Perhaps the Era of the "Boy Hostess" Is Upon Us

A user at the facility introduced me to a comedy group called Dew 90000.

Until then, I didn't know much about Dew 90000. I might have seen the name somewhere, but I didn't know who the central figure was or what kind of vibe the group had.

Then, I watched a video of the representative, Sho Hasumi, speaking.

At that moment, I felt something a bit strange.

I sensed something in Hasumi-san that reminded me of Ranmaru Kishitani.

Of course, their activities, backgrounds, and statements are different. It's not that they look alike. I don't mean to say their personalities are the same, either.

However, when I look at both of them, the same phrase comes to mind.

Boy Hostess.

This is a coined term I came up with on my own.

At first glance, it seems like a highly contradictory phrase.

Boy and Hostess.

Innocence and hospitality.

Incompleteness and worldliness.

A precariousness like social anxiety, mixed with a habit of drawing people's attention.

I wanted to call someone who seems to possess both of these qualities simultaneously a "Boy Hostess."

What is boyishness?

The boyishness I refer to here does not simply mean being youthful.

It is a feeling of not being fully domesticated by society.

It is the feeling that while they act like adults, there is still a part of them that remains skeptical, wondering, "Is this really okay?"

When they talk about things they like, their speech suddenly speeds up, they become argumentative, or their competitive nature shows through.

You believe in your own abilities, yet you lack confidence in yourself in some way.

You care about how others see you, yet you pretend not to care.

I think that kind of still-unrefined self-consciousness is what boyhood is.

Hasumi-san possesses the composure of a leader heading a group.

He structures his work, positions people, and observes the overall atmosphere.

On the other hand, in the nuances of his remarks, it seemed to me that something like a boy who used to observe the world from the corner of a classroom still remains.

Even though he stands at the center of everyone, he hasn't fully become the central figure.

Even though he is inside the circle, he is simultaneously looking at the circle from slightly outside.

That sense of distance is boyish.

I sometimes feel a similar sense of incompleteness in Ranmaru Kishitani-san as well.

He speaks confidently and clearly states his thoughts. He also seems somewhat accustomed to being in the public eye.

However, deep within that strength, there is a boy who still wants to talk back to the world.

It also looks as if he is continuing to prove that "I am here" in a slightly loud voice.

That desperation belongs not to a fully formed adult, but to a boy who is in the process of creating himself.

What is the quality of a hostess?

So, what is the quality of a hostess?

This also does not mean working as a hostess in a cabaret club as a profession.

What I mean is the ability to accept being seen by others while showing oneself to the other person in a pleasant way of it.

You understand how you appear.

You know which words to use to get a reaction from the other person.

Making the other person happy while also elevating one's own value.

Not showing all of one's true feelings, but not telling complete lies either.

Showing friendliness while maintaining a distance that isn't easily bridged.

This is a form of high-level hospitality.

In the way Hasumi-san speaks during interviews and on programs, I feel there is a sense of perceiving what the situation requires.

Making a slightly mean comment to generate laughter, putting oneself down a little to soften the mood, and yet, in the end, making people think, 'This person is smart.'

Instead of just talking for one's own pleasure, one delivers words in a form that is easy for the other person to receive.

Moreover, it doesn't look like one is completely dedicated to service.

There remains a slight coldness that says, 'I'm not just talking for your sake.'

That coldness, in turn, becomes a charm.

Isn't this quite 'hostess-like'?

Ranmaru Kishitani also has an air of viewing himself objectively as someone who attracts attention.

What should I say to be easily quoted?

What kind of image should I present to establish who I am?

He offers himself as content, including the potential for controversy.

However, it doesn't look like everything is done purely by calculation.

Mixed in there are things he truly wants to say and a desire to be recognized.

Calculation and true feelings are mixed, and it's impossible to tell where the performance ends.

I think that, too, is part of the 'hostess' nature.

Wanting to be loved, but not wanting to be controlled.

Boy cabaret hosts share a single, common desire.

They want to be loved.

However, they do not want to be controlled by others.

They want to be the center of attention.

However, they do not want to be easily understood.

They want to connect with people.

However, they do not want anyone to intrude into their inner selves.

They stand before others while harboring these contradictions.

Normally, people want to hide their contradictions.

Strong people try to appear strong.

Weak people try to sell their vulnerability.

But boy cabaret hosts switch between strength and weakness at high speed.

They engage in self-deprecation immediately after saying something arrogant.

They make themselves the target of laughter immediately after criticizing others.

They show childish emotions after acting intellectually.

Just when you think they have gotten close, they suddenly distance themselves.

The observer is swayed by that instability.

However, that is precisely why they keep watching.

They find themselves wondering, 'What kind of person are they really?'

By not revealing everything about themselves, boy cabaret hosts sustain people's interest.

Why the Boy Hostess Now?

Perhaps the era itself is calling for the boy hostess.

The masculine charisma of the past was much easier to understand.

Strong.

Unwavering.

Never complaining.

Leading others.

However, such a persona seems a bit outdated now.

Sometimes, a person who speaks while showing hesitation is trusted more than a perfect leader.

A person who can include self-deprecation is more approachable than someone full of confidence.

A person who stands before others while being mindful of how they are perceived seems more modern than a strong person who cares about nothing.

On the other hand, just being weak is not enough to keep people's attention.

As long as you stand in front of people, you need the skills to present yourself, choose your words, and move the atmosphere.

That is where the boyish nature and the hostess nature intersect.

Vulnerable, unfinished, and wanting to be acknowledged.

But at the same time, knowing how to entertain people, command a room, and understand one's own charm.

People who possess both are strong in this day and age.

On social media, the boundary between daily life and performance is disappearing.

Speaking one's true feelings becomes a performance in itself, and showing weakness becomes a form of self-production.

While claiming to be 'one's true self,' they edit and present that true self in the most attractive way possible.

Everyone is, little by little, becoming a cast member of their own shop.

We open a shop called 'self' and attract customers with words, photos, and videos.

In that sense, it is not just Mr. Hasumi or Mr. Kishitani who are boy hostesses.

We ourselves may already be turning into boy hostesses.

What lies beyond 'masculinity'

The term 'boy hostess' is not meant to feminize men for the sake of laughter.

Rather, I want to think of it as a term that expresses the complexity that men have been forbidden from showing until now.

They are charming.

They feel jealousy.

They want to be the center of attention.

They have mood swings.

They want to present themselves beautifully.

They want to be chosen by others.

But they don't want to be thought of as fawning.

These emotions must have existed within men for a long time.

I just think they have been hidden away as being 'unmanly'.

Boy hostesses do not hide these things completely.

They present them to the public, mixed with intelligence, humor, and a spirit of rebellion.

That appearance is freer than traditional masculinity.

However, at the same time, it also seems quite exhausting.

This is because they are constantly being watched by others and must continue to update their own appeal.

The self that wants to remain a boy, and the self that must satisfy the customer.

Those two are always having a conversation inside their heads.

"I want you to see the real me."

"But it would be a problem if you actually saw the real me."

A boy hostess is someone who continues to stand on stage while holding onto that contradiction.

Perhaps the era is one of boy hostesses.

Sho Hasumi and Ranmaru Kishitani are not exactly the same person.

It is also impossible to easily explain the two of them with a single word.

Even so, I want to call the shared presence I felt when looking at them, a boy hostess.

While rebelling against the world like a boy, they entertain the world like a hostess.

While hiding the fact that they want to be loved, they are polishing the techniques to be loved.

Confidence and anxiety, self-consciousness and a spirit of service, rebellion and charm.

These things maintain an exquisite balance within the same body.

Perhaps, what will gather popularity from now on is not the completed adult.

Someone who can turn being incomplete into a charm.

Someone who does not hide their vulnerability, yet can still entertain people.

Someone who can say "I want you to understand me," while laughing and saying "Don't think you understand me so easily."

The era, perhaps, is one of boy hostesses.

No, I thought the era is Da-u 90000, or rather, Sho Hasumi.