Showing posts with label my views. Show all posts
"The K-Pop Effect" - Plastic Surgery: A Positive or Negative Force?
It's undeniable--K-Pop has gone global, it's largest anchor being none other than PSY's fantastically viral hit song, Gangnam Style, which not only placed #2 on the iTunes chart (much higher up than any other K-Pop song known to man) but also, replaced Justin Bieber's Baby as the most watched YouTube video, LMFAO Party Rock anthem as the most liked and other celebrities who were releasing songs as the most talked about at that moment in time. But rather than thinking of simply the 'one-hit-wonder or two-hit-wonder, still-more-hits-than-your-biases', why don't we look more in the depths of the music, analyzing and viewing the positive and negative effects of not only K-Pop itself, but the Hallyu Wave and figuring out this question's answer: Is the K-Pop effect a positive or a negative force?
Us international fans mostly forget about Korea or simply, don't have a good view and make up the opinion of what Korean's think through netizen comments that have 100 likes and simple assumptions and guesstimates so to say, not really upholding the true effect of K-Pop. K-Pop in Korea can best be described as a 'fascination', hooking people with their catchy songs and receiving love with their outstanding and charming looks, the influence of how K-Pop infects daily lives otherwise known as 'The K-Pop Effect' , inheriting its name from SBS's Dateline. Watch the clip below which projects the actual effect of K-Pop on national Korean citizens starring the lovely Annie Ko of LOVEXSTEREO who was also interviewed by us and asked a question pertaining to her views on surgery.
Teenagers are the biggest victims of the K-Pop effect anywhere including the origin of South Korea, everyone knowing about Girls' Generation or Big Bang regardless of what age group they belong to (which is similar to that of your country knowing of the biggest pop artist--everyone not liking them but everyone acknowledging their existence), but the young ones usually being the most gullible and influenced. As seen in the video and can easily summarize the 16 minute clip, appearance is a huge and key factor for normal people especially for ones who acknowledge the existence of K-Pop. Most normal people apparently resort to plastic surgery as said by a Korean female in the clip who has lived overseas in America and most inspired by their favorite idols to get plastic surgery. To be honest, it's hard to escape the 'pressure to be perfect' when your favorite celebrities have gone through changes that are inexplicable when judging from past photos, idols being simply everywhere as stated in this article pertaining to idol actors.
Nevertheless, a Korean female who's otherwise known as 'JW Cinderella' of the JW plastic surgery clinic whom had actually went under the knife revealed her side of the story:
If you have a complex, you should have a surgery and be free from the complex, I strongly recommend. Of course, each person has their own beauty. However, surgery could improve their complex, it will be good.I agree with this to an extent, plastic surgery can free you from a complex and will be good if it does. But from the popular MTV show Girl Code, the girls decoded plastic surgery and the cast members even said things that can be summarized like this:
Makeup can fix anything plastic surgery can fix but plastic surgery is permanent. They can screw up surgery but if you're good at makeup, it'll be okay.
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| Maybe we should all be like Tanisha |
Why?
Because the media influences you to aim for perfection, all of those women who are a size 0, have the most radiant looking faces and are marketted as goddesses change your view on yourself.
Which is exactly what K-Pop does to women.
And that's the thing.
Now whether the strive to be perfect is a positive or negative force is debatable. I mean, of course, there are some cases where it could drive a woman to be less lazy and care more about herself, maybe taking a jog once in a while and actually washing and moisturizing her face. However, with the plethora of Korean women (and I mean plethora) throwing their money out of their pockets in order to get a straighter nose, larger eyes and a prettier smile just because of a few women on the television screen, I want to say that the K-Pop Effect definitely is not something positive. And whether or not we can fix the consequences of it is still unknown.
My Thoughts on Hyomin's Nice Body
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Better late than never, Hyomin came out with a solo music video some time ago, shaking her barely-existent ass without shame and giving off a Marina and the Diamonds' Primadonna vibe (I recommend clicking that link if you disliked Nice Body) but without the satire. Since I'm late, if you haven't watched it, shame on you. If you have, here's the video below again to refresh your memory.
Hyomin. She's my bias in T-ara. She's secretly the girl I yearn to scissor with. She's undeniably amongst the most attractive, if not, the most attractive female in the group. And she's the one who blew this debut up in flames.
Regardless of the plagiarism controversy which I honestly could give less fucks about, Hyomin had this chance with Nice Body to create a satirical masterpiece displaying the hardships of women, especially in a country as image-centric as South Korea, as they constantly strive to be the beautiful through horrible acts like anorexia, bulimia and weight loss treatments/pills. I mean, the lyrics were aiming towards it, saying:
You’re so hungry you look like a login what seemed like irony. However, she did not use this opportunity to be angry at societal standards like f(x) did, which I appreciate them for, with Red Light. She used this opportunity toliterally boast about having a nice body, not even adding irony or just a small bitter sweet chuckle at the end because apparently, this concept will not only sell more but recover T-ara's tainted image more.
Anyone can realize it with her facial expressions which clearly show how much more sexual prowess one has if they were 40 kilograms rather than a whopping 51.4 kilograms (I just gave my weight for the whole world to see. #teamfatass) which clearly is worth it to impress men who care only for appearance and not inward beauty.
I just wish Hyomin, instead of shaking what her mother gave her, used this opportunity for the good. I wish she made fun of societal standards and presented a call-to-action (or at least lead us to one) since she was on the right track with this song. It would have been more pleasurable and possibly give the girls more street cred. Also, I'm usually a feminist but she plays as if all guys are idiotic buffoons, really. I've met plenty of sapiophiles in my lifetime (THAT'S THE ONLY WAY I GET MY LERV) as well as guys who don't want women to be size -2 so please.
Likewise, this track did not make me lose respect for her, so don't get me wrong. It's just disappointment since she really could've... stood out amongst the crowd of overly provocative concepts.
I give this comeback a 2 out of 5. I didn't discuss the music video or song directly but for people who might shit themselves saying this is not a review: the song was average. The tune was not memorable but it was audible for the time being. The music video for the 15 version (the only one I saw) was worse than I anticipated. I thought there'd be more of a story other than 5 seconds of a fat Hyomin at the beginning and ending, but no. Hyomin lost quite a bit of weight, too.
What do you think of Nice Body? Great solo debut or could've been better? Place your comments below and remember to starve yourselves to meet the needs of men!
Sticks & Stones may Break your Bones, but Words will ALWAYS hurt you
It's a miracle if an idol doesn't screw up their career by saying something or doing something that either offends or is inappropriate in the eyes of the general population. With just a few simple words, they can lose thousands of fan club members, be un-contracted by an abundance of endorsement deals and be pushed to group disbandment. These idols get targeted daily, the idiom "forgive and forget" playing no pawn in the chess match and people who were unconditionally and indescribably in love with the speaker yesterday are now the same blood thirsty hounds today, their leaches off and their teeth clenched, wanting nothing more but the ultimate punishment--death-- being ensured to the doer, no mercy at the trial, no sympathy implored. And with this are just those few seconds that they wish nothing but to turn back. Those few seconds that they may have mildly wounded the persons unknowingly--like a tiny paper cut--yet are subject to exile. Those few seconds they released those words that left scarlet wetness to gorge from their bodies' open wounds like a poked water balloon, to leave a brutal scar that's looked upon every, single, day, that continuously awakens the memory of their fault, to push them off the cliff into the depths of thought and make them wish they have never been born or even--should remove themselves from the world because the convoluted, sickening and ultimately wrong idea that if the world doesn't find them useful, they are not, wanting nothing but to quickly satisfy the world with their lack of existence. To inflict pain and leave it aching and spreading around their bodies engulfing them and swallowing them into the pits of darkness, all because a few
Variety Shows are simply the home for idols to make their biggest mistakes, the best examples yet, KARA on Radio Star, in which bottles were thrown, useless tears were shed, insults were emitted and careers were ruined in the mere minutes given to the girls on the show. It's surprising to me that though so many idols like Girls' Generation's Tiffany are manager-like and control their group and themselves on what is being said, many other idols still believe that wherever they go, it's still a playground, where no rules are enforced and they can do whatever they want. Because of this, idols are faced with accusations of being rude, misbehaved and unmannerly and their images are hurt despite the years of training that are not used to develop talents but instead are used to better visuals, improve verbal utterings on live television and not look like an idiot outside.
Social Network is another way for idols to lose control. To them, websites are more than just a way to connect with fans. It's a 100% guaranteed way of getting attention from the people who will do almost anything to even breathe the same air their biases are breathing. It's not the ability to waste time dilly-dallying rather than going to a schedule that draws them to Instagram, Twitter and even more rarely, Facebook. But it's rather the attention they will receive and the overall growth of people giving them attention as they release more and more pictures and videos of them acting "dorky" or "a person just like you and me". Many idols play it cool with social networking for example, Girls' Generation's Taeyeon who has one of the most popular idol Instagram accounts to this day, nearly hitting the 2 million followers mark and still having yet to stir up controversy however, other idols such as T-ara and IU who both plummeted to rock bottom (IU rose from the pit, T-ara still has yet to improve) simply with either typed messages or images uploaded online? Pure victims of the word infection that's been spreading all throughout idols since day one. What many idols don't understand is that though they feel as if social networking should be a safe haven, more than just die-hard fans check their pages each and everyday. And being that the fact that the people who aren't deluded in the idea that 'oppar is so perf!', they tend to see around their words and are more critical on their actions.
Simple
Words.
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Remember Hyosung? The girl who single-handedly wiped out her whole group with just a simple sentence when trying to act like more than just a pretty face on a radio show.
“Our team respects each other’s individuality so our group doesn’t utilize democratization.”
Just like Hyosung, almost everyday, an abundance of Korean idols have a 'slip of the tongue' by saying something more naive than reasonable. This is the reason why numerous Korean netizens claim that idols are brainless baboons who, without idoldom, would be nothing but a burden to their parents. To them, they're insipid. They're bogus. They're deranged. And while a plethora of defensive international fans will nearly kill themselves saying that kind of language towards celebrities is false and unnecessary, you can't help but realize that those accusations actually aren't just filled with the rage towards idols in general and truly stem from somewhere--and with Hyosung, just like numerous other celebrities like INFINITE's Sunggyu who claimed women aged 30 and over are hags, anchorwoman Eun Young claiming women over 50kg are pigs and Super Junior's Shindong stupidly noting that women should not be fat and there is a standard between men and women for fatness in which men can be as fat as they want and women should not weigh more than a toothpick these remarks of stupidity and wishing for reflecting which cause the celebrity to lose fan base, respect or even their careers should not be taken lightly.
Variety Shows are simply the home for idols to make their biggest mistakes, the best examples yet, KARA on Radio Star, in which bottles were thrown, useless tears were shed, insults were emitted and careers were ruined in the mere minutes given to the girls on the show. It's surprising to me that though so many idols like Girls' Generation's Tiffany are manager-like and control their group and themselves on what is being said, many other idols still believe that wherever they go, it's still a playground, where no rules are enforced and they can do whatever they want. Because of this, idols are faced with accusations of being rude, misbehaved and unmannerly and their images are hurt despite the years of training that are not used to develop talents but instead are used to better visuals, improve verbal utterings on live television and not look like an idiot outside.
The problem with many variety shows however, are the fact that they continue to ask questions as if they have no boundaries. Going straight in for the kill rather than trying to relieve stress on the idol when asking their questions and forgetting to edit out parts that could otherwise make the idol seem idiotic or hurt their image.
What does all this mean?
There's no actual answer to this question. Idols tend to employ words, phrases or sentences in order to get their point across, add laughter to shows, tell secrets or simply not fall into the stupid category that idols always fall into. No matter what fans, companies or even the idols do, none of them can get away with the fact that the words they say can persuade, influence or hurt fans or even themselves. Even at the height of careers, there's always a camera watching, there's always a person listening and there's always a crowd waiting for them to fall to rock bottom just so they can spend their thirty minutes on lunch break laughing at how much an idiot the idol because that's simply what us netizens do. Idols are no more than a by-product of entertainment companies hands and should realize they are just tools to wallet stuffing and aren't looked at as even human beings to entertainment companies, to journalists, to anti-fans and to even fans. And at the end of the day, when all is said and done, fan cafes close, a plethora of articles release and careers are ended almost as fast as they began, it should always be remembered before hitting post on that one social networking site, before saying that one tiny little word that can change the whole meaning of a sentence on a variety show, before even thinking of a funny-to-you-however-maybe-not-so-funny-to-everyone-else kind of joke that sticks and stones may break your bones but words will always hurt you.
Casting Couch: Is There Really A Victim?
I've never been offered a 'role on the casting couch' and I'm pretty sure you haven't either... however, the esteemed and respected actor Sayuri has told her experiences when having dealed with offers, shaming the people who accept the casting couch deal and proving the victim is no one other than the gullible sheep who listen and fall for that nonsense:
"It's because celebrity hopefuls are greedy that sexual favors exist. People say that they do it because they're scared of what will happen if they don't, but I think that fear is just their greed. If you're not greedy about becoming a celebrity, you don't have to do it.In the past, someone asked me out to drink with them on a program. I told them to screw off. I, of course, was take off of the program. If I had been greedy, I would've agreed to drink with him. I just think it's a personal choice."I mean sure, it's kind of bad that you're being negotiated between sex and fame but isn't it you who signed the contract of prostitution... or am I mistaking you with your evil twin? Taken from netizenbuzz is a former celebrity trainee who too has been 'victim' to the casting couch:
There are actual entertainment agencies who downgraded into becoming brokers to hook up trainees with sponsors."Likewise, as said by the previously mentioned actress, the casting couch is when you want to get to the top quick however, in my opinion, there's nothing wrong with spending a bit of extra time crawling there slowly. It's the "victim's" own greed and impatience for the casting couch to even exist and it's those fiendish men who know it's their own greed and impatience to take advantage of the girls and offer such deals and contracts. So while we can remain 'hush hush' about the deal, there's no reason to slaughter one side when it's actually both sides at fault. I mean, there's so many people who go through the couch and try to make it out as rape yet, I actually want to say that it's more towards the consensual sex and prostitution side, both parties agreeing to the deed being done and both parties knowing before hand the benefits and the consequences.
A broker revealed, "We have the profiles of celebrity trainees, students majoring in the fine arts, miscellaneous works like home shopping stars, as well as trainees under big name agencies. It costs the sponsor $250 for one meet up with a trainee. If the trainee is young or from a bigger agency, the cost rises to the $800 to $1,000 USD range. Sponsors are asked to make appointments the day before and are required to be registered in the client list."
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My Views: Should Ahreum Thank Dorothea for Making Mental Asylums?
As you all should know, ex-T-ara member Ahreum has posted numerous pictures on her Instagram, numerous videos on her Instagram and numerous text posts on her Instagram which more or less lean towards her being a lunatic.
As summarized from what I can see, the pictures she posted were odd, some pictures of her uneven cut bangs and others of just pure... inexplicables. She recently posted a video saying she was in the process of having a sleepover with her friends and when she panned the camera towards her supposed "mates", they turned out to be invisible and she turned out to be crazier than what met the eye. Lastly, her texts posts mostly revolve around convulted, unclear and to sum, crazy ass hell words that the average Joe wouldn't even dare say, but since she ain't the average Joe, it seems like something a maniac would.
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To begin my analysis of the issue, I'm not sure at this point whether Ahreum is crazy or not being that CCM denied it and every netizen who knows jacksquat are only making assumptions. Nevertheless, what I am leaning towards after seeing everything with my own eyes are that she actually is crazy and should seek help.
The question though? Was she crazy all along? which is why CCM gave her the boot or was it by chance?
Crazy from birth? Not sure; it would be surreal that any company would place a raging schizophrenic on a team of girls to try to take over the nation (...but then again, it's CCM we're talking about here). Not to mention, she hasn't been that insane until her leave from Tara.
"So you're blaming T-ara...?"
On the contrary! I'm not a specialist nor am I an idol but I don't believe T-ara caused anything that she's experiencing right now despite some netizens' beliefs.
If you're going to choose something, you at least have to think she's not crazy until further notice and maybe is doing it for the attention.
So what do you think? Does Ahreum need to seek professional help? Or is she just a little "unique"? Voice your opinions below!
Idols Bitching about Consequences of Idoldom: Justified?
I have never once seen an idol who didn't know how to deliver a sob story over how much they missed their family or how hard training life was... sometimes even the complaints of the existence of a dating ban and their inability to eat whatever they wished, all the idols wanting people to pity their already-set-for-life-financially lives and wanting them to get out of that hell hole with a sullen look on their face. Genuinely, I was one of those fans who ate up everything the idol said, wondering why the world was so cruel and planning to buy their next album for support (thank God I didn't) only to realize one thing: there's no one to blame but themselves."I didn't choose the thug life, the thug life chose me" - the noun cannot be substituted for 'K-Pop Life' nor 'Idoldom' since in reality, they chose that life themselves. Sure, there's some companies (*cough*SM Entertainment and Core Contents Media *cough*) who linger on the streets, approaching innocent and under-aged bystanders and asking them if they'd be interesting in training with that one company, however, there's always the 'NO' word, is there not? And even if the pursuer continues to persist, wanting the person in the company so bad, then that person can continue declining the offer and walk away, most people already acknowledging the struggles of being a trainee and an idol and the pursued not being stuffed into a white van and drove to the companies dungeon, therefore, the power of 'free will' still coming to play.
Contrarily, I'd say the only people who have an excuse and right to bitch are idols like Hyoyeon who were forced into auditioning by said legal parent or guardian, most children not having the free will present and having to go along with the parent's somewhat selfish wish of living life through the child. On a different note, there's some idols like EXO-M's Kris and B.A.P's Youngjae who're totally at fault for regret, Kris rumored to have ran away to Canada during EXO's hiatus (did he forget about the contract?) and Youngjae who said that idol life was so hard, he wanted to break his arm to get a break. I feel as if nowadays there's no real excuse, many natives knowing about the struggle of training and especially if they go to audition for the company like Youngjae, they're at fault, and non-natives like Kris also probably knowing the ups and downs.
All-in-all, there's no downing of idol training here (but if you want to see the internal debate questioning if K-Pop training is useful, click here) however, when idols, especially ones who whine about their lives pre-debut when they themselves went to the audition, complain about the consequences of idoldom like lack of family, lack of privacy and lack of simple deeds humans do, I find it somewhat unjustified. Sure, no one asked for things like sasaeng fans, sleepless nights and scandals... but unless they were asleep during their whole lives pre-debut, they had to have known what to expect. Though there's only few excusing circumstances like Hyoyeon's case, not only do many idols have their lives set but also with so much free time, can't they partake in the things they've exclaimed they were banned of? Dating isn't that uncommon anymore and it's a known fact that off of promotion, idols tend to gain weight... but family (like G-Dragon who resides with his family, Jonghyun who meets his sister frequently, Yuri, CL & Tiffany who had some time with their brother, sister and cousin) is now becoming more accessible and sasaengs are becoming more of an issue for some (EXO) but less of an issue for smarty B2ST members (takes pictures of sasaengs)... so is complaining of idoldom consequences that justified with prior knowledge of what was to come?
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Future of Idol Groups: Wonder Girls' Edition
It's basically official--Wonder Girls is done. With their American advancement which took them from their reigning throne back in 2009, Sunye's wedding in 2012, her following pregnancy in 2013 as well as the indefinite hiatus it threw the five girls into, it seems like JYP Entertainment has dug the girls in a hole in which they have no way of getting out of. With the past editions of the Future of Idol Groups, I decoded and estimated the reigning time of the groups Girls' Generation and 2NE1 before they faced disbandment--this edition hitting the previous nation's girl group, Wonder Girls, hard and will be placing the five current members including Sunmi in order from greatest to least chance of staying in the limelight after disbandment.
Sohee - The group's face and most popular member Sohee stands tall on the number one spot despite her short stature. She recently started up her acting career in the drama Rose Day... and it's actually kind of good. Although I wouldn't expect her to be a singer in the future, the probability of her dropping idoldom and picking up acting (the career she wanted all along, by the way. She said she joined JYP as an aspiring actress however, was coerced into being an idol) seems the highest out of all the Wonder Girls. Sunmi - Not exactly a Wonder Girl anymore, this dropout has once again became active in the industry... this time, as a soloist. Holding her solo debut with 24 Hours, Sunmi showed that despite her resigning from the group a few years back to pursue her "studies" (in a more recent interview revealed the real reason was the stress), she's still got 'it' in her... and that 'it' could be enough to let her be a successful soloist.
Yubin - Having some appearances in media while the indefinite hiatus is still going on, Yubin seems as if she could maybe stay in somewhat famous post-WG. I wouldn't see her as a singer, dancer... or even a rapper but, she could pull a Sohee and attempt acting. In fact, I feel as if she did actually try to act and proved, much like Sohee, that she was good at it or much less, even average, she could probably use that as a starting point while expanding and improving it bit by bit.
Yenny - I had a bit of a struggle with Yeeun and Hyerim... but I found more of a reason to put Yeeun before Hyerim due to the possessing skills. Let's be honest--Yeeun's not the best at singing, dancing, rapping... or even looking good... but she does make songs. She may or may not be the same type of celeb after Wonder Girls (performing type) however, with this skill, it seems like if she worked more and more with music production and behind-the-scenes work, she could be a producer for companies in the future.
Hyerim - Similar to Yenny, she's not the best at anything including visuals... however with her, she doesn't have, or at least I've never seen her demonstrate, huge skills that could maintain her fame even after disbandment. Not to mention, she's the newest member of Wonder Girls and has among the smallest fan base in the group... if anything, I'd see her emceeing but other than that, she's done for.
Sunye - Sunye, Sunye, Sunye. If she didn't get hitched so soon, she'd be among the top 3 wonder girls with the largest chance of success post-disbandment. She had a pretty decent singing voice, a pretty decent fan following and a pretty decent image as the benevolent harmless and caring leader which could've kept her relevant... and even after the marriage, Sunye still had a chance of fame after Wonder Girls but she blew it--being that she put a bun in her oven, chose to stay in the group of youngsters who still had life left in them and push them in an indefinite hiatus while saying she'll do more missionary work in Haiti after her pregnancy to make people hate her. Even if she did want to go back (she seems like she doesn't), us netizens never forget and will bring this to her grave--the uncanny amount of spite she managed to pick up unshakable.
As usual, I'd like to end with the group as a whole this time, not including ex-member Sunmi. These girls had a long run starting from their debut and their what-seems-to-be last track Like This. Rumored by supposed insiders, their contracts are set to expire sometime next year, and there's no telling what'll happen when the time comes, most of us preparing for the worst--they
What's your take on Wonder Girls' future? Share your thoughts and opinions below, prophet!
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B.A.P's strategy: Over-saturation or Best, Absolute & Perfect Tactic?
Releasing 3 extended plays, 10 music videos, 12 singles, 5 albums (mixing both mini and full) and planning their Japanese debut later this year, we can all say that in the 20 months that B.A.P has been around, they have reached a variant in which even groups that debuted years ago haven't even crossed over. Only a few days ago had they released their 3rd music video, Bad Man, out of their 3-3 comeback which managed to top iTunes charts globally however, still remain less than older songs like Rum Pum Pum Pum, other songs of the f(x) Pink Tape album, 2NE1's Do You Love Me and more surprisingly, fierce competitor EXO with Growl on many national charts. And after B.A.P revealed that they don't mind the numerous comebacks (though Youngjae claimed that one time, he was so tired from all the schedules that he contemplated breaking his own arm), most people would wonder if B.A.P is doing too much to the market which is causing them to over-saturate the market and hurt their careers or if their tactic is fine and helping them rise to the top.
As a fan of B.A.P, I want to shine light on both sides and then say which side I think is better.
Warning: Comparison between B.A.P and EXO ahead.
Obviously, with EXO as one of SM Entertainment's newest products, it's hard for other rookies like NU'EST, VIXX and A-JAX to shine as much as they do with their small number of comebacks whereas B.A.P, with their plethora of comebacks, seems to be doing fine regardless of the company difference. Not to mention, though B.A.P hasn't had as many physical album sales as EXO, they have slayed them in digital sales and have garnered money with all of their albums and songs (damn, that's a lot) which can actually make up for that big difference. Likewise, it seems like they have a lot of popularity, having a world tour and selling out in places faster than expected notwithstanding their supposed small popularity.
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| Y we no worldwaid yet?! |
Nevertheless, after One Shot, it seemed like B.A.P's songs are getting a bit... mediocre, Coffee Shop being audible but not their best and both Hurricane and Bad Man both being my least favorite tracks from the group. Not to mention, it seems like though the boys basically just debuted a little while ago, they haven't grown much of a following past One Shot and are experiencing a halt in popularity whether they can top Billboard's Hip-Hop albums charts or not. Alongside their recent entertainment company controversies of supposed buybacks and plagiarism of SHINHWA's song, the six boys are already experiencing what I would like to call a downfall even with the short duration of their career. Likewise, the fact that they release songs basically every time I blink (their longest hiatus being five months) seems too like too much with their lack of result, them, now, losing the quality of songs that made people love them in the first place, money especially being that Bad Man was their most expensive video (past One Shot which was much better quality, anyway, and their song, Power, where they got a spaceship that cost over 100 million won) and well, their spark on the industry.
YG's survival program: A WIN or a lose?
Postponed to what seemed like infinity, YG Entertainment finally revealed the survival show we've all been waiting for, WIN (Who Is Next?... ooh suspense), will premiere on August 23rd. If you don't know WIN, it's simple: Two male teams (Team A with Kang Seung Yoon and Lee Seung Hoon, Team B with the twelve year old kid, B.I who appeared in MC Mong's Indian Boy music video, and other K-Pop Star contestant (note that SeungHoon was a contestant on K-Pop Star) Goo Joon Hee. will be battling it out and completing challenges, this show, ensuring quick debut for the winning team who'll later be called WINNER and guaranteeing either disbandment or postponing for the losing team who might as well be called Loser. Of course, shit is being aped all around the interweb people claiming this is bad, immoral and of course, un-YG family-like, wanting the show to never have happened due to the overall stress it'll cause the viewers and hopeful participants... however, taking the unpopular opinion as a girl psyched as fuck for their debut, I want to say that this is seriously not as bad as everyone is making it out to be--it's not a savage, brutal war and blood-filled competition, it's not the Hunger Games where they murder everyone and the last one standing is the winner and it's definitely not immoral or cruel because fuck, it's simply entertainment.  |
| "From Above" at dance practice |
1) brutal shows like K-Pop Star or Superstar K, because thousands audition, we cast a vote and we all know only one can become victorious in the end
2) The shitty trainee life we all know and love (you can say you hate it but it produces your favorite idols so please, hush)
3) Shows like Seventeen TV shows that rookies or upcoming artists appear on for people to see their personality and for the artists to gain numerous fans at such a young age.
Ultimately, I feel as though the show can really create some interest for the upcoming group, especially the fact that viewers get to vote in and decide what meets their preferences so I'm really not conplaining. It's entertainment--not roses and rainbows--and therefore, brutality shouldn't be as taboo as others make it out to be, us, already knowing about the struggles behind closed doors and now getting a chance to see it... especially now that abs might be involved.
Want to see the counter-argument written by Andi? Click here!
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Groups that Could've Been, but Weren't
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We all do things we regret from time to time... maybe handling a situation differently, saying something differently... or just resorting to not doing anything, at all, which simply marks and paints the canvas of our lives. But with idols, it's different--it's not a simple hey! I left the stove on! kind of deal but rather something that can shape their entire careers and onward with just one, measly action... and if they simply just did something differently, they could've been something, but weren't. Now, now, this isn't necessarily popularity growth, it can be a fall from top-tier, the wrong company... in fact, it can be anything! Just as long as it's apparent that the grass would have been greener on the other side. So let's get started--shall we?
If Rainbow wasn't on this list, I don't know who else could have made it, this seven member group being the epitome of a group with potential that failed. Having basically everything that K-Pop fans could want and more from their debut and height with song, A, I believe that if DSP Media pushed the group harder rather simply focusing on KARA, they could've been at the very least around groups like SECRET or 4minute in regards to popularity... however, with the combination of the company feeding them shitty, cutesy songs (which the public obviously doesn't like... give us more 'A'!) along side lack of promotion, the group turned from 'A' to 'I', quickly... I standing for irrelevant.
What's different about the group, Wonder Girls, on the list is that they actually were top-tier however, aren't anymore. If they simply just stayed in Korea, they could've been head-to-head with now top girl group, Girls' Generation however, with Sunye's pregnancy and their prolonged inactivity, they've slumped to a level that no group would want to go. Not only that, in my eyes I believe that without JYP Entertainment's poor choices in America, they could've maybe been at least at a level higher than where they are in America right now.
With their hot debut with Dr. Feel Good in 2009, I believe Rania truly had a lot of potential in them. If Rania, like Wonder Girls, didn't push towards the American market and rather, focused more on the Asian market, they could've definitely had more fame going for them. I mean, it's not impossible to learn English at the same time as promoting in Korea... why didn't they do that? Likewise, I feel like if the group was from a better, more-established company, it'd be easier for them to have a high popularity... and the company could've realized both the American market and Korean market were able to be prepped for at the same times... and they didn't have to hold the girls back with constant delays of even their American debut and lack of Korean promotion.
With their hot debut with Dr. Feel Good in 2009, I believe Rania truly had a lot of potential in them. If Rania, like Wonder Girls, didn't push towards the American market and rather, focused more on the Asian market, they could've definitely had more fame going for them. I mean, it's not impossible to learn English at the same time as promoting in Korea... why didn't they do that? Likewise, I feel like if the group was from a better, more-established company, it'd be easier for them to have a high popularity... and the company could've realized both the American market and Korean market were able to be prepped for at the same times... and they didn't have to hold the girls back with constant delays of even their American debut and lack of Korean promotion.
Disbanding prior to debut, the YG Entertainment girl group, SuPearls could've been phenomenal and undoubtedly a hit. With statements that not all the members signed contracts with YG Entertainment (rumored to be Michelle), the group basically bursted into flames, the replaced, rookie monster Lee Hi the only one with the apparent career.
T-ara is a group I'm still a bit iffy about on this list... at the time prior to the bullying scandal, it was inevitable that T-ara was climbing their way to the top, similar to how SISTAR is currently. I believe that maybe if T-ara didn't have the scandal and Hwayoung left quietly, they maybe, might've, could've... with more song releases, of course, been head-to-head with top-tier idols... maybe even specifically Girls' Generation (inb4 SONEs!).
T-ara is a group I'm still a bit iffy about on this list... at the time prior to the bullying scandal, it was inevitable that T-ara was climbing their way to the top, similar to how SISTAR is currently. I believe that maybe if T-ara didn't have the scandal and Hwayoung left quietly, they maybe, might've, could've... with more song releases, of course, been head-to-head with top-tier idols... maybe even specifically Girls' Generation (inb4 SONEs!).
Believe it or not--the first and only guy group on this list! JYP Entertainment's six member creation, 2PM, faced a scandal from one of their foreign members, Nickhun, a few years ago. Though of course, Nickhun did apologize so many times he shat rocks, netizens still don't forgive him. Ah, k-netizens, you are appalling.
Lastly, there's KARA which was already mentioned on this list. You would think that they wouldn't be on the list, to be honest, but what I really want to point out is that KARA is going full out in Japan and forgetting their fan base in Korea, them, losing fans as a result which definitely could've been avoided. I truly do think that if KARA leveled themselves like Girls' Generation did in Japan and released their Japanese songs as well as Korean songs, they didn't have to fall so far from the top tier of Korean groups as they did in the last few years. But, hey! As long as they're making money (cause Japan gives much more money than Korea) then it's actually kinda worth it, right?
Do you know any other acts that could've been something but stopped short of it with bad actions (save SE7EN and Sangchu--too obvious to put on the list)? Comment below.
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Lastly, there's KARA which was already mentioned on this list. You would think that they wouldn't be on the list, to be honest, but what I really want to point out is that KARA is going full out in Japan and forgetting their fan base in Korea, them, losing fans as a result which definitely could've been avoided. I truly do think that if KARA leveled themselves like Girls' Generation did in Japan and released their Japanese songs as well as Korean songs, they didn't have to fall so far from the top tier of Korean groups as they did in the last few years. But, hey! As long as they're making money (cause Japan gives much more money than Korea) then it's actually kinda worth it, right?
Do you know any other acts that could've been something but stopped short of it with bad actions (save SE7EN and Sangchu--too obvious to put on the list)? Comment below.
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Comment-ception: "SM is fucked when SNSD disbands"
Recently, on an article reviewing f(x)'s Rum Pum Pum Pum by our extremely awesome and new addition to the staff, AndiSweets, a commenter (thanks for that, by the way!) said this:
At first, I was mentally shaking my head--I mean, come on! SM Entertainment is one of the most fearsome contenders of the elite-like 'Big 3'... is it even possible that they could fall from the throne? However, after giving a few more seconds of thought, I realized that the comment actually held some truth in it--SM Entertainment most likely being fucked after the disbandment of their power group, Girls' Generation.
Every company has their own power acts--YG Entertainment has Big Bang, JYP Entertainment has... 2PM?, Starship Entertainment has SISTAR, DSP Media has KARA... and so on and so forth. However, the fact is that most companies truly rely on one group to keep them afloat and then somewhat neglect or basically lack for the other groups--SM Entertainment being the prime suspect of this case.
Super Junior - Super Junior is basically done for. With some members either having to go to the military or are already in the military, some members exceeding the age of 30 and of course, maybe wanting to settle down and get married as well as the ONLY13 mumbo jumbo being long gone, I'd expect Super Junior not lasting that long or being enough to hold SM Entertainment up. In fact, I don't even expect them to pull a SHINHWA and last a bajillion years after SM Entertainment because of all these setbacks as well as their dwindling popularity and respect in the business.
SHINee & f(x) - My two favorite groups from SM Entertainment, SHINee and f(x), seem to have a long time left to die-hard fans... in fact, some even claimed that f(x) could've rised above Girls' Generation with their recent comeback song (which seriously seemed like a duller version of Electric Shock) however, I think that since they didn't already climb to the very, very top during their years of being together (SHINee - 5 years, f(x) - 4 years) because of SM Entertainment basically disabling them to (of course, these groups can't climb over our older groups SuJu and SNSD!!!11), they don't have much time left. In fact, to me, it feels like as soon as Girls' Generation disbands, the two groups would be nearing their expiration date, as well.
TVXQ & BoA - Though I'm not a huge TVXQ fan, unlike Super Junior, I think it's actually possible they could last kind of long... staying with SM Entertainment? Maybe. BoA is somewhat the same; unlike other acts, if she wanted to pull a Lee Hyori and get married, she'd still have her career in tact being that she's one of the most respectable and oldest acts in the business.
Last but not least is EXO, Henry and of course, SNSD. Honestly, I don't even know about EXO's future. From what it looks like, they're the equivalent to British boy groups like One Direction and such, marketing to little teeny-boppers then when the boys get a little older and the fans get a little older, they move on... but it could be different. Either way, I don't expect EXO's career to be as elongated as the group they've basically been sent to replace--Super Junior. Henry is also the similar, I don't know what to expect especially being that he just debuted... (but I think he has more going for him than EXO). And of course, the SNSD edition decoding my thoughts of their future can be viewed here.
To sum it up, with SM Entertainment's most recent group, EXO, and the impression that they won't be as strong or influential as older acts, I really can't see SM sustaining themselves at their high position after Girls' Generation starts to cool down... Super Junior probably disbanding or going into an indefinite inactivity around if not before that time, SHINee and f(x) not really even getting the chance from SM Entertainment to blossom to their full potential and overtake their older co-workers and TVXQ & BoA simply being awesome as hell.
What do you think of the claim? Is SM Entertainment fucked after Girls' Generation disbands or will they find another source of putting the dinner on the table? Comment below!
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