Japanese Group Being Blamed for Encouraging Homosexuality

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commercial in Japan is making waves, as it features members of the popular all-girl Japanese pop group AKB48 passing bite-sized candies mouth-to-mouth with one another. Some say that the commercial is encouraging homosexuality, a claim that clearly carries weight...not.

The advertisement shows the women, all in their late teens or early 20s, swapping the candies up-close, slowing down as their lips come close to touching. Broadcasting watchdogs in Japan said last week that of the 116 complaints they'd received in March, most were about this commercial.

People see other people kissing all the time, and we doubt anyone is ever sways in terms of sexuality by things like that.

One whiner said, "I don't want to see commercials like this, in which girls, including teens, hug each other in their underwear...It is very distasteful."

Now, tacky the commercial may be, but encouraging homosexuality is a far, far stretch. The group is comprised of about 90 all-female members, and their "bubblegum pop" and synchronized dancing has taken the nation's preteen girls by storm.

But it's not just young girls that like the band—the band is said to also have a substantial male following, many of whom are "older." We're not sure if that's better or worse.

A spokesman for the company that makes the candies, UHA Mikakuto Co., said that the reaction to the ad has been mixed, but that there are many of people who enjoyed it.

It's almost annoying to hear that a commercial such as this would be accused of encouraging homosexuality—people see other people kissing and interacting all the time, on TV and elsewhere, and we doubt that anyone is ever really swayed in terms of sexuality based on something as miniscule as a commercial.

Furthermore, even if the commercial does promote homosexuality, who are we to say that that's inherently bad? We'd watch this over that terrible Sarah McLachlan ASPCA commercial any day, wouldn't you?

Judge for yourself.