FFeatureseatures
The question is, would you still support a K-Pop group whose music style is completely opposite of your own? The answer would likely be "yes" if you are a K-Pop stan following the stan culture. This is the fundamental difference between foreign musicians and K-Pop idols. This is also one of the reasons why artists (singers, composers, dancers, and rappers) look down on K-Pop idols. While this is not a blanket statement, in some cases, people believe that it is not their skills that have made them famous but rather other external factors.
K-Pop idols have been trained for years to have the image they are known for, from their appearance to their personalities. They behave the way they were trained to in the given positions. Don't these roles sound familiar to you? "Athletic, quiet, and cold maknae," "funny, chill, and mom-like leader," "cold and serious rapper," "funny, optimistic, and cheerful member"—the entertainment industry knows what the public wants and is therefore involved in this stanning culture.
It's considered a betrayal if you don't fit the image you originally marketed yourself as, and this applies not only to K-op idols but to most public figures. Celebrities are under pressure to strictly adhere to the moral standards of the public because of the fear that fans like their fabricated personalities on screen, the fear that fans don't know who they actually are, and the fear that one mistake could ruin their whole career. Could this unhealthy and unjust stanning culture ever change? It's an ongoing question that remains to be answered.
Jina is a senior treasuring her last moments in high school. She has probably watched all the existing kdramas and is deeply engrossed in the entertainment media. With her great ambitions to change the world and contribute to it for the better, she holds a pen to write for change, for sentiment, and for society.