"Moe" Maid News in Japan

[Hidoshi]

From Anime News Service:

8-24-06 (3:43AM EDT)---- Get Your News From Housemaids The Moe Way

Japanese news site Watch Impress has started a new moe version video service where housemaids cover the day's top headlines. The free service which will be updated Mon-Fri launched August 24th. Two kinds of streams (300kbps and 700kbps) will be available in Windows Media Video format. They are looking at a goal of seeing more than one million download per month in the first year. The new service is being supported on an advertising model. Check it out yourself at http://www.impress.tv/moe/.

Video Sample: http://impress.tv/cgi-bin/play/play.plx?bw=300&cd=whm060824_01&no=01

I'm not even sure what to think of this. On one hand, the pervert in me quite enjoys it. On the other hand, the rational human being in me is wondering how the hell they get sponsorship for things like this. You'd figure the news would be taken a little more seriously.

Then again... We do have the Naked News. >_>

[Cauton]

Considering some of the weird fetishes the japanese seem to have, a meido news channel seems pretty tame. Hell, it could've been lolicon or guro or catgirl or injured-and-bandaged-preteen moe instead.

Also:

[Dice]

I always found it a tad strange how they even act like bloody anime characters...

well, anyways, thats was a fun and refreshing new experience.

[Dincrest]

Is this for real?  I could only watch 2 minutes of that stuff.  I agree with Dice in that it's really bizarre how cartoony the news maid acts; like a human anime character.  She even talks like an anime character.  

You know, I used to think oddball Japanese stuff like this was cute and quirky in a good way and had that "Waaaai!" factor... nowadays, I just think it's fucking weird.  

How popular is stuff like this and those laughable exercise videos (where they try to teach English) in Japan?  Is this something mainstream or real niche?  Surely the average Japanese thinks it's strange or weird too, right?

[Hidoshi]

Well stuff like the exercise videos to my knowledge is just gag-worthy. It's like the "Wazzaaaap" crap from years back. Came and went. "Moe" and its fanbase are undoubtedly a fad too, but it'll be a bit more substantial. The whole 'anime' expression thing... It's hard to tell what's copied what. I've seen game shows where the hostesses/assistants will act exactly like that, and this was before it became widespread in anime. It may have been a stage act thing that just got out of hand, or they're really just pushing it with this new program to appeal to the 'otaku' crowd.

Either way, I wouldn't believe this to be any more mainstream than the Naked News is here. Popular to some extent, but it has its niche.