As we all know a huge part of the idol image comes down to looks. There have been several idols within the past few months who have gone viral for their weight loss. From what I have seen fans now appear to have a shifting mindset on this topic, however due to the demographics of fans there remains a mix of praise and critique.
Body image, I assume, is at the forefront of discussion in celebrity culture. From the western BBL epidemic of the past, to the ozempic fad now taking president it is hard for the average person to ignore these “trends”.
That being said western celebrities like Ariana Grande have ignited a movement in the west to dismiss the precedent of “do not comment on others bodies” and enable fans to voice concern.
Unfortunately, kpop has various niches within it’s listeners, and in combination with the rise in use of social media it can be hard to have a civil discussion on body image with out there being hate or trolls.
Sadly the desire to pursue a perfect image in idol culture and expectation of extreme dieting, has produced a near normalization of eating disorder culture. There is endless documentation on this topic, however I feel fans have the greatest ability to enable change.
I made this post after having the opportunity to see idle live at Lollapalooza today. There were moments throughout the set where Shuhau stumbled, was trying to catch her breath, and overall looked exhausted. Compared to other members it appeared she was struggling to keep up. The last thing I want to see is for any person to be struggling in that regard, in addition to the long term medical complications of having an ED/ Long term ED habits.
Although there may be an underlying health condition, I can’t ignore the correlation between her behavior and recent weight-loss.
As someone who has struggled with disordered eating habits, I feel nothing but empathy and concern. “Real recognizes real” as they say.
That being said, do you believe there is any hope in changing what appears to be a standard deeply ingrained in idol culture? I am at the point where I feel I may leave the kpop fandom as a whole.
Despite my enjoyment of the music, I find it hard to come to terms with enjoying media from an industry that enables and encourages this standard.
I hope to hear opinions on this topic alongside with suggestions on improving discussion on this topic in the community, without enabling toxicity.
submitted by /u/katy_katt
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