this post was submitted on 24 Mar 2024
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K-pop: How jealous 'super fans' try to dictate their idols' private lives (www.bbc.co.uk)
submitted 9 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
18 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

They invest massive amounts of time and money - and expect control of their K-pop idol's private lives.

Archived version: https://archive.ph/nRZ9a

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[–] shalafi 20 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

It's horrifying that so many are so lonely and desperate that they fall into parasocial relationships.

I'm not going to beat the drum for conservative "traditional families", but there are reasons those dynamics got us out of tiny tribal units and built societal strength. At the least, children require TWO parents, and IDGAF about gender or sexual orientation. Kids need TWO points of view to bounce off of, respond to. TWO people to be responsible for their care and health.

Social cohesion had shredded to the point that children, and far too many adults, see a pop culture figure as not merely relatable, but personally relatable.

And remember kids, "personally relatable" is where the old-time religions got the idea of a personal Jesus.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

Idolatry, unfortunately, can be a natural part of development. Teens are especially vulnerable as they are in search of their own identity. What is happening can be out of desperation. No doubt. However, there is a considerable amount of exploitation happening as well.

While a healthy family can mitigate the risks, it becomes especially difficult because it's a behavior that is exploited by large companies for money. It's magnitudes worse when it's exploited over a generation.

Disney was the worst of the bunch as they curated fake lives of children, for children. As normal kids grew older so did their idols from the shows they watched as kids. Those kids lived in lock step with their idols through teenhood and into adulthood, all the while, they are doing the same shit at the same time. It's hyper-relatable over time and can even be exploited through adulthood now.

To my understanding, K-Pop is the same shit but just a different theme. Maybe not as extreme as Disney, but still very similar.

I started to compare this situation to cigarettes, actually. The more I thought about this, it's probably magnitudes worse. Unfortunately, that is speculation on my part.

[–] xpinchx 4 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Just curious - worse than cigarettes in what way?

Not feedback, it's just an odd comparison.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

It's a very odd comparison! No doubt about that. As I happen to be a nicotine addict, it's easy to make a comparison against.

Addiction is a strong force and it's almost primal feeling. I would imagine that a deep craving for a cigarette is very similar to how a superfan can go into a state of psychosis trying to grab a lock of hair or a bit of their idols clothing.

Referring to my Disney example specifically, people may feel more deeply connected to their idols at a family-like level. This could drive a much wider swath of emotions, I would imagine.

There are many things I would never do for a cigarette, but for family, the tables are turned significantly.

[–] johnlobo 5 points 9 months ago

these "super fans" are weird.

[–] SkabySkalywag 3 points 9 months ago

I thought those stupid fucks were all in on AI generated idols? They could can enforce whatever their pathetic needs are on a fantasy doll and we can also hope they stay in the basement for the next 10 years.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

K-pop is so overproduced and fake, and none of it is very good. I guess people these days have no brains at all of any kind.