(Photo Courtesy of Topstarnews Korea)
It
came to a point that Korean ENGENES paid for a truck and had it
displayed in front of KBS. The LED Screen in the
truck displayed the fans' message for the boy group’s agency to remove the
female dancers in the boy group’s choreography.
The
members of ENHYPEN collaborating with the female dancers shouldn't be an issue
because both are employees of a company who are merely doing their
jobs.
These
female dancers are paid to dance along with known artists and give their best,
both to viewers and fans alike. ENHYPEN collaborating with female dancers
doesn’t equate to them having a relationship. But if so, why do fans get
jealous in the first place? As sad and hurtful as it sounds, it is somewhat
impossible for K-Pop idols to develop romantic feelings for their fans.
How long has this behavior been going on?
This
behavior of fans hating on male K-Pop idols interacting with women has been
going on for years. When a male K-Pop idol interacts with women, fans are quick
to judge and give the female artists or the women slander on the internet.
The most recent news
was BTS’ V caught in a dating scandal with Blackpink’s Jennie. The rumor has been going on for years until a news outlet confirmed their
relationship until the claims were changed again. The news of their
relationship kept changing but fans were still angry at how V was dating and
threw hate on Jennie.
In
2020, EXO’s Chen announced
through a written letter that he was getting married to his long-time girlfriend
and that she’s pregnant. Because of the sudden
announcement, Chen wrote another
handwritten letter to apologize to his fans.
In
a YouTube video by
JerryRic, he asked Korean fans on what they think about
Chen apologizing. Some said it was his personal matter and it shouldn’t be
something he should apologize for. However, some said that they wanted him to
leave the group and that him being in a relationship while being in a group is
uncomfortable for fans.
Worse, some fans protested
outside SM Entertainment’s building for Chen to be removed from EXO.
How bad is this behavior?
This behavior is bad for two reasons: obsession and misogyny.
When a fan harbors a massive crush on their favorite idols, worst case scenario is they forget to draw the line. Whenever K-Pop idols date, they try to pry in their personal lives or choose to no longer support them just because they have entered a relationship. In other words, fans can create a parasocial relationship with their idols when the relationship is not real. Fans might think they own their idol when that itself is more dangerous.
When
male K-Pop idols get caught in a dating scandal or interact with women, it is
often the women that receive hate. Because fans harbor a crush towards these
male idols, they will throw hate or anger to anyone who “gets in their way.”
This behavior will influence fans to normalize hating on women that they can
also apply to their daily life.
Should male K-Pop idols interact with women?
Yes,
if they want to.
K-Pop idols like to interact with their fans, sometimes like to make them feel giddy. However, we cannot deny that it is just part of their job to make fans feel comfortable. Though K-Pop idols are genuine in showing their love and support to fans, the relationship is not as intimate and real.
To
sum it all up, these women don’t deserve the hate. For the female backup
dancers, they are merely doing their jobs. The women who K-Pop idols date are
merely experiencing real-life situations where people can date and enter
relationships.
Our
K-Pop idols may cheer us up, but we must remember they are human. Let them
breathe. They have personal lives, do their jobs, and can interact with anyone—even
date who they please to date.
True fans would not throw hate and know the meaning of respect.
K-Pop
fans are there to support their favorite groups in their journey. Whatever
decision they make or whatever circumstance that’s related to their work or
their personal life, we shouldn’t be hating them for it.
What do you think? Let us know @KpopWise