Opinion Crazy Kpop fans are starting to make me feel embarrassed.

[JMTHEFOX]

I feel this is going to be a really difficult subject to discuss. I have been a kpop fan since 2012 and I'm multifandom. I discovered Kpop through Korean video games such as MapleStory and Audition.

I will admit I don't listen to a lot of Kpop, even after I discovered it. I am a very reluctant Kpopper and still am to this day.


Recently I came across this thread about how Kpop fans want to live in South Korea because of the idols. (Heads up though, the retweeted post is NSFW)


I believe that she does have a point about living in Korea, as the capitalism is flawed there thanks to working hours and suicide after failing exams. Hell, capitalism isn't much better in the United States. Also, as much as I want to visit Korea, I don't want to become Korean. I thought of moving to Korea before, but reading the thread made me change my mind.

So, what are your thoughts on being a Kpop fan? Are you still interested in Kpop?

 

[NarohDethan]

Just the same as people who think Japan is like those slice of life animes.

 

[Flips]

Kpop is basically music anime. It's awful and should be banned.

 

[Gevin]

Kpop is basically music anime. It's awful and should be banned.

 

[teezzy]

As a metalhead, I have a similar distaste for the majority of my like-minded brethren.

Clip your fingernails and wash your elbows, you heathens.

Most metal shows smell worse than a Smash tourney at a Disc Replay.

 

[Blizniak]

I got into Kpop maybe 10 years ago. I started taking Korean classes at some point becasue of all the korean music and movies I enjoyed at the time. I'd love to go to Korea because it's a beautiful country and yeah I'd love to go to some kpop concerts but that's about it. The entire Kpop business is hella ugly. It's basically one big human factory producing idols out of kids who don't know any better. All the plastic surgeries, abuse, their insane work hours at an age this young coupled with all the attention they get at all times leading to barely having a life outside of work. It's not like they make great money on it either unless they really break through because there's always 50 other kids out there to replace them.
I still appreciate the music, the fact I can't understand the lyrics so I don't have to know how dumb they are, dance routines because western pop doesn't really bother with that these days but obsessing over idols is just too much. Go to a concert or some event so you can get an autograph of your fav like you would any other artist. Not like moving to another country is that difficult either if someone really wants it, wishing you were born Korean is just stupid though.

 

[JMTHEFOX]

I got into Kpop maybe 10 years ago. I started taking Korean classes at some point becasue of all the korean music and movies I enjoyed at the time. I'd love to go to Korea because it's a beautiful country and yeah I'd love to go to some kpop concerts but that's about it. The entire Kpop business is hella ugly. It's basically one big human factory producing idols out of kids who don't know any better. All the plastic surgeries, abuse, their insane work hours at an age this young coupled with all the attention they get at all times leading to barely having a life outside of work. It's not like they make great money on it either unless they really break through because there's always 50 other kids out there to replace them.
I still appreciate the music, the fact I can't understand the lyrics so I don't have to know how dumb they are, dance routines because western pop doesn't really bother with that these days but obsessing over idols is just too much. Go to a concert or some event so you can get an autograph of your fav like you would any other artist. Not like moving to another country is that difficult either if someone really wants it, wishing you were born Korean is just stupid though.

Yeah, the entire Kpop industry isn't all sunshine and puppies. I remember reading stories on kpop artists that had mental health issues and depression while working with agencies and team members. Nine Muses was a prime example of this where one of the former leaders, Sera, experienced depression from not having any respect with the team members and getting slapped by the CEO.

I highly recommend watching this documentary called "9 Muses of Star Empire" which goes into detail on how they were treated:

Another video that goes into detail on kpop and mental illness

 

[Samson]

K-pop tans and weeaboos both absolutely have a ridiculously fetishized, false idealization of what Korea and Japan look like and why they want to be a "part" of them.

But here's a flaming hot take: I do think the stuff about "wishing to be Korean/Japanese" is actually symptomatic of deeper issues. In my (completely anecdotal) experience, these insane fans often (if not always) seem to come from:

A) Places with cultures that the young fans have become disenchanted by; and/or similarly B) Cultures that are very blasé and empty, and divorced from any handed on heritage.

My friends that ended up Koreaboos or weeaboos, typically (again I can't speak for all of them) were from very blasé, WASP backgrounds. Like yes, they knew that somewhere, a hundred years ago, their families came from Sweden or Ireland or whatever, but now they have no sense of historical belonging other than some vague notion of "Americanness." And it felt like therefore, they were using their attachment to Korean and Japanese entertainment/cultural products to fill the cultural void in their own life.

While those of us that had strong ethnic heritages (usually as the children of more recent immigrants or families that remained in ethnic communities) typically appreciated having Korean/Japanese heritage shared with us, but never fetishized it above our own culture. Yes, Korean culture has all kinds of toxicity, but if your only experience of "culture" is basically emptiness, it's pretty easy to see why such a person might ignorantly fetishize and fantasize about Korea.

And the same thing seemed to appear at times with people who disliked aspects of American culture, like the various toxic aspects of American masculinity, politics, consumerism or whatever. Which is fine, and a fair opinion, but that led them to fetishizing this "other" because it was at least "different." They didn't understand what was wrong with the culture they were idealizing, but in their eyes, at least it wasn't what they currently were struggling and suffering with.

 

[NarohDethan]

I think I would love Japan but I'm not sure Japan would love me. I feel that I would be forever treated as a foreigner (which I would be, but at least here in Mexico we try to make foreigners 'our own')

 

[mattressfalcon]

Yeah, the entire Kpop industry isn't all sunshine and puppies. I remember reading stories on kpop artists that had mental health issues and depression while working with agencies and team members. Nine Muses was a prime example of this where one of the former leaders, Sera, experienced depression from not having any respect with the team members and getting slapped by the CEO.

I highly recommend watching this documentary called "9 Muses of Star Empire" which goes into detail on how they were treated:

Another video that goes into detail on kpop and mental illness

These are the best takes because it emblemizes the built in ethnocentrism of colonial culture, which is distinct by virtue of it's squeaky clean rep sheet and strictly meritocally derived privilege.