I’ve noticed that idols who are more Americanized, whether through their interests, humor, mannerisms, or aesthetics or whatever are often praised for having so much “personality.” Even when those same interests or behaviors might be considered completely unremarkable or even corny, outside of K-pop spaces…
Whenever an idol is criticized for behaving in a way or saying something that isn’t typical of Korean idols, I feel like the defense is almost always some variation of “K-pop fans aren’t used to idols with actual personalities.” Which is a strange argument because what exactly does that imply about idols who are more culturally Korean? That they’re inherently boring?
Take Karina, for example. She’s quick-witted, playful, somewhat aggressive, pretty thick-skinned, and has a fascination with creatures like dinosaurs, crocodiles, and sharks. The director of some show she was on said that “she was actually wilder than I expected. She tries to be funny more than you’d think.” Which people found shocking, but to me it’s not particularly difficult to see what he means? There are literally clips of her getting so embarrassed during interactions with other idols that she starts punching walls. When someone asked whether she was now embarrassed looking back at an old viral dancing clip, her response was essentially, “Now? No, it didn’t take me THAT LONG to get embarrassed.” She’s kinda blunt and clearly quick comebacks and is comfortable making fun of herself. Her personality seems fairly easy to read and a little rough around the edges?
But because she isn’t constantly displaying a Western aesthetic or referencing things that are popular in Western internet culture, I’ve seen people, even fans of aespa, characterize her as having no personality at all despite hers seeming pretty easy to grasp?
Obviously, relating more to someone because you share their interests or cultural background, or even shared interest in a specific cultural background is completely understandable. But finding someone relatable and recognizing that they have a personality are two very different things?????
I genuinely can’t tell how much of this comes down to language barriers, cultural diffs, or an underlying belief that Western (particularly American) expressions of individuality are somehow more interesting or authentic.
It’s especially strange to me because we’re literally talking about fans of Korean entertainment who sometimes seem unable to recognize individuality unless it’s expressed through a Western cultural lens… A lot of the people who express these thoughts aren’t even American themselve too! They’re just online a lot and have this prioritized American culture without realizing it it seems
submitted by /u/Soft-Positive-4179
[link] [comments]
