i just watched Giselle’s instagram livestream and it got me thinking: how different would the industry be if we could actually get to know a bit more about the idols without the haters throwing stones at everyone? although she mentioned she was just dropping little hints
about who she really is, it’s new for us to see an idol actually acknowledging the fact that the Giselle that shows up on our screens is a carefully manufactured persona and not the true Aeri.
this is what’s missing in k-pop. like i really sat here and watched this girl answer questions for over 40 minutes meanwhile i can’t even bring myself to watch 10 minutes of a variety show because generally everyone lacks authenticity (other than katseye mostly, if they count as kpop – do not kill me for this). don’t get me wrong i LOVE k-pop and being a fan and obsessing over a new comeback and living through the peak stan experience of witnessing an i.o.i reunion but the content that is supposed to actually be entertaining is what people like me often avoid. not only because it isn’t authentic but also cause it’s so manufactured to the point that you’re scared of becoming too parasocial. after all that’s its purpose.
idk if it’s only me but i’d rather occasionally get genuine and creative and out of the box content than to have groups post 30 minute long episodes of them playing games every single week. for example i would love to have more idols show their art on the internet. to get to see another side of them when they aren’t on stage. it obviously doesn’t have to be who they actually are off camera but a little characteristic, a little hobby, a little piece of their personalities that makes them THEM. why aren’t they given the creative freedom and the time to rest and to explore what they have to offer? some things are just so unnecessary but the companies keep doing them because the fans eat it up anyway. some of us need a lesson on the difference between hating and expressing our thoughts. or on how to show appreciation instead of unconditional love.
if companies love to appeal to the western media so much, why force these facades on their employees so strictly? it’s obvious to me that the western general public will never empathize with celebrities whose job prevents them from acting like real people with real feelings and real beliefs. especially in a time when being relatable and honest is so crucial in order to grow a fanbase.
don’t get me wrong, i’m not here to throw any shade towards the idols themselves because at the end of the day they are the victims. i bet a lot of them would actually love to open up if they could. it just feels so genuinely impossible for anyone to say anything a little different without it being taken the opposite way and blown out of proportion into a huge scandal that will take months to recover from.
i wish i could give you examples other than Giselle. but i don’t know if that’s them or some fake persona that their creative director came up with on a random friday.
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