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Shinsuke Shimada snaps during live show

59 Comments

The incident happened during the TBS quiz show “All Star Kanshasai” while the famed Cirque du Soleil was performing their acrobatics. The camera was showing some of the cast sitting in the darkened tiered platform, which also happened to capture TV crews restraining comedian and show host Shinsuke Shimada who appeared to be in a rage. The program website was flooded with inquiries from TV viewers.

The 5-hour quiz show is aired live twice a year, with 200 comedians, actors, etc, from the entertainment industry to participate and promote new programs beginning in the fall and spring seasons. It was about 3 hours into the show, while Cirque du Soleil was presenting their "human tower" act when Shimada stood up and was heard to shout, “What’s up with you guys?” at a young comedic trio named Tokyo 03, winner of a recent TBS comedy tournament.

According to one source, staff hesitated to take any action in case it would worsen the situation and were relieved to see Shimada return to the space for the program host. In a split moment, though, Shimada turned around again and scrambled up the tiers toward the trio. The moment he grabbed one of them by the collar, some crew members rushed to hold him back – a scene that ended up being aired live on TV.

By the end of the acrobatics, Shimada had returned to his position and continued on with the show as though nothing had happened, while the paled trio Tokyo 03 kept their heads low.

What caused Shimada to snap during a live show? One crew member mentioned that the trio had failed to pay their respects to Shimada prior to the show, but another seasoned comedian who was also present explained that “too many of the younger comedians, including Tokyo 03, are downright rude and it’s unacceptable. It’s routine for the camera to show the expressions of the participants positioned on the tiers from time to time, but these youngsters sit there looking bored with chin in their hands, talk among themselves and start goofing off during commercial breaks. I think Shimada was angry at them for their unprofessional behavior.”

This lack of professional courtesy seems to be common. Some don’t bother introducing themselves to their senior comedians, make rude statements during filming, or show up late at the workplace.

Shimada has a reputation as a role model for young comedians, taking care and giving guidance both at the professional and personal level. Those he has taken under his wings, such as Suzanne, Shuchishin and Aki Hoshino, have become popular figures on TV. As such, it is a golden rule for starlets and newbies in the entertainment business to show appropriate courtesy to the "big boss."

The shamed agency managing Tokyo 03 expressed their understanding of the incident as a problem about professional behavior and etiquette. After the show, the trio went to Shimada and apologized profusely. Apparently the big boss chastised the youngsters, and lectured them on the dos and don’ts of the business.

© Japan Today

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59 Comments
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Shinsuke rashii action.

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Wasn't he in trouble for sexual harrassment a few years ago?

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this kind of stupid and rude behaviour is common among young people, not all, but it is common. On the other hand, I have never thought much of Shimada. His simplistic "formula" programs (crowd of b-list celebrities in front of Shimada; Shimada humiliates them and aggrandizes himself for the next 50 minutes) are at best simplistic, and at worst seem to be the polite manifestations of the bully thinking that pervades so much of Japanese society. His violent outrage fits in with that profile. This isn't the first time Shimada has done this, I doubt it will be the last.

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Sarge, I think it was last year that he got caught for assaulting a female TV station staffer, again for allegedly being "rude" to Shimada. Shimada removed himself from appearances for six months to show regret. But because the media and the japanese audience seem to love him so much, he came right back afterwards and was more popular than ever)

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thank god i have never worked with this guy, sounds like a real pain in the neck! showing respect?? come on, if you are boring, and the younger comedians get bored, time to reflect on why you are boring or just get out of the way and make room for the new generation shimada chan!

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Josesensei, right--he hit a female manager of Yoshimoto Kogyo in a dressing room in Osaka after berating her for her "rudeness." Basically, he is a "chinpira" but one who gets high ratings so outside of murder, he's pretty much untouchable...for now.

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Shinsuke should get the proper respect he is entitled to. Anyone with half a brain knows true respect is demanded not earned.

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Nice summary of this guy's pisspoor style josesensei. Has the clip surfaced on the net yet? Would love to show my Japanese colleagues just what a fartknocker he is.

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Ah, "after the show the trio went to Shimada appologized profusely" Case closed why is this even on here.

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bizarre.

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why is the agency "shamed"? He is the one that made a fool of himself on national television.

The agency boys deserve to give an apologyfor showing lack of respect, but he's the bigger loser by far.

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Put him in the pokey for another 6 months!

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He got physical with ANA or JAL stewardess too few years ago.

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Well he did have a good reason to be ticked off if the looking bored explanation is right. Half of Japanese prime time TV seems to be a bunch of "tarento" sitting around in a studio pretending what they are doing is interesting and funny. If they don't pretend then the whole ridiculous show will fall apart, and he knows that.

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after the show the trio went to Shimada appologized profusely

I think it should've been vice versa. I thought it was rude to show anger in public in Japan, let alone on National TV!

From the comments: Shinsuke Shimada hits women too? I'd put this woman-beater away for awhile, but in Japan he gets top billing.

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What a loser. All his shows turn into talento in-talk wankfests.

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Live TV and all. What an opportunity. Being a bit different, I would have liked to have seen things take an unexpected twist.

For example, what about an assault charge for Shimada. You know how shame works in Japan. The young chap should be down the cop shop with a video of the incident in hand. The closer any court proceedings got, the more Shimada would be treated like a certain substance-using idol.

On the other hand, if nobody were willing to do anything, the young trio should have fought back. Slap granddad around the head a bit on national TV. Indeed, as programming it would probably be superior to the crxp the viewing public is forced to swallow all the time.

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This Shimada should have got the tables turned on him with the Tokyo 03 boys wailing on him with cries, "Look, old man, you're a talentless, over-exposed, unfunny, bullying loser. Go back to your seat before you taste some real pain!"

But, no, the Tokyo 03 boys had to hang their heads in humbled shame the rest of the broadcast and go back to 'King of the A--holes' later and 'profusely apologize'. This is another case of another over-pampered old tarento demanding respect, rather than getting it the old-fashioned way: earning it. A mature professional would have calmly walked over to these three and in a low voice said something, "Knock if off, understand?" That's all it would have taken. But no.... Shimada had to make a scene and have it aired live.

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He's not the most pleasant looking chap...how do these faces get on TV anyway,let alone the dribble content of the shows ?

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These Tokyo 03 could have been the Dave Chappelles of Japan, but they lack the nads to stand up. They should have turned it around and made a joke of Shimada. Pull a little Larry, Curly and Moe on him. But of course, these three will never be Chappelles. I imagine Tokyo 03 is just another put together act that lacks enough leg-power to plow through their one and only hit comedy routine. Ugh. How depressing.

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the senpai-kohai thing is big in the entertainment industry kinda like the yakuza or politics. its how they keep their control. but shinsuke is getting to big for his head.

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Link please.

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what an idiot! And uggggly!

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I'm curious how Suzanne and Hoshino Aki showed their respect

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Glad to see the old and talented giving guidance to the young and foolish.

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Shinsuke Shimada is a boob anyway.

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I pretty much hate Japanese Tv. Its pretty boring stuff. And it sounds like this guy is a root cause. And it sounds pretty Japanese to keep people's attention by force rather than being genuinely interesting. What a charade.

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Shimada should have been taken off the air years ago. He's unfunny, rude and utterly low-class. Why should anyone pay respect to him? He deserves none.

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So what's the fuss about a week old news item?

Ya gotta play by the rules......

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I was once on a TV show that he was "hosting". He's a typical "ware ware wa" better than anything non ware ware type of character. Just look at his expression in the photo. It rarely changes. That this type of guy represents the "best" of Japanese talent is really an embarassment. And for how many years running? 20 or so? If someone could ever offer true variety in this media mesmerized country?

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this is what I wud call sempai/kohai gone wild! haha. This is simply a moment of J-tarento bullying caught on film hahah.

In other words its an example of Japanese culture, ijime, its everywhere ya know!

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yes, japanese culture at its "best" - first - failure to show respect before the show. whats with that?!?!? they didnt bow far enough? slip enough in the envelope? also STOP showing the talento`s (lack) of expressions in that damned box in the corner. who cares!!!!! yes, i really want to be part of that japanese culture.

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Does anyone find any of these "comedians" funny?

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There are one or two comedy acts I find genuinely funny -- Bananaman, for example, though I find them funnier when they AREN'T doing their routines and are just joking around. But for the most part, I don't get Japanese comedy. I beg cultural ignorance in that respect. I've always felt traditional Japanese comedy is very vaudevillian, if I have to draw a western comparison, and Vaudeville comedy has always been hit or miss with me.

To get back to the actual meat of this story, though, I agree that the comedians should have exercised better judgment in their dealings with Shimada, but I think he was completely out of line by getting physically aggressive in retaliation. Both sides were in the wrong and acted in a highly unprofessional manner.

To the guys in Tokyo 03: like it or not, Shimada is THE honcho in the comedy world. You might not like him, but if you want to be a somebody in the biz, you'll have to bite the bullet and act like the kouhai you are. He's been in the business a long time, and he will still be there a long time from now. You can learn things from him that will give you longevity. Don't burn your bridges before you've even made it halfway across.

To Shimada-san: Shame on you, sir. If you truly had a problem with the behavior of these young comedians, you should have pulled them aside AFTER the program finished airing and given them a lecture, not gone hairing into the seats like Ron Artest. You're supposed to be the respected senior here, but this makes you look like a spoiled child who isn't being pampered to his liking. If you want your kouhai to respect you, you should act like a proper sempai; earn their respect, don't demand it.

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Traditional Japanese comedy is rakugo and manzai. You've never seen it.

I guess the only thing that would bring Shimada down is 3 ounces. Apparently nothing tops that in Japan.

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Booo hooo.. I guess some "senior" comedians expect to have their ass kissed.. Out with the old and in with the new.. Chances are he acted the same when he was a new up and coming comedian. It's the new Japan, one that does what they want whenever. I remember when Johnny Carson had his last week on the set and Jay Leno was already pulling into his parking lot.. the world is full of "arrogant one-uppers" who have no respect for rank, ability or authority..

aw

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I just think that Tokyo 03 and the other young comedians think like most westerns that the shows are pretty boring and lack much substance. That vaudeville humor is outdated. Japanese TV really know how to run something into the ground. How long has the same boring comedy shows have been on TV? How many times are you going to make a TV show about a school teacher or a Host club? How times are you going to see adults wearing school uniforms? How many times are we going to watch someone watch someone else eat something? How many times are they going to play the same Samurai stories?

I wouldn't be surprised if this was some how connected to why these grown-%@# men have nothing better to do than take out their frustrations by hitting little girls in the stomach.

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Well, they exposed the real Shinzuke Shimada. I agree that Japanese TV is boring. What really is the point of the talents? Don't care for them much and I DEFINITELY think the small talent video on the corner screen is nerdy. Why would I want to watch them?

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whats with all the shinsuke bashing ?? this was about them being rude and inattentive and trying to big note themselves,they wont try that again..

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The shinsuke bashing is because he's the worst kind of celebrity - talentless but arrogant.

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crap.

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While Shimada is a former rough guy, he is actually pretty interesting and fun to watch. That is why he is so popular. Amongst the talking heads, he tends to hit (no pun intended ;-) things spot on more often than not and does so in an entertaining and fun way. I think more of you need to give him more of a chance when you are watching TV.

As to this instance, expecting paid guests of a show to act correctly is not really all that unusual. These three comedians knew why they were there and it wasn't to hang out and do whatever they wanted. Try acting inappropriately at any workplace and you will probably find your bossed brassed off at you too.

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I wish people would just stop pretending Cirque du Soleil is entertaining.

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I wish people would just stop pretending Cirque du Soleil is entertaining.

I hear ya, man. Watching about 5 minutes of the best of the show's highlights is enough for me. Now pole dancing-- that's entertainment.

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While Shimada is a former rough guy, he is actually pretty interesting and fun to watch. That is why he is so popular. Amongst the talking heads, he tends to hit (no pun intended ;-) things spot on more often than not and does so in an entertaining and fun way. I think more of you need to give him more of a chance when you are watching TV.

He is only popular with the middle-aged. Their purchasing power is the target of the advertisers, so the networks indulge him. If, by he tends to hit things spot on you mean that when he calls someone stupid or fat they really are stupid or fat, then you may like to consider what you find entertainment.

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'He is only popular with the middle-aged.' No he isnt,kids love 'hexagon'and his forthrightness is usually much broader than that...so I really doubt you've watched enough of his programs to comment

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Maybe the trio were actually funny and thus not in line with the rest of the comedians and needed to be corrected. (probably not)

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aintgottimetobl,

Actually. The man is quite popular in general and it is certainly not because he calls someone stupid of fat. I have been often quite impressed with his social commentary. He is also good with a quick turn of phrase.

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aintgottimetobl,

Sorry. That should have been:

Exactly, The man is quite popular in general and it is certainly not because he calls someone stupid of fat. I have been often quite impressed with his social commentary. He is also good with a quick turn of phrase.

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Maybe the trio were actually funny and thus not in line with the rest of the comedians and needed to be corrected.

Doesn't sound like it though. It sounds like they were goofing off.

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He is only popular with the middle-aged.' No he isnt,kids love 'hexagon'and his forthrightness is usually much broader than that...so I really doubt you've watched enough of his programs to comment

Rot. Kids love the "talents" that are paraded before him to be the butt of his rudeness. How many kids have you seen with Shimada merchandise? And if you count his mantra "本当にバカだね、お前” as "forthrightness", just what do you consider rudeness?

As for shrewd social commentator, the odd observation that politicians should do better does not a pundit make. Next time Hexagon, or that other programme he hosts where people decide if an anecdote is interesting or not comes on, I urge you to count how many insults he throws (fat, stupid, career going down the pan, one trick pony etc.). Quite a grotty little man, and if you look at the responses to this incident on youtube, it seems many Japanese also think so.

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This guy snaps and slaps all the time. He desperately needs a good kicking!

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He needs to get over himself and realize that RESPECT goes both ways.

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so you need to buy something with 'shinsuke' on it to prove you're a fan ?? if the parents thought he was a 'grott' would their kids be allowed to watch ?everybody calls each other 'baka' it's almost a term of endearment (in some situations). Shinsuke's not the be end and end all,but hes not as bad as most are making him out.

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aintgottimetobl,

Again, I agree.

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He hammered down these 3 poor nails who dared to stick out, live on TV. Talk about not having personality, or not being allowed to. Sad.

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The funny thing about the article is, it seems that these three young comedians were physically assaulted (or nearly so) by this Shimada when he completely snapped and went nutzoid on them on live TV, needing to be restrained by staff, simply because he didn't approve of them looking bored or chatting during commercial breaks, and yet it's the three comedians who had to go apologize to HIM over the situation?

Now THAT's funny. In other countries, the three younger comedians would have been slapping Shimada with a lawsuit for assault if he did actually manage to get his hands on them, and if not would likely be turning the public's image around on him.

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Is there another 10 million lawsuit in the works...

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