Masashi "Marcy" Tashiro (田代まさし Tashiro Masashi, born August 31, 1956 in Saga Prefecture, brought up in Ōta, Tokyo) is a former Japanese television performer, former member of Rats & Star. He sang as a tenor vocalist in Rats & Star, appeared as a television performer on many television programs and directed a film after their breakup. Mainly, he can be often called "Tashirock" (タシロック), "God of Laughter" (Warai no Kami, 笑いの神) in 2channel.
Profile
Tashiro with Ken Shimura from Bakatono-sama
Native place: Saga Prefecture (There is a rumor that he is born in Tokyo). Divorce experience: Once, Arrest experience: Four times.
Success
After graduating from high school, Tashiro made his debut as a member of Japanese doo-wop group the Chanels, which was formed by Masayuki Suzuki, Nobuyoshi Kuwano etc in 1980. In 1983, the group changed its name to Rats & Star because of its similarity with the French brand Chanel. Tashiro gained enough popularity in Japan that he released an LP, "Nījima no Densetsu" (新島の伝説, lit: The legend of Niijima island) as a solo artist. [1]
After Rats & Star broke up, his comedic talent was discovered by Ken Shimura, a member of Japanese comedic group The Drifters, and he became a television comedian. Here he gained the nicknames "King of pun" (Dajare no Teiō, ダジャレの帝王) and "Genius of props" (Kodōgu no Tensai, 小道具の天才). He appeared in many television commercials, and directed a film.
Criminal charges
Japanese news program on Tashiro's car accident.
On September 24, 2000, he was sent to the prosecutor's office for filming up a woman's skirt with a camcorder in Tokyu Toyoko Line Toritsudaigaku Station in Meguro, Tokyo; he was later fined 50,000 yen for this incident. When he was asked why he had done it, he claimed that he had been producing a comic film called "An octopus appears in a miniskirt." (Mini ni Tako ga Dekiru, ミニにタコができる); this remark became infamous in the Japanese news media, commonly refered to as "Tashiro Festival" (Tashiro Matsuri, 田代祭). "Tashiro Festival" means an act which chooses Tashiro as "Person of the Year" by 2channel (2ch for short) users.
Tashiro in Tokyo District Court.
He was barred from working in the entertainment industry temporarily by his entertainment agency, MTM Production. On December 9, 2001, he was arrested for using an illegal stimulant, and again on December 12, 2001 for peeping in a male bath-house near his home, while on probation. As a result, on December 11, 2001, he was dismissed by MTM Production. His trial was opened in Tokyo District Court on February 18, 2002, where he was found guilty and sentenced to two years in prison and three years' probation.
Tashiro published a book, "Jibaku -The Judgement Day-" (自爆, lit: self-destruction or suicidal bombing), about his family, life and the scandal.
He stated that the pressure of stardom contributed to his addiction to drugs.
In 2002, he returned to directing V-Cinema after he was sentenced to three year's probation.
There was a rumor that he came back to the entertainment world in spring of 2004. However, he once again found himself in legal trouble in June 2004 for causing a car accident. According to news reports, he crashed into a man on a motorcycle after making an illegal U-turn. That September, he was once again arrested for possession of a stimulant. At the same time, he was arrested for violation of Firearms and Swords Control Law because he has a butterfly knife.
Following this arrest, Tashiro was harshly criticized by many of his former co-workers, saying the following: I want that fellow to disappear from the entertainment world because he did a pathetic thing for him. (あいつは最低なことをしたのだから芸能界から消えてもらいたい) (Ken Shimura), The damned fool! I would slap him! (大馬鹿者！ひっぱたいてやりたい！) (Kenichi Mikawa), I don't want to associate with such a guy. (あんな野郎に関わりたくは無い) (Takeshi Kitano)
Other suspicions of illegal video recording
Tashiro once hosted a combative sport program, Fuji Television's "SRS"[2], with an actress Norika Fujiwara. It was later found out that he was warned many times by the staff who became irritated with his habit of sneaking into the women's bathroom (possibly with camera equipment) and not emerging again for hours afterwards.
Additionally, it was revealed that Fujiwara and other women's television stars changed their clothes in the ladies' toilet during the time Tashiro was hiding inside. The staff associated with the show were suspicious that Tashiro did set a small, transmitting camera in the toilet room.
This incident was informed in not only Japanese but also Chinese website. [3]
Tashiro in Popular Culture
Following the various accusations of voyeurism, the phrase "Tashiro" entered the Japanese vocabulary, in roughly the same context as English's "Peeping Tom". For example, pupils at many elementary and junior high schools in Japan also called "You're Tashiro! Tashiro!" when they made fun.
Tashiro was at the top of Time Magazine 's 2001 Person of the Year Internet polls possibly because he was popular among 2ch users. 2ch programmers used various scripts to automatically vote on the website — with names like the "Tashiro Cannon" (Tashiro-hō, 田代砲), the "Mega particle Tashiro Cannon" (Mega-ryūshi Tashiro-hō, メガ粒子田代砲), the "Repeating 25 punch Tashiro Cannon" (Nijyū-go renda Tashiro-hō, 25連打田代砲), and the "Super Tashiro Cannon" (Chō Tashiro-hō, 超田代砲). The "Super Tashiro Cannon" was especially powerful, overloading Time's server. The next version, the "Satellite Cannon -Tashiro-" was restrained so as to prevent this from occuring again. After taking 1st place on December 21, 2001, he was removed from consideration by Time staffers.
The following comments were posted on the Time website, in reference to Tashiro
- He is God.
- All Japanese worship him as God.
- He is the most famous photographer in Japan.
- Some scientists speculate Masashi Tashiro to be a footsoldier of Poseidon.
- I'm sick and tired of it.
- I think he is the key person of the friendly relationship between Korea and Japan.
- He is the immortal master piece of humankind, so he is God.
- He is a stupid lord's retainer.
- He is a comedian overly famous for Japan. He is loved by people in the world, is an appropriate person.
- He is the hero who took laughter in exchange for life.
- He is the most wonderful entertainer in the world.
- The passion over his photography exceeds Robert Capa.
- His behavior will never be forgettable.
- He did not betray expectation of people.
- He is the existence near God in the world.
- He is the man of only one person that can stop war by laughter.
- Probably, when he was in Afghanistan, war didn't break out.
- Needless to say.
- We Japanese love him very much! Instead I tell you why I selected him, I must tell you why he is so cool!
- He is sex symbol.
- To dance is Tashiro! Tashiro is to dance!
- He is a hero. There is not a person by whom he was loved by Japanese people.
- Tashiro is a player more wonderful than Ichiro.
- Tashiro was Japanese great comedian.
- He has octopus on the ear.
- I'm Tashiro's fan. he is very nice photographer!!
- I think, he is a last true entertainer in the world.
- I think, he must die.
Trivia
- After graduating from high school, he worked as a clerk for a filling station and a trucker before he made his debut as a member of Chanels.
- He has contributed to 2ch's BBS only once.
- His favorite people are Jerry Lewis, Eddie Murphy, and Ken Shimura.
- In his high school days, Tashiro loved a certain girl who he met at a friend's party by accident and made the proposal "Please dance with me" to her. She consented, and the song that was played when they danced was Michael Jackson's "Ben". He said "this song was a memorial song between me and my wife" while being shy on a television program.
- When he was invited to a lecture of Waseda University, he criticized mass communication and said "I want to tell how the media and newspapers write lies" and "Is it ok to secretly take photos of me?" (Referring to a tabloid that had published a photo of him playing pachinko alone)
Past main programs
Television
- Monomane Ōza Ketteisen (ものまね王座決定戦 The Mimic Champion Contest) (Fuji Television)
- Star Dokkiri Daisakusen (スターどっきり大作戦 Star candid great Strategy) (Fuji Television)
- Yūyake Nyan Nyan (夕やけニャンニャン Sunset Nyan Nyan) (Fuji Television)
- Shūkan Stamina Tengoku (週刊スタミナ天国 Weekly Stamina Heaven) (Fuji Television)
- Takeshi, Itsumi no Heisei Kyōiku Iinkai (たけし・逸見の平成教育委員会 Takeshi and Itsumi's Heisei Board of Education) (Fuji Television)
- Naruhodo! The World (なるほど!ザ・ワールド Indeed! The World) (Fuji Television)
- Shimura Ken no Bakatono-sama (志村けんのバカ殿様 Ken Shimura's idiotic Federal Load) (Fuji Television)
- TV Crews Tonari no Papaya (TVクルーズ となりのパパイヤ TV Crew next-door Papaya) (Fuji Television)
- Tokoro-san no Tadamono Dewa nai! (所さんのただものではない! Mr. Tokoro's You are not ordinary!) (Fuji Television)
- Quiz Derby (クイズダービー) (TBS)
- Tokusō TV Gaburincho (特捜TVガブリンチョ Special Investigation TV Chomp) (TV Asahi)
- Downtown DX (ダウンタウンDX) (NTV)
- Super J Channel ANN (スーパーJチャンネル ANN) (Friday, TV Asahi)
- Soreyuke! Marcy (それゆけ!マーシー Let's go! Marcy, A program sponsored by a business enterprise) (MBS)
Radio
- Tashiro Masashi no Super Gang (田代まさしのスーパーギャング Masashi Tashiro's Super Gang) (Thurdsday, TBS Radio) - October, 1986 ~ March, 1987
- Tashiro Masashi no Say! Young (田代まさしのセイ!ヤング Masashi Tashiro's Say! Young) (QR)
- Tashiro Masashi no All Night Nippon (田代まさしのオールナイトニッポン Masashi Tashiro's All Night Nippon) (LF)
See also
- Members of Rats & Star era
External links
