It’s no secret that fans are fiercely dedicated to celebrities. An artist has a certain indefinable something that draws admirers by the thousands. They don’t need Axe body spray to bring the women out the woodwork. They cultivate a fan base that loves them, is loyal to them and will go to hell and back if that is what the object of their obsession demands. Fans of Korean music are notorious for their special brand of dedication, devotion and appreciation through their fandom. Don’t think I’m stating this in a negative way – kpop fandom literally holds much of that industry by the metaphorical beach balls. They know it, they cater to them and make crucial decisions about the direction of their artists and companies based on fan response. Fandom has got some power.

But, they’ve still got to make money right? It’s all about money and the easiest way to get it. So they’re listening to fans and yet not listening to them.

For example – placing two kpop singers from the hottest girl and guy group of the moment on a popular tv show and give them lots of scandalous interaction. Then – said guy and girl’s showmance starts to take over show to detriment of said show’s celebrity guests, and worse, the relationship itself is becoming trite and dull.

Love lines, love teams etc are another tactic that those sneaky industry insiders employ to increase profit for all involved. However, I find it fascinating. From a western point of view, where celebrities change partners like Round Robin, and salacious details of crushed relationships are splashed across every tabloid – a Hollywood relationship, real or fake is business as usual. But here, in South Korea we have a show that recruits celebrities that aren’t allowed  to date, set them up with one another and sells the “relationship” to the masses, hopefully garnering high ratings  and money.  All a carefully conscripted fantasy. And a complete mindscrew. But one that could continue to blur the lines between fantasy and reality within a fandom leading to disastrous results in the long run.

Speaking of these ‘couples’ there are several being promoted that are on the receiving end of very different experiences.

2PM’s Taecyeon and So Nyeo Shi Dae’s Yoona have been fighting relationship rumors for some time. They both assure fans they are not in a relationship, but Family Outing 2 producers would like you to think differently.

In most assuredly a grab for more ratings, the “burgeoning” relationship takes center stage on the show. But ratings continue to dip, and the ploy has begun to backfire with fans. On a recent two episode special, some fans did not appreciate what they considered the love subplot taking over the show and overshadowing the special guests, the Wonder Girls.

The bulletin board of the show was raided with criticism after the airing.

Netizens wrote,
I thought I was watching a variety drama about Taecyeon and Yoona.
Wasn’t this the Wonder Girls’ special? Where are they?
I couldn’t tell whether or not it was the Wonder Girls’ trip special or Taecyeon and Yoona’s love special.
I never want to see love lines again.”

The television show We Got Married is the progenitor of the ‘love line’ factory. The show’s sole purpose is to engage celebrities into a fake marriage replete with couple rings, and of course film them navigating the perils of newly-married life while hijinks ensue. 2AM’s JoKwon and Brown Eyed Girls’ GaIn, lovingly called the “Adam Couple” are the show’s newest darlings. They have both recorded two duets, frequently go to great lengths to appear on variety shows together, and are increasingly openly affectionate in public.

It’s not hard to see why they are a popular love team. There is a softness and sense of warmth emanating from Jokwon and Gain when they are together – and dang it, it almost makes my cold black heart believe in love again. In a recent interview, both were asked if they would date each other after the show. They both answered, ‘Yes.’ If they were being sincere with that statement, they would be the first idol couple to publicly do so. With as much support they’re garnering now, in the face of reality would all the support remain?

The irony in all this is that with all the ‘shipping,’ love lining, ring spotting and fake-marrying – if any of this bled into real life, into a blurry photo taken by an overzealous fan in the dead of night – the game would change. That fact does not go unnoticed by all involved.

What does that say about all of us who watch and squeal and write fanfiction about our favorite idol couples? The Korean PD’s do it to feed into a certain fantasy that incites jealously and increases ratings, which to them equal dollar signs.

The real test would come if any of these media-made couples came out for real. The lines between fantasy and reality can become blurred, skewering the image of the artist and their relationship to the fans themselves.

It can be lonely life, living as celebrity, with little autonomy or stability. Sometimes adoring fans aren’t enough.

In some messed up way,  I think aspects of programs like ‘We Got Married’ and ‘Mnet Scandal’ offer a sense of release for Korean celebrities – a sense of normalcy of being a young adult in a relationship, or going out on a date undisturbed, even if it is fake and every move is being filmed.

Wouldn’t it be more interesting to have everything out in the open? I’m total gossip vacuum, but we have confirmation that idols do date in secret – with the veil finally lifted, imagine how it would affect variety shows? With all the young artists there would sure to be some interesting interactions.

A more open attitude toward relationships would be healthier for everyone involved. It would be difficult for fans to stomach at first – but like GaIn and Jokwon they would learn to love and accept them anyway. That wouldn’t stop the love lines, the couple shows, oh no – but on a certain level it would administer a much-needed dose of reality to the k-pop industry. There’s nothing wrong with a little fantasy. But that should be as far as it goes.

What do you think about love lines and manufactured romances? Are you entertained by them, are should the be done away with so we can see the real relationships in the industry?

Last summer, we were prepared to say goodbye to the girl group trend. Now it’s 2010, and despite the return of some k-pop heavyweights, we’ve still some talent agencies pushing to debut new faces despite the overcrowded market. Unfortunately, with so many groups to crib from, and many of them cribbing off the same successful concept (dark, black, sexy,yay!) it’s always the more interesting, experimental groups that get lost in the fray.

Meet Queens.

They announced their presence with a concept that many people found oddly puzzling – they debuted without revealing their faces.

I should rephrase the above statement and say I found the media’s response to the photos oddly puzzling – “oh my goodness, they refuse to show us how perfect their faces are. Too bad we’re reduced to staring at their long gazelle-like legs!”

It was reportedly a means to making a statement on how their talent is of greater importance than their looks – and I can’t fault them for that. By the way, Your Highnesses revealed:

Their first single is ‘Hurt,’ and the ladies do indeed have strong vocals; they also do not appear in the video.

The song has a chill, almost indie feel to it, which means we’re probably getting something along the lines of a pre-’Abracadabra’ BEG here. Which, as it seems they’re not playing to the idol crowd, may not be so bad anyways.

Another potential problem that is brewing is entering a highly competitive field full of established and semi-established artists. One day you get a goofy haircut and a pair of tight stone-washed jeans AND YOU WILL BE SACRIFICED AT THE ALTAR OF THE BLACKJACKS.

Say hi to Sistar.

They’ve had a rocky start to be sure – vaguely similar concepts, a group name rumored to be one of 2NE1’s prototypes (which was actually ‘Sista’) with fans were eager to cry foul. However, as the only available pictures of the group at moment are for fashion photo shoots, the relation to their actual concept may be tangential at best.

I have to feel a bit bad for them, as it is a bit presumptuous for some to assume just because your favorite group has a rarely-used concept, anyone else that even resembles it is a copycat and leeching off their fame. 4Minute faced many of the same criticisms even when they and 2NE1 debuted within the same time frame.

You always have to wonder if it’s just one marketing ploy, however. Apparently, the group, under Starship Entertainment, has been training for the last two years at least, and boasts composer Shinsadong Tiger (4minute, T-ara, HyunA) for their debut single, along with E-TRIBE (SNSD, Lee Hyori) Brave Brothers (U-Kiss, After School, Son Dam Bi) and Cho Young-soo (SeeYa, Dynamic Duo). Shinsadong Tiger is even comparing them to Destiny’s Child. Similarity won’t mean a thing with the money machine behind them.

Who dares disturb the Power of Nine?

Nine Muses, apparently.

These ladies have already got it rough, as having any spare coincidence to that other nine-membered group is still enough to get to shanked in this  town. There is also very little on this group (under ZE:A’s Star Empire label) other than a performance of ‘Give Me’ with Jewelry-S (Ha Joo Yeon and Kim Eun Jung)  during a press conference of SBS’s upcoming drama Prosecutor Princess.

Which just shows there’s no comparison, no contest to the well-seasoned So Nyeo Shi Dae. If they’re smart, they’ll take those girls on as mentors. But I have to admit, I never realized how much fervor the number ‘9′ could cause.

Secret, Out!

I guess Secret wouldn’t be a fringe group, technically not anymore. But geez, talk about bad timing! I’d call conspiracy on their management this time around. They were sorely overlooked with their debut single, and while they’ve got a sexier, flashier single this time around, is it really enough to overcome the power of both Rain and Lee Hyori’s eyelashes combined?

It’s a shame, but they appear to have a small, if dedicated following – perhaps they can overcome the curse of bad timing.

All of these groups have an uphill climb to follow, but per usual, we won’t know how they will make their mark until they hit the stage and the fan chants start. Just on first glance, I think Sistar has the best chance of squeaking in the upper echelon, but it will be a challenge for anyone daring to debut in the next few months.

And perhaps it’s just a general fatigue with all the matching girls in matching outfits dancing and singing in perfect unison – too many and they eventually start to blend together. I’m lobbying for these girls to get vacations. Anyone with me?

I’ll admit that this is a few days overdue. It’s actually quite funny; I was out of town for the past four days and thus been sans internet (and therefore K-pop). So what do I find upon my return home but this:

Which raised some questions, which resulted in answers, which caused some pretty wildminded critical thinking on my part, which therefore produced this rant.

For those who have been living under a rock haven’t been following the latest in 2PM’s recent developments, please refer to this previous article regarding the 2PM-JYPE-Hottest conference.

Additionally, I will be referring to the word “Hottest” several times throughout this rant. I understand that the broad usage of this terms might be interpreted as a huge over-generalization of 2PM fans as a whole. But for the sake of convenience, the word “Hottest” will be used to represent the former 2PM fans who, upon reacting to the information gathered from the conference, have revoked their fandom in a violent, hateful manner. To further clarify, they are colloquially known as “Coldest.”

(Oh, and one more thing: please don’t kill me for expressing my ideas [however angry and violent-sounding they are] on the matter. I know they aren’t popular, and I know I’m being harsh. But what’s the fun of writing an Op-Ed otherwise?)

Now here’s what I’ve got to say.

1) An audio recording does not lie. Yes, it’s true that JYPE itself will not disclose the details of the conference to the press, and they have no obligation to. But if it just so happens that an audio recording of the conference is leaked onto the internet, I am more inclined to trust in the contents of that recording than the personal accounts of extremely biased fans.

2) That being said, bad news ≠ conspiracy theory or falsehood. Fact: Jay’s not coming back. JYPE gave an extremely valid reason as to why he’s not coming back. It was Jay’s prerogative. If he did have an even uglier dead body in the closet, it’s common sense for him to not want to reveal it and risk repeating the traumatic debacle that took place this past autumn. JYPE gave him the opportunity to return. Jay advised against it. Therefore, Jay effectively turned down the opportunity to return as a part of 2PM. JYPE is simply conveying this news to the fans in this conference. It’s over. It was over a long time ago. Deal.

3) Hottest (or should I say, “Coldest”): who the eff do you think you are. To be perfectly honest, I haven’t liked you too much ever since the Jay scandal broke out. Granted, I must admit that I’ve supported the existence of a six-member 2PM since Jay headed back to Seattle (although it should be made known that, of course, I am equally infuriated at the cause of Jay’s ‘cultural deportation), because I believe that 1/7 < 6/7. It’s called logic and third grade arithmetic. Learn it. Because your recent actions are certainly lacking in the former.

You were upset when Jay left. Understandable. Your selfishness through the boycotts, the JYPE bashing, the lack of support of the ‘new’ 2PM, your general indignant whininess…was not. We put up with it, albeit begrudgingly. We were waiting for the whole thing to blow over. We were waiting for you to finally take pride in 2PM’s great work, despite the fact that they were missing one member. We were waiting for you to accept the facts and take pride in the six boys that we thought you loved. And our sentiments backfired.

Dissatisfaction has turned into spite. Fans have turned into anti-fans. Love and respect has turned into hate and contempt.

Pardon the pun, but now, we the spectators…we’re tired of waiting. We’re tired of waiting for you to grow up.

Fans bring out the best and worst in K-pop. Dream Concert 2008? That was a ‘worst’ moment. The New Years Eve Kouhaku crisis? That was a ‘worst’ moment. Fans are foolish, naive, stubborn, immature, stupid, reckless with their judgment, delusional, childish. I should know. I’m a Cassie.

But Hottest, this takes the cake. Never have I imagined that millions of fans –fans who have proclaimed their love and respect for these seven incredible people–would turn around after a four hour press conference and turn into anti-fans. No logical reasoning was necessary. Your only justification was that you didn’t get what you wanted. And who is suffering for their ignorance? Six innocent young men who were dragged along for the most tumultuous, stomach-turning ride of their lives. The six young men you claimed to have loved, and have now turned into targets for your manic game of darts.

You would make the worst ex-girlfriends ever.

You’re angry. We know (and at this point, we wish we didn’t). And we know that that anger has to go somewhere. It has gone to JYPE, to the media, to your fellow fans, and even to Jay by trying to force him to return to a career that he no longer desires to pursue. Now you’ve run out of scapegoats, and you’re viciously pouring all of your spite into the only target left: the 2PM members themselves. That’s not called reasonable anger. That’s called grasping at straws. That’s called being immature.

Open your eyes. Look at the facts. And step down from your high and mighty pedestal of Hottest greatness and realize exactly whom you are hurting. You might identify your target as the members of 2PM. But who are they, really? They are Kim Junsu, Nichkhun Horvejkul, Ok Taecyeon, Jang Wooyoung, Lee Junho, and Hwang Chansung. Six humans.

Like I said, fans are stupid. I can deal with stupid fans; that’s just a part of K-pop. You laugh at their idiocy and you move on. What I cannot deal with are anti-fans: people motivated by an illogical hatred. I don’t care whether or not you used to be fans. I don’t care if the people you’re hating on are public figures. I don’t care whether it’s deserved or not. THEY. ARE. HUMAN. Disappointment breeds the worst type of hatred. And the possession and expression of this hatred makes you no better than the anti-fan who tried to murder Yunho. Hatred is one size fits all.

Leave ‘em be. Don’t breed hate. And don’t make us regret  having supported you in your time of need. Come back to real life, Hottest. We have better things to be worrying about. You have better things to be worrying about.

…This mostly pertains to your abuse of female fans. Yes, I’m talking to you, managers of Beast, 2pm, SHINee, DBSK and any other idol group whose managers think it’s acceptable to punch, slap or body-check fans. I shouldn’t have to talk you through why, exactly, it’s inappropriate to strike a woman in the way you’ve continuously done, but I will, seeing as no Korean news source has made a big enough deal about the continuing violence.

There are three things worth analyzing about this situation, first is the way in which idol culture actually encourages this type of obsessive fan–so it is very odd to see this violence used against them–second is patterns of violence against women, in general, in Korea and lastly is the role of the idols themselves in the situation.

Execs at entertainment companies are smart. In Korea, they know that the best way to make money is by targeting women with pretty boy idols. They know that, even though they spend as much to produce an album as their American or Japanese counterparts, their top-selling artist will make nothing close to a top-selling American or Japanese one. Why are fanclubs so important? Why is fanservice such a huge deal? Why do idols make cheezy video messages to their fans? I’m sorry to say it’s not because they love each and everyone of you, it’s because their management says that they have to do that to get loyalty.

CNBlue’s Manager††

How does loyalty equal big bucks? A lot of these idols want to be good at what they do. They are worked to the bone, they sign unethical, idiotic contracts and some find idol life and fame a better alternative to sleeping under a bridge like DBSK’s Yunho once did. So, of course, they are genuinely appreciative of their fans. But not as much as their companies will have you believe. It’s not just about love, it’s about loyalty–blind loyalty–and if you want to talk about butthurts and flamers, they are symptomatic of, and necessary to, idol culture. This is exactly what the companies want, they want their idols to be stalked, because those stalkers are buying 5 albums, they want fanclubs to have colors, to feel special, to feel as if they have to buy an album even if they only like one song, or, worse, they have to like the entire album, period. Loyal fans, emotionally invested fans feel obligated to buy.

“I’m single”, “I don’t have a girlfriend”, “I have no time for girls because I have so many wonderful fans!” Cue the cheering and screaming. Idols are instructed to deny having a significant other, but not for their privacy or self-preservation. They do it because this leaves young girls with the audacious hope, no, the sure knowledge that, “if only he met me, I could have him”. This is obviously patently false but they don’t know that so everyday a young girl waits for the airport arrival or Music Core exit, to get that much closer. They are non-violent, non-threatening, and instead of an autograph or conversation (or declaration of love) from their favorite idol, they get attacked by their clearly frustrated and ill-tempered managers.

SHINee’s Manager**

†† CNBlue’s Company “The event happened on the 11th [Of Feb]. CNBLUE tried to enter KBS building for a rehearsal but too many fans were in the way. Even with the help of security guards we could not secure the way into the building so the group decided to help out. As that was happening, a fan almost tripped Jong Hyun by grabbing on and pulling his hoodie, to which the manager reacted violently. Our entire staff apologizes to fans about what had taken place; the manager has been given appropriate punishment and nothing like this will ever happen again.”

**SM Apology -  “It seems this SHINee video is from their schedule during August of last year. We apologize to fans for this sort of unbelievable behavior. We will do everything in our power to prevent such incidents, and of course at the company level all managers will comply. Again, we are deeply sorry.”

The girl should not have grabbed onto Jong Hyun’s hood, the SHINee fan should have kept her distance, the DBSK fan (below) shouldn’t have come charging at any of the boys, but the reaction was–though, as expected, opposite–completely unequal to the previous action.

DBSK’s Manager (to be fair, this girl was charging at them like a raging bull, but still, maybe he shouldn’t have blocked her like a tight end)

This easy violence against women isn’t isolated to just these burst of violence caused by idol culture. On the whole, the Korean entertainment industry is almost decidedly screwed up, slave-like contracts, Jeon Ji Hyun getting her phone cloned by her management company (by no means rare), over-sexualized yet faux-innocent girl groups, it almost seems unreal. And for women, in media (see: Jandi and Junpyo’s  relationship in BOF) and on the home front (see: the late Choi Jin Sil and her ex-husband’s relationship), things for women aren’t so hot either. Things have gotten a lot better in Korea, a lot better, but we still have Shin Dong saying that girls have to be prettier than boys, in public, and managers hitting girls, in public, without fear of consequences.

Here, I want to make a distinction. It is very different, obviously, what occurs in public and in private, this dichotomy is seen everywhere all the time. And while what happens in private is the reality of a culture, what one thinks is acceptable to do in public is another, equally important reality. That Shin Dong, thought his sexism was acceptable (or not sexism at all) says a lot about how things are in Korea, but the backlash also shows how things will be. That the managers had no qualms about striking a fan, even in the fully-acknowledged presences of cameras, shows how things are, the backlash shows how things will be. However, that the backlash came in the form of faceless, nameless people on the internet and no brouhaha was caused by the press, exhibits (besides the unethical, hegemonic synergy of media, which is another post in itself) that the people who demand the change, can’t or won’t stand up for it.

Sure, Shin Dong and other men now know not to say such things, but have they learned that it is actually wrong to think it? The managers now know that it was a mistake to be caught on camera hitting a fan, but do they know that it was wrong to do it in the first place? Because here is when we have to take a look at the way all women are treated. Domestic violence, less-valued work, spousal abuse, rape, sexual assault and the fact that any woman has to be wary of walking alone at night, all connect and these three managers hitting girls, regardless of the latter’s trespasses, are just another bullet point in the power point presentation (if you’ll excuse the metaphor).

It’s not just that these fans for female, but they were girls, they were kids, maybe teenagers but still the weaker of the two. I can point to the widespread use of corporal punishment in schools (you can see any drama pretending this is funny), the age hierarchy or the concept of seniority. Managers may be on a power trip, already in a bad mood, wanting to assert their power and knowing they can with little to no consequences.

In all these situations, the idols seem not to know what is going on, and when they do they seem genuinely concerned (in SHINee’s video it looks as if Minho and Taemin move towards the girl when the video ends) but we can’t know for sure. How many other undocumented acts of violence towards fans have occurred? The idols couldn’t have been ignorant to all of them. Idols barely get a say in there day-to-day lives, so you can’t expect them to take any sort of responsibility for this type of negative publicity. And at the end of the day, this all fits comfortably in what idol culture is and its by-products. Entertainment companies create fake, perfect, desirable girls and boys, they make them act in ways to secure fiercely loyal fans, they depend on this loyalty to result in album sales.

So at the end of the day, I have this to say. Entertainment company execs, hire body guards; big, wide, muscular Bodyguards. It’s tempting to tease the fans with proximity, without them fearing giant men, but it gets increasingly frustrating to hear the same BS when all the problems you have with security can be solved with 2-4 giant bodyguards. Entertainment companies want the fans to want to touch the idols and they want the fans to think that they actually can due to the scant security, but it’s not worth the harm that can be done and has been done to idols (Yunho getting poisoned) nor the violence that has occurred to fans.

We’re late on purpose. Why? Because while every other KPOP site is losing sleep competing over who will upload the new SNSD MV first, our team was fast asleep waiting for you all to see the video, develop opinions, and stretch your fingers out to discuss it here. 

SNSD’s “Oh!” is the epitome of what the group stands for. It’s nothing new, we’ve seen it all before. The legs, the adorable faces, the gorgeous hair, the cutesy outfits, the perfectly unison choreography. It’s 3 minutes and 34 seconds of pure eye candy and you can’t deny that you love it. Dammit, I loved it! I danced around in my 3rd grader ballet tutu and curled my hair just to watch the video and I’ve got nothing negative to say. Why? Because SM produces material that we want to watch and SNSD’s “Oh!” is exactly what we craved for. 

You want to be in the video. I want to be in the video and at the end of the day we all can agree on one thing: I want to be a member of SNSD. These girls will be popular as long as they keep feeding us sprinkled strawberry doughnuts and rainbow cookies and I can hundred and ten percent guarantee you Father SM will not keep you hungry. 

The negative? No innovation, no WOW factor. These girls have the potential to step out of that glittery box of happiness and enter the next level of hype but it won’t happen and frankly that sucks for them. 

I know you’ve got a lot to say. So fight me, agree with me, rebuttal me. Give it to me! What’s your take on SNSD’s “Oh!” 

Look who’s plagiarizing in the AA community! The Japanese give girls and boys a way to deal with social anxiety and let me tell you, it’s insane. Read all about it on AAtheory.com !

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Now, Jaebum, look what you did.

JYPE is getting blamed once again by the angry angry leagues of fangirls all around the world. Yes, not just Korea, but around the world. And unless you’ve been deprived of sites like twitter, youtube or even seoulbeats, you can obviously see the amount of damage they’ve caused with Jaebum’s departure. From protesting in front of the JYPE building (which was touching to watch the first time), to returning CDs (which was a bit weird to me, being the frugal person I am) and even to making petitions for Jaebeom to come back (which I believe will never work because JYPE won’t hear any of this). Now imagine the destruction they’ll make with Sunmi this time.

No, actually, you don’t need to imagine anymore. Because it has already started.

Happy birthday Jaejoong! Happy Australia Day too!

A trending topic on twitter is evidence enough. On the 26^th of January Hottests all around the world united to #boycottjype. Why? Because they’re enraged by the fact that JYP just ‘let’ Jaebum and Sunmi walk out that door without the slightest want to hold them back.

I don’t think that it’s true though. I’m sure JYPE never wanted Jaebum and Sunmi to leave. They didn’t invest their money and staff in them for nothing. I’m sure that the company, at one point, did try to convince them to stay. But Jaebum and Sunmi have their own right to decide their own paths, don’t they?

I see Jaebeom!

Let’s say if the situation’s not like this, let’s say that JYPE forced Jaebum and Sunmi to stay. Do you think the netizens will be happy? I don’t think so. I think they will just protest and say that JYPE doesn’t acknowledge human rights. “Let Jaebum and Sunmi do whatever they want, they have the right to do so.” They’ll say. So what is JYPE to do? Make alterations to their contracts? Make it harder for their artists to leave or even take breaks? I think that will just enrage the fans even more.

Take SM Entertainment into consideration. They have contracts that bind the artists to the company and make it difficult for them to leave. Do you think that it will be better if JYPE did that too? According to human rights, no, it won’t be. If this really did happen, I don’t think Hottests, I AMs or Wonderfuls would like it at all either.

DBSK's split into two: the blacks and whites.

Is there really anything anyone can do to make netizens happy for once?

Netizens are going to still bombard JYPE with hate and, in my opinion, JYPE’s just not going to do anything about it.

So what’s left to do? The mind of the netizen or fan says to boycott JYPE. To complain, to protest, to make petitions and to use the power of the internet. Great, but my mind on the other hand says to just wait for Jaebum and Sunmi to come back if they ever do. It was their decision as well as JYPE’s anyway so what can we do but to respect it? Why go the other way and conclude that Jaebum and Sunmi will come back if we keep whinging? The time will come when they return home, and when they return, everyone will eventually be happy. We just have to be patient till then.

What is this, Wooyoung? This is me being tired. Tired of those fans who have nothing better to do.

Sure, you can hate me all you want Hottests and Wonderfuls, but only if you stop acting like a child and let people like me take a breather from all this nonsense for a while.

Tila Tequila thinks who is fake? Read on AAtheory.com !

You’re watching a music show on TV with a line-up that includes today’s number one artists singing the latest chart-topping hits. Halfway through a performance by your favourite idols, suddenly, you hear a strange noise. His/her voice has just cracked! “Again?” you thought. Their voice cracked during the last music show too! You wonder if they’re sick. You wonder if they’re tired. Then your friend cuts your line of thought and says “Maybe they’re undertrained, or lack skills.” The next scene involves you throwing the remote at your friend for dissing your idols.

Through performances artists showcase their talents and weaknesses to us, yet however much of these qualities they may have, their popularity always depends on what you, the market, think about them. There’s that thought that pops in your head where you go “Wow! This person can sing! He/she must’ve trained well!” and there’s that other thought that goes “Um, why did they even let him/her debut?” But then, there are those artists that have potential. Those artists that can become better and improve. Those artists that just need a little bit of polishing.

From what I’ve seen lately, these are some artists that I believe can deliver a better performance if they wanted to:

1. Hwang Chansung

After what I’ve seen from the Tired of Waiting (and other) performances, Chansung should start practising his vocals again whenever he has the time. Practice is the key to being near perfect. He tries well, he does his parts well, but sometimes he just can’t deliver the notes correctly. I’m not saying that he shouldn’t get parts where it’s a bit hard to sing, because without that he probably won’t be able to improve, I’m just saying that he should be well rehearsed so that he’ll be able to present the song properly. Chansung has put on many stellar performances before with the rest of the 2PM boys—I’m sure he can put on many more if he trains harder.

2. G-Dragon

Okay, I know I’m going to get beat up for this, but I just had to. GD. Yes, this boy can rap and compose music, despite what critics say about his plagiarism (because who knows those songs are just his inspiration for his own compositions?) but he can’t sing. Right, he can sing a bit, a tad bit. He might have some singing skills and potential in him, but he would have to practise a lot from now on. GD, make CL your role model, because despite her young age this girl can sing and rap like a professional.

Korea's own male Lady Gaga!

3. The ‘extra’ members of Super Junior

We all know Super Junior is a huge group but we also know that without 13 of them, it just isn’t Super Junior. We can trim the fat, prune the leaves, condense-into-one-van-when-going-to-performances or whatever you want to call it, but it’s still not going to be the Super Junior we came to love. Hence, I was thinking that maybe, just maybe, if those ‘extra’ members of Super Junior (whoever you think they are) could step up their game then I believe without a doubt that Super Junior can become a pretty big (quantity-wise and talent-wise) power-house.  These guys already have the support of thousands of fans, so why not improve and impress more?

4. UEE

You’re a good actress, UEE. I hated your character in You’re Beautiful, and that’s why you did a great job as an actress. But you should concentrate a bit on your other day job too. Being a singer is hard, I know, because you do have to remember to train your vocals and rehearse with your band-mates as well, but you’ve chosen this path and you now have to walk along it. Your voice is alright, a tad emotionless, so maybe practice on that? Songs have to be sung with emotions (and delivered with facial expressions for a dramatic effect) or else the audience won’t understand. They may be able to read the lyrics and digest it, but a performance is not a performance if they aren’t able to connect with you. There are components that complete a song: the lyrics, the melody, the instruments, and the emotions in the voice, and your role as the singer is to convey the latter to the listeners.

Yoo He Yi is annoying. UEE is not!

I know that some of you may not agree with my nominees, so who do you think should be on this list instead?

And I’m not even saying that as a butthurt S♥NE. I’m not even a S♥NE. I am, however, sick of people bashing SNSD. It’s just not cool anymore.

It seems like SNSD antis were attempting to kill two birds with one stone through manipulating the latest chapter in SM-related drama: Hankyung’s request to terminate his contract. Despite the relative irrelevance of Hankyung’s race to this latest piece of drama (unless you want to get into Korean nationalistic pride or Korea-China history or complicated things like that…and I don’t really want to… ) many have nonetheless placed specific attention on Hankyung’s Chinese nationality.

With this news still fresh in the minds of many, a Chinese news site posted an article that reported allegations of the SNSD members aiming racist remarks towards Hankyung, and that the resulting mental trauma from such bullying led him to ultimately take action against SM Entertainment. Another Chinese news source soon debunked the rumors, and SM followed up with a statement that denied SNSD’s involvement.

Just a sampling of the rumors:

Rumor: Hankyung displayed his Chinese folk-dancing talent on a variety show. Afterwards, Taeyeon noted, “Is Chinese folk dance that simple?” while Jessica added, “Even kids can dance something like that!”

When really… Hankyung had only done Chinese folk-dancing three times in Korea, two of which were before SNSD’s debut. Only one other female artist was present for the third performance, and needless to say, she was not an SNSD member.

Rumor: Upon meeting Hankyung for the first time, YoonA said, “Why are all you Chinese coming to Korea? You’re here because of looks, are you not? I don’t understand. I thought China had a huge market…”

When really… This conversation never happened. It’s just a rumor devised by antis.

Rumor: SNSD members had walked into Hankyung’s dressing room sometime in 2006, while Hankyung was a blondie. Reportedly, Taeyeon said to him, “Oppa, what did you do? Do you think that yellow hair would make you look more Korean?”

When really… SNSD debuted in 2007. There’s no way that any SNSD member could have gotten anywhere near a Super Junior dressing room before that time.

Well, it’s a relief to know that the SNSD girls weren’t behind any of this mess. But to be honest, how many of you thought that these rumors were legit at first? I’ll admit it–I have absolutely nothing against SNSD (Not a fan of their music, but I find them cute), but I’ve heard enough about their supposed diva-ness or plastic-ness or whatever to be the slightest, slightest bit convinced that maybe, just maybe these rumors could be true. Shame on me.

For being one of the most popular K-pop names out there, SNSD gets a heckuva lot of flack from K-poppers everywhere. And I suppose it’s somewhat understandable. For one thing, they’re girls. A lot of K-pop fans are girls. And what do you get? Cattiness. Drama. Girls are very critical of other girls. And when you’ve got the girl group that essentially every male idol group member is a fanboy of, you’re going to have jealousy. And oftentimes, it becomes very ugly jealousy.

Dream Concert 2008. I was never more embarrassed to be a Cassie in my entire life.

They’re skinny. They’re plasticky. They can’t sing. They can’t dance. They have no personality. Okay. We get it. But that’s not going to make them disappear, no matter how much hate is directed towards them, no matter how many “silent treatments” are plotted against them, no matter how many rumors are conjured up about them.

I’ll say it again: I’m not an SNSD fan. Personally, I think there are a crapload of other, more talented performers out there than any of these girls. Their hordes of screaming fanmen waving pink penlights kind of freak me out. And ‘Gee’ gets stuck in my head whenever I’m about to take a calculus test. But that doesn’t give me license to hate them just because they’re easy to hate.

Yunho’s super glue poisoning incident. Jaebeom’s suicide petition. Dream Concert 2008. All of these events make us shake our heads in bewilderment and embarrassment today, but where do you think these actions stemmed from? Antis are ordinary people who perhaps one day had a minor dissenting thought about Artist X, and found others who supported and propagated that one thought. That one thought grew. And out of that, hatred grew.

Does anyone remember that time a few years back when a bunch of Wonderfuls and VIPs decided to purchase 1700 tickets for a DBSK concert, and then returned them all moments before ticket sales closed? This caused a loss of about 10 million won, or $7000 USD. A minor loss for a concert grossing millions with every performance, but like the cliche goes, it’s the thought that really mattered. It was such a ridiculous project. But it made sense to those people who bought and returned those 1700 tickets. It’s ridiculous to hate on a group of nine innocent girls who are just making a career off of the skills they trained so hard to get. But it makes sense for us to hate on them? For what reason… because everyone else does? What impeccable logic we all have.

Forgive the preachiness. I know this goes against the usual snarky, sometimes-borderline-bashy Seoulbeats style, but if a group’s moral integrity is questioned due to a bunch of ridiculous rumors, and if these rumors were so easily believable, then there’s something that clearly needs to be addressed.

All in all, popular hate is still hate. Don’t propagate it. SNSD, fighting.

What defines talent? Is it physical and mental strength? Is it powerful emotions? Is it charm, energy, and beauty? All of the above? Well, apparently in South Korea, it can also be defined by a certain artist’s ability to perform in a way that is “uniquely black.” Many in Korea seem to believe that because so many world renowned entertainers just happen to be black, this must mean that all black people possess a rare gene that enables their ability to sing and dance extremely well. The phrase “you sing and dance like a black person” has even become a compliment for persons who are believed to posses “above average” talent. In this clip, singer/producer JYP explains how he would love to produce music for Taeyang (proclaimed by many to be the “Asian version of American stars Chris Brown/Omarion/Usher) whom he believes can “dance really great and play with the rhythm in a way that is uniquely black”
Due to his re-emergence as a solo artist , Big Bang member Taeyang was interviewed by the Hankook Daily in early December 2009.

In the interview the reporter begins by posing a question to the audience. He/she refers to Taeyang and asks,

“Is he part black by any chance? A Big Bang member, TaeYang’s solo performances often make you wonder if he has black genes. Every time I see his bulging arm muscles cut through the air, I think I can almost hear the whoosh sound. The way he quickly adjusts his baseball cap he always seems to wear at a certain angle and the disciplined manner in which he executes his powerful performances with an indifferent face – all of those things I think only a black person can pull off.”

The first time I heard statements like this I was filled with different emotions. I didn’t know whether to be flattered or offended. But the more I thought about it, the more I began to question its “sweetness”. Black people are not a separate species. Black, Asian, White, Latin, Indian, we are all the same. Saying that one group may possess special talents within their DNA is just another way of separating them from yourself and your own race. If black people are born the best performers, isn’t that like labeling your own race as bad performers. Are people just setting low standards for their own country’s singers and dancers because they will never be black?

It is no secret that Kpop culture is saturated with elements of African-American culture, from the clothes, to dances, even American slang that makes no sense when sung in Korean songs has become the norm for many idols. Although the song was a huge hit and is loved by many, including myself, how corny did it sound the first time you heard Super Junior sing to their “shawty” in “Sorry Sorry”?

Though meant to be a compliment, the belief that talent and certain admirable skills can only be attributed to race in the end only dehumanizes those it was meant raise up. Talent comes from natural skill sometimes yes, but it also comes from hard work and practice.

World famous entertainers have gotten to where they are because they worked for it. Michael Jackson is not known as the King of Pop because he is black, correct? How ignorant is the belief that all Asians are good at math, or that all Chinese people know Kung Fu? Well, not all black people can sing like Whitney Houston or dance like a trained professional. These gross generalizations belong in the past. When we perpetuate even the nicest of stereotypes, we open the floodgates for more hurtful ones.

Former Korean Pop Act: The Bubble Sisters

For example, take Big Bang member Seungri’s past belief that all African-Americans are violent thugs that carry guns

(Story)… he was talking about when Big Bang was in America. They were outside of an airport and Seungri wanted to change, so he got into a van and changed. However, the van he was in did not belong to Big Bang.When Seungri exited the van, the van’s owner yelled at him. Seungri was scared but he apologized. Later on a Korean radio show Seungri said he was happy that the man was Caucasian and not African-American; because if he had been black, Seungri would’ve probably been shot. (story once posted on nycseoultokyo blog)

or SNSD leader Taeyeon’s remark that most black people are ugly with a few exceptions like singer/songwriter Alicia Keys.

During a radio recording…

And to make matters worst, after an Alicia Keys song was played, Taeyeon actually said this about the acclaimed RnB singer: “For a black person she’s really pretty”

In this modern era we have so many ways in which to connect to each other and learn about foreign cultures. That is why the, “We don’t know about you because we don’t see you every day on our streets” excuse has long expired. I knew nothing about Korean culture and have never lived next to a Korean person my entire life; but that doesn’t make it okay for me to go around perpetuating stereotypes about an entire race of people. I know many things about Korean culture because I did the research. I know real Korean words because I searched for them. And I am a fan of many Korean artists because their music connects to me personally as a human being, regardless of my race.

Asian anchor can’t stop laughing at a murder on AAtheory.com 

cr: Basking in the Sun, elavip4, crunchyroll, sment, omona they didn’t, taeyangalways, 5bluebird’s blog

In a country where you would have to buy airplane tickets to see your favourite idols in their ‘natural’ habitat (i.e. South Korea), you sometimes wonder how you knew of their awesome existence in the first place. You then think back on your earliest contact with K-pop and realise that it was simply blissfully love at first sight.

BAM! You, my good friend, have been struck by the Hallyu wave.

Let me take my experience as an example for this. Because of a friend, I was hooked on to the world of extremely large boy-bands and girl-bands in June 2008, when I was living in a land so far and different from Korea. This wasn’t my first dabble in K-pop though; I knew of their presence a couple of years before that, and, to be honest, I wasn’t interested in it at all. The song that undid my layers of dislike towards K-pop was Noona Nomu Yebbuh (Replay) by the prized rookie group of that year, SHINee. Thank you, SHINee, for letting me see the light. I wasn’t interested in the fact that they wore brightly coloured skinny jeans to perform, but I was amazed at the amount of talent these kids had. Their song was great, their voices were great, and they seemed quite professional. Little did I know that they were only one of the many artists that shared these same qualities too.

Does anyone else feel like a paedophile looking at this?

Maybe this is how most international fans became love-bitten. All we needed was an artist that we could relate to, fully equipped with charisma, stunning looks, voices, and all sorts of other talents. But with this, we have to give some credit to the entertainment businesses that have yielded these great harvests. This new ‘global’ era has allowed these companies to understand that the overseas market is as advantageous as their own national market. These businessmen are smart enough to understand the type of entertainment that not only the Koreans want, but also what the non-Koreans prefer.

A great example would be with SM and their golden kids, TVXQ and BoA. These two artists have both achieved a high amount of popularity and recognition in Japan with albums on the top of the Japanese Oricon chart. Thanks to SM’s intelligent marketing, BoA’s reaching out to America now, as well as JYP’s Wonder Girls, YG’s Se7en, and also, my personal favourite, POP/UP’s Wheesung.

Competition between rival businesses has, in addition, somehow assisted in sparking the interest of non-Koreans towards the entertainment industry. This extra drive pushes the company to create the best music and talent around. Good music equals to masses of fans. Masses of fans equal to both the Hallyu wave, bringing Korean pride, and to more profit. Now who would criticise this process of production when nearly everyone is at a win-win situation?

To always spruce things up and keep things fresh, these entertainment companies are always ready to bring something new to the table too. For example, 2NE1 has certainly been a breath of fresh air for the music scene. International fans flock at them for their distinctive hip-hop Western style and their multilingual abilities—YG has done a fantastic job indeed. Other companies follow suit too, and have been as successful.

2NE1 during their "Fire" days.

However, new concepts aren’t the only thing that fascinates international fans. Non-Korean artists would always be one of the main attractions as well. With celebrities like Hankyung of Super Junior, Jang Ri In, Victoria and Amber of f(x) and Nichkhun of 2PM inhabiting the K-pop world, citizens of their native soil would easily be lured into trying their music. Of course, by trying their music and actually enjoying it, the natural thing to do next is to listen to other K-pop artists. If their music is successful, then that means that the company has done a good job. Thus, again, good music equals to masses of fans, and the process repeats.

I must praise the clever people of the entertainment industry for being able to allow the Hallyu wave to crash so many shores of the world. The impact they have made on Eastern countries is obvious, and I’m quite sure that it will become more apparent in the Western countries soon. So if you’re an international fan out there, how did you first become love struck by the diverse scene of Korean music? Did they catch you with their terrific beats and appealing image? Or was it just because of their marketing technique that built up the hype? Then, did they manage to influence you to take your friends to the Hallyu sea too? Because that’s what K-pop is— it’s like a chain reaction. It’s powerful, and you know you must handle it wisely when preaching the word.

Young Wooyoung, ready to preach about K-pop to the rest of the world.

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