Idols/Music
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Professionalism in K-pop: A Double Standard?

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Written by On November 2, 2011

Recently Yoona and Taeyeon of Girls Generation have been under the attack of netizens for being rude during an interview with American press after the SMTOWN concert. The main complaints were that Yoona and Taeyeon looked bored and uninterested. Representatives of the Kpop industry and Korea in general said that they should have tried to look a little engaged. The general consensus among netizens was that they were unprofessional.

I would have to agree with netizens on this one. I realize they are tired and they aren’t fluent in English, but they can try to look engaged. They are representing SM Entertainment, Korea, and their group. What they were doing can come off rude, even if that wasn’t the intent. At one point Taeyeon was leaning over with her head in her hands. It’s unprofessional, and one should act professional in a work setting regardless of whether you’re in the music industry or not. We all get tired but we check our issues at the door, realizing that we are there to do our jobs. Not looking engaged is rude and there is no excuse for rudeness. They also had supposedly contracted the flu while traveling, but even so, if SM Entertainment knew that the two had the flu, then they shouldn’t have let them participate in the interview. To me they just look bored like they don’t want to be there, not sick. The other girls seemed fine and had been doing just as much as those two, even if they aren’t they aren’t showing it, and that is what being professional is all about.

However, the attention that this is getting speaks to a double standard that exists in Kpop between male and female idols. The flack that idols getting for lack of professionalism doesn’t seem to be evenly distributed. Women seem to get more heat for being rude then men. There seems to be less tolerance for female idols expressing there feelings in sometimes inappropriate ways or not respecting the work atmosphere. Men on the other hand, when they are rude or unprofessional it goes relatively unnoticed. Many excuses are made for rude male idols and it’s a bit annoying.

Let’s look at Heechul of Super Junior for example. He’s been rude and unprofessional a countless number of times. Yet, no one seems to care. He cracks less than tactful jokes, makes fun of other idols’ foreign language skills, but netizens say he isn’t rude, that he’s just special. It’s all in good fun. But lets just be real, Heechul has no filter and doesn’t know when to keep things to himself and reacts inappropriately to negative situations.

But it’s not just Heechul, there have been times where TOP and GD of Big Bang have been extremely unprofessional and rude as well. During an interview in Taiwan, TOP was texting and GD looked uninterested and bored. Texting during an interview is incredibly rude and disrespectful. Regardless of any language barrier there might have been, rude is rude. They are working and shouldn’t have been doing such things, but again netizens let this go and make excuses for them. There have also been cases where male idols have been really rude to their fans, but that’s OK too. No one seems to have a major problem with their behavior.

Seeing this is why I don’t understand why people zero in on female idol’s indiscretions. The only thing I can think of is there is a double standard. It’s hypocritical to call out Yoona and Yaeyeon for being rude, when there have cases of unprofessional behavior and rudeness among male idols. Either call them out  equally or not at all. I think due to the fact that many Kpop fans are mainly female, the judgement of female idols tend to be harsher than that of male idols.

At the end of the day though, regardless of male or female, there is not excuse for being rude and unprofessional. Blatant double standards add to the problem.

What do you guys think? Is there a double standard?

(Ningin)

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  • aznboy

    When isn’t there a standard in Korea? Girl wears something revealing = slut, guy takes shirt off =hot. Girl exagerates aegyo = fake, guy exagerates = cute. Girl looks disinterested in interview = rude bitch, Guy looks disintered = finds excuse for him.

    • Gnattie

      I think those double standards are universal lol. Men get much more slack than girls. Like, a man can be a slut and have multiple girlfriends and that’s OK, but if a girl were to do the same thing, it’s horrible. If a man’s assertive, he’s being “boss,” if a woman’s assertive, she’s a bitch. A girl dresses like a man, it’s OK, but if a man dresses like a woman, it’s not. But there are other double standards, too. Like, at least where I’m from, if a woman jumps out of the closet, most are fine with her being a lesbian, but this wouldn’t necessarily apply to homosexual men.

  • khai vu

    As a viewer I don’t find anything at all wrong with their expression. It seem very natural and inoffensive. But I do understand that it might appear unprofessional.  And honestly with all the hate they’re getting it would have been better if they tried to act more professional.

    And as for male idols being rude, I don’t sense it as much as you do. But I’m kind of numb to rude jokes on TV. So that doesn’t indicate much.

    Maybe it’s just my American sensibilities talking but I would rather take the above over idols being fake or having zero personalities. Though I would prefer everyone acted in a kind, good-nature way.

  • kk
  • Gnattie

    I didn’t even notice them during the interview, being focused on Jessica and Tiffany, who were doing all the talking. But looking at their expressions, I do find it rude. They’re a little sick, not freakin’ debilitated. If the interview was long, I would understand, but it was three minutes long, five at the most. The camera was focued directly on them, they knew it was there (Jessica kept staring into when she talked). I do think this behavior was rude and unprofessional. I wasn’t really pleased by any of their American interviews. It was obvious that most of the members didn’t know any English, getting an “Oh, fuck” look whenever the camera or interviewer focused on them. They’d stare at the screen or mumble something in Korea or broken English. Seohyun made an effort in some of the interviews, which I thought was cute. Jessica and Tiffany handled most of the talking. Tiffany, I didn’t have a problem with. She seemed nice and funny. Jessica, on the otherhand, came off as rude, arrogant, and as a try-hard. In every interview, she would barely even look at the interviewer, just staring and smiling into the camera as she talked. She and Tiffany talked about their “impeccable choreography” and perfection in what they do. They just came off as arrogant to me. I didn’t find them charming at all. I can understand and forgive the other girls’ lack of participation and inexperience in English (though I was assured by multiple SONEs that all the girls were almost fluent), but I think it will hurt them some. I don’t like Jessica that much anymore. If SNSD is going to debut in America in the future, Jessica shouldn’t be the “face.”

    Did anyone else get this impression or just me?

    • Gnattie

      All their English interviews, if anyone’s interested:

      http://newsroom.mtv.com/2011/10/31/girls-generation-looking-to-takeover-usa/

      & a small magazine interview done with J-14, a tween magazine.

      http://sickaljung.tumblr.com/post/12219733185/hwanggroup-j-14-q-a-with-girls-generation-the

      • saylor

        ok quick question, did these guys have an interview with mtv iggy or mtv??? there is a massive difference between the two sorry guys.  ”That’s like the international mtv channel… I mean Nasserdinun Shah has been interviewed there.  Boa, 2pm.  I feel like everyone made a big deal about this interview, it’s just mtv iggy though!

        • Gnattie

          They interviewed Iggy MTV, sometime in the morning I believe (not sure). I don’t think many people saw it. I don’t think the interviews they had were a big deal, but it’s good that they got them! It’s some exposure, at least, though not as much as others like to thing.

      • thunderandsmoke

        Even in Korea they refer to her as an “ice princess” right? I think her personality is just a little cold, but I don’t think she was trying to come off like that on purpose, perhaps that just the way she is. Its a shame though, because she doesn’t seem as “approachable” as Tiffany, or even any of the other girls. Tiffany is doing so well holding her own though, she gets so much respect for that: its hard to have to speak for everyone, and speak the entire time, and try to be somewhat funny. 

        • Gnattie

          I really don’t know what to think of Jessica and her “ice princess” personna. I understand that she could just not be a very expressive person, and I don’t hold that against her. But then she’ll do something that’s arrogant or irritating, and I find her to be witchy. I don’t dislike her, but I like other members better. I was primarily annoyed by how she just kept smiling into the camera as she talked; she came off to be as being a (pardon my language) camera-whore and like one of those stereotypical valley girls, accent and everything. Everyone else was sweet, though. I didn’t see the extended version of the MTV Iggy interview until after I posted the comment, and I thought Sooyoung’s accent was charming.

          The thing is, Kpop artists are so controlled. They’ve been trained in what to say and how to act, especially when they’re in the spotlight. Even the reality-like shows they’re on are scripted. I sorta wish they could be caught off camera, by surprise, more often, so we could see what they’re really like.

      • saylor

        and it was sooyoung that tried the most to use english, which is very impessive.  her english isn’t that bad. 

        • Gnattie

          I didn’t see the video of Sooyoung using English until after I posted my post lol. Then I found that video when I was looking for the interviews. Yeah, Sooyoung’s English isn’t bad, but she might’ve had help from Jessica or Tiffany. Her accent was thick but charming and understandable. In another interview, the NY one I think, Seohyun threw in some English and her English was good. She was saying how she could wear heels and she said something about what SONE means to her, I think.

  • Anonymous

    The double standard is common in almost all Asian countries, so I won’t pick on Korea alone. Netizens really need to stop nitpicking. It happens. It’s rude, yeah, sure, but still there’s no reason to screen cap it out and bash them for it. 

  • Guest

    female idols are scrutinised far more than the male idols and there is a double standard for sure since there are double standards about just about everything in asia. however, with regards to unprofessionalism, i think it’s more about impressions and reputations. snsd, t-ara and f(x) have been accused of unprofessionalism numerous times since their debut by numerous people (sunbaes, pds, stylists, writers) and now it seems like even if they are not being unprofessional, they are going to be criticised for looking like it. once the tag sticks, it’s difficult to get rid of.

    i’m no heechul fan and i find him ridiculous 90% of the time but the things you mentioned as rude sound like the humour of the average k-gagman. they think they’re being funny but they’re not. i find it more unprofessional when heechul can’t be bothered to sing for the 5 secs he has to, but the only people that matters to is the fangirls and they think he’s special.

    as for gd & top. the interview you mentioned is an aberration not the norm. that is the only one instance where top has been legitimately unprofessional. he was not texting, but he had his phone out and that itself is a big no-no for me. gd was just fidgety, they all were. but both gd and top (and bigbang in general) are both known for being excruciatingly polite in general with 90-degree bows to hoobaes, very highly spoken of by sunbaes etc etc and that’s the difference. one instance can be forgiven. when it happens repeatedly, then it’s a problem. with snsd, it’s happened repeatedly and that’s why it keeps coming up again.

    • Guest

      just to add to the idea that it’s mostly about reputation and first impressions and not always about guys vs girls. kahi fell asleep during strong heart and netizens were very sympathetic and were talking about tough schedules and long hours. shindong had a green bottle near his chair on strong heart and netizens started yelling about him drinking soju on set. godess gyuri is heechul’s female counterpart and doesn’t get shit for it. taecyeon always seems to find himself in hot water about his arrogance but jessica’s ice princess personna is fine.

    • jhg

      For f(x) do you mean Krystal and Sulli? Because I don’t recall hearing anything about the other three, I could be wrong though.

      • Guest

        yes. it is primarily them but they’ve been spotlighted so many times that it’s pretty much f(x) now. when staff begin to complain about behaviour on the set of a shoot, it tarnishes the whole group.

        • jhg

          That must really suck for the other three though. :/

    • asianromance

      I wonder if by being such a big group, the chances are that one of them will take a misstep while representing SNSD are larger.  I usually hear abt the other members being rude (mostly Tiffany, Jessica, and once, Hyoyeon), but this is the first I’ve heard of Yoona being rude.  When you have 9 girls, it really adds up.  Maybe they should just go on less talk shows and interviews. Sometimes less is more. 

      • Anon

        i do think the chances are higher. i also think the chances are greater because they are a really popular group, so they are scrutinised more. it also depends on where this rudeness occurs. changmin and yoochun have been filmed several times yelling at fans or knocking cameras out of their hands at airports, several suju members have been filmed swearing at fans but it’s always seen as fans harassing them. when you are rude on tv or at an even, it gets noticed quicker and the criticism is more.

        and when your more popular members get known for their rudeness like jessica and taeyeon, then you get in trouble more often.

  • jhg

    Taeyeon was looking at a video on the screen when she leaned forward. Also Yoona is really busy filming her drama too and she had problems with her ankle. 
    Does anyone have a link to the TOP & GD interview?

  • Anonymous

    they are in the business and they know the rules or the what-not-to-do’s. if you know that and you still act opposite from it .. a lot of time, there’s something wrong.

  • Ollyu

    All these kpop artists are professional, engaging and charming 98% of the time in front of the camera.  Give them a break for that 2% when they actually show that they’re human too.  

    • Okiedokie

      Ummm make that 99.5%!  These “mistakes” that they make would be nothing in the real world, but in the kpop world it’s criminal.  Maybe they shouldn’t be so perfect all the time, then ppl wouldn’t judge them so harshly……in such irrational ways!  lol

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XZMSVOCJOA7ZA47SDPHNBVFNWM Lizzie Heart

      I have to disagree. All these kpop artist pretend to be professional and engaging and charming, because they know it is what sells. But this doesn’t mean they really are what they seem to be.

      This is just a act they put, who knows who really is nice and who is actually a bitch, a diva on kpop industry. This thing of being perfect I agree, no one is. But don’t give excuses like ”they are humans too”  Like being rude is ok. Being human doesn’t mean being rude. lol 

  • http://twitter.com/AKABrownMagic Akshay Patel

    I do the lean over that Taeyeon is doing all the time. It’s not because I’m bored, but because it’s uncomfortable to sit in that sort of situation. They’re on stools, so I don’t think that was INTENTIONALLY disrespectful. It sure does come off as that though. 

    • asianromance

      me too!  And sometimes I can look bored or disinterested or nauseous when I have to burp and am just holding it in. 

  • Atrapforfools

    It’s not even a big deal. did anyone even watch the video? They look fine to me. Netizens found two unflattering screen caps and made a big deal out of nothing.

    We complain about our idols being manufactured and fake, but the second they’re not all sunshine and rainbows, we complain about that too. So they looked a little dazed for 3 minutes out of who knows however long the interview really went on for. Americans won’t care. Our stars do way worse on a regular basis.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XZMSVOCJOA7ZA47SDPHNBVFNWM Lizzie Heart

      The interview was just 10 minutes long.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001916642407 Vic To Ry

    TOP and GD in Taiwan ????????????????????

    • Anonymous

      No

  • becky

    You do have a point but it does show the double standard that exists in korean entertain period. TOP  texting during an interview, now that is rude !!!!
    I  think its because its ok in Korean Entertainmet for males to behave like that; because females are held to higher standard or scrutiny. The cutesy stuff or aegyo even if a female band goes on and decides to become sexy for females there’s always a limit to how sexy you can become, were as for males it an open field. Which is probably why the scrutiny on their behaviour, because you’re suppose to be cute well behaved females not bored and rude.  its lame, but who can you blame? the females in the industry for not breaking boundaries.

  • Anonymous

    I don’t know what the big deal is all about… The interviewer from MTV Christina Garibaldi said in a follow up article and video that SNSD was “Probably the nicest group of girls I have ever talked to.” and became obsessed with the girls since the interview.
    If the person doing the actual interview didn’t notice any rudeness on SNSDs’ part who are we to over react over screen shots?
    Pictures can be interpreted in millions of different ways…
    Crazy antis…-____-

  • http://twitter.com/zamuz gonzalo muñoz ferrer

    I think it’s funny that people see “poses” as an indication of whether someone is being rude or not. It doesn’t mean as much as you think. If they looked uninterested, the only thing you can say for sure is that they looked uninterested, you can’t tell for sure if they were in fact uninterested, interested but tired, or uninterested and acting like they cared. Hope that makes sense.

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  • Anonymous

    It’s so easy to judge what people “should have” done from behind the comfort of a computer. 

    Yes, they “should have” tried harder and acted more professionally. However, they weren’t just a little sick, they had the flu; the way people are talking makes it seem it’s a small thing, and it’s NOT. That plus sleep deprivation alone would be tough. Adding in jetlag and a twisted ankle (Yoona), I’m surprised they’re still functioning. Honestly, in those photos, Yoona looks like she’s about to pass out (she even fell asleep during a commercial break, and Taeyeon looked like she was nodding off towards the end http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4eqwg5UXjU). I don’t think they were being rude, I think they just more concerned with not falling asleep on their feet. Plus, it’s not like they don’t know how to act during an interview, especially such an important one. They’ve been in the industry long enough to know what they should and should not do, so they must have been REALLY sick to be unable to fake it.

    Which means that, yes, they probably “should have” stayed at home. But let’s be real here. Since when has SM been known to prioritize their idol’s health? I HIGHLY doubt SM would’ve let them skip this interview and the fan meeting afterwards. This was SNSD’s first big event in the US; why would SM only present 7 of them if 9 were available?

    Idols get criticized for not working hard enough, even when they’re sick. But once they faint and get hospitalized from working so hard, they (and their companies) get flack for it. How about these for double standards?

    • Nabeela

      SM is definitely NOT the guardian angel of health. Dont you remember the reason why Hangeng left SM and Super Junior? That kid had serious intestinal problems that were hardly ever dealt with properly, and he was ripped out of IV’s plenty of times for medical staff to give testimony. 

      Also, SNSD is one of the biggest names in Hallyu and Korean entertainment period. When you carry that kind of weight and are trying to make a good first impression on new audiences, you don’t  front with a tired face and disengaged disposition. You just dont–it may dismissible in any other situation, and for many other groups, they become accidents they slide under the table with an apology. But SNSD should know how to be professional, there is no excuse for them not to be. Being ‘tired’ is understandable, but staying composed is essential when you’re a major public figure, repping your country most especially. 

      • Anonymous

        It’s SNSD. They KNOW that they’re representing Korea. Do you think they did this intentionally? It shows just how sick and tired Yoona and Taeyeon must have been that they could barely stay awake, let alone try to pretend like everything’s okay. Under that type of stress, your body WILL shut down. I personally think they should have stayed home. But, of course, SM would never have let them.

        It’s a shame when the only excuse idols have to rest is when they work themselves to the point of exhaustion. Do they need to faint and get rushed to the hospital for exhaustion for their actions to be judged professional? Yoona and Taeyeon ignored their health just to meet with their fans, even though they could barely stay awake. Instead, they get scolded for not being “professional enough” to push through their illness and fatigue? What kind of logic is that? Apparently, simply looking like they were about to pass out isn’t good enough excuse their “unprofessional” behavior; they need to actually faint for it to be okay. This mentality of “work until you collapse” just leads to more exhausted idols and celebrities who are hospitalized for exhaustion because their symptoms aren’t judged severe enough to take a break; they’re “just tired”.

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  • Guest_no2

    Did you just grab this from allkpop?

    • Guest_no2

      Anyway onto the main topic

      when you start grouping random people on the internet as a singular entity i.e. netizens, you are bound to encounter differing interests or what could also be called double standards

  • Lordofreimes

    I’m pretty sure it exists only because 80% of the ‘netizens’ who care about this stuff are girls. Ya know, the age old ‘gossip magazine’ females ragging on females.

  • Acidimp

    When you fall to sleep on stage under the hot lights and in the middle of dozens of people screaming your name that is not being unprofessional. That is your body shutting down to get the sleep it needs. Same thing happens to people when they fall asleep behind the wheel. I think it’s a shame people don’t recognize that.

    I do agree that it’s mostly girls who make these kinds of comments because no one is as bitchy and unfair to female celebrities as other females. The boys get all kinds of slack…unless they dare to date someone else. It’s pitiful. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/roan.deguzman3 Ro-an de Guzman

    well, depends. if only females are the ones getting the flack, well that’s in korea. however, from the international perspective, regardless of gender, any person caught in an unprofessional behavior, that person surely gets a flack.

    i do not care about heechul, since who is he anyway? he is nothing to me, since he is just nothing but an attention-whore to me. Meanwhile, I was disappointed that TOP and GD acted uninterested and rude during their Taiwan promotions. Good thing they aren’t promoting in the Philippines yet, because if they show the same behavior they will surely be getting a flack not only from netizens+bad publicity from entertainment writers and showbiz talkshow hosts. It’s such disappointing that those who are the top artists happened to be showing inappopriate behavior.

    just because it happens in korea, does not mean it applies to the whole world. Not that I am glorifying Philippines that much, but if a celebrity—male, female, transgender, gay—happens to be unprofessional, they will definitely get a flack from both spectators and entertainment writers alike.

    back to yoona and taeyeon. seriously? they are not the only ones who are overworked, but the rest of their fellow members as well, but how come they were able to pull-off being energetic? also, it is not only them who are not fluent in English. Yuri, Sunny, Hyoyeon are not also fluent in English, but they are able to keep the vibe.

    Lemme’ share my experience as well. work in a Call Center, and when some of us happened to be lack of
    sleep, we involuntarily fall asleep. Yet, we never retaliate whenever we
    get some flack from our supervisors because letting yourself to fall
    asleep is regarded as SLEEPING, and it’s an offense to the company. It’s
    even a no-no to put customers on-hold just to get some sleep.
    Wanna know the reason why?

    1. It even increases our AHT (Average Handle Time) super-high.
    2. It’s a sure-fire to get a DSAT Score from customers
    (Note: DSAT means Dissatisfaction, under CSAT or Customer Satisfaction survey, and fucking surveys eat a huge chunk
    of our Stack Rank score)
    3. It’s a sure-fire to get a markdown on QA (Quality Analysis) due to unnecessary extended call length
    4. It can constitute you to Call Avoidance, and that subjects you to DISMISSAL.

    That is why if there is nothing else can make me stay awake, I have to catch some sleep aftershift.

    Call Center work is no different from Idol job. Both Call Center
    Agents and Idols are underpaid, objectified and worse, exploited,
    depending on situations. They are both stressed out on their
    corresponding work conditions. We work usually at night. Idols work
    usually on daytime, so idols might feel some few luck compared to us. We
    Call Center Agents are equally subjected to receive flack from our
    customers in the US whenever they experienced inconveniece due to
    customer un-friendly policies, and rude service done by airport agents
    as well as call center agents. We also receive unequal treatment from
    our client as well. You can bash us for letting ourselves exploited, but
    do you think we can get a better paying job like in a Call Center or
    BPO? The only difference is we’ve got more benefits like healthcare and
    social security compared to idols, and that we are more free to do the
    things we wanted to do outside work, and we can even make out with our
    special someone. Also, we get what we have worked for, like incentives
    and stuff, though our payroll department sometimes do some shenanigans
    on the pay we are suppose to receive.

    In our local Pinoy Entertainment industry, there are LOTS of
    OVERWORKED ARTISTS as well. They do the taping of shows they are going
    to appear, dramas, mall shows or even out-of-town shows. Idols are no
    different from our local celebrities, that is why some of celebrities
    have to leave from one show for drama taping despite rumors of
    ‘unprofessionalism’ or ‘power-tripping’ from producers. Since they are
    overworked and have to stay awake, there are rumors surrounding our
    artists that some are taking drugs. I won’t deny that since some celebs
    are taking drugs for various reasons.

    Overworking is not an excuse. Another thing, if you happened to be
    entering in Entertainment Industry and an in-demand celebrity, expect
    yourself to be overworked. Sometimes, you realize that Entertainment
    Industry’s motto is to “strike while the iron is hot”. If you take a
    long long break at your prime, you might be missing chances of retaining
    your spotlight. That is why in our entertainment industry, there are lots of entertainers losing the spotlight because of MIA status. You can even ask Sandara Park at how she
    lost her spotlight in Philippine Entertainment Industry or everyone who
    witnessed Sandara’s rose to popularity as well as its nosedive.

    As for Taeyeon, it’s not a surprise she could do such thing like
    that. She once shown her sulky face at a certain show when Pumashock’s
    video of her Gee rendition was shown to all SNSD members. She even went
    tactless that sometimes, gave her a racist accusation. She even got a
    flack for her swerving voice on some performances. She was even ranted
    by her antis for unfavorable facial expression when she and other group
    leaders did a special group performance.

    What they really did is really shameful. It’s not only applies to them. But to anyone. My younger sister even agreed with me.

    • Guest

      just wanted to point out that gd and top were uninterested in one interview. one in 5 years. it doesn’t excuse their behaviour but it gives it some context. and they were not promoting in taiwan. they’ve never been to taiwan. the interview was conducted by a taiwanese channel.

    • http://twitter.com/ErikinaDaisy Erika Ward

      Hey dude – I’m  not an SNSD fan but I don’t got back talking about them – SO lay off on the Heechul remarks please – I actually respect SNSD BECAUSE of Heechul. Just saying that we can  help both groups by not disrespecting the other. Thanks. :)

  • tyounge1991

    SM ent. entertainers have a history of being rude, entitled, arrogant pricks.

  • Saylor

    I don’t like Taeyeon, but this isn’t rude. I feel for the girl, she can’t handle the pressure as well as everyone thinks h can. She needs a long break. Yoona too. I don’t think anyone else in snsd has as busy schedules as these two do.

    • http://twitter.com/AmandaRenee480 Amanda Evans

      I think people don’t realize that these girls are human, too. It’s part of what I really hate about K-Pop (actually, there’s a LOT I hate about K-pop, but I won’t get into that now). They build up these idols to be perfect, flawless things, and when they show an ounce of humanity, they’re attacked. Who wouldn’t look like Taeyeon when they have the flu? I’m impressed she’s sitting upright. (I just got over having the flu, so I feel for her and Yoona. It was draining just to get out of bed.)

      • Blastie

        i’m so agree with you. 

  • anon

    If they’re trying to appeal to Americans who are new to kpop and have no idea who SNSD is then YES, this comes off unprofessional, rude, and arrogant.  If I’m randomly flipping the channel and see two girls dozing off, making bored expressions – I’d think why come here anyways.

    To fans and followers they’ll understand, they’ll look into the reasons and not care but they’re NOT the target market. Going to MTV Iggy (I believe) is to try and gain a new following, and by this interview alone is one chance blown. And if it’s their first impression to an American audience, it’s definitely not the best first step.

  • http://twitter.com/ovenfreshhhhh ovenfreshhhhh ☆

    I think this was just a big deal because it’s SNSD, and they’re supposedly doing “big things” in America because Teddy Riley is on their side.

    But honestly… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4eqwg5UXjU Yoona didn’t just look bored. She actually fell asleep (different interview). LOL. I thought it was hilarious, but yes. It’s pretty rude to fall asleep during an interview, no matter how dead on your feet you are. It’s not like SNSD are rookies and this is the first time they’ve been called upon to work without rest.

    Whether it’s SME’s fault for packing their schedule so much or SNSD’s fault for not drinking coffee or Red Bull before the interview, the point is that it happened and they got called out on it.

    As far as double standards go… I don’t care about double standards as much as I care about the working conditions of idols, actors, and actresses in Korea. Double standards will always be there as long as Korea remains a patriarchal society, so I find news of idols getting IVs due to exhaustion more alarming.

  • Bua

    I think this is the 3rd time I read the news about Taeyeon being rude. 1st when the girls were watching the clip of Natalie White singing Gee. 2nd the incident in Music Bank and here is the 3rd time and Sones always say because she’s sick. Lame excuse in my opinion. Like u said. Rude is rude. There other idols who also are sick but they still show professionalism. The 1st time is understandable but this is the 3rd time. I guess this girl never learns.

    BTW, agree w/ u how male idols are easily forgiven but female idols always get harsh criticism by acting rude. I think almost every sociey is like that.

    • http://twitter.com/ovenfreshhhhh ovenfreshhhhh ☆

      I wonder if most of the people making all of these criticisms are women. Women love to hate on other women, it’s (practicaly) a proven fact… Sigh.

  • http://twitter.com/nightstage_ hitsumabushi

    I don’t know; I see people criticizing Leeteuk and Shindong pretty often. 

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XZMSVOCJOA7ZA47SDPHNBVFNWM Lizzie Heart

    The excuses are the same, ”idols aren’t perfect, they are humans too” 

    ”Everyone have a bad day” and ”give them a break”. ”give him/she a second chance.” But what I hate the most is ”She/he is just being herself/himself” to excuse their rudeness.
    I don’t care about they are tired, sick whatever. They know once they are in front of the cameras they have to do their all. So many idols are hurting/tired and still manage to smile and try their best in the front of the camera.

    Also, this thing of ”they were tired” err, they sleep some good hours in the plane before arriving in USA. 

    Whatever, I also hate when fans protect their oppas saying ”they didn’t mean it” and all.
    I remember when Leeteuk called suzy fat, and his fans said ”he was wrong, but everyone deserves a second chance, no?” ”And, ”is no like he was lying…” WTF?

    The same with girls calling girlgroup sluts because they wear short clothes but demand their oppas to get shirtless…

    • saylor

      uh have you ever slept on a plane???? it is the most uncomfortable thing ever. I’m not gonna lie I excuse these two.  I’m not a fan of Taeyeon, but this is a little unfair.  I don’t mind Yoona, i really feel for her.  but i agree with the rest of what you said, i don’t like fans excuses especially when it comes to male behaviour of their idols. i absolutely cannot stand leeteuk, the guys a jerk. 

      • http://twitter.com/ovenfreshhhhh ovenfreshhhhh ☆

        Idk. I can sleep on planes just fine. If you’re tired enough, you can—and should—just go to sleep.

        SNSD gotta woman up and get rugged since SME is dead set on having them fly back and forth from Korea to Japan to the US to Europe in the span of a few months.

      • tyounge1991

        People with real jobs go to work every single day.

        SNSD are a bunch of girls that lay on their backs for tracks, CF deals, spots on shows, etc.
        Perform terrible songs, while not even singing live, and dancing very simple dumbed down routines, they aren’t doing half the work anyone else is doing. Flying your ass on a private plane is not exactly hard work, infact it’s a f*cking luxury. LOL Neither is sitting on your behind for an interview, getting your makeup done, and smiling for camera.

        My brother worked construction for two years DURING college, and has gone to work after spraining an ankle because he couldn’t AFFORD not to, he has sh*t to pay for such as bills. He’s gone to work sick. I’m sick and dead tired every single time my finals roll around – and guess what? I don’t get the luxury to stay home, I go to work sick multiple times in a month, and I don’t f*cking sleep at my job and complain about it, if I were going to do that I’D STAY HOME.

        SNSD are a bunch of WH0RES. Doing nothing compared to people with an education, and a real job. They are a group of IDIOTS, half of them have dropped out, or never gone to college, they are a peg above hookers in reality, and their job requires no real education. They do not deserve your silly fan excuses.

        Are you being paid to make up sh*t to defend nine broads whose bills you simply pay?

        NO, so get a life. I bet you don’t even defend your family this much. LOL

        • saylor

          …okay. that was totally irrational.  oh btw everyone complains about their job.  you’re doing it right now.  please get off your high horse.  im sure there are illegal immigrants that would die for your very hard life and mothers in africa that would kill people for it and accuse you of being an ungrateful asshole because you complain about it.  life’s just hard for everyone, doesn’t mean we need to criticize people endlessly.  i don’t like snsd, i’m just defending them at one time i feel like the criticism is blown out of proportion. 

          • tyounge1991

            See heres the thing, I can complain my job if I want.
            If I’m going to COMPLAIN WHILE I’M AT MY JOB, then why go that day? They aren’t there to listen to me complain, nor am I there to complain.

            You silly little twerps who are still spending your parents money on f*cking kpop CD’s and posters can’t seem to wrap you simple minds around the concept of ACTING professional.

            Yeah it’s too bad those illegal immigrants, like my LEGAL IMMIGRANT parents don’t care enough to go through the process of moving to a country LEGALLY, and working their way up instead of sucking systems like welfare dry, right?

            And it’s too bad Africans continue to let their sh*tty government keep them at the bottom, not my f*cking problem is it? Plenty of countries have their citizens going apesh*t and KILLING the man in charge recently, Africa could do the same. Laziness, lack of education, and lack of motivation is the problem in reality.

            My parents got married, didn’t have kids until they moved out what they considered an imperfect situation, worked their asses off, and now can afford to live in the most expensive New England suburb, and even though they can afford to pay me and my brothers tuition with no problem they would NEVER do such a thing. WORKING and leaving your f*cking issues at home is called being an adult.

            Time to grow the f*ck up SNSD, you f*cking old ass women, older than my ass swinging around lolipops and performing in children pajamas on stage like a bunch of wh0res honestly. I mean your job really requires NO EDUCATION, so what do they have to complain about? They don’t write, they don’t sing live, they don’t compose, produce, or direct, they don’t design the clothing they model, you don’t put the photoshoot concepts together, you don’t put the sets together, you don’t style your hair, your makeup, your outfits for shows, and events, you don’t drive yourselves to events, interviews, or award shows, you don’t do ANYTHING for yourself, or by yourself with your ‘job” the only thing expected of you is to put on a good show that your FANS PAY TO SEE, and act grateful that you have idiot fans that PAY your bills.

            Why don’t you go defend those people in Africa and illegal immigrants that you feel so strongly about apparently, instead of nine little wh0res that behave like infants.

            Get your priorities in order sunshine, SNSD wouldn’t waste their breath to defend you. You pay their bills, so learn your place.

          • http://twitter.com/AmandaRenee480 Amanda Evans

            While you’re certainly entitled to your opinion (and while I agree with a few of your points), don’t call people you don’t know sluts and whores. It isn’t called for and makes you look like a bad person.

            Most people think it doesn’t require anything to sing and dance, but it takes a whole hell of a lot of time and dedication on the performer’s part. Stop talking about things you don’t know about. Until you’ve studied it your whole life and experienced what it’s like, you know nothing. People like you that dismiss music/performing like it isn’t work piss me off. Oh, and how do I know? I’ve studied music/performing my entire life. I’m a Vocal Major with four years of college behind me. I play three instruments, plus a little guitar on the side. I go dance practice every day. I go to regular classes.And I work a job on top of all of that. My parents have never paid for a cent of my schooling.

            And the music is still the hardest part of it. The other stuff is easy. YOU have it easy. Whether you like them or not, leave SNSD alone. Get a life.

          • tyounge1991

            Sorry hun, but considering I’ve taken vocal classes, and play multiple instruments, have performed live utilizing both skills at the same time….I think I know pretty well what it takes for performers that are actually SINGING LIVE. I think most of the people posting here, are Asian, maybe Asian American, most of us play multiple instruments or atleast the piano. I’m sure you know that already. Don’t be so dense.

            SNSD lip synchs, end of discussion. Lip synching = minimal effort. No debate about this what so ever. It is what it is. Their dancing is simple, for atleast the majority of the group minus Tiffany who is simply not a dancer of any sort.

            SNSD aren’t up there belting out any live singing, half the members don’t even recite their lines along with the track playing in their MR removed videos, rofl. And those that do, clearly aren’t putting any effort into them.

            Get real, you’re a deluded fantard, no different from the rest.
            I suggest you not speak about a pop group that doesn’t sing live and the effort of PERFORMING A SONG LIVE, because they are two different things. It’s like comparing Britney spears live performances, to Beyonce live performances. Clearly a major difference in whose working more on stage.

          • Anonymous

            You have never and will never experience what they experience.  That’s the end of it.

          • tyounge1991

            You’re right, because I am a productive member of society, earning a masters degree in the medical field. On top of that, I work a normal job, which I go to 7 days a week, and manage an iternship at a school that I do simply because I like the kids I work with alot.

            I know I will never get to experience wh*ring myself out to producers and such to get work, and will never experience being boycotted by thousands of people, and never experience NOT selling a million albums, not winning any awards of prestige, not graduating high school/college for many of them, not going under the knife for the sake of my job, not being a laughing stock with piss poor lip synching, etc.

            LOL see the thing is you idiot idol fans are cry and defend all you like.
            But at the end of that, you need to learn your place. I mean seriously if you don’t defend your own family as much as nine grown ass women whose bills you pay, then you need to kill yourself, like yesterday.

            How pathetic of a life do you have to have to delude yourself into thinking you’re friends with SNSD or something? Are you that sad? lol 

            Btw your comment goes both ways, you have all these pre conceived notions regarding how ‘hard’ their work is, yet you don’t go to work with them. Do you?

            I don’t have to experience anything SNSD does to state the FACT that people with way more serious, more useful jobs go to work, sick, tired, hungry, etc. every single day.
             I think I know this pretty well considering my nephews doctor was called out of bed the other night because he stopped breathing, my nephews doctors works at a hospital in another city and got his ass up at 3am in the morning, rushed out, and sent a transport team just to check up on him.

            SNSD will never experience what us in the medical field experience, they will never experience a real education like every other young adult in Korea because they are daft. They will never experience a job that actually matters in the long run. This is all SNSD is worth at the end of the day. That thing right there in between their legs, that is their worth. That’s it.

            http://i33.servimg.com/u/f33/12/83/20/52/anti3810.jpg

          • saylor

            dear lord if you are in the medical field then i fear for the lives of people that come in contact with you.  if they found out what you do in your free time when you’re not studying they would probably be scared too.  so im shouting your advice back to you….get a life. it’s not worth it to attack people you’ve never met.  im not a fan of snsd (how many freaking times do i have to say that?). and if i had money to buy music, i wouldn’t be buying snsd (since that is so important to you).  i reacted in a situation i thought was unfair that’s it.  not a big deal and that plane thing was from personal experience.  i’ve flown three times in my life and two out of the three times were when i was older and taller, they were both uncomfortable experiences where i couldn’t sleep properly and they only lasted a few hours each. 

            what i love though is the pure racism and sexism from your comments, THAT NO ONE ADDRESSED. first of all laziness is the reason why certain countries in africa are in the state their in????.  omg, you need to take a history class because the reasons for lack of economic development/ modernization are so complex and are the fault of entitled aggressive assholes like yourself who think because they worked hard, that they have the right to benefits.

            and illegal immigrants. okay some illegal immigrants are here on less than noble reasons, but if you lived in mexico or latin america, where you were born of no choice of your won and where corruption is rampant could you seriously not imagine yourself crossing an imaginary line to find a better home and way of life for YOUR FAMILY??? 

            and btw my mom worked three jobs practically her entire life despite being educated and holding a degree from another country.  (and i clarify b/c i know you’ll pounce on this, she tried many times to get a job in her field, but no one would accept her degree b/c she spent too many years outside of her field in order to use it she would have had to go to school all over again…not feasible with three kids and bills to pay).  she had no choice coming to america and staying.  not only did she work three job she raised three kids ALL by herself.  now her kids are in college thanks to the sacrifices shes made so please don’t bullshit me about how hard you have it and how hard your parents worked.  you’re just a privileged kid who is going to be more privileged and relieving stress in such an unhealthy manner.  echoing your words….get a life. 

          • tyounge1991

            You need some reading comprehension classes.

            Like big time. I stopped reading when you pretended to read that I said laziness was the reason for the problems many African countries seem to have. You are clearly suffering from selective reading.

            Anyways, the rest tl;dr

            Stop defending strangers, get a life, get some therapy or something.
            SNSD don’t care about you. /end.

          • saylor

            “And it’s too bad Africans continue to let their sh*tty government keep them at the bottom, not my f*cking problem is it? Plenty of countries have their citizens going apesh*t and KILLING the man in charge recently, Africa could do the same. Laziness, lack of education, and lack of motivation is the problem in reality.”
            Obviously if that’s not what you intended to say then you need a writing 101 class.  Like big time.  You clearly don’t seem to understand what you’ve written.  sorry you couldn’t find a way to validate your existence here.  i suggest therapy for all that misplaced anger you have.  there are other forums out there though.  the internet is a big place.  good luck! see you around seoulbeats!

          • tyounge1991

            “And it’s too bad    (Africans continue to let their sh*tty government keep them at the bottom)          , not my f*cking problem is it?”

            “Plenty of countries have their citizens going apesh*t and KILLING the man in charge recently”
            ^
            Now read this carefully.

            “Laziness, lack of education, and lack of motivation is the problem in reality.”

            Then that^

            Reading comprehension bud, step it up, but then again I can’t expect much from an SNSD fan, I mean look at how middle school Jessica and Tiffany’s vocab. is, LOL.

          • saylor

            i stopped reading because you’re just proved how inept you really are.  i think you let you’re inner racist feelings out and now you feel embarrassed for letting people find out how irrational you really are.  take a writing class please.  you can’t twist words to mean something completely different.  I highly encourage that writing class along with that therapy.  it might allow you to channel those feelings of anger and hate into something more constructive.  

          • http://twitter.com/ovenfreshhhhh ovenfreshhhhh ☆

            Why do you keep bringing in irrelevant shit into a discussion about Kpop? African government, medical field, your parents…

            The fuck?

          • http://twitter.com/AmandaRenee480 Amanda Evans

            Since when does being Asian automatically mean you play an instrument/sing? (And by the way, I’m Native American/European, not Asian. It doesn’t matter anyway. Race has nothing to do with being musically gifted.) 

            I don’t like K-Pop all that much. I listen to new songs. If the song is good enough to warrant more than two listens, then I’ll probably buy it off of iTunes. If it’s not, I really don’t give a care and I don’t buy it. That’s about how involved with K-Pop I get. So no, I’m not a delusional fan. Sorry.

            I just have to laugh at people like you. And feel bad. Because you obviously are the one who is deluded. I read the rest of your responses. Since when are you better than everyone else because you’re a doctor? Just because I chose to be a musician instead of a doctor, doesn’t make my job (or any other person who chose to work with music) any less important than yours. God chose to make me a musician instead of a doctor, lawyer, or whatever and gave me the talent and drive to do it. And I’m not ashamed of it.

            You may know how to strum at a guitar or hit a few keys on the piano, but you don’t really know what it means and what it feels like to touch people with those sounds you create. Nor will you ever.

            I’ll defend any musician, good or bad, if I catch people like you spewing crap about things you obviously know nothing about. Who cares if I don’t know them and they don’t know me? I’d defend anybody in a heartbeat from people like you and I’d do it for no reason at all other than that it’s the right thing to do.

          • tyounge1991

            Playing an instrument and being musically gifted are too different things.
            It’s a common thing for Asian households to have their kid or kids take some sort of class for any instrument. Never said anything about singing though. Learn to read, please.

            Anyhow, the rest of your comment is irrelevant.
            You are simply a butthurt cry baby fan defending people that don’t even perform live music, ever.

            /Irrelevant.

          • tyounge1991

            Also don’t delude yourself into thinking you aren’t involved. Theres only one reason you’d reply to my comment, and it was clearly to defend SNSD. What is with fantards these days trying to pretend they aren’t fans? LOL Is it because you know people disregard your opinions and stances when it’s clear that just a simple fan.

            Get a life, you took a cute approach, but the fantard always comes out.

          • http://twitter.com/AmandaRenee480 Amanda Evans

            *yawn* 

        • Anonymous

          umm go back to allkpop please <___< your not fooling anyone with your mildly intelligent response

        • http://www.facebook.com/joyceCassiopeia Joyce Law

          THUMBS UP !

      • —

        I agree that SNSD were probably tired, but please do not blame their fatigue—not even a fraction of it—on a mere plane ride. They flew to the US, not to the moon and back. I’ve made roundtrips from China to the US (and vice versa) many times, and this ride is about 14 hr., 30 min. I agree it is tiring, but it’s not so tiring that you collapse as soon as you exit the plane, airport, whatever.

        They’re in a plane. They’re not in a coffin, in an underground shaft, in an iron maiden. They are in a plane. Economy class is where you’re confined, but business class and up should be no problem, honestly. Now, I understand how you may find it troublesome to sleep; as you said, you’ve flown about three times. But SNSD, I’m sure, have flown far more than that, and I highly doubt that this is an environment that they are new to. They should be used to it by now, and if they aren’t… Well. This is obviously something they have to fix ASAP.

        They are many factors, but a plane flight is hardly the root or even part of the general problem.

        Honestly, I could really give a shit about this whole fiasco. This incident and every derivation of it just incites the same arguments: “They’re being overworked,” “They’re tired,” “They’re sick,” “They’re having a bad day,” “They’re only human,” etc. All of it is a pointless battle because people approach it differently and nobody knows for sure what’s going on.

        What’s done is done. In going, they appeared pissed-off and disrespectful, and the netizens noticed and complained. Is it justified? Well, does it really matter at this point? What other defenses can you bring up that haven’t been explicated to death, unless you want to suggest that idols lawyer-up? (That’s a whole other matter all together, however.) SNSD just has to deal with the fire, and unfortunately, that, too, comes with the job as well.

        Now can people stop talking about how they themselves have a hard-knocked life and how they need to pay the bills and how their families have worked so hard for so many generations, etc., etc.? Yes, major kudos to toughening it out and sticking to it, but I have to say it’s just as fucking annoying as fanatics making excuses for their idols. Everyone has a hard life, some harder than others, whether or not it’s obvious. Life is unfair and that’s all there is to it. lol, All this comparing is pointless because it’s similar, but not the same. Don’t taint the hard work and efforts of others just to prove a point—against/for a pop group no less.

    • Miyuki

      The excuses are the same, because they’re not excuses. They’re TRUE. If humans were perfect, we’d all be robots right now. Is it not true that idol are human? Is it not true that humans make mistakes and that sometimes, their bodies JUST GIVE UP? Is it not true that idols are humans? Are you going to tell me that it’s not true? Huh?

      Of course they know, but it’s not that easy to just do that. You know that hating is bad and calling girl groups sluts isn’t a good thing, so why do you do it? Don’t you know that you should study more? Don’t you know that you should be nice to everyone? Don’t you know that never fight with your parents, never lie, never insult anyone, never be pessimistic? Don’t you KNOW? Then why do you do it? 

      So many idols are hurting and tired, but still smile? Is that a joke? it’s not even debatable that no idol has a smile on his/her faces on ALL of their thousands of interviews. Unless they’re taking cocaine or some other kind of drug, it’s impossible. Good hours of sleep? Have you ever even BEEN in a plane? I travel to Turkey, which is a 12 hour plane ride from where I live every year, and I get sick EVERY. TIME. because it’s so exhausting. Your body is literally pressured from being thousands of feet up in the sky AND you don’t even have space to WALK. It’s even hard to twist and turn in your seat (yes, even when you’re in business class). And they travel from Japan, back to Korea, back to Japan, back to Korea, to America, back to Korea, back to America, to Frace every freaking YEAR. I’m not even going to START on how busy these girls are naturally anyways. (Not only them, but every popular girl group really). So don’t you EVEN. don’t you even.
      And it’s very mean that Leeteuk called Suzy fat. I agree. There is no excuse to that.

      And I agree about the last sentence too. It’s a double standard

  • 123

    I saw a fancam of the interview and Yoona literally fell asleep. It was hilarious, and very unprofessional. But it must suck that Tiffany and Jessica do all the talking while they take up space in the back doing absolutely nothing. Its like Tiffany and Jessica’s interview not really theirs. 

    • Anonymous

      yoona did not fall asleep while the cameras were rolling, fyi. 

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Anngelica-Aguilar/100000185514336 Anngelica Aguilar

        • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_V6GCRKSXE4PI7EAWKCXBDJHJNE Saffiatu

          Actually that video is when she was sleeping during the commerical break time. She was not sleeping during the  actual interview. 

    • tyounge1991

      *shrugs* It’s not Tiffany and Jessica’s fault the rest of the group is too pathetic/lazy/dumb to learn some basic English.

      Even Tiffany and Jessica appear to have very …2nd grade vocabulary, atleast they had the gutso to speak up when spoken to, unlike the other biotches.

      • anon

        They needed more than basic English to do that interview and both had the flu. I mean how much can you do when your body is shutting down? I do think SM shouldn’t have let them go on but SM wouldn’t lose an opportunity to promote. Also, Seohyun and Sooyoung know basic English so I wouldn’t call them lazy/dumb. Before this, they were promoting in Japan so they were learning Japanese…And yeah a lot of people may come at me saying, “oh you’re just using the ‘they’re human’ excuse”. Look, it’s a valid point. They ARE tired and barely got to sleep. I doubt anyone here could be chipper if they’re both running on little sleep AND sick. 

  • Anonymous

    I think double standards happen anywhere..not just in kpop..well,if we dislike the double standards,noone should say “ladies first” in every event,right?but for this case, I agree both gender should have been equally professional.

    but does netizens over-critized on girls only?I think not..I still remember how shindong was bashed when he hogged the screen when IU won,and everytime eeteuk/eunhyuk,taeyeon/tiffany said something rude/inapropriate on radios/shows,just like when IU performed badly on kiss&cry and t-ara during their performance…

  • Anonymous

    soo did anyone actually watch the interview, apparently this was like a few seconds out of the whole 10 min or w/e

    eitjer way, yes it was unprofessional,i dont think they should get crucified for it,it wasnt that serious,but I definately think they could have handled themselves better. Also,im surprised fans arent looking
    at the big picture which is, sm overworks their idols, this is proof. I saw fancams of the snsd fanmeet on omona, all of them looked like they were halfawake, taeyeon and yoona looked dead, idk tiffany, all of them looked horrible and I felt bad for them, they tried though although I was expecting some of them to fall over.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Anngelica-Aguilar/100000185514336 Anngelica Aguilar

    Ok, 1st of all, I would’ve never noticed this if netizens had never pointed it out lmao!

    They’re so ready to pounce on idols, reminds me of the recent ordeal of Lim’s(Wonder girls) poorly photoshopped teaser/concept photo for their future album….Seriously?! -____- I have no idea why that’s even a big deal….It’s something no one would have never noticed if it were for netizens … -_______-

    Anywho, now that it’s been pointed out, yes I agree, it was unprofessional to look mad, annoyed, and ready to “bitch slap a hoe”. xD

    Yes I understand they have crazy schedules and hardly sleep if not at all. However, It’s not the interviewer’s fault (nor anybody elses) that you happen to feel tired and crappy. 

    I’m pretty sure all the other girls’ schedules are just as demanding and yet they still managed to put on a smile and do their job. (I especially enjoyed when Sooyoung added to the convo she’s so adorable!) That’s called being (guess what!) professional! *gasp* :O i had no idea! *sarcasm of course* 

    Lets use an everyday example that we can all relate to. Let’s say you’ve been given a job interview and lets say you really need the money, you are currently in college and your swamped with homework, studying for exams, and you been deprived of sleep. While at this job interview are you going to act annoyed and bitchy with your interviewer? Of course not! The moment you walk through that door you completely throw away anything that has nothing to do with the interview. The employer isn’t going to sit there and take your bs, he’ll basically say “Not interested? Then leave!” He has plenty of other resumes and applications of other individuals who are just as qualified.

    So in this case, I doing think there’s an excuse. 

    And if they were that sick, then SM should have never put them in with the others. But it still doesn’t excuse them.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Anngelica-Aguilar/100000185514336 Anngelica Aguilar

      Also I agree with the double standards! I think male idols get away with ALOT just because the fan base is mostly female…Which is sad…They shouldn’t be excused for it just because they happen to be guys -_______-  

  • Anonymous

    Preach girl. Preach.

  • Hk198215

    It’s rude whether they are male or female especially when they want to make a break through in a foreign country.  If you look bored & uninterested, fans of that country will think they don’t want to be there.  Not a good impression.

  • Pingback: Korean Gender Reader « The Grand Narrative

  • http://lailanieg.wordpress.com/ heartofalion3

    That is really rude, whether you’re male or female.  You’re representing Korea, K-Pop, your entertainment company. Exactly, if they were going to act like this, they should not have participated.  It brings a bad image of K-pop, your company, and Korea. If I was a non-fan of K-Pop, an outsider, and I saw supposedly the best of Korean pop, this would leave a bad impression.  

    • Anonymous

      Did you watch the video? They did nothing rude. Also any average american would not give a single fuck about any of that lol. Nobody is going to go “Wow those two girls in the back have quasi-blank expressions on, that’s shameful to Korea, SM Entertainment, and the kpop industry as a whole!!! This is an outrage!!!” Americans are used to celebs doing much worse, tbh.

      • Dudley

        It’s funny b/c I was thinking, is it really that serious, they are tired after all and I’m American.
        As long as they answer the questions, show that they’re paying attention and aren’t doing something blatantly rude like texting I wouldn’t mind so much. 

  • http://twitter.com/line_genrou Aline

    “if SM Entertainment knew that the two had the flu, then they shouldn’t have let them participate in the interview.” – LOL it’s SM we’re talking about here

  • http://twitter.com/jms177 Justy

    I think it kind of is a double standard when it comes to accusations of being “unprofessional”. I agree that Taeyeon and Yoona should have been more alert and engaging, cuz they did come off as pretty rude. But watching the interview, I didn’t really notice to be honest. And why do I think it’s a double standard? Look at all these comments. They all zoom in on the girls of SNSD and SNSD only when this article just called out male idols doing a lot worse. Really, texting in the middle of an interview TOP? I bet if SNSD did that, people would have a damn heart attack. But I guess since it’s TOP, it’s not that big of a deal. I get ppl don’t really talk about it anymore since that was a while ago, but not once have I heard anybody complaining about it then the way people are complaing about SNSD now. “Either call them out equally or not at all.” But hey, who am I kidding? I love TOP =)

  • LLL

    double standard!!!!!!!

  • Sooyoung most beautiful

    Whatever the excuse, all of them are rude… Rude r still rude… Period…

  • Anonymous

    Females tend to be more critical of other females. Since majority of the Kpop fans are female, it’s no surprise they would zoom in on female idols and zoom out on male ones? I’m no SNSD fan, but the expectation of having them represent Korea is a bit much. Who can really carry that torch well?

  • Megan

    I totally noticed Yoona looked uninterested. :( She looked exactly like that at the fan meet too. ;-; shes my bias so it sucked. ><

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_QX4MIRTDHPHJZBZ37UCTAU6LTQ HelloMyNameIs…

      I think Yoona only looks like that because she’s super tired dude to their schedule and jet lag. If you look at youtube, she actually falls a sleep for a bit because she is that tired. And as for the fan meet, she had sprained her ankle during the performance. Yet she still finished it, so props to her. At one point she jumped up because the pain. Right after she hopped off the stage on one leg. The crew were wiping away her tears, that was why she came later on in the interview. When she ended the interview, her voice sounded so tired and sick.

      Yeah, there’s always a double standard for females. Usually, it doesn’t matter for men. You often see pretty skinny girls with big ugly fat guys… sucks but it’s true. :|

  • http://twitter.com/nurunara exxxora

    agree..haha

  • guest

    It would be really rude and inappropriate to be texting, mind-wandering  (or anything other than focus on the work) during an interview. But um . . . I’ve lived in Taiwan for more than 20 years and I searched the bottom of my memory, still couldn’t remember the last time GD and TOP made their visit here.
    I’m not familiar with the other names mentioned so I’m going to skip that part. All I want to say is that double-check the sources before jumping to a conclusion.

    • guest

      I presses enter too quickly. Sorry. I meant to add a please in the last sentence.

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