Ken Shimura comedy show sparks outrage for “flesh futon” sketch with scantily clad girls

Well, as we know from recent weekly magazine content ranking which college girls are easiest, MeToo in Japan has yet to arrive fully.

Now here’s another example to add to the litany of shame, at least in the eyes of feminists.

The most recent episode of Ken Shimura’s comedy TV show, Shimura Ken no Bakatono-sama, on Fuji TV that was broadcast on January 9th included a sketch involving a “flesh futon” (niku-futon, literally “meat futon”). Inevitably this meant scantily-clad ladies.

During the course of the sketch, Shimura was squeezed snugly between four pairs of women in bikinis and wigs for apparent comedic effect. “Ah, it’s cozy,” he commented with a delighted look on his face.

Of course, Shimura’s comedy show has always pushed the boundaries of acceptable humor and such bawdy, if not outright indecent, skits are a common feature of his schtick. Given the current MeToo climate, it is old-fashioned to say the least, though nonetheless amusing to watch (if you like this kind of comedy — hey, it’s not exactly subtle). In fact, it’s actually an old sketch that was previously done with ribald nudity.

What has drawn ire from some online commentators about the latest episode, though, is not just the bad timing but also the fact that it was broadcast at 7pm, when many families would be watching.

So, is this harmless fun or sexist nonsense?