No I definitely agree with most of what you have said here,, it can be very damaging to the boys and even someone’s psyche by reading content like this...I know I was disturbed and yet fixated on this when i first read all of this too. So I really agree with you there. Some comments made are a bit...much... and this thread should all be taken with a grain of salt. Of course the boys work extremely (if not over the top, too much) hard and are very talented and they definitely have come along way. I don’t think their success is all down to “sacrifices and being a part of an occult” - it’s definitely down to the boys and their music and story. At this point I do think the fandom has gone overboard and toxic (their obsession with numbers and crying and screaming...it’s all too much.) that’s very creepy behaviour and I can see where some comments about how music affects you etc can be the reason but I’ve gone off tangent here lol. I get what you mean by underlying message and I’m not saying it’s /not/ that i just think there’s MORE but I do think this forum can be toxic too if you let it get to your head
Also about Idol: I don’t see how they are outright criticisng the k idol music industry, if anything they’re saying they’re proud to be an idol...the song has a completely different meaning...I feel like you’re just trying to make their content work to fit your theory. I also personally think the lyrics are pretty weak. I think it could have been deeper but eh whatever, since the Minaj collab I’ve been pretty disappointed but again that was Namjoon’s idea so idk what to think really about anything haha
I also don’t get the relevency of your brief history lesson nor the point of it - what do you mean?
I'm really glad that you agree with me on the important points. Also, my history lesson wasn't directed at you per se, I just think that there are some people on here that need to hear it.
Let me get back to you on IDOL. There are a few points I want to make on it but I am pressed for time right now.
IDOL thoughts…
Keep in mind, when I talk about the industry, I include the fan culture as part of it, not just the idol creation/promotion process but also what the industry has conditioned the fans to expect.
A little background first because it is relevant.
Fake Love, in my opinion, was about the struggles of becoming/living as an idol and the masks that idols have to wear, firstly to show only the perfectly polished image that the fans are conditioned to expect and secondly as a form of self protection against the hate. At the end of the day, they can look at themselves in the mirror and say that the hate, lies, innuendo, assumptions and vile comments are directed at RM/V/SUGA/JK/JHOPE rather than at Namjoon/Taehyung/Yoongi/Jungkook/Hoseok etc because after all these boys are actual living, breathing human beings with feelings, families, friends and not some fictional, emotionless, lifeless anime characters that only exist on your screens.
Fake love set the tone, talking about how the boys are being treating like puppets for your amusement rather than actual people. Tae is surrounded by flashing screens, Jimin is trapped in his own self doubt, RM doesn’t recognise himself anymore, Hobi craves the sweetness of the attention but is also drowning in it, YG has had his creativity stifled. JK flashing his abs is an integral part of the choreography showing how even the youngest member is overly sexualised by the fans…
The concept pics for ANSWER are a continuation of this message.
The boys in the red boxes surrounded by cameras and eyes.
The pics torn down the middle showing their duality - who they are as opposed to what the fans want to see.
The snow globes depicting how they are just pretty objects to have on display
The playground pics to depict how Idols are trained from a young age and miss out on a lot of their childhood
All very confronting stuff that some fans just refused to see.
IDOL itself is a diss track.
Tae’s hair is two different colours symbolising the duality discussed above.
He is shown between two unicorns, mythical creatures as he is often referred to as CGV and people question if he is actually real.
His glasses and clothing are a direct slap in the face to people who criticised him for his choices.
The same goes for RM and the filters.
There is the blatant pushing past the masses in reference to airport mobbing.
They say that they don’t care what label you throw at them, they are proud to be themselves because they have always been genuine and have creative freedom unlike some others in the industry.
The call out the haters telling them to mind their own business and that their opinions won’t devalue their self worth.
There are a lot of Korean references which I am not qualified to talk about, but the guy in this video is:
Even the fact that the MV is loud and gaudy and doesn’t actually match with the lyrics is showing the duality of the industry.
And the most blatant one that people seem to ignore is the SHIP on the table in the opening and closing sequences which, in my opinion, is calling out all the fans that continually try to force their imaginary ships on them. I think this is highlighted by Tae’s recent selca for JK’s birthday where he chose to show a pic of a young JK with the caption that he misses these times. Times when he could just hang out with his baby brother without everyone trying to sexualise everything they do.
There is a lot more but this post is already really long.