In other cultural sickness news

[Chew Toy McCoy]

K-pop star Karina apologises after relationship goes public

Some fans expressed disappointment after the 23-year-old confirmed she is dating actor Lee Jae-wook.

www.bbc.com

K-pop fans absolutely lose their shit if a star is in a relationship and the industry feels the fans are justified. It’s like a whole new level of prostitution.

 

[GermanSuplex]

Wait until they find out these stars have toilet paper in their homes, and that they actually use it. Its easy to forget they need to pinch a loaf once in a while.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

Obviously not the most disturbing thing going on in the world right now, but it’s up there. Basically any kpop star who is discovered having a relationship has to say “I’m sincerely sorry for not existing entirely in the fantasy world in your head. I have let you and myself down. I will do better.” It’s like being human trafficked but with fame and a big payday…although I don’t know how big considering the long predatory and exploitive history of the music industry. A lot of their wealth and lifestyle might be contingent on remaining in the slave-like situation.

 

[Roller]

It's disgusting, and their acuquiecense with the requirement shows they value money and fame more than what they might get from a relationship, though in some cases the K-pop gig may be all they have.

This isn't new, though. Stars like Rock Hudson have always had to keep aspects of their personal life secret from the public.

 

[Nycturne]

K-pop star Karina apologises after relationship goes public

Some fans expressed disappointment after the 23-year-old confirmed she is dating actor Lee Jae-wook.

www.bbc.com

K-pop fans absolutely lose their shit if a star is in a relationship and the industry feels the fans are justified. It’s like a whole new level of prostitution.

Idol culture in general for that part of the world is a real mess.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

Idol culture in general for that part of the world is a real mess.

Interesting. I wasn’t aware of that.

I was wondering if people in these positions are easier to exploit and control due to the perception that Asia is all about hard work, career success, and respecting the hierarchal structure. I’m not intimately aware but that is the perception from the west.

 

[Nycturne]

Interesting. I wasn’t aware of that.

I was wondering if people in these positions are easier to exploit and control due to the perception that Asia is all about hard work, career success, and respecting the hierarchal structure. I’m not intimately aware but that is the perception from the west.

Yeah, this is the tip of the iceberg. K-pop is somewhat popular in the west, so it's a little easier to find out, but there's a whole thing of needing to be "available" to the fanbase to feed on that parasocial relationship, but not available enough that it encourages stalkers. The animated film "Perfect Blue" is a sort of mash-up of Hitchcock-style horror and Idol culture. This also impacts streamers these days, as you've got companies like Cover (Hololive) and AnyColor (Nijisanji) that run talent agencies for VTubers, and a very similar type of parasocial relationship exists there too. Cover in particular has been courting successful independent streamers, and it is definitely variable how the agencies treat the talent.

Another aspect to consider here is how for many of them, this is how they make ends meet while they are pretty young. Last couple years of high school, or during college, and then they age out in their 20s and switch to a different career.

But the whole thing with Depp and Heard is kinda an offshoot of similar mentality. Fans investing themselves into celebrities who don't even know they exist and taking sides on the drama and making an even bigger deal of it. It's still a parasocial interaction, but it plays out differently due to the cultural differences. It's also the case that advertising in the US feeds on similar ideas: "If you buy this product, you can attract a gal like me." It's just not quite the same level as feeding the idea that fans can get the idol themselves.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

Yeah, this is the tip of the iceberg. K-pop is somewhat popular in the west, so it's a little easier to find out, but there's a whole thing of needing to be "available" to the fanbase to feed on that parasocial relationship, but not available enough that it encourages stalkers. The animated film "Perfect Blue" is a sort of mash-up of Hitchcock-style horror and Idol culture. This also impacts streamers these days, as you've got companies like Cover (Hololive) and AnyColor (Nijisanji) that run talent agencies for VTubers, and a very similar type of parasocial relationship exists there too. Cover in particular has been courting successful independent streamers, and it is definitely variable how the agencies treat the talent.

Another aspect to consider here is how for many of them, this is how they make ends meet while they are pretty young. Last couple years of high school, or during college, and then they age out in their 20s and switch to a different career.

But the whole thing with Depp and Heard is kinda an offshoot of similar mentality. Fans investing themselves into celebrities who don't even know they exist and taking sides on the drama and making an even bigger deal of it. It's still a parasocial interaction, but it plays out differently due to the cultural differences. It's also the case that advertising in the US feeds on similar ideas: "If you buy this product, you can attract a gal like me." It's just not quite the same level as feeding the idea that fans can get the idol themselves.

Wow, that’s crazy. I guess it’s both ignorant and arrogant of me to believe the US is the least grounded in reality in most respects. But then again, I also once believed middle and rural America was mostly just about a simpler life. Trump proved I was way off on that one.