K-pop! Grow Up!

http://www.allkpop.com/2010/01/beast_yoseob_fans_shutdown_ius_minihompy

Mini-hompy is like a Korean facebook. Mini-hompy = mini - homepage.

This week once again I didn't do anything of interest (unless you think shopping for computer parts and reformating my laptop is newsworthy), so I will do more of an opinion piece this week. It's still interesting, and sadly it's a subject I'm all too familiar with.



Korean Pop. Generally bland music, that is embarassingly catchy. In this post I'll be talking about how I feel about K-pop. No, I'm not going to argue quality of music. Just read on and post in my comments section what you think.

As you may remember from the last post on this topic, Korean pop bands are created like so:

K-Pop Creation
How to make your very own K-pop group!

1. -Host talent competitions and/or scour the country for talent
2. -Then choose a select lucky few to have compete against each other to see who will star in the new band (for extra cash and publicity, turn this step into a reality tv series)
3. -Then hide the select few winners and puts them through a rigorous training process. This training process includes perfecting vocals, languages (often English) and dancing
4. -Then after a year or 2 of being hidden slowly release information about the band (name/band members/music style)
5. -Then release a 'teaser trailer' released for the music video (yes a teaser for a 3 minute production)
6. -Then *BAM* have them debut on some music show and start selling merchandise.

K-pop Band Breakdown
Key Basics to Maintaining the Perfect Group

All K-pop band names have meanings. Special secret meanings that are only released weeks before the band itself debuts. For example the band, 2NE1, stands for the new 21st century sound that they embody, and MBLAQ stands for 'Music Boys Live in Absolute Quality'. So for the purpose of this excercise we'll call our K-pop group "Jenluvz". Cus not only do you love Jenny (me), but you're also jealous of Jenny (me). Cus if you say Jenluvz fast enough it sounds like 'Jealous'. Makes some sort of vague sense right?

Furthermore each member of the band is meant to embody a certain special ability. That is to say one person will be the 'fashionable one', another will be the 'voice' and there will always be the 'leader'. It's best if the lead singer isn't the best looking, or else he'll take all the attention away from the other members. I've created a chart so one can fully understand:

Now you too can create your very own K-pop group!

But back to seriousness, everything is always perfectly pre-determined and planned. The music companies control Korea's music almost entirely. I have yet to hear the Korean radio play or Korean pop sites talk about a self-made pop band (although that's not to say it doesn't exist). Yes I realize that in the west we have company-created pop bands as well, but generally the west chastises those types of bands; and eventually, some member of that pop band tries to break free and try some sort of original music. Furthermore, we do have bands that appear on the Top 100 charts that are genuine and haven't been created by a company. But... you know what? I don't mind these plastic bands all that much. Their music is catchy and at the end of the day, I still have my western music on my mp3 player if the songs get annoying.

So why does K-pop need a slap to the face? It's because of how the companies abuse the fans and how the fans abuse them back.

http://www.allkpop.com/2009/11/2pm_fans_attack_ivys_minihompy

Oh dear! Oh dear! What's worse? The boobs-galore (by Korean standards) or every 12 yr old's future husband being seduced by another women.

K-pop is about 40 years behind the west in the way K-pop stars are encouraged to interact with their fans. K-pop stars are NEVER seen with girlfriends or boyfriends. Your average fan is encouraged to think that these pop stars are single. Single all the time. If some rumors leak that the pop star has a gf or bf, it is quickly covered up with fake stories. To compare this to the west, when Paul McCartney first got married, they hid the wedding from the public for a couple of months out of fear of the fans reactions. They married in 1969!!!! Come on K-pop... get with the times.

Ouch! A face slashed by the nails from screaming fans. Something I'm sure all pop stars are used to.

http://www.allkpop.com/2009/12/wooyoung_has_a_bloody

K-pop stars work HARD! They never have a break, and are constantly working. K-pop bands cycle through songs & albums incredibly fast! Your average western star puts out an album, promotes it, tours for it and then disappears for a few months. Not K-pop stars. They spit out an album, promote it for awhile, disappear for certainly less than a year and again they do the same thing. In the case of G-Dragon (note my Halloween-theme for my blog) he released his solo album and pushed it for about 3 months before then promoting his band's, Big Bang, album and heading off to Japan. We're talking about 4 music videos, albums, photoshoots, and everything for his album in ONLY 3 MONTHS! My kids literally have a new 'flavor of the week' when it comes to music. Yes kids are like this, but not to the extent that Korean kids are encouraged to be. And constantly wanting and being given something new to be entertained with, is not a lesson I like seeing kids be taught.

The control these companies have over these kids is incredible! Often they are the ones deciding what the kids will like, and encourage the fanatical devotion. Now of course western kids can be just like this, but I feel that they have more selection when it comes to their fanaticism. ?

Oh Jae Beom, we all make mistakes as kids. But damn that one really came back to bite you in the ass.

And it's not as though their manipulating doesn't come and bite music companies in the ass. The biggest story in K-pop concerned the famous band, 2PM. The leader, Jae Beom, originally came from Seattle. Well in his younger years he whined on his MySpace about how Korea was "gay". Well years later he's moved to Korea and become a huge sensation. Well some Koreans found the post years later and made a huge fuss! HUGE! Despite multiple public apologies, the hatred was so huge that he had to quit the band and head back to the USA. Well now the kids are whining that he is no longer here.

Of course they've now changed their mind. What baffles me is why these young fans are in that much control!! THEY'RE KIDS! They throw a hissy fit and a man is out of a job! And now the company is boycotted cus they want him back? These fans are manipulated to be so utterly and completely obsessed with these band members, that it's almost impossible for these K-pop stars to keep out of 'fan trouble'.

So this is why I wish these music companies would just grow up already! Besides, if you left the K-pop stars to their own devices, chances are you'd make far more money off of the scandals they'd create.

They are just humans afterall