Karaoke Confessions...

How can an activity so basic bring out such extreme behaviors in people?

It seems basic anyway... you take a mike, you click in a song, you sing, and usually get drunk while you're at it, if you're not already. But from my experiences, the implications of karaoke go above and beyond the singing-in-the-shower type deals that you get in the States.

First, my confession... I ADORE karaoke! Fortunately for me, I'm not the only freak, nerd, etc. in this world who loves to hear herself sing. My flattie P is a regular diva. We have our regular duets, and (gulp) must admit we've practiced just the 2 of us before. (Sorry P, it had to be said...). So, I guess in my case, karaoke has the effect of making me feel like the Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera that I never will be... Anyway, I think, P, we fall into the "diva" category.
And I suppose compared with other things to do in Tokyo, karaoke is relatively good clean fun... but there is no limit to the emotions it brings out in people! Boys, take note... Hand the mike to a guy who can actually sing, and no kidding, he's 10 times sexier than he usually is (and the sexy ones just get sexier, i.e. B!) . Of course it goes both ways. It's all in good fun, but people who can't sing don't climb the sexy charts through karaoke...

The best was the Monday after our work bonenkai (end of year party), when my boss, who couldn't carry a note to save her jolly life came into work and decided to give her very opinionated, as always, account of the night's 2jikai. "Well, Jocelyn is the new karaoke star of the office. She's a bloody good singer. Unfortunately I can't carry a tune. But actually, you know, someone once told me that I just naturally sing a descant, so really it's not that I can't sing, I just naturally harmonize. So I need someone who can sing the main bit, and then I'm fine." My boss was referring to the Weather Girls song we sang together... she also no doubt falls into the "You're fooling yourself" category.

Then there are the shy ones who pretend they can't sing and then belt out "My Heart Will Go On" sounding twice as good as Celine Dion... but usually they sing these slow love songs, and after they're finished, there's just this long depressing silence until someone is like, OK! Livin the Vida Loca! and brings the party back to life.

And let's not forget about karaoke fights... back to my work 2jikai, a new director decides to input the song "My Way" for our very detail-oriented, you could say anal retentive, boss, exclaiming, "This one's for you! My Way! Just for you!" (No reference at all to the fact that the boss has been scrapping a lot of his work so far). As the tension builds, and builds, the boss retorts in his snottiest British, "I only sing the songs that I put in. Got it?" To no one's surprise, My Way was sung that night by our new director... NOT the boss.

And the karaoke chronicles could go on and on... believe me, the mike can bring EVERYONE to life!