfound appreciation is progression or a form of fetishization. Either way, I can’t say I’m particularly thrilled of the usage of their perceived difference in body shape as a selling point – though I imagine it’s really not any better than using skinny girls to attract attention per the norm.
You can read up more about the group over at BuzzFeed & AsianJunkie.
What do you guys think about the whole thing?
a-Tunes 