Music / Idols

SHINee and Aegyo: No More, Please

Written by Natalie On January 19, 2012

In my last article, I mentioned that I believed that SHINee could do a masculine concept. And you know what? I still do. I believe in them. In my heart, I feel as if the boys could do something stronger and more masculine than what they’ve done in the past. ~~Their noonas~~ Other people want SHINee to remain as the colorfully-dressed, cute boys we’ve all come to know and love but I strongly believe that it’s time for SHINee to hang up their rainbow-colored skinny jeans for good.

But then, I came across this.

Everyone already knows that SHINee recently received the opportunity to endorse Etude, a cosmetics brand; Megan wrote about it months ago. And here I am, coming to agree with her. SHINee needs to stop with this aegyo business. It’s becoming disturbing. I felt uncomfortable watching the boys make cute gestures and and act all giddy as they recorded this video. They look out-of-place, as if they were wishing they could be doing something else. I cannot be the only that sees the kill me now look in Key’s eyes or the please let this be over soon look on Minho’s face. The feigned happiness and supposedly cheerful smiles looked strained at times. You can’t blame them. Half their dignity went out the window with this video.

Aside from that, the song isn’t terrible but it’s an overload of cuteness. I’ve never heard their voices so chipmunk-y or seen anyone rap so cutely. I mean, that rap scene was adorable. A little creepy (I’m starting to agree with Ree about Taemin being a potential serial killer) and uncomfortable-looking, but adorable nonetheless. it was amusing to see the boys trying to rap all gangsta-like. It looked so contrived, like they were just immitating what they saw on TV. I kept hearing Mickey Mouse in the background, which was distracting and unnecessary. The cheek-swiping was a bit much, but they are selling skincare so they do need to emphasize that flawless skin of theirs.

This video only strengthened my desire to see SHINee do something masculine this year. I want them to stop acting cutesy and instead put their heart and soul into a concept they’ve been yearning for, one where they aren’t tied down to what noonas want of them (sweet little boys next door) and instead are able to show their prowess. I know that it’s next to impossible (SHINee needs its noonas to survive) but I’m still going to hope for it. The knowledge that SM hired a best-selling university professor, Kim Nando, to write the lyrics for SHINee’s newest album gives me more hope. With luck, we’ll be listening to lyrics with more depth and meaning than typical pop songs.

Your thoughts?

(Omonatheydidn’t)

TAGS: Etude, SHINee

Jackie
Minho’s really bad at hiding his discomfort. First ‘Hello’ now this. lol
But I do seriously hope they do a darker/more masculine concept. All this aegyo is killing me. (and poor Minho looks like he’s going to die from shame)
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ORSXPERTNAEPCKZBGEZMP7A3NU Bianca
Are the products they’re endorsing for men or… women? I’m confused.

Guest
It’s for women.

Skye
Key’s smile is like “OMG THIS ISN’T OVER YET?” And Minho looks uncomfortable xD But I’ve been seeing this for a while, tbh. Most of them are 20 or more years old, they are kind of getting… old XD I really hope their concept is not cute, it’s gonna be weird XD Hello was weird enough right after Lucifer.
Michael Park
if there’s one thing SM is pretty good with, it’s the process of ‘maturing’ their artists’ concepts. looking at dbsk, super junior and girls generation, it’s obvious that there is a ‘transition’ from the cute concepts to the more mature, manly concepts.
the reason why sm has hesitated with SHINee is perhaps because they’re a little stuck.. in a dillemma. with both f(x) and shinee it’s evident that sm has come to the point where they simply don’t know what to do with them – how can they increase these groups’ popularities when they seem to have come to a plateau? the popularity of shinee and f(x) have both in national and international realms come to a steady halt in growth.
with EXO debuting soon, it’s very likely that shinee will be getting more mature concepts, since EXO can replace them as the cute ‘maknaes’. but judging from EXO’s new teasers, it seems that SM wants to promote them as a different kind of group – more versatile and more mature.
i’m guessing sm will be trying to change SHINEe up a bit so that they won’t fall too far in EXO’s shadows especially in this year – from SHINee’s short teaser of their comeback during the gayo, it seems that they’re going to be doing something different from the cute thing.
but honestly…. this is SM. no matter how they progress their artists, they will forever remain as the producer of ‘cute’ idols. even SNSD, DBSK and SUJU have to do cute things now….. it’s their strongest selling point as idols but perhaps also weakest..
http://twitter.com/Laava90 Lava
I really disagree, I don’t think Shinee could pull of a more masculine concept at all, maybe a more mature one but I feel like you’re hoping for them to become some testosterone filled manly men and I don’t think they could pull that off. They all have this femininity to them, which I think is just a part of them, but they could ‘grow up’ a bit and have a more mature, sophisticated concept, more feminine man suits than a leather get up if you get what I mean? But 20-something year olds should definetly not be putting on this kinda image, I don’t think even Taemin will be able to get away with it soon X__X
So mature= a huge yes from me, I would love to see them in suits or more manly but uber fashionable ensembles, however really strong and masculine concept is a no, I don’t think Shinee is a group that could sell that- at the very least they would have to start by changing their name.

Skye
But I don’t think “more masculine concept” means “testosterone filled manly men.” I mean, I haven’t gotten that feeling from the article either. More masculine means just that. There’s a whole shade of greys between the black and the white, my god. And I do think SHINee can pull off a more mature, more masculine concept.

http://twitter.com/Laava90 Lava
Ah I got the ‘testosterone filled manly men’ feel from the previous article that was discussing concepts, the same writer was writing about how Shinee could pull that off so thats prob why I’m getting that vibe from this article.
I know there’s ‘whole shade of greys between the black and the white’ thats why I think that can pull off the mature, sophisticated image but not the whole bad boy manliness if that makes sense? Anyway the beasty manliness is the impression I got after reading the last article.

Anonymous
Testersterone-filled manly men? Oh, goodness no. I don’t think they can pull that off. That would probably be just as awkward as their aegyo.
To be honest, I’m not really sure how to describe what I want from SHINee. I want something more mature and masculine, as unlike their previous hits as possible without being completely removed from them. I would like them to be as least gimmicky as possible and instead be more suave. I’d like to see them in sleek suits for a change or even rocking out in leather. Just no more skinny jeans/jeggings and guy-liner!

http://twitter.com/Laava90 Lava
I see what you mean, because I’m envisioning something more mature and masculine but can’t quite describe it, although one image I did get was something like GD&Tops ‘dont go home’ performance but with less colours, or like KHJ’s ‘lucky guy’ but a bit less gimicky, I think a suave, suited up image would work, I’m still not too sure about the leather though, but let’s hope they get a change of image to begin with lol. They have flower-boy good looks, they should do something with it besides making aegyo faces X__X

maldita
Well, they’re endorsing Etude House. Of course they’ll have to do aegyo crap for it. Everyone goes through it. Hell, Lee Minho and Jang Geunsuk went through a year each just doing aegyo in front of the camera. Etude House is a girly-girl brand, and their male endorsers goes all cutesy for it because it’s the company’s image. It’s not like they can refuse to do so.

Boo
I’m glad you pointed this out. This commercial does not reflect their musical direction for their next promotion.

http://twitter.com/#!/perfumeah perfumeah
It’s kinda weird how the younger/more feminine members are the most awkward…. this cutesy stuff suits Jonghyun and Onew even less but their smiles seem a little more genuine somehow
ಠ_ಠ

Skye
IKR? Glad I wasn’t the only one that noticed x_D

Peace for Jay!
I really have this weird love-hate relationship with Shinee. I hate their pretty-boy + cute-as-a-button persona. I hate their weird looking hairdo & clothes. I hate that when all the other idols have moved on to a different macho look (U-Kiss!), Shinee is still trapped in their teenage aegyo era.
But I will be the first to admit that I really really really love their songs, there’s not a single song that I don’t like coming from Shinee; from ‘Replay’ to ‘Lucifer’. In fact two of my all time favourite Korean songs are Love ‘Like An Oxygen’ and ‘Hello’. I’m in love with Onew’s voice!And individually, aren’t they adorable? Onew has the cutest face, Taemin has the sweetest smile, Minho is really good looking, Key is seriously adorable and JongHyung breathes ‘swag’. So yes, as much as we will probably hate their music directions or their aegyo behaviour, we will continuously rooting for them.
Or, maybe this is just a noona speaking..hehehe.
Shante Payne
yea i watched it twice and it was even more disturbing
Music=Love
Lol Geez, it looked like they were making fun of the whole cute concept, but I totally agree with this article and I shouldn’t have to feel like a pedophile when they are OLDER than me.
Lo
Yeah I agree with you, I want shinee to do more manly concept just so they could expand their fan demographic. Im not their fan nor do I follow their career, but it has been like what? 3 or 4 years since their debut? Its the time they drop their gimmicky aegyo and stop their bubble gum-rainbow and unicorn fan service things. I heard that they have some really talented members, so I hope their next concept will make other people outside their noona and teenage girls fans start to take them seriously. Just do a concept where men and teenage boys could happily watch them without being uncomfortable or having people judge.
Guest
I watched the video.
ಠ_ಠ
Anonymous
I almost cried when I saw that ETUDE CF. Not only it’s such a pain for my ears, it’s just another overly cute aegyo of SHINee, which is already out of date. Sigh. Key’s face told us that he’s all for ending that song quickly.
Now I kinda lost hope for their comeback, but hey who knows :|
victoriee
If I could knock some sense into SM image designers or whatever they are. I would knock them real good.
The video is adorable. But my God. They are not in their teens anymore. Well Taemin is but he has said a couple times that he wants to give a MANLY image and not always be called cute and pretty.
If SM wants to sell the cutesy image. I bet they could pull it off for EXO for one set of promotions.
Rei Rei
Wholeheartedly agree. When I saw some of the comments other people made about the video how “God, it’s so cute!!!” “Aw, look at them!”, I had to go WTF. I played the video and not 5 seconds later I stopped it. I couldn’t even watch the whole thing, it was mortifying. SHINee don’t need to do aegyo or to force it, they’re cute with their natural personalities. Also, the fact that I’m younger than even Taemin (a year) and to see them act this way gave me diabetes.
Miachang99
I love SHINee’s adorable look! But honestly, Key seems like the only one enjoying it. They all seem happy, but they just dont seem comfortable havin to act all cutesy. I dont know why but i’m so positive Super Hero is gonna be a sexy masculine concept. If its not, I would be sorta disapointed but I mean, they are my shinee boys!!
Boo
I just wish SHINee would do more RnB tbh.
Mer
Ugh. Thank you for saying what I’ve been thinking for a while now. That fact that they were forced to do that, yes forced….. I’m offended for them. They’re grown, let them be grown.

SN: Does the title of that video ‘Deep Moist” conjure up porno covers???
Anonymous
i personally one of those who once wanted shinee to stay as youthful cute noona baits. hell, no. let them grow! let them do sexy stuffs! let them do some awesome rock songs and pull it off amazingly like mbc gayo daejun last year! ><
but i also think the cutesy thing like this for one or two occasion isn't that harmful. i always enjoy taemin's aegyo, no matter how i want to hate it. i'm such a bad noona i know. :p
bdalhee
I personally agree with you. The aegyo concept is tiring. And now, I don’t even follow SHINee anymore. I mean, how long do they have to stuck with this concept? SM should try to make SHINee reborn with new concept.
Aurora2687
SHINee has a contract with Etude House for a year, so is an article going to be written everytime they come out with a commercial, it’s obvious what image the cosmetics brand want’s from them and I doubt it’s likely to change. Get over it!
I’ve seen some fans rave over how much they love this, so I guess it’s just a matter of taste. Personally I don’t care, I’m just wondering why anyone would make a big deal out of this.
xian1989
i never wanted a lot of their songs but “hello”. that’s all…

xian
i just don’t want the whole thing about them :)

Lluvia
Sadly, for most, this is what they’re supposed to do for Etude House. And even if this is going to their record history as one more CF filled with cutesy, they still have time to switch that image to a more masculine one, at least for the upcoming comeback. Still, I’m hoping that you don’t release an article every single time SHINee releases something cutesy, because then we’ll probably have an overbearing quantity of SHINee artciles. Hope I’m wrong.
Colin Nguyen
LOL fans are asking for way too much! as i can see, they are perfectly fine in this CF, they are young and playful, they can’t always look so serious and manly for you. If you want the mature them, go listen to their music, it’s not like they always stick to one concept. One thing I love the most about SHINee is their versatile, they aren’t afraid to try new things. This CF doesn’t prove anything about their musical abilities, it’s just an endorsment to sell girls products, every K-celebrity does this no matter how old they are. I think many of you forgot that SHINee are Koreans, and Koreans don’t mind this in fact they love this. as long as their music is good, other things are not the matter. Since CFs are making them money, i don’t see why they have to refuse it.

Aurora2687
You said this better than I ever could, I’m wondering why some fans are making a big deal about it?
Tee
Agree with you there. ppl are just too overboard complaining about shinee acting cute. Seriously I have seen almost everyone do the aeygo cute stuff in CFs or other stuff. True you don’t have to watch videos of them, just listen to their songs. I love their music.
May
THANK YOU
Im just saying my boys having a good time doing some fake aegyo gestures…lol they suck at it <3 But its a fracking cf for etude! Its not like they havent done any manly concept before

Guest
You forget, SM doesn’t exactly have “concepts” for their idols. And if they do, it’s so poorly executed. Their idea of a concept is having their idols “play dress up.” They have no connection to the song whatsoever. Suju’s Mr. Simple? Errr…. I can’t even describe what was going on in SM’s mind when they did that. SNSD’s The Boys? Princesses and fairytales/”Bring[ing] the boys out? f(x)’s Hot Summer? Summer?

Colin Nguyen
I agree but neither does other companies LOL. this is K-pop remember?

Guest
Last time I checked, concept generally means an overall theme, with everything fitting together. Little girls dressed in cheerleader outfits running around yelling “Oppa Oppa” is not a concept. Maybe it is, but a horrible one. Metrosexuality on SuJu has nothing to do with Mr. Simple. If they we going for the hot gu concept, there were other ways to do it, without making them into clowns. BEG’s Sixth Sense, for example had political uprising and conformity as a concept. Their Cleansing Cream had fronts and masks as a concept. WG’s BMB was a 80′s retro concept, while the concept of their whole album was their maturity from their stay in the US. IU showed growing up and time as a concept in her You and I. 2NE1′s IATB was about confidence, just to name a few. Kpop may be shallow, but concepts do exist. I would argue that it is the base of all group comebacks.

Pp
SM wasted a lot of talents.

Mysy1028
도대체 뭔말인지 알아들을 수가 있어야지 소문은 샤이니 까고 그러는 곳이라 그러는데 ㅋ아 진심 뭐라는지 영어공부나해야겠…
Aya
as long as “masculine” doesnt refer to overused of black latex and eyeliner. me wants to see “masculine” as in Super Junior’s sorry sorry more! It’s masculine, it’s sexy, and mature. But hello is not bad.
Anonymous
I’ve always been slightly suspicious of SHINee’s aegyo…
I was introduced to SHINee through RDD. Their concept at that time was more mature, fitting for their age I’d like to think, and my first impression of them was that of young guys trying to steal all these teenage girls hearts. It was later that I found out that they were associated with being cute and innocent boys-next-door, you know, noona killers.
It was slightly jarring to say the least. Seeing the ‘Replay’ MV for the first time made me cringe a bit, and I was thankful that they had moved away from that. And they should continue to move away from it, because as you can see in that vid up there, their aegyo is… awkward to watch. SHINee *can* do a more masculine concept and they *should* be doing so. And by masculine, I’m not saying ala 2pm, but something not prepubescent.
They can be bright, happy, cute without going overkill with the aegyo. If you watch their interviews, or BTS footage, when their being themselves (as much as they can be anyway) it’s 10x cuter then when they actually put on the cuteness.
Anonymous
O_O #DEAD (cause of death: overdose, substance: aegyo…) Yeah they don’t even look like they’re enjoying that stuff…smdh
http://twitter.com/LoveBleach99 Sara Sjögren
I do remember Minho’s looks whenever he does aegyo..which is “kill me now” and “my pride”.. I agree that they should go with another concept, it’d go so much better.
Crystar
HELLO!!! it’s Etude House!!! their trademark is candy, pastel coloured cheerfulness!!! what do you expect??
is it really that hard to get why the video is like this?? were people actually expecting them to promote with something more on the lines of RDD or Lucifer??
Meh
I think most of the people are missing the point.. It’s a cf yes, but the point was that they look awkward and UNCOMFORTABLE doing the aegyo.
Yuchen1290
What makes it so creepy is that their voices have dropped like an octave since their debut and it almost sounds a little scary instead of cute. Put that in a minor key and it would sound perfect in a horror movie. Taemin is the worst when it comes to creeper face. He has always reminded me a little bit of Joan Rivers anyways. I need to go listen to some gangsta rap to cleanse my brain of this vomit inducing aegyo.

Candy
plz don’t hurt my boys….TOT
Kivbui
WTF

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1112091495 Annie Xiong
Key is like “GET ME THE FRACK OUTTA HERE.” Poor boy looks like he’s bs-ing because his company forced him to do this ridic shizzz. Minho loooks soo uncomfortable. LOL. “Whyyy am I doing this??” -Minho’s thoughts. Jonghyun….-__- and Onew, you are soo naturally cute and dorky but gimme some sexyyy boy! Taemin, aww babyy come here!!!
Skullim
i actually don’t think they look like they’re hating it! not saying that they enjoy it but to me it looks like they’re just getting on with it and having fun being dorks!
haha Jonghyuns ‘shake that!’

thk
I actually think Jonghyun lookss the most natural of all of them… he also looks slightly intoxicated haha. A bottle or two of soju can get you through any cf!

Skullim
i actually don’t think they look like they’re hating it! not saying that they enjoy it but to me it looks like they’re just getting on with it and having fun being dorks!
haha Jonghyuns ‘shake that!’
G-pure
luv them whatever they do… in my eyes, u guys are the cleanest spring in the K-POP world~!!! 口V口
thk
I’m really just not a fan of aegyo, but that CF reached new levels of WTF.
I do think aegyo can be done right… for example, I surprisingly found this video pretty endearing (this is saying a lot for my aegyo hating self): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3bzicmtNaE&feature=related But the big difference is that in that performance they’re being cute but it’s not creepy. As in, I could conceivably see guys in their early 20′s dressing and acting like that. But the way Shinee is being marketed is almost like a Judy Garland thing. YOU CANNOT GROW UP! YOU ARE ETERNALLY 15! It’s weird. And all the members seem like genuinely talented, charismatic guys so it’s a shame that they’re stuck with this image.
http://www.facebook.com/MingyuLeeLee Shanice Lee
i think they can pull of both to be honest as long as theyre not overrrrly dumb cute its fine.
Kivbui
I think in SM, if they want to use guys to find money from CUTE/LADY-ish product FC then they must find SHINEE, if every group have abs, i think SHINee will be the same as other group, SHINee is cute, gentle and polite, i think they can do both aegyo [hello] and strong way [Lucifer] since they are talented anyway…this album, that album. Its not like they need Noona, SM needs, because noona like cute boys too,there are too much cool guys in Kpop already…
May
lol
you guys are funny.
Look at Rdd, look at lucifer. They havent done any cute concept besides hello. What are you guys talking about?

darkwings808
TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU!! i also was like WTF when i read this…SHINEE is able to do any concept and NOT fail…

Mint
geez this personal opinion…why u even write it here…have u listened to their song before? SHINee able to do any kinds of song from cute into manly… from replay into lucifer… they’re multi talented…and this etude CF which has cute image, do u want to do a manly CF with it? oh please ~
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003140164320 Kim Soyeon
이사이트에 샤이니 내용이 올라온다는거 자체가 짜증나네..
죽어라 투표한곳이 샤이니 까는곳이었냐ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ아ㅋ 이사이트 샤월들 투표않하기로함
인생 그래살지마라 진심 ㅡㅡ
http://twitter.com/joAnnwashere JoAnn // Annie ♡
WOW. I seriously… seriously hate this site. And jsyk, SHINee’s biggest Korean fansite is now boycotting you. You idiots seriously deserve it. Who the heck are you to say they have to stick behind manly concepts?! Every freaking boy group is stuck behind a manly concept!! Don’t punish SHINee for being different. They can be cute, edgy, and contemporary, all at the same time. Don’t you dare go telling them to change. SHINee is the only group of their kind, the most unique group I’ve ever known. Whoever wrote this, HOW THE HECK DID YOU GET HIRED. Like I know this is an opinion site, but for godsakes, this isn’t a constructive opinion at all, it’s plain bashing!

http://profile.yahoo.com/WJQOH6L57ITG7PRJISINFFWZGA Janny Lee
I’m pretty sure this site is an editorial/opinion on kpop site. It’s not a TOTAL news source. Don’t have to be so worked up over the internet.

http://twitter.com/KumomiDecade Ciante | | Stubbsss
I have to agree with this right here. I was just talking to someone about this earlier this week. I love me some SHINee but they are grown men. It made me a bit uncomfortable having to watch that video. I literally cringed and was all: ‘You can’t be fucking serious.’ because by looking at them, you could tell they weren’t feeling the whole thing. It’s not hard to see. Made me feel hella bad for them to be honest.
Honestly, I’d like for them to do something greater this year as well. We all know they can do better and move away from the whole aegyo bit because, in all honesty, do you guys really think they act like that in real life? I’d rather for them to be themselves in said commercial instead of having to do the whole cuteness overload thing? It freaks me out.