GOO HARA, SULLI, JONGHYUN and B.I, E Dawn, Hyuna, Wonho, Kangin, Woojin, IZOne, X1..... I LIVE FOR KPOP BUT SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT !
2019 - It's been a Polyvarious Year for 한류Hallyu or The Korean Wave. I mean, on one hand, there is the Global Phenomenon that is Parasite 기생충 directed by Bong Joon Ho. The movie that has received the highest honor one could get at the Cannes Film Festival - The Palme d'Or in 2019. The perfect embodiment of how the Korean Society functions and also how the whole world functions in accordance with The Class Gap. A Literal Masterpiece.
But we are not here today to talk about the Magnificence of Parasite. We are here to analyze another parasite that has been plaguing the Korean Media as a whole. A parasite that has its hooks deep, far and fixed into the MINDs of THE KOREAN PEOPLE.
PERCEPTION & PREJUDICE are our PARASITEs.
In the past 2 years, the Kpop world has lost 2 precious angels - Jonghyun and Sulli. Depression and other mental health issues have led to their demise. All of this stemming from Loose Lips & Frantic Fingers of the Public. Isn't it a type of Murder though. When the people, the so-called FANs, who are supposed to be your support system when you are an Idol and the sole purpose of your existence is to please them, end up turning against you.
A 100 good deeds and a single statement made in the interest of FREE SPEECH, can cause so much HATE, just because it cannot be contained within the ring of fire that is our hypocritical virtue.
It's unfathomable to me.
Goo Hara, found dead by her manager in her Apartment in Cheongdam, Seoul, South Korea on 24 November, 2019. Her demise is the latest tragedy in the midst of what has been one of the worst years of Kpop History. Goo Hara, had it very rough the past year because of a very public relationship scandal and the expectations and stereotypes the Korean Media and People which make it hell for the person facing something personal. The shame that follows each scandal for a Kpop Idol is just too much to take. She had already tried to commit suicide before but it seemed she had come back from her misery and made a new start. Having a Japanese debut and signing with a Japanese Agency and even released a song 'Midnight Queen' just two months back. And then about a month and half before one of her best friends, a fellow Idol, SULLI committed suicide. All this must have been very difficult to handle especially in a society which is harshly unaccepting.
Jonghyun, who was in a deep depression for the longest time, could not cope up in the end, because he was alone. He asked for help and consulted the Doctors even. But they did not pay proper heed to him. People around him were hearing but they weren't listening. He could not express his feelings to his company and the public because the Society there does not accept Mental Health Issues as a thing of concern. They have fixed stereotypes about it and portray it as something TABOO, something you MUST NOT TALK ABOUT, ALOUD or you would be Ostracized.
An Idol cannot afford to be ostracized, all his life is about HIS PUBLIC IMAGE.
Sulli, who was a Child actress before she became a mainstream Kpop Idol with the group f(x), was one of the most beautiful and talented female idols with the brightest gummy smile that you would have ever seen. All her brightness was dimmed because of the myriad of HATE COMMENTs that she received on a daily basis. She was a Feminist, an Outspoken Strong woman. She advocated
Free Speech and Free Body Expression. She shunned the stereotypes of an Orthodox Society. And for this, she received so much HATE that it made her question herself, made her unsure, made her unhappy to the point that she was lost.
It seems like THE PUBLIC IMAGE and maintenance of it has become toxic in itself.
There has been so much ABANDONMENT OF IDOLs this year that I lost count in the end.
This is what the "FANS" want and what would happen to you as an Idol if you don't keep up to their standards -
1) YOU CAN'T DATE, HOW DARE YOU? = You will be Kicked Out of your company no matter if you were the SOLE reason that they are so successful presently.
2) HOW DARE YOU EVEN TALK ABOUT DRUGs? = If you even think about drugs or experiment once in a while, even though it has no effect on the work you do and the output you have, you will be kicked out of your group.
3) HOW DARE YOU BE A JUVENILE DELINQUENT & IN DEBT? = If you have ever made any sort of mistake in your childhood or teenage years, just like so many of us do, when we are little and don't know any better. It doesn't matter if you owned up to your mistakes and have already gotten your punishment, you will be kicked out of your group forever.
4) HOW DARE YOU HAVE A DUI? = If you had a DUI, even once, you are gone for good. No matter if you own up to it.
5) HOW CAN YOU HAVE PERSONAL MATTERs IN THE MIDST OF PROMOTING? - You can't be on hiatus. You have to permanently leave.
The last one's future is in jeopardy not because of their fans but because of their companies and Producers. It boils down to the same things though, the companies putting their Idols in harm's way for profit.
6) YOUR FUTURE IS IN OUR HANDs - Everything you worked for will be in jeopardy even before your career actually takes off.
I wrote down the Group names after the Idol names as Victims because the group suffers as a Whole when a Member of their Group is lost without any hope of coming back.
I Live For Kpop but something needs to change. The futures of Idols can't be so easily disposable.
But we are not here today to talk about the Magnificence of Parasite. We are here to analyze another parasite that has been plaguing the Korean Media as a whole. A parasite that has its hooks deep, far and fixed into the MINDs of THE KOREAN PEOPLE.
PERCEPTION & PREJUDICE are our PARASITEs.
In the past 2 years, the Kpop world has lost 2 precious angels - Jonghyun and Sulli. Depression and other mental health issues have led to their demise. All of this stemming from Loose Lips & Frantic Fingers of the Public. Isn't it a type of Murder though. When the people, the so-called FANs, who are supposed to be your support system when you are an Idol and the sole purpose of your existence is to please them, end up turning against you.
A 100 good deeds and a single statement made in the interest of FREE SPEECH, can cause so much HATE, just because it cannot be contained within the ring of fire that is our hypocritical virtue.
It's unfathomable to me.
Goo Hara, found dead by her manager in her Apartment in Cheongdam, Seoul, South Korea on 24 November, 2019. Her demise is the latest tragedy in the midst of what has been one of the worst years of Kpop History. Goo Hara, had it very rough the past year because of a very public relationship scandal and the expectations and stereotypes the Korean Media and People which make it hell for the person facing something personal. The shame that follows each scandal for a Kpop Idol is just too much to take. She had already tried to commit suicide before but it seemed she had come back from her misery and made a new start. Having a Japanese debut and signing with a Japanese Agency and even released a song 'Midnight Queen' just two months back. And then about a month and half before one of her best friends, a fellow Idol, SULLI committed suicide. All this must have been very difficult to handle especially in a society which is harshly unaccepting.
GOO HARA (13 Jan 1991 - 24 Nov 2019)
Jonghyun, who was in a deep depression for the longest time, could not cope up in the end, because he was alone. He asked for help and consulted the Doctors even. But they did not pay proper heed to him. People around him were hearing but they weren't listening. He could not express his feelings to his company and the public because the Society there does not accept Mental Health Issues as a thing of concern. They have fixed stereotypes about it and portray it as something TABOO, something you MUST NOT TALK ABOUT, ALOUD or you would be Ostracized.
An Idol cannot afford to be ostracized, all his life is about HIS PUBLIC IMAGE.
JONGHYUN (8 April 1990 - 18 Dec 2017)
Sulli, who was a Child actress before she became a mainstream Kpop Idol with the group f(x), was one of the most beautiful and talented female idols with the brightest gummy smile that you would have ever seen. All her brightness was dimmed because of the myriad of HATE COMMENTs that she received on a daily basis. She was a Feminist, an Outspoken Strong woman. She advocated
Free Speech and Free Body Expression. She shunned the stereotypes of an Orthodox Society. And for this, she received so much HATE that it made her question herself, made her unsure, made her unhappy to the point that she was lost.
SULLI (29 March 1994 - 14 Oct 2019)
There has been so much ABANDONMENT OF IDOLs this year that I lost count in the end.
This is what the "FANS" want and what would happen to you as an Idol if you don't keep up to their standards -
1) YOU CAN'T DATE, HOW DARE YOU? = You will be Kicked Out of your company no matter if you were the SOLE reason that they are so successful presently.
Victims - Hyuna, E'Dawn & Pentagon
2) HOW DARE YOU EVEN TALK ABOUT DRUGs? = If you even think about drugs or experiment once in a while, even though it has no effect on the work you do and the output you have, you will be kicked out of your group.
Victims - B.I & IKON
3) HOW DARE YOU BE A JUVENILE DELINQUENT & IN DEBT? = If you have ever made any sort of mistake in your childhood or teenage years, just like so many of us do, when we are little and don't know any better. It doesn't matter if you owned up to your mistakes and have already gotten your punishment, you will be kicked out of your group forever.
Victims - Wonho & Monsta X
4) HOW DARE YOU HAVE A DUI? = If you had a DUI, even once, you are gone for good. No matter if you own up to it.
Victim - Kangin & Super Junior
5) HOW CAN YOU HAVE PERSONAL MATTERs IN THE MIDST OF PROMOTING? - You can't be on hiatus. You have to permanently leave.
Victim - Woojin & Stray Kids
The last one's future is in jeopardy not because of their fans but because of their companies and Producers. It boils down to the same things though, the companies putting their Idols in harm's way for profit.
6) YOUR FUTURE IS IN OUR HANDs - Everything you worked for will be in jeopardy even before your career actually takes off.
Victim - IZ*ONE
Victim - X1
I wrote down the Group names after the Idol names as Victims because the group suffers as a Whole when a Member of their Group is lost without any hope of coming back.
I Live For Kpop but something needs to change. The futures of Idols can't be so easily disposable.
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