米国 v 日本, Part I

Zさん："In America, there are singing competition reality TV shows. Prospective stars compete before an audience both live and in people's homes. Through survival of the fittest, it is pretty much guaranteed that the winner will be a very talented singer.

"In Japan in the 90s, there was a boy band called SMAP. Their leader was a guy by the name of Masahiro Nakai. He was charming, witty, and handsome. However, he could not sing at all -- completely tone deaf. But because he had the personality of what the leader of a boy band was supposed to have, he got the job."