CBS: Hatsune Miku “World’s Fakest Pop Star”

Miku fans have been busily denouncing major US network CBS after it had the temerity to call holographic princess Hatsune Miku “the world’s fakest pop star.”

The article in question is a rather late entry into the popular “Hatsune Miku = creepy Japanese hologram” genre:

Hatsune Miku is the rarest kind of pop star. She is enduringly popular in her native country of Japan. She has never been photographed stumbling out of night clubs in the early hours of the morning, and never had issues with drugs or alcohol. She has, in fact, never been seen outside of her concerts at all. This is because Miku is also the fakest kind of pop star. She is a hologram.

More accurately, Hatsune Miku is a digital avatar. Wikipedia describes her as a “singing synthesizer application with a female persona,” created by Crypton Future Media. Using Yamaha’s Vocaloid software, anyone with enough technical know-how can program Miku to perform any song on a computer.

In Japan, where synthetic characters — such as Hello Kitty — are often far more enduring than real celebrities, Miku has been a huge hit. The holographic star has performed multiple sold-out concerts in her home country and abroad. Projected larger than life on a screen, Miku sings and dances according to the direction of programmers who “choreographed” the concert weeks or months in advance.

The stark unreality of Hatsune Miku doesn’t seem to bother her fans at all.

Although otherwise an inoffensive puff piece, CBS’s description of their virtual goddess as “fake” immediately outraged scores of Miku fans:

‘Congrats to the author for doing absolutely no research into the matter other than reading the summary on Wikipedia.

First of all, is Mozart’s music fake because it didn’t feature singing? Miku, and the rest of the voice banks for Vocaloid, are instruments.

Sure, anyone can use Vocaloid, but just like any other instrument, it takes an artist to master it.

Also, “fake” implies that it’s a scam or doesn’t exist. I don’t see anything fake about Vocaloid; it’s simply an instrument. There’s a guitar sitting five feet to my right; are you telling me it’s not there because it has the same implications as Vocaloid?

Finally, every other popstar who’s conditioned for their image rather than voice or talent are just as fake if Miku is fake.

Have fun with your content-free articles and questionable reporters, CBS.’

‘The world is filled with fake celebrities, pretending to be something they are not, remade by image consultants, keeping up appearances with a polished veneer.

Hatsune Miku is none of these things. She is exactly what she appears to be, with no pretence or deception. She is the sum total of the hopes and dreams and creative energy of her legions of adoring fans, and can be nothing else. She is quite possibly the most genuine celebrity to ever grace the earth.’

‘I respectfully ask that you retract that HORRIBLE and MISLEADING title. Hatsune Miku is by no mean FAKE. Calling Hatsune Miku fake is the equivalent of calling ALL of the fan, artists, composers, singers, animators, that celebrate this movement FAKE. It’s an insult.’

‘If anything, it’s more insulting that you didn’t do much research than it is that you said “fake.”‘

‘Well, Great job on doing no research! For one thing, you looked at Wikipedia, and everyone knows that they aren’t completely right. Due to the fact that anyone can edit Wikipedia, it comes up with weird BS.

On top of that, this is just a stupid article! Miku isn’t “fake”! On the contrary, she is most very real, and extremely loved. She was voiced by a REAL woman named Saki Fujita!

I do realize that Vocaloids are just programs, and I would be stupid to not know that. She has a character that the fanbase has given her, but now Crypton has taken it on. Hatsune Miku and every other vocaloid, are amazing creations.

[…]

Miku is more real of an idol, then most of us will ever be.’

‘Whoever wrote the article, I would like to politely ask to change the title into something that WOULD NOT annoy/**** off Miku’s fans.

Well, I got pissed off when I saw the title. FAKE is not the word, okay? It’s like you’re breaking her image >:/

Please change the title and everything will be okay.’

‘Note for journalist:

There are a few hot button words and phrases with Miku fandom. One, as you might have guessed, is the word “fake”, or the related phrase “she’s not real.”

Almost as touchy is the phrase “what anime is she from?” or “she’s an anime character.”

Just a suggestion, maybe replace “fakest” (omg that even sounds awkward) with “most unreal.” Unreal is normally used when something is so awesome, reality is incapable of inventing it alone.’

‘When one uses the word “fakest” when reporting in a news article, it leads me to believe their background research goes only as far as it takes to roll an office chair over to a thesaurus.

To address the use of fake in a general sense, we can establish that the adjective form of fake means something which is counterfeit or a sham.

To my knowledge, there is nothing counterfeit about a digital pop star whose image is derived from a vast fan-base.’

‘Hey BAILEY JOHNSON fyi she is CREATED so she is not FAKE and she is way to better than Gaga and Justin Bieber. Your article really sucks. Why this been released through this site? This article is worthless!’

‘This post is very derogatory and unprofessional. What can we expect from Americans. Please inquire more information about this topic even more. Hatsune Miku is a tool to create music, “She” is like every other item is able to create good music and express the creators feelings and music. Therefore its not considered “fake”.’

‘The numerous problems with this article astound me.

First of all, “fakest” is not a word. Dictionaries are fabulous tools that someone needs to introduce this writer to. Also, using “fake” to describe Miku really gives readers the wrong impression. Is it fake when a person devotes their time and effort into putting their feelings into a song?

[…]

Now I am going to assume that CBS was joking when they hired this…sham of a writer. Using Wikipedia as a source? You do realize that students are not even allowed to use Wikipedia in high school because of the unreliability, correct?

[…]

Well, I could go on and on, but I would just be wasting my time. Goodbye CBS, have fun with your shoddy articles and reporters.’