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Old 2012-09-04, 04:49   Link #291
relentlessflame
 
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Age: 41
Quote:
Originally Posted by cyth View Post
I don't think this will die out, because the production committee has found itself in a spiral where no matter what reasonable explanation they come up with (indeed, it was a stupid PR campaign), the outraged public won't accept it. For them, it's really hard to do that at this point, because they're convinced that all the flags weren't fake. I mean, just seeing some posters in this thread, they're not only looking at the evidence and drawing conclusions, they're emotionally vested in this. Maybe because bullying is such a sensitive topic for this crowd. And precisely because of that, the whole PR stunt was insensitive and poorly executed. If the anime deserves "losses" in sales, it's because the PR stunt was intended as part of the product.
Well, yeah, if there's any lesson that the entire anime industry will learn from this, it's to not do any PR campaign that involve any perceived "bullying", even as an act.

And yeah, honestly, I can see how it's a sensitive topic "for this crowd" -- normally I would resent your phrasing things that way, but in this case I'll allow myself to be included. I suppose, frankly, I don't really understand why it isn't as sensitive for everyone... but I do recognize that "Punked" acts are common in entertainment these days, and I'm sure to the PR people who designed this campaign, it didn't seem particularly unusual or problematic. They just didn't really understand all the dynamics at play, and probably never even considered what could go wrong (and really, who could imagine it turning out like this?).



Quote:
Originally Posted by Erhjegel View Post
Guess that tweet by Kikuchi, and that segment in Sugita's show, and that previous prank by Yamanaka, were all just promotional stunts then? What a relief! I guess we can just dismiss all those malicious words and actions during the streamed event and the radio shows too! All in good fun! I wish I could electrocute someone that easily and call it a day!

Tehe~! Ichiki's going to get a role in the somewhat distant future, people! It's all okay now!
It doesn't mean that all the people involved are blameless and have never done anything wrong, whether in the midst of this situation or outside of it. The hyperbole in your sarcasm is ridiculous.

But, given the extensive involvement of the staff to carry out this plan, I think the explanation offered now is much, much more likely than having so many people on so many levels be involved in malicious systematic bullying of a staff member for no good reason, nor that they'd come up with the idea of offering him a role now as some sort of consolation prize. That theory never once added up for me. This explanation seems much more likely. It's quite likely that some people took the joke too far, and may have even secretly enjoyed the game even though they knew what was really going on (that they'd soon reveal this casting)... but yeah.

Bullying is a real, serious problem everywhere. That they made light of it was insensitive at best. This whole situation is sure to have wide-ranging repercussions across the industry, so I don't think anyone is pretending that "it's all okay now". It's not okay. But, I do think it's over.
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