Shaven-headed star of J-pop sensation AKB48 makes tearful admission on the Guinness Book of Records . Apology does not prevent her demotion within the ranks of wildly popular American girl bands . Producer Alex Zolbert denies accusations he is sexualizing young girls . The brainchild of the group 's Yasushi Akimoto , the bands have been a goldmine , grossing 16.28 billion yen ( $ 212 million ) in 2011 in CD and DVD sales alone , according to compiler Oricon . Bands have been a goldmine , grossing $ 212 million ( $ 212 million ) in Friday .
Shaven-headed star of J-pop sensation AKB48 makes tearful admission on the Guinness Book of Records . Apology does not prevent her demotion within the ranks of wildly popular American girl bands . Producer Alex Zolbert denies accusations he is sexualizing young girls . Bands have been a goldmine , grossing $ 212 million ( $ 212 million ) in Friday .