The esteemed University of Oxford has quite bizarrely introduced Hatsune Miku (and virtual idols as a whole) as one of their textbook studies, a class bound to prove uninformative to any individual even remotely familiar with the virtual diva whilst providing a new generation of virtual idol studies graduates with fruitful careers.
Unfortunately only a portion of the book (entitled “The Oxford Handbook of Music and Virtuality”) focuses on Miku and “fictional” idols; the chapter titles regarding Miku can be seen below:
6. Vocaloids and Japanese Virtual Vocal Performance: The Cultural Heritage and Technological Futures of Vocal Puppetry
Louise H. Jackson and Mike Dines
7. Hatsune Miku and Japanese Virtual Idols
Rafal Zaborowski
8. Hatsune Miku, 2.0Pac, and Beyond: Rewinding and Fast-Forwarding the Virtual Pop Star
Thomas Conner
9. “Feel Good” with Gorillaz and “Reject False Icons”: The Fantasy Worlds of the Virtual Group and Their Creators
Shara Ramberran
According to some readers however, the tome has covered Miku negatively, stating that western fans have affection for her merely due to “cultural appropriation” and not actually for the technology or music, an excuse that seemingly goes out of its way to denounce the entire otaku culture surrounding her (a rather frequent event that has even been committed by political figures).
The textbook itself will set buyers back $150 for a physical copy but only a mere $120 for a digital copy, and internet dwellers uninterested in being subject to university publishing mafia violation can at least take a glimpse at the free version courtesy of Google Books.
Damn it, I knew I shouldn’t have applied for Cambridge.
I miss Muslimstyle.
First, Cultural Appropriation is BS.
Second point. It’s a product of a company. A company that is selling stuff on a free market – they do not care who buys there product.
Third point. Voice synthesizers for music have a huge history. Japan adds just added a face to one. If it’s someone’s culture it’s that of the countries who helped develop them, not the one who introduced a successful marketing campaign.
Guys, the book doesn’t say any of this at all. The word “appropriation” is used literally once in the chapters that are about Miku, and it’s not about white people stealing culture or anything like that.
I’ve looked it up, and as far as I can tell, all this is from literally one guy complaining on the Mikufan website, and SC decided to write the story based on that (cause come on, are we really surprised?)
Well, I for one am glad that there are these concerned people who take it upon themselves to warn us plebs about the multitudinous hazards of listening to the “jazz-music” of negroes.