BTS/KPOP Shipper Mentality

AndrAt3A

Established
Joined
Mar 11, 2020
Messages
121
I have been reading the kpop thread and BTS thread for a while now, and 1 thing that really just baffles me is the Shipping. Now I am no stranger to shipping, but never have I seen such blatant gay baiting as with idol members. The level of commitment it would take to hold up a false relationship is profound. There has to be some truth in order for it to work so well.
Take the arguably most popular ship in kpop nowadays which is T3eK00k- there is the account T3ek00k-lives on twitter and Youtube she has of 25k followers on Twitter and 320k subscribers on YouTube. Her T3ek00k videos garner about 100k to 1mil views per analysis. Thats more than some of their interviews get. What I dont understand is if all of the fan service and gay baiting is fake, then why would the companies block some of her analyses? B1gH1t even go as far to remove scenes that feature both of those members together.

I just have so many questions about the whole aspect of it. Has anyone else thought about it before?
Also I know I only posted about 1 ship out of all Kpop, but I am still learning that it is so widespread throughout the whole genre. It is just the only one I actually read up on.
 

AndrAt3A

Established
Joined
Mar 11, 2020
Messages
121
This stuff they do at concerts, I don't remember ever seeing western artists do this unless it was like a male singing to a female about a relationship inspired song. BTS have become known for singing about Army and themselves, but they act like this during such a "deep meaningful" song.IMG_20200312_025637.jpg
 

AndrAt3A

Established
Joined
Mar 11, 2020
Messages
121
7f866da7-1e26-43ea-98f3-9e6dc9ccdc13.jpg

IMG_20200312_115230.jpg

Also Korea Dispatch was known for revealing all couples in kpop 1 every year. They seem to have some sort of favoritism for B1GH1T artist. Mostly Vee they are constantly changing their pfp to him at random times throughout the year seemingly for no reason. They they use gay emoji when posting about 2 members. I am just so confused as to what they profit from doing so. IMG_20200312_115654.jpgIMG_20200312_115615.jpg
 

AndrAt3A

Established
Joined
Mar 11, 2020
Messages
121

Some male idols even kiss on stage and it's supposedly just fan service?
 
Joined
May 14, 2017
Messages
1,269
Idols have to be simultaneously sexual and chaste. It's part of the appeal; this person has to be enticing but has to give the illusion that you, and only you, the dear fan could win their heart. A way to do that is use same-sex pairings. Throw in the fact that shipping is something in every nerdy fandom.
 

AndrAt3A

Established
Joined
Mar 11, 2020
Messages
121
Real world is tough, full of responsibilities and problems, thinks are not always go in the ways you want.

In idol word, they are all handsome and pretty, they sing songs and dance, they have fun and laugh together, they love and support each other, in real word, there are more people who judge you than people who actually support and understand you. They also make fans fantasize them sexually by creating scenes (fan service). So that fans are living in this imaginary world and they feel happy, this create addiction and cause this shipper mentality especially for teenagers. It is all fake but they don't want to believe it.
So when companies go out of their way to edit out videos where 2 members are shown together does that mean it's purposely to mislead fans into thinking that there is more going on? Or is it bc it really is something they don't want fans to see? Thats what really confuses me. Because if its all fake it doesn't make sense to do that when you capitalize on their closeness/ fan service
 
Joined
May 14, 2017
Messages
1,269
So when companies go out of their way to edit out videos where 2 members are shown together does that mean it's purposely to mislead fans into thinking that there is more going on? Or is it bc it really is something they don't want fans to see? Thats what really confuses me. Because if its all fake it doesn't make sense to do that when you capitalize on their closeness/ fan service
It makes all the more sense to capitalize on it if it isn't real. Idols are all about selling a fantasy. I mean, idols that got caught breaking it have had their lives and careers effectively ruined. And in the case of a lot of fangirls of Asian media... They love pretty boys and pretty boys being together.
 

cadiz

Star
Joined
Sep 28, 2018
Messages
1,989
So when companies go out of their way to edit out videos where 2 members are shown together does that mean it's purposely to mislead fans into thinking that there is more going on? Or is it bc it really is something they don't want fans to see? Thats what really confuses me. Because if its all fake it doesn't make sense to do that when you capitalize on their closeness/ fan service
ive seen serveral bts shippers saying their shipping videos are deleted...it's not only taekook
so I think Bigshit is just delething things for copright

And about kpop ships.....maybe some of them experiment with each other
but I dont believe they are in love or in serious reltionships . These guys are supposed to push ships during concerts and shows

its all to brainwash the fans and make them become addicted
shipping is a big part of BT$ fandom...BigShit knows that and BT$ members know very well they are shipped with each other

Not long ago TH denied his ship with JK but a few days later he went back again to fuel the shippers with fanservice
it's all part of their act
 

AndrAt3A

Established
Joined
Mar 11, 2020
Messages
121
It makes all the more sense to capitalize on it if it isn't real. Idols are all about selling a fantasy. I mean, idols that got caught breaking it have had their lives and careers effectively ruined. And in the case of a lot of fangirls of Asian media... They love pretty boys and pretty boys being together.
I am bad at words i guess. What i was trying to say and what i dont understand is,

How can you capitalize on something you don't show?

What really made me question the mentality around shipping from a company standpoint are these type of videos...

yes a lot of it is way to over analysed and i take it with a shit ton of salt. However the cutting scenes and separation aspect doesn't make sense from a business or marketing standpoint.
 

AndrAt3A

Established
Joined
Mar 11, 2020
Messages
121
ive seen serveral bts shippers saying their shipping videos are deleted...it's not only taekook
so I think Bigshit is just delething things for copright

And about kpop ships.....maybe some of them experiment with each other
but I dont believe they are in love or in serious reltionships . These guys are supposed to push ships during concerts and shows

its all to brainwash the fans and make them become addicted
shipping is a big part of BT$ fandom...BigShit knows that and BT$ members know very well they are shipped with each other

Not long ago TH denied his ship with JK but a few days later he went back again to fuel the shippers with fanservice
it's all part of their act
He didn't deny it though, i doubt the company would ever let him do that.
What he did was tell his fans to stop picturing themselves with the members.
IMG_20200313_035813.jpg He did the same thing later on with another "fan". Someone had a username of "Jungkook's Lover" and he told them to stop imagining things like that.
IMG_20200313_035628.jpg
Which he shouldn't be saying if the company is trying to sell fantasy to their fans(cult followers).
 

Kittyn

Established
Joined
Mar 16, 2020
Messages
122
I think Vee was 17 (going 18 that year) and JK was 16 here. I think they are more than friends but don"t know if they are acting for fanservice.

 

Aero

Superstar
Joined
Mar 13, 2017
Messages
5,910
Omg shipping is so annoying.

Misleading fans is part of the entertainment business. If you want a deeper explanation it has to do with the fact that fans are being taught to be submissive. They are in essence submitting to the fact that the celebrity or artist is better than them.

As far as the gay stuff, I really don't know. Maybe it has to do with submission, but I can't say that confidently at this time.
 

cadiz

Star
Joined
Sep 28, 2018
Messages
1,989
I agree this is fan service as it's finest but I thought koreans were very conservatives about homosexuality, do they do this only to please western fans? What do their korean fans think about it?
korean fans love it, they do fanfiction and fanarts too
it's weird because like you say korean society is very conservative

But I think korean fans just see this fanservice as a "game" and because idols are not allowed to date the oposite sex in public, fangirls prefer to see them interacting with a bandmate than with another woman
 

starss

Rookie
Joined
Jan 30, 2019
Messages
13
korean fans love it, they do fanfiction and fanarts too
it's weird because like you say korean society is very conservative

But I think korean fans just see this fanservice as a "game" and because idols are not allowed to date the oposite sex in public, fangirls prefer to see them interacting with a bandmate than with another woman
Thanks for the information! I had no idea korean fans loved it. As for your last paragraph it's so weird that some fans prefer that, but to each their own right? hahaha
 

AndrAt3A

Established
Joined
Mar 11, 2020
Messages
121
Pictures like this released as behind the scenes extras that you pay extra for. At this point its believable to me that 2 members in a 7member group could be gay.IMG_20200401_021954.jpg
 

AndrAt3A

Established
Joined
Mar 11, 2020
Messages
121
Most popular Bts ships are
JIkook (jimin & jk)
TaeKook (v & jk)
Yoonmin (jimin & suga)
Namjin (rm & jin)
Taegi (suga & v)
Sope (jhope & suga)
Vmin (v & jimin)

With their popularity there are certain ships that have risen and those that have slightly declined.
In their early career Taekook and Yoonmin really dominated.. the after jhope and V were forced to kiss there was a rise in vhope. Taejin were semi popular as well, since they always talked about showering together.....

Now though with how successful they have become, I think the company definitely shifts the focus. They have been predominantly focussing on Jikook and Taegi with their reality shows like bon voyage and run bts. They tend to pair of the same two or 3 members... its usually the dance line jhope jimin and jk, then Taegi together and Namjin together. It depends on who is playing host.

Compared to their earlier days it seems like a gradual shift of focus..

What I am interested in is... does that make the earliest fan service content more real? Since it seemed like the company wasn't promoting as much and therefore the members were more free to act how they wanted to eachother.

Or is it now that they have made big hit so much money that the company lets them be more themselves and act how they want towards other memebers. Which could explain the shift in the different ships being promoted/ heavily encouraged.

Its something that keeps my interest on bts and shipping in general. Since it wasn't all that new to me as I used to love the show Supernatural and they have a clear gay baiting theme with Dean and Castiel while simultaneously discouraging it publicly.

If anyone else finds interest in this kind of conversation let me know. This is a good thread to speak openly about it without worry of derailing illum*nati discussions.
 

doublestandardism

Established
Joined
Dec 16, 2019
Messages
118
Most popular Bts ships are
JIkook (jimin & jk)
TaeKook (v & jk)
Yoonmin (jimin & suga)
Namjin (rm & jin)
Taegi (suga & v)
Sope (jhope & suga)
Vmin (v & jimin)

With their popularity there are certain ships that have risen and those that have slightly declined.
In their early career Taekook and Yoonmin really dominated.. the after jhope and V were forced to kiss there was a rise in vhope. Taejin were semi popular as well, since they always talked about showering together.....

Now though with how successful they have become, I think the company definitely shifts the focus. They have been predominantly focussing on Jikook and Taegi with their reality shows like bon voyage and run bts. They tend to pair of the same two or 3 members... its usually the dance line jhope jimin and jk, then Taegi together and Namjin together. It depends on who is playing host.

Compared to their earlier days it seems like a gradual shift of focus..

What I am interested in is... does that make the earliest fan service content more real? Since it seemed like the company wasn't promoting as much and therefore the members were more free to act how they wanted to eachother.

Or is it now that they have made big hit so much money that the company lets them be more themselves and act how they want towards other memebers. Which could explain the shift in the different ships being promoted/ heavily encouraged.

Its something that keeps my interest on bts and shipping in general. Since it wasn't all that new to me as I used to love the show Supernatural and they have a clear gay baiting theme with Dean and Castiel while simultaneously discouraging it publicly.

If anyone else finds interest in this kind of conversation let me know. This is a good thread to speak openly about it without worry of derailing illum*nati discussions.
Okay so... I don't totally belong here because although I know bts' names, basic facts about them, and like a few songs, I know very very little about their ships. So this might be my only comment, because I don't want to derail this thread, but I do want to talk about the kpop ship I always thought was "real".

I've been a kpop fan since 2012 and my favorite group is shinee. My biases are jonghyun and kibum. And the ship I always thought--and still do believe that "something happened between them" is jongkey.

Most people believe that their relationship fits the first option you talked about, they believe that from 2008-2012 they were more real. I shipped them from 2012-2017 so obviously I don't believe that, but I do believe that back then their moments were more childlike, and instinctual.

During their predebut days, jonghyun and kibum were friends even when they didn't know they were going to debut together. Fans of smtown trainees said they were always together, and that jonghyun was basically kibum's shadow.

So regarding bts pairings, I think it's definitely smart to ship the ones who hung out a lot together during predebut. Because as cutthroat as the industry is, we all need someone to lean on.

In 2013/2014/2015 there were less obvious jongkey moments, but there were way more hidden moments, which is why I continued to ship them, because they kind of shifted into the second option you talked about, they are older, and they seemed to have more of a choice.

The last really... powerful jongkey moment, was when jonghyun had given kibum a ring for his birthday in 2017. Of course they weren't married and of course they couldn't get married, not in korea at least, but... I still feel so bittersweet about it. It felt almost like a promise of something more, something /real/ and it really made me think "wow this five years of shipping was finally worth it". The end of 2017 was a tragedy, and I dont want to make my comment too sad, but I felt so bad for kibum. And I felt just as bad for jinki, minho, taemin, his family, and his friends but... the way i felt for kibum just felt... different. I dont know how to explain it. And he had to mourn in front of everyone and fans were making it worse by writing "jongkey" on every single post he made.

Later in 2018, kibum made a solo album/debut that, in some ways, reminds me a lot of jonghyun's music. He has a few songs that I would call "couple songs", where it seems like he thought about jonghyun's songs and "answered" them in his own songs. In 2019, his repackage for his album has some aesthetics in it that look like old pictures jonghyun took over the years.

So, yeah. When it comes to real person shipping, I never want to annoy the people I'm shipping so I am very selective about this stuff. Jongkey is the only relationship I have shipped, without them actually saying "we're dating". And for a lot of these ships we may never get that, but I think sometimes you just *know*.


Also! To be completely honest I think their relationship was like an "open secret" amongst other idols, because when an idol would mention kibum, they'd talk about jonghyun too and vice versa.
 
Top