Japanese comedian strips at 881

Japanese comedian strips at 881
Jun 25, 2008
The New Paper



MINDEE Ong never expected the stripper.

She was in Japan promoting 881 when a man started stripping on stage at the Tokyo premiere of director Royston Tan's hit movie.

The actress, who played 'Little Papaya' in the film about getai singers, was with co-star Yeo Yann Yann when the man suddenly appeared in a bathrobe, reported Lianhe Wanbao.

Right after he said hi to the crowd, he threw off his robe, pulled down his pants, and gyrated on stage wearing only a colourful pair of Y-fronts.

It turned out that the man was an entertainer, but Mindee was not told about the stunt beforehand.

GIMMICK
The surprised actress said: 'Later, I heard that the stripper was actually a popular Japanese comedian named Mitchy.

'He specialises in emulating people, and I understand that in Japan, if you are good at that, you can quickly rise in the entertainment circle.'

But Mindee could not understand why a comedian would use stripping as a gimmick at first.

But she saw the crowd break into peals of laughter, so clearly it worked.

Could such a stunt work in Singapore as a publicity ploy?

Papaya Sisters Mindee Ong and Yeo Yann were taken aback when a Japanese comedian named Mitchy unexpectedly undressed in front of them.

'It could possibly work in the Singapore market. After all, no one has done it yet.

'If you let someone like local comedian Mark Lee or Hong Kong funnyman Dayo Wong do it, it'll be very funny.'

However, having a woman do it wouldn't work, opined Mindee, because it would be sexual.

OTHER ENCOUNTERS
Mindee has had other strange encounters while promoting 881.

One of the oddest was when she was on stage with Royston, Yann Yann, Qi Yuwu and Liu Ling Ling in Orchard Road last year.

She said there was an 'uncle' who wore a T-shirt and shorts in the audience. The shorts were not zipped.

As he watched, he reached his hands into his shorts and started touching himself.

Workers on the scene sensed something was wrong. Worried that Mindee might get attacked, they led the 'Papaya Sisters' away right after the performance ended.

Security personnel later led the 'uncle' away, she said.

Another unusual encounter occurred in Korea, when she was 'squeezed' by over-enthusiastic fans.

Two Korean men were 'like bees that saw honey' when they caught a glimpse of her, and they grabbed her hands.

'The two young men, one on my left and one on my right, held my hands to take photographs, squeezing me between them, until I couldn't move.

'Their passion took me by surprise, but later co-workers told me Korean fans are like that.'

881, which features both Hokkien and Mandarin, is the first Chinese-language local-made movie to screen in Japan.

A previous film, Glen Goei's Forever Fever, also made it to Japan but it is in English.