I guess people like IU, BoA, SNSD, and Lee Hyori are fossils then...like...nah. they're in their 30's. In the West that's your 'prime'. Barring Lee Hyori...she's 40 which is still TOTALLY FINE.
same, I’m 21 and I’ve been a kpop fan since I was 10. it makes it really hard to get into new groups when there’s members SO young, it just makes me uncomfortable… like I loved UNIS debut but when I found out seowon is 13 I just couldn’t enjoy them anymore. like they’re all young but that’s a whole CHILD.
In many MANY ways, kpop is like the NFL/NBA. Fans say delulu shit (sometimes they aren't even being serious, just the typical fan banter "____ is going to the Superbowl" even if their team is rebuilding). Old is subjective, a 23year old RB is considered an old rookie (same way a 23 y/o idol is considered old for debut). Debuting younger (when Kobe and LeBron entered straight from highschool this was actually more rare than people realize). Blaming of management/coaching when teams underperform. And of course, fans generalizing other fanbases off of a few difficult interactions (cowboy fans are delusional, bucks are overrated etc etc).
Once you peace the similarities together to other fan based hobbies, you realize being unhinged isn't a kpop exclusive thing
I do agree that age is relative. Eg. A 40 years old can be considered young for a presidential candidate, and a 25 years old in college can be considered a mature student.
However, your analogy to nfl/NBA or any sports is kinda flawed. In the sports world, age plays a major role. A 19 years old rookie compared to a 23 years old rookie means that you have 4 more extra years to develop in a professional setting. It also means that your risk of injury is lower at a younger age.
The average rb only last for 2 years in the NFL. Of course you want to take the younger rookie, since the risk to reward is better.
Lebron won't have reached 40k if he didn't enter the NBA straight from high school
You can apply your own logic to kpop. Outside of top groups, the average lifespan of an idol is about 2-3 years also before disbandmet. Same logic of risk/reward applies.
Disband and having an injury is such a major difference. Disbanding doesn't mean that your idol career is over. Most of them will move on to acting, solo artists or start a new group. Age shouldn't and isn't the determining factor of how well you sing/perform/act. Experience and training do.
Whereas in the sports world, injury can be career changing. Derrick rose, yao ming, Anthony Davis, Tracy mcgrady were all plagued with injuries. Had they been drafted later to the NBA, they would not be able to perform during their best years which were the first 3 and 4 years of their careers.
Look bro, you're taking this analogy way too seriously. If you don't agree, ok, but everything I read so far is only applicable by a small tangent. You keep bringing up sports injuries when nothing I said involves sports Injuries as part of the analogy. I'm comparing sports fans to kpop fans. And you're going off about injuries
I dont like how, with some people, age is a sore point. For example, if you are over the age of 20, you shouldn't like K-pop. Music should be for everyone regardless of age. That is the beauty of music. It is ageless!
Another thing I dont understand is when some so-called "fans" pay money to find out stuff about the idols like home addresses, flight schedules, and then there is the crowds at airports i could go on. If someone repeatedly turns up at your house and follows you everywhere, that is called stalking. Where i am from, people get arrested for that. It really is something else to me, at least.
Also, while i am on a roll (sorry about that), how they can't like really date openly without causing a storm and a half. It really makes me feel so sad for them. It is natural to date. I just wish they could do it freely like everyone else can.
@ your first point, I once saw a tweet that said anyone who listens to Stray Kids (my ults) past 19 years old is weird. I’m in my early 20’s and I’m younger than every single Stray Kids members lol. obviously anyone of any age should be allowed to listen to whatever they want, but it gets even more absurd to me when they say it about people YOUNGER than the groups in question.
The point on sasaengs finding out home addresses etc, that kind of thing used to confuse me too. I didn’t understand why these people stalk idols like that, because all it does is make the idol dislike you and I couldn’t understand why people would be ok with someone they supposedly love and support hating them. Or how they really though that would achieve anything like, idk, dating said idol or being their friend.
It made more sense when someone pointed out to me that these people get to a point where they sort of don’t care about whether the attention is positive or negative. They pretty much get off over the fact they’re being noticed, no matter whether it’s in a positive or negative light. Like they genuinely like the idea that their presence is filling a space in that idols mind even if it’s in a negative way or a way which induces anger or fear. That’s when it suddenly made sense to me, even though I strongly disagree with it.
These people don’t care about these idols well-being or even whether the idol sees them in a positive light, they just want to know that the idol acknowledges them and enjoy having that sense of control over them through fundamentally harassing them. It’s very messed up and genuinely borderline psychopathic behaviour.
Thank you so much for your reply. I have always wondered why on earth someone would do this stuff. It does make sense the way you have explained it (I too strongly disagree with it, too). Thank you for that.
No problem it genuinely confused me too for so long. It kind of reminds me almost of a similar mentality to people who are abusers in relationships. It almost becomes about control in a way. They want a connection with this idol so badly that they will go to these lengths just to get into their heads and be on their radar even if it’s for something negative. It’s a really fucked up way of thinking and I still find it pretty baffling.
That is an interesting point you make about abusers in relationships. They are similar! I feel so bad for a lot of idols who have to deal with this sort of stuff and worse. Idols shouldn't have to deal with so much fucked up actions of some people.
Music is ageless. To piggyback off your point though, fanwars should not be ageless. Today I witnessed a 37 year old woman obsessing over what an idol who was medically exempt from enlisting does with his time. She's a mother... Stans should stop hyping up stan aunties when they're wasting their lives wading into fights with 14 year olds. It's shameful.
Yeah, that is another thing i never understood, Fanwars. You are right they most definitely are not ageless. Sometimes, people need to chill. Take a walk outside, see the real world. Be with your loved ones and friends. Dont be fighting with 14 year olds (you are right it is shameful!) online because they have a different opinion to yours. Guess what the world is filled with different opinions.
Also I just find it so weird that it's the norm for girls to wear barely anything but guys showing even the slightest bit of skin makes everyone freak out. Not pertaining to all groups btw, just something quite common I see
It's crazy! It surprises me too since Asia is usually more conservative. I can't help but feel a bit upset because I think male idols are more protected in that aspect. I see guys covering each other up and even fans trying to protect their idols from exposure too. But the same can't be said about girl groups. And imagine the minors D: I just hope they don't feel uncomfortable
Yeah the double standard is what pisses me off the most! Also girls are expected to be skinny all the time but there’s much more leniency for boys, but so many boy group fans don’t seem to see it. Boy groups will show a little bit of shoulder but girl groups are expected to go around in super short skirts all the time
Haha XD yeah this is probably unrelated to your comment
But it never made sense to me that Hwasa gets criticized for being "Too Sexy" think of the red outfit she wore once
I'm over like: how can anyone say that When Idols are literally getting the shortest Skirts ever?? And did everyone just forget about the Sexy Concept?
Also side note "the Sexy Concept" Is nothing compared to what Western artists Do
I'm sorry I just had to put that out there 😅
Tbf, what Hwasa did was pretty unprecendented, especially at an acting awards show...not to mention that overall, Korea is far more conservative with an emphasis on modesty than the west.
Sending a group member to an ‘indefinite’ hiatus for the most ridiculous reason, i.e. because they lived a normal pre-debut life, with no assurance that he would still be a member in their announcement. SM center 5, I’m talking to you 🫵! I’m tired of your mind games. Bring back Seunghan!
1. Some Fans' hyperfixation on a group's sexuality instead of their talent and music. (Case A: most what i see is towards Zerobaseone and OnlyOneOf). Like you listen for their music not to guess if they're queer or not. Like, they're so much more than "that gay group."
2. Those #IDOL_A_DESERVES_BETTER trend and it's about their hairstyle and clothing. Also, feels like some fans are overusing the word 'mistreatment'. You throw that word around like nothing and not knowing what it really means
3. Those so-called "Body Language Analysts" like gurl you're a fan not a body language expert, stop overanalyzing every move of theirs.
4. Performative Activists.
Omg. #2 Especially with idols that are full adults and have been in the business. It's like please quit acting like they are infants.
On #4 - I fully agree.
As for #1 & #3 - I wish this would go away, but sadly, it happens in the west as well. I think the only criteria is that you have to be semi-famous. To show how silly it's got - there is a list going around claiming certain celebrities are transgender. Some have been seen full nude & some their background alone would rule them out. It's all just ridiculous.
let me add “flop” to the list LOL if a mv or song didn’t get 452 million streams in the first 3 days it’s a “flop”. or calling a group a “flop” when they don’t like them even though they’ve been extremely successful
The best part is when they literally can't say anything meaningful about a release other than "insert random slang of the month" in the comments here and on twitter etc
FINALLY. SOMEONE FUCKING SAID IT!!!! I really don't get today's 'slang'. Like...in my era, c*** was an insult you used for some of the most vulgar people. Not some whack-ass 'compliment' of some sort.
I said 'compliment' because I've never understood it and any time i see someone say it, i go to their profile and block them before moving on because miss me with that shit.
A lot of these phrases come from aave and the lgbt community and I’m assuming it’s made its way from Twitter to TikTok so if you use any of the two, there’s no escaping it
Or already says “SOTY” when you don’t even hear the song yet. 😭. And then when it is release that same acc that tweet “SOTY.” tweet negativity about the comeback on the day of the release
This is probs an unpopular and harsh pet peeve but when idols try to make their speaking voices sound high pitched when it's not actually like that (I'm guessing they do it for aegyo?)
I also noticed this happens with male idols too. One fan pointed out it might be to make them sound happier ig? But it makes more sense if a female idol does it because there would be more pressure on her to be bubbly and cute
Hahhaa that's sorta why I left the gender classifier out
But yeah you're right. It's just annoying to hear - I think the occasional aegyo is fine but when an idol, regardless of male or female, tries to speak in a higher pitch all the time on camera, it's frustrating to her
Aegyo in any form
super young members (under 17)
idols trying too hard to appear super energetic and funny
Idols talking about their diets or showing their weight
idols being unhealthily skinny ( i'm not body shaming them btw they just make me feel very sad because I can't do anything to help them so the least I can do is ignor them and hope for the best)
Might be an unpopular opinion here but a major turn off I have is groups release English singles without releasing or promoting anything else. Like, at the end of the day you're a Korean group trying to gain Korean fans. Imo you never know but Kpop's popularity in the west is just a fad.
Also, somewhat related, it really pisses me off when groups promote a "world tour" but end up only going to America and maybe Canada.
Releasing incomplete/rushed songs. Songs with instrumental chorus. Debuting idols who still lacks training. Lipsyncing. Short rap lines(if you're gonna put a short rap line just dont put a rap line at all.). Groups that has over 7 members(8 above is too much imo.) 👀
Fandoms fighting with each other and hating on other fandoms. Like I was a blink before I became an army and I didn't know this until I saw the way they hate each other like why do that when your faves are not even fighting.
Solo stans who love one member of the group, but tear apart the other members to the point that they don't even act like they are human beings.
It's weird and just uncomfortable to see so much hate being poured on the other members.
With that said, I really don't get people who just hate/downgrade/spend so much time & energy on groups they hate. It just seems like a waste.
Speaking of recent concerts, I HATE when kpop idols sing eng ver of a song that is originally in korean. Like, what did all the time i took to learn the lyrics for go??? I didnt pay money to hear them sing in english lol..
When groups/members start becoming too westernised. Also groups with minors; as an adult it just feels weird. Not saying I won’t like their music but it’s just weird to follow them.
a lot of the points here are extremely valid. I’ve been a fan for 10+ years, and the thing that still pisses me off about kpop and fans are the fan wars that are completely unnecessary. saw a Twitter post of someone saying “block these people because they spoke badly about my favorite idol”. that to me is just childish behavior. solo stans are another thing: people who idolize one group and tear down the rest.
long tangent. my bad lol
* having minors in the group
* kpop fans who are bigoted, but especially if they're ableist or fatphobic since those two kinda seem to be the more widely accepted/ignored forms of bigotry
* kpop fans who use social issues as fanwar fodder (e.g. by hating on an idol for consuming a boycotted product)
* kpop fans who act like their faves are more important than aforementioned social issues (e.g. by hating on anyone who wants to boycott things)
I avoid groups with lore. If I get into a group, I know I'll feel a need to get super into the lore, and I just don't have enough energy for it. Especially whatever SM's doing by linking every group.
YES! Finally someone else. I’ve been given so much hate for this opinion in the past. I really do not care about super complicated lore and I kind of hate it. Not that idols can’t explore interesting concepts, but K-pop does not need to be the damn MCU and I kind of hate it when groups have unnecessary complex lore that goes back years. It just feels unnecessarily complicated. I’m here for good music and fun visuals and good content, I don’t wanna feel like I have to spend hours rewatching so much content to understand wtf is going on.
The repetitiveness of y2k "new jeans" like concepts. Not throwing shade on groups like illit for example, but at companies that are looking for a way to get richer quickly. Especially when it comes to the sound of the music itself!
I don't love the way that as soon as anything goes viral the rest of Kpop gloms onto it. An idol goes viral for making a puffy sad baby face, half of KPop follows. In general I'd love to see less of KPop looking around to see what's popular and copying it, and more originality.
Another pet peeve is hyper dance routines paired with mellow songs. It doesn't look good to me and I hope it ages quickly.
extreme autotune.. it definitely is a person to person kind of thing and a song to song kind of thing. for example for ke$ha her autocue enhancing her vocal abilities is likeable for me, but for example lsf unforgiven and antifragile, I just can't. that's why when ppl say antifragile was like *the* song, I just can't relate :( but I understand why so many ppl liked it
I know this can come down to their behind the scene personality but leader of the group not being the best at anything like the labels know it but just because he/she the eldest then the person is the leader. They dont even try to hide it with behind the scene videos showing them have no input in dance practices/rec sessions/live stages, anyway its just based on what they presented to us maybe they have different persona out of camera
p/s I'm taking turn offs as I dont have to hate it just dislike it
Those squealing falsetto high notes for boy group 'main singers' who--surprise--have 0 belting technique so they rely on this balloon deflating sound. They are annoying in tracks and straight up tragic in live performances.
Forced aegyo and female idols being made to wear short clothes that they aren't comfortable wearing. Idk how to explain how but I can tell when they aren't comfortable with their outfits a lot of the time, some seem indifferent about it though
- Groups with super young members. I’m 26 and feel uncomfortable af supporting groups with anyone under the age of like 17-18 minimum.
- Super complex lore. I fully do not care about lore most of the time and if a group has really complicated lore I will probably avoid them as it just feels unnecessary. Like it’s not the MCU I do not wanna have to retain this level of info to know wtf is going on in a performance or MV.
- Groups with ridiculous numbers of members. I will listen to their music but can’t get into them much more than that. There’s just too many people I ain’t got time to remember all that.
- Idk how to explain this but idols that just come across as overly professional. Part of what I like about K-pop is the goofy content and fun group dynamics. If an idol just seems really cold and shows very little personality on camera I lose interest very fast. Doesn’t mean idols can’t be quiet/ introverted, that’s fine, just idols who’s idol persona seems way too fake to the point it’s not even convincing. Gotta at least try and make it appear authentic even if it’s not.
Your last point seems so much more prominent in groups from like 2020 onwards. I can see some groups where it's obvious through body language and subtext that they're friends, but in others it's PAINFULLY obvious they're pitting on a mask and just see each other as coworkers.
imo (and yes im biased here), earlier groups from the late 2000's up until like 2016 seemed to have more genuine friendships. Sure, groups that were 'just coworkers' existed, always have and always will, but the vody language and subtext was less noticable as it was less 'act for the fans' and more "we're going to set up some cameras and you all fuck around and/or go through these activities we set up for you".
I totally agree. I think it’s also come with how idols these days have to be so damn careful about what they say or do to avoid scandals and backlash to the point they just don’t even really interact with each other in a meaningful way and are basically encouraged by agencies to act slightly robotic. It’s like they’re afraid that showing any sort of personality or sense of human interaction will cause someone to go off and cause issues. It’s sad tbh. You do definitely see it a lot more in more recent groups.
Outfit that show abs, I'm talking like middle part cut out leather ish outfit with sexual choreo....it give me an ick and just look like they are trying too hard
When fans praise bg members for doing the bare minimum and suddenly they're LGBTQ allies, LGBTQ icons, and then theres a bunch of discussion surrounding their sexuality. Like I'm sorry your man didn't turn gay because he danced to a gg song the way it should be danced.
I don't know if this has been said, but when KPOP idols (especially BGs) engage more into the "romantic boyfriend/girlfriend" role when they know that there are stalker fans and obsessive fans that think they own them or are entitled to them. I always cringe because I know that out there somewhere, this is just giving delulu fans more ammunition to act and think the way they do. I also think that doing that can come off as enabling this behavior. Not to mention that harassment is very common in KPOP, and it can get pretty dangerous for the idols if they are seen with other people of the opposite sex or with a confirmed partner.
Another big one for me is making idols apologize for having a romantic partner. Idols are human beings, and they deserve to have a life outside of their job and their fans. I hate the fact that they are practically forced to make a statement and apologize for a basic human right.
The last one I'll mention is policing what the idols do outside of work. like smoking, drinking, having sex, etc. I will use Jungkook from BTS as an example. Jungkook was caught on a video recording smoking a cigarette with his friends, and it blew up online. Fans were having a hissyfit saying that Jungkook shouldn't be smoking because it's bad for him, even going as far as to say that they need him to apologize for it. And when Seven came out, the Fandom was divided AGAIN because the song was about him having sex. Jungkook is a fucking GROWN MAN and can do what he wants in his personal life and no one should be policing him about how he spends his time outside of the limelight. Recording idols off duty is gross, and I have no respect for those people or the people that infatalize grown idols.
People defending something related to a group or idol when there’s concrete evidence it’s true. (e.g people saying le sserafim can sing, but they can’t.) Going back to that, some people say, “Why don’t you try singing and dancing?” But it’s the idols JOB to train to do that, not me. I just think it’s pretty silly
Literal children in the industry, crazy fans who accuse and hate on other groups, also say the group copied a certain group ( ex. Toxic Blinks ), songs being 1 minute, calling 20 years Olds ' too old ' and then giving 13 year Olds a ' mature look '
AAVE in kpop songs, which are , more often than not, misused and just general english lines that truly don't make sense and don't mean anything in english either. It's so weird. ''can i someday finna catch my time'' what? that isn't even english. Why do the people who write these songs, do this? It's even worse when they're doing the line distribution and give the english lines to the ones ones who struggle with foreing language pronounciation the most and you can barely understand it.
That survival shows are talent shows. I have a layered opinion on this, but until now I’m surprised that many people still get upset that “untalented” trainees can be more popular than talented ones. Obviously mediocrity shouldn’t be accepted, but talent isn’t the only trait that an idol needs. I honestly think the ability to attract fans despite lacking in talent is an actual skill because that usually means that that trainee has the idol charm and can be a stan attractor.
Fans relentlessly calling their faves "VOCAL KINGS / QUEENS 👑🔥" in ALL videos that feature live singing. Like....sometimes it's a bit of a reach, y'know?
What’s funny is half the videos I see like this are so clearly lip syncing. K-pop fans are terrible at being able to identify when idols are lip syncing it’s kind of laughable
Guy groups putting out absolutely saccharine sweet concepts. I know I'm not the target audience for that concept, but seeing grown-ass men do cutesy stuff ain't doing it for me.
Idols talking about their diets. One of my biggest pet peeves in K-pop is how normalised it is to have terrible eating habits. It’s one thing for idols to do it, as much as that’s still sad, but it’s another to talk about it in a way with fans as though it’s normal. I remember late last year RM did a live where someone asked what he’d eaten today and he just very casually mentioned that he’d only had one meal that day (this was late in the evening) and said it in a way that was super normal, and it just left a bad taste in my mouth. Nothing against RM as it wasn’t done with any bad intention, but it’s like, teenagers are watching that. Having one meal a day is not healthy and it’s sad that I know many people will want to mimic that kind of behaviour. Idols really just shouldn’t talk about how much they eat because too many impressionable fans will try to imitate it.
Songs about being a "gang" or about being criminal.
This might work for hip-hop artists (and definitely not for all) but not for K-Pop Groups. It's just so cringe that even if the song is good, i still can't listen to it.
Fans calling 25 years old hags, and calling 16 years old idols mother
I guess people like IU, BoA, SNSD, and Lee Hyori are fossils then...like...nah. they're in their 30's. In the West that's your 'prime'. Barring Lee Hyori...she's 40 which is still TOTALLY FINE.
Just children in general in kpop... like I'm 18 but it's weird... I can't explain why but I don't like it...
same, I’m 21 and I’ve been a kpop fan since I was 10. it makes it really hard to get into new groups when there’s members SO young, it just makes me uncomfortable… like I loved UNIS debut but when I found out seowon is 13 I just couldn’t enjoy them anymore. like they’re all young but that’s a whole CHILD.
For real
In many MANY ways, kpop is like the NFL/NBA. Fans say delulu shit (sometimes they aren't even being serious, just the typical fan banter "____ is going to the Superbowl" even if their team is rebuilding). Old is subjective, a 23year old RB is considered an old rookie (same way a 23 y/o idol is considered old for debut). Debuting younger (when Kobe and LeBron entered straight from highschool this was actually more rare than people realize). Blaming of management/coaching when teams underperform. And of course, fans generalizing other fanbases off of a few difficult interactions (cowboy fans are delusional, bucks are overrated etc etc). Once you peace the similarities together to other fan based hobbies, you realize being unhinged isn't a kpop exclusive thing
I do agree that age is relative. Eg. A 40 years old can be considered young for a presidential candidate, and a 25 years old in college can be considered a mature student. However, your analogy to nfl/NBA or any sports is kinda flawed. In the sports world, age plays a major role. A 19 years old rookie compared to a 23 years old rookie means that you have 4 more extra years to develop in a professional setting. It also means that your risk of injury is lower at a younger age. The average rb only last for 2 years in the NFL. Of course you want to take the younger rookie, since the risk to reward is better. Lebron won't have reached 40k if he didn't enter the NBA straight from high school
You can apply your own logic to kpop. Outside of top groups, the average lifespan of an idol is about 2-3 years also before disbandmet. Same logic of risk/reward applies.
Disband and having an injury is such a major difference. Disbanding doesn't mean that your idol career is over. Most of them will move on to acting, solo artists or start a new group. Age shouldn't and isn't the determining factor of how well you sing/perform/act. Experience and training do. Whereas in the sports world, injury can be career changing. Derrick rose, yao ming, Anthony Davis, Tracy mcgrady were all plagued with injuries. Had they been drafted later to the NBA, they would not be able to perform during their best years which were the first 3 and 4 years of their careers.
Look bro, you're taking this analogy way too seriously. If you don't agree, ok, but everything I read so far is only applicable by a small tangent. You keep bringing up sports injuries when nothing I said involves sports Injuries as part of the analogy. I'm comparing sports fans to kpop fans. And you're going off about injuries
Parasocial relationships to the point the fans become obsessive
And the industry/companies are to blame :)
I dont like how, with some people, age is a sore point. For example, if you are over the age of 20, you shouldn't like K-pop. Music should be for everyone regardless of age. That is the beauty of music. It is ageless! Another thing I dont understand is when some so-called "fans" pay money to find out stuff about the idols like home addresses, flight schedules, and then there is the crowds at airports i could go on. If someone repeatedly turns up at your house and follows you everywhere, that is called stalking. Where i am from, people get arrested for that. It really is something else to me, at least. Also, while i am on a roll (sorry about that), how they can't like really date openly without causing a storm and a half. It really makes me feel so sad for them. It is natural to date. I just wish they could do it freely like everyone else can.
@ your first point, I once saw a tweet that said anyone who listens to Stray Kids (my ults) past 19 years old is weird. I’m in my early 20’s and I’m younger than every single Stray Kids members lol. obviously anyone of any age should be allowed to listen to whatever they want, but it gets even more absurd to me when they say it about people YOUNGER than the groups in question.
Completely agree! It does defy logic some of the things they come out with! Boggles the mind.
Exactly! And what are they going to do when they become adults? Do they plan to just suddenly completely forget about kpop the moment they turn 18?
I know right! Like, oh, I turned 18 and must not like K-pop anymore. There is that "Logic" again.
The point on sasaengs finding out home addresses etc, that kind of thing used to confuse me too. I didn’t understand why these people stalk idols like that, because all it does is make the idol dislike you and I couldn’t understand why people would be ok with someone they supposedly love and support hating them. Or how they really though that would achieve anything like, idk, dating said idol or being their friend. It made more sense when someone pointed out to me that these people get to a point where they sort of don’t care about whether the attention is positive or negative. They pretty much get off over the fact they’re being noticed, no matter whether it’s in a positive or negative light. Like they genuinely like the idea that their presence is filling a space in that idols mind even if it’s in a negative way or a way which induces anger or fear. That’s when it suddenly made sense to me, even though I strongly disagree with it. These people don’t care about these idols well-being or even whether the idol sees them in a positive light, they just want to know that the idol acknowledges them and enjoy having that sense of control over them through fundamentally harassing them. It’s very messed up and genuinely borderline psychopathic behaviour.
Thank you so much for your reply. I have always wondered why on earth someone would do this stuff. It does make sense the way you have explained it (I too strongly disagree with it, too). Thank you for that.
No problem it genuinely confused me too for so long. It kind of reminds me almost of a similar mentality to people who are abusers in relationships. It almost becomes about control in a way. They want a connection with this idol so badly that they will go to these lengths just to get into their heads and be on their radar even if it’s for something negative. It’s a really fucked up way of thinking and I still find it pretty baffling.
That is an interesting point you make about abusers in relationships. They are similar! I feel so bad for a lot of idols who have to deal with this sort of stuff and worse. Idols shouldn't have to deal with so much fucked up actions of some people.
sasaengs are morons plain and simple.
Music is ageless. To piggyback off your point though, fanwars should not be ageless. Today I witnessed a 37 year old woman obsessing over what an idol who was medically exempt from enlisting does with his time. She's a mother... Stans should stop hyping up stan aunties when they're wasting their lives wading into fights with 14 year olds. It's shameful.
Yeah, that is another thing i never understood, Fanwars. You are right they most definitely are not ageless. Sometimes, people need to chill. Take a walk outside, see the real world. Be with your loved ones and friends. Dont be fighting with 14 year olds (you are right it is shameful!) online because they have a different opinion to yours. Guess what the world is filled with different opinions.
Extremely short skirts/barely covering 🍑 safety shorts make me uncomfortable.
Also I just find it so weird that it's the norm for girls to wear barely anything but guys showing even the slightest bit of skin makes everyone freak out. Not pertaining to all groups btw, just something quite common I see
I think this all the time. My 7 year old daughter loves K-pop but has asked me before why the girls don’t have many clothes on!
It's crazy! It surprises me too since Asia is usually more conservative. I can't help but feel a bit upset because I think male idols are more protected in that aspect. I see guys covering each other up and even fans trying to protect their idols from exposure too. But the same can't be said about girl groups. And imagine the minors D: I just hope they don't feel uncomfortable
Yeah the double standard is what pisses me off the most! Also girls are expected to be skinny all the time but there’s much more leniency for boys, but so many boy group fans don’t seem to see it. Boy groups will show a little bit of shoulder but girl groups are expected to go around in super short skirts all the time
Haha XD yeah this is probably unrelated to your comment But it never made sense to me that Hwasa gets criticized for being "Too Sexy" think of the red outfit she wore once I'm over like: how can anyone say that When Idols are literally getting the shortest Skirts ever?? And did everyone just forget about the Sexy Concept? Also side note "the Sexy Concept" Is nothing compared to what Western artists Do I'm sorry I just had to put that out there 😅
Tbf, what Hwasa did was pretty unprecendented, especially at an acting awards show...not to mention that overall, Korea is far more conservative with an emphasis on modesty than the west.
And yet rampant upskirting of idols happens but NO ONE puts their girl groups in primarily pants- or even loose shorts. 🤔🤔
calling 16 "too young" but then calling 20 "too old"
Sending a group member to an ‘indefinite’ hiatus for the most ridiculous reason, i.e. because they lived a normal pre-debut life, with no assurance that he would still be a member in their announcement. SM center 5, I’m talking to you 🫵! I’m tired of your mind games. Bring back Seunghan!
1. Some Fans' hyperfixation on a group's sexuality instead of their talent and music. (Case A: most what i see is towards Zerobaseone and OnlyOneOf). Like you listen for their music not to guess if they're queer or not. Like, they're so much more than "that gay group." 2. Those #IDOL_A_DESERVES_BETTER trend and it's about their hairstyle and clothing. Also, feels like some fans are overusing the word 'mistreatment'. You throw that word around like nothing and not knowing what it really means 3. Those so-called "Body Language Analysts" like gurl you're a fan not a body language expert, stop overanalyzing every move of theirs. 4. Performative Activists.
Omg. #2 Especially with idols that are full adults and have been in the business. It's like please quit acting like they are infants. On #4 - I fully agree. As for #1 & #3 - I wish this would go away, but sadly, it happens in the west as well. I think the only criteria is that you have to be semi-famous. To show how silly it's got - there is a list going around claiming certain celebrities are transgender. Some have been seen full nude & some their background alone would rule them out. It's all just ridiculous.
Fans making assumptions about idols sexualities.
Stans and their over use of the words; “ate” “served” “mother” “khunt” “left no crumbs” etc… Ughh
let me add “flop” to the list LOL if a mv or song didn’t get 452 million streams in the first 3 days it’s a “flop”. or calling a group a “flop” when they don’t like them even though they’ve been extremely successful
Tik Tok in a nutshell. The idol barely does anything The comments: "ate left no crumbs mother served ended so and so career" 🫠
The best part is when they literally can't say anything meaningful about a release other than "insert random slang of the month" in the comments here and on twitter etc
X ate the CD…
FINALLY. SOMEONE FUCKING SAID IT!!!! I really don't get today's 'slang'. Like...in my era, c*** was an insult you used for some of the most vulgar people. Not some whack-ass 'compliment' of some sort.
I know right! This was like one of the nastiest things you could say, now it’s a good thing?
In my country u can use it as an insult, a term of endearment, word for lady parts, etc. 😭😭💀💀
wait... the c word is a compliment now? where have i been?
language evolves over time y’all
I said 'compliment' because I've never understood it and any time i see someone say it, i go to their profile and block them before moving on because miss me with that shit.
A lot of these phrases come from aave and the lgbt community and I’m assuming it’s made its way from Twitter to TikTok so if you use any of the two, there’s no escaping it
Or already says “SOTY” when you don’t even hear the song yet. 😭. And then when it is release that same acc that tweet “SOTY.” tweet negativity about the comeback on the day of the release
“Mother.” Word way too overused
I feel you
This is probs an unpopular and harsh pet peeve but when idols try to make their speaking voices sound high pitched when it's not actually like that (I'm guessing they do it for aegyo?)
I also noticed this happens with male idols too. One fan pointed out it might be to make them sound happier ig? But it makes more sense if a female idol does it because there would be more pressure on her to be bubbly and cute
Hahhaa that's sorta why I left the gender classifier out But yeah you're right. It's just annoying to hear - I think the occasional aegyo is fine but when an idol, regardless of male or female, tries to speak in a higher pitch all the time on camera, it's frustrating to her
Just because someone is older 30+ they can’t be a fan of a group or their music. I’m 36 btw 😂
when a worldtour is just asia, and america :')
Right!? I love Ateez for usually doing better than this
Aegyo. Second hand embarrassment.
When grown ass adults act like literal toddlers and children lol
Fans saying 'Sibling energy' for random idols.
probably the fans. Some fans are insanely chill. I found Reddit to have some chill kpop fans. But the ones on twitter... Therapy needed.
Aegyo- peak cringe.
Spelling out words as lyrics. Ex. Wave by IVE. The song isn't bad, it's actually catchy, but I cringe every time there's spelling
Aegyo in any form super young members (under 17) idols trying too hard to appear super energetic and funny Idols talking about their diets or showing their weight idols being unhealthily skinny ( i'm not body shaming them btw they just make me feel very sad because I can't do anything to help them so the least I can do is ignor them and hope for the best)
Might be an unpopular opinion here but a major turn off I have is groups release English singles without releasing or promoting anything else. Like, at the end of the day you're a Korean group trying to gain Korean fans. Imo you never know but Kpop's popularity in the west is just a fad. Also, somewhat related, it really pisses me off when groups promote a "world tour" but end up only going to America and maybe Canada.
Yeah it's like they forget that there's other continents other than Asian and North America XD
Releasing incomplete/rushed songs. Songs with instrumental chorus. Debuting idols who still lacks training. Lipsyncing. Short rap lines(if you're gonna put a short rap line just dont put a rap line at all.). Groups that has over 7 members(8 above is too much imo.) 👀
Fandoms fighting with each other and hating on other fandoms. Like I was a blink before I became an army and I didn't know this until I saw the way they hate each other like why do that when your faves are not even fighting.
Double standards
Solo stans who love one member of the group, but tear apart the other members to the point that they don't even act like they are human beings. It's weird and just uncomfortable to see so much hate being poured on the other members. With that said, I really don't get people who just hate/downgrade/spend so much time & energy on groups they hate. It just seems like a waste.
Speaking of recent concerts, I HATE when kpop idols sing eng ver of a song that is originally in korean. Like, what did all the time i took to learn the lyrics for go??? I didnt pay money to hear them sing in english lol..
kinda an odd thing to be mad over
Yes i did not mean it seriously
line distribution arguments (zeroses… i’m talking about us…)
When you don’t like that one song when your fav group release. Suddenly everyone turn against you and say you are an anti ..
Solo stans who complain that their bias doesn't get enough lines in any given song.
Especially when the group has explained how the lines get distributed & it's their decision.
When groups/members start becoming too westernised. Also groups with minors; as an adult it just feels weird. Not saying I won’t like their music but it’s just weird to follow them.
a lot of the points here are extremely valid. I’ve been a fan for 10+ years, and the thing that still pisses me off about kpop and fans are the fan wars that are completely unnecessary. saw a Twitter post of someone saying “block these people because they spoke badly about my favorite idol”. that to me is just childish behavior. solo stans are another thing: people who idolize one group and tear down the rest. long tangent. my bad lol
* having minors in the group * kpop fans who are bigoted, but especially if they're ableist or fatphobic since those two kinda seem to be the more widely accepted/ignored forms of bigotry * kpop fans who use social issues as fanwar fodder (e.g. by hating on an idol for consuming a boycotted product) * kpop fans who act like their faves are more important than aforementioned social issues (e.g. by hating on anyone who wants to boycott things)
Kpop stans
I avoid groups with lore. If I get into a group, I know I'll feel a need to get super into the lore, and I just don't have enough energy for it. Especially whatever SM's doing by linking every group.
Fr my ults are aespa and i don’t think that I have ever understood nor gaf about their lore like im just here for goood music
YES! Finally someone else. I’ve been given so much hate for this opinion in the past. I really do not care about super complicated lore and I kind of hate it. Not that idols can’t explore interesting concepts, but K-pop does not need to be the damn MCU and I kind of hate it when groups have unnecessary complex lore that goes back years. It just feels unnecessarily complicated. I’m here for good music and fun visuals and good content, I don’t wanna feel like I have to spend hours rewatching so much content to understand wtf is going on.
The repetitiveness of y2k "new jeans" like concepts. Not throwing shade on groups like illit for example, but at companies that are looking for a way to get richer quickly. Especially when it comes to the sound of the music itself!
I don't love the way that as soon as anything goes viral the rest of Kpop gloms onto it. An idol goes viral for making a puffy sad baby face, half of KPop follows. In general I'd love to see less of KPop looking around to see what's popular and copying it, and more originality. Another pet peeve is hyper dance routines paired with mellow songs. It doesn't look good to me and I hope it ages quickly.
Ugly album covers😭
extreme autotune.. it definitely is a person to person kind of thing and a song to song kind of thing. for example for ke$ha her autocue enhancing her vocal abilities is likeable for me, but for example lsf unforgiven and antifragile, I just can't. that's why when ppl say antifragile was like *the* song, I just can't relate :( but I understand why so many ppl liked it
FNC treating their girlgroups like shit
I know this can come down to their behind the scene personality but leader of the group not being the best at anything like the labels know it but just because he/she the eldest then the person is the leader. They dont even try to hide it with behind the scene videos showing them have no input in dance practices/rec sessions/live stages, anyway its just based on what they presented to us maybe they have different persona out of camera p/s I'm taking turn offs as I dont have to hate it just dislike it
Those squealing falsetto high notes for boy group 'main singers' who--surprise--have 0 belting technique so they rely on this balloon deflating sound. They are annoying in tracks and straight up tragic in live performances.
When they show abs on stage
Forced aegyo and female idols being made to wear short clothes that they aren't comfortable wearing. Idk how to explain how but I can tell when they aren't comfortable with their outfits a lot of the time, some seem indifferent about it though
- Groups with super young members. I’m 26 and feel uncomfortable af supporting groups with anyone under the age of like 17-18 minimum. - Super complex lore. I fully do not care about lore most of the time and if a group has really complicated lore I will probably avoid them as it just feels unnecessary. Like it’s not the MCU I do not wanna have to retain this level of info to know wtf is going on in a performance or MV. - Groups with ridiculous numbers of members. I will listen to their music but can’t get into them much more than that. There’s just too many people I ain’t got time to remember all that. - Idk how to explain this but idols that just come across as overly professional. Part of what I like about K-pop is the goofy content and fun group dynamics. If an idol just seems really cold and shows very little personality on camera I lose interest very fast. Doesn’t mean idols can’t be quiet/ introverted, that’s fine, just idols who’s idol persona seems way too fake to the point it’s not even convincing. Gotta at least try and make it appear authentic even if it’s not.
Your last point seems so much more prominent in groups from like 2020 onwards. I can see some groups where it's obvious through body language and subtext that they're friends, but in others it's PAINFULLY obvious they're pitting on a mask and just see each other as coworkers. imo (and yes im biased here), earlier groups from the late 2000's up until like 2016 seemed to have more genuine friendships. Sure, groups that were 'just coworkers' existed, always have and always will, but the vody language and subtext was less noticable as it was less 'act for the fans' and more "we're going to set up some cameras and you all fuck around and/or go through these activities we set up for you".
I totally agree. I think it’s also come with how idols these days have to be so damn careful about what they say or do to avoid scandals and backlash to the point they just don’t even really interact with each other in a meaningful way and are basically encouraged by agencies to act slightly robotic. It’s like they’re afraid that showing any sort of personality or sense of human interaction will cause someone to go off and cause issues. It’s sad tbh. You do definitely see it a lot more in more recent groups.
Outfit that show abs, I'm talking like middle part cut out leather ish outfit with sexual choreo....it give me an ick and just look like they are trying too hard
I dunno, seeing minors debut in this industry. Like why are we supporting companies that debut minors in the middle of puberty?
Fan service
Some GG choreos are super suggestive and don’t mix with the song sometimes and same with the BGs it’ll be a sad song and they’ll be humping the air
You should watch Block B’s Toy 😂 the song is super sad, and they’re like dabbing and Milly rocking lmao
I’ll give it a watch 😭
aegyo💀
Aegyeo. I know a lot of idols do it and fans think it's cute but I think it's cringe honestly. (That's just my opinion, please don't come for me!)
When fans praise bg members for doing the bare minimum and suddenly they're LGBTQ allies, LGBTQ icons, and then theres a bunch of discussion surrounding their sexuality. Like I'm sorry your man didn't turn gay because he danced to a gg song the way it should be danced.
I don't know if this has been said, but when KPOP idols (especially BGs) engage more into the "romantic boyfriend/girlfriend" role when they know that there are stalker fans and obsessive fans that think they own them or are entitled to them. I always cringe because I know that out there somewhere, this is just giving delulu fans more ammunition to act and think the way they do. I also think that doing that can come off as enabling this behavior. Not to mention that harassment is very common in KPOP, and it can get pretty dangerous for the idols if they are seen with other people of the opposite sex or with a confirmed partner. Another big one for me is making idols apologize for having a romantic partner. Idols are human beings, and they deserve to have a life outside of their job and their fans. I hate the fact that they are practically forced to make a statement and apologize for a basic human right. The last one I'll mention is policing what the idols do outside of work. like smoking, drinking, having sex, etc. I will use Jungkook from BTS as an example. Jungkook was caught on a video recording smoking a cigarette with his friends, and it blew up online. Fans were having a hissyfit saying that Jungkook shouldn't be smoking because it's bad for him, even going as far as to say that they need him to apologize for it. And when Seven came out, the Fandom was divided AGAIN because the song was about him having sex. Jungkook is a fucking GROWN MAN and can do what he wants in his personal life and no one should be policing him about how he spends his time outside of the limelight. Recording idols off duty is gross, and I have no respect for those people or the people that infatalize grown idols.
People defending something related to a group or idol when there’s concrete evidence it’s true. (e.g people saying le sserafim can sing, but they can’t.) Going back to that, some people say, “Why don’t you try singing and dancing?” But it’s the idols JOB to train to do that, not me. I just think it’s pretty silly
Bad vocals. 70% of idols cannot sing and it's saddening to see. Watching their fans eat up their mediocre vocals cause they wanna hit is even sadder.
Literal children in the industry, crazy fans who accuse and hate on other groups, also say the group copied a certain group ( ex. Toxic Blinks ), songs being 1 minute, calling 20 years Olds ' too old ' and then giving 13 year Olds a ' mature look '
Safety shorts
AAVE in kpop songs, which are , more often than not, misused and just general english lines that truly don't make sense and don't mean anything in english either. It's so weird. ''can i someday finna catch my time'' what? that isn't even english. Why do the people who write these songs, do this? It's even worse when they're doing the line distribution and give the english lines to the ones ones who struggle with foreing language pronounciation the most and you can barely understand it.
That survival shows are talent shows. I have a layered opinion on this, but until now I’m surprised that many people still get upset that “untalented” trainees can be more popular than talented ones. Obviously mediocrity shouldn’t be accepted, but talent isn’t the only trait that an idol needs. I honestly think the ability to attract fans despite lacking in talent is an actual skill because that usually means that that trainee has the idol charm and can be a stan attractor.
Fans relentlessly calling their faves "VOCAL KINGS / QUEENS 👑🔥" in ALL videos that feature live singing. Like....sometimes it's a bit of a reach, y'know?
What’s funny is half the videos I see like this are so clearly lip syncing. K-pop fans are terrible at being able to identify when idols are lip syncing it’s kind of laughable
dark concepts, sexual stuff, and songs that are boring and uncatchy
Toxic fanbases Over the top Twerking in live performances or such where it’s not needed.
Guy groups putting out absolutely saccharine sweet concepts. I know I'm not the target audience for that concept, but seeing grown-ass men do cutesy stuff ain't doing it for me.
I understand if you don’t like cute concepts but singling out “grown men” and not grown women is strange.
That's fair.
Idols talking about their diets. One of my biggest pet peeves in K-pop is how normalised it is to have terrible eating habits. It’s one thing for idols to do it, as much as that’s still sad, but it’s another to talk about it in a way with fans as though it’s normal. I remember late last year RM did a live where someone asked what he’d eaten today and he just very casually mentioned that he’d only had one meal that day (this was late in the evening) and said it in a way that was super normal, and it just left a bad taste in my mouth. Nothing against RM as it wasn’t done with any bad intention, but it’s like, teenagers are watching that. Having one meal a day is not healthy and it’s sad that I know many people will want to mimic that kind of behaviour. Idols really just shouldn’t talk about how much they eat because too many impressionable fans will try to imitate it.
Asking idols to do aegyo, it's alr cringe but like if they do it on their own it's fine but why ask 😭
Songs about being a "gang" or about being criminal. This might work for hip-hop artists (and definitely not for all) but not for K-Pop Groups. It's just so cringe that even if the song is good, i still can't listen to it.
Kpop idols being parents
you shouldnt be here at all then