something i’ve noticed since i joined this sub and other kpop-adjacent ones is that there’s a lot of users with superiority complexes who make it very clear, either implicitly or explicitly, that they have a higher view of themselves than kpop fans for not liking or being interested in kpop, but they’ll tell you this on a kpop-focused sub and will often argue back and forth with other users about topics relating to kpop. i get that everyone has their own definitions of what it means to be a fan or a stan of something and that not everyone is interested in expanding their tastes (which is perfectly fine!) but at the same time, i think it’s a little silly to act like you’re so above other people who are interested in the same thing as you. if you know enough about kpop to argue with people online about it, you can’t claim to be totally detached and expect people to believe you.
conversely if you really harbour so much disdain for the kpop industry and think the community as a whole is so unbearably toxic, why waste your time and energy here when you could be doing literally anything else? it’s like snarking with more steps. nobody is forcing anyone to participate here or on any other sub so if you dislike it so much, just stop engaging.
the other day i was reading a post on one of the general pop culture subs which wasn’t even about kpop at all, but i saw quite a few comments under it from people whose usernames i recognise from this sub talking about how they hate kpop fans and how soulless and inferior idol music is compared to western pop artists. i even saw someone say they do everything in their power to avoid interacting with kpop stans which is ironic considering how i always see them on this sub instigating fights with said kpop stans lmao. i myself have a long list of grievances with the industry and community alike so i’m not arguing that there’s no room for criticism within kpop spaces or that everyone always has to see eye to eye, but what these people gain from antagonising every “kpoppie” they interact with when they’re fundamentally no different? it’s very pick me behaviour imo.
usually i tend to just ignore users like this but i can’t help but feel like this attitude is negatively impacting how people engage with discussions about kpop on reddit, and i think what really frustrates me is that it’s an attitude that’s only prevalent and accepted within kpop spaces. like if someone were to join the hip hop heads sub and wax poetic about how their favourite artist is the only good rapper in the game and that every other rap artist’s work is [insert microaggressive adjective] they would rightfully get dragged, yet on kpop subs it’s become so normalised to use such demeaning language to talk about both idols and their fans. it’s really off-putting and actively discourages discussion which shouldn’t be the case for a community dedicated to discussing kpop.
i hope this post doesn’t come off as “old lady shakes fist at cloud” but i just wish we had more room for productive conversations here, and i don’t think it’s unreasonable to suggest that members of this sub should have at least somewhat of an interest in kpop that goes beyond inciting fanwars.
tldr: if you hate kpop so much, stop engaging with kpop subs. it’s that simple!
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