[JapanUrbanLegend] bear-doll performer
There is a famous urban legend in Japan that if a child on a children’s program does not grasp the atmosphere or does not follow instructions well, their spot is replaced by a teddy bear. In reality, it is unlikely for such a child to be cast on the program in the first place, and any misbehaving or non-compliant child would typically be edited out, making the credibility of this legend quite low.
There is also a related tale. The legend involves the Japanese children's program "Romp-a-Room" (ロンパールーム), and talent Utsumi Midori, who was a host on the show. Utsumi Midori recounted an incident where she asked, "Say a word that starts with き (ki)," and a child responded with "X-balls! (きんたま)." Flustered, Utsumi Midori asked for something more appropriate, and the child replied with "Beautiful X-balls! (きれいなきんたま)." At that time (1966), technology was not advanced enough, and editing VTRs was very time-consuming and costly, so the program resorted to displaying a "Please wait a moment" message on screen as a temporary fix.
