What's the deal with Japanese girl groups having 50 members?

In case one of them dies, they can always be replaced. Also, the record companies own them almost since birth.

South Korean girl groups are the same way.

I don't get why there's 15 members but only 3 actually sing.

Well, it helps they don't have to pay them much.

But it's brand power in numbers - put enough girls up there, and the guys will find at least one they like. Also means the girls are easily replaceable - you're a drop in the bucket, so one screw-up and you're gone.

It's also a farm system - the groups of 40 are the minor leagues, and as they go up the ranks they get into smaller groups. Seriously.

They make America's shitty fabricated pop acts look like Johnny Cash.

The only difference between America's idol singer industry and Japan's is that the Japanese one doesn't lie to itself about its fan base.

It's genius, see, kids depend on their parents, so it's like one cd and one concert every five months. The guys that go to these concerts might have a shitty job, but they can pay for all their idol goodness, and boy do they pay for it.

Only the ones who haven't entered puberty.

Once they hit puberty, it's over, they become too old for this.

If they had records, they'd be up there singing, too.