16 posts
Eggcustardcup - Untitled - Tumblr Blog
SUGA, Agust D, Min Yoongi. The brilliant musician and electrifying performer who is clearly so happy performing onstage. Handsome Jungkook with his golden voice in Burn It. Daddy Namjoon bringing his unmatched swagger in Strange. And my eternal ultimate bias Jimin in Tony Montana, even more mesmerizing on the big screen. Future's gonna be okay, for BTS and ARMY. 💜
Lyrics from Angel Pt 1 ft. JVKE, Jimin of BTS, Kodak Black, NLE Choppa, Muni Long for the Fast X soundtrack https://youtu.be/v73fmOjFygQ
Photo from Jimin's solo dance for I NEED U at 2019 MMA
#Angel_Pt1 #FastX #Jimin #Park Jimin #Jimin of BTS #BTS #I NEED U #MMA 2019 #YouTube
This was so much fun to watch! Jimin really worked hard for ARMY. His moves are so mesmerizing, his perfectionism so admirable, his humility so endearing. And he's so adorable I want to squish his mochi cheeks 🤗 Wearing that too-big beanie too (borrowed from JK maybe? hihi)
And we actually got to see JK visiting him? And all their handholding?
#Jimin FACE #Set Me Free Pt. 2 #Like Crazy
#Jikook #Kookmin
Cr. BANGTANTV
Gender-bending. Game-changing. Genre-redefining. Definitely art. Absolutely beautiful.
Happy 2nd anniversary to the perfection that was this Black Swan performance.
#BTS #Black Swan #Jikook #Kookmin
Happy 2 year anniversary of this iconic, breathtaking dance, and a beautiful expression of their relationship.
I still get goosebumps when I watch it.
They were pushing boundaries, they were making a statement.
Our beautiful sun and moon ☀️🌙
💜💛🌈
Do You Really Love BTS?
Jimin’s Post
Part 1
As I was saying, BTS works because the guys have put their all into making it work. And yet as the fandom has grown and expanded so has the ignorance (which there is no reason for when so much OG content exists along with a map to find it if you’re so inclined. Roadmap below - you’re welcome) Thanks to one of my fav bloggers for supplying me with a link.
That info is vital to have when you’re trying to get to the bottom of who BTS are as people. It’s why I truly can’t understand the awful and untrue things that are said about Jimin (the maknae line actually but I’m talking about JM in this post) especially when it comes to his relationships and how he is seen in the group.
Those misconceptions are usually planted by the proverbial anti, yes including some so called army, who see Namjoon say Jimin needs a lot of love and attention (don’t we all) and immediately change that to he’s an attention seeker always stealing someone else’s limelight. Yeah, that’s not what Joon said and pretty sure that’s not what he meant.
Don’t let me forget the ‘he can’t sing trope’ accompanied by the same old tired examples of his voice cracking in a few performances. No mention of that same thing happening to Jin in one of the Truth Untold performances or JK when they were on a variety show and he was singing so Jimin could show off his dance skills at Hobi’s instruction. No shade on Jin or JK, just pointing out the hypocrisy. It may have happened to Tae but I haven’t come across any examples yet so not putting that out there. Jimin is apparently not allowed to make mistakes lest he be reminded of them time and time again, or those who hate him, yes including some so called army, use it as evidence to prove their ‘he’s subpar and therefore not worthy to be part of BTS’ theories.’ Look, the man ad libs and sings background or otherwise for at least 75% if not more of BTS whole discography. If you’re in the ‘he can’t sing camp then I truly don’t see how you like BTS music.’ I said it and I’m not taking it back. If you just don’t like his voice, well okay then I’m 👀 you because previous statements. He’s on more songs than he’s not, including background vocals. His voice is distinct so it’s not like you can miss it. No amount of good voices and singing can cover up a bad one. Usually, that terrible voice is amplified and louder to the ear, but hey if you want to make that argument I guess then you do you.
I can’t leave out the ‘he’s just so lazy’ comments. This is supposedly the reason why his discography is smaller than everyone’s. He just doesn’t want to do the work or he needs the others to be successful. The fact that some people actually believe this is beyond insane. Lazy and Jimin have never met when it comes to his work and what he wants to achieve. I guess lazy is why With You is breaking records with barely any promotion at all.
There are so many other examples but the one that is on constant replay has to be the ‘he makes JK uncomfortable, JK hates him trope’. I still consider myself a new fan since I didn’t find these lovelys until 2020 and yet I know pretty much all the negative things said about Jimin.
I didn’t go looking for it. Just looking up Jimin to find out more about him and this ugliness rears it’s head like that sucky white elephant gift you can’t pay someone to take from you. It’s heartbreaking, infuriating and pathetic all at the same time. I can see how some new army’s might be taken in if you don’t use your critical thinking skills and do some research on your own to find out the truth. All I knew at the time is that the treatment Jimin received from his members, especially JK, when I watched them (OG content that is) didn’t jive with the false narratives you can pick up free of charge via YouTube videos and TikTok edits full of misinformation and extremely critical so called Army’s in the comments. I’m sure it’s on Twitter as well but I don’t have that app and never plan to get it because I’m sure it’s 1000x worse in that space. Color me not surprised when I saw just how close they actually were even when they were younger and I really want to have a word with the troll who started this stupid, atrocious lie. I bet JK would like a word as well since he’s the one constantly being maligned to this day over that nonsense.
Anyway, I digress. My point (yes, there really is one) is that after all these years those false narratives are hanging on and still being amplified to this day. Jimin can’t make a move without someone who claims to stan BTS throwing a little bit or a lot of shade his way.
He can’t interact with Joon without sparking dating rumors (last I saw Joon wasn’t the one holding his interest and I didn’t need anyone drawing an elaborate, convoluted, twisted scenario for me to figure it out). I’m not even going to talk about the mysterious traveling companion Joon always has around who is built nothing like JM.
He can’t post a pic on Insta without someone implying he’s trying to get JK’s attention. (Yeah, pretty sure he already has that).
Of course if he doesn’t post then he’s just lazy and not creative or as popular as the rest.🙄 It couldn’t be because he doesn’t want to. That honor went out the door when so called fans, yes including so called army’s, started trying to use his words against him and a whole host of other things we will never know about happened. If you’re working on loving yourself then SM isn’t the place to be for that transformation when you’re a global star everyone has an opinion about. I’m glad Jimin knows whose opinions matter.
He can’t hang with his friends without someone trying to pair him up with said friends or insist he’s on the outs with JK. As another of my fav bloggers said funny how it’s always JK leaving and not the other way around. I guess those antis just ignore that Jimin was the one who did the walking away during the infamous rainy day fight. Contemplate that for a minute - Mr. compassion and forgiveness personified actually threw his hands up and said forget it I’m done with you to the person he openly adored for years. I didn’t make it up K-Army explained it. Did he say those exact words? Nope I paraphrased but it’s close enough - read it for yourself.
He can’t even be silent and have his members mention or post him without getting attacked by people who claim to be fans, yes including so called army’s, who either can’t stand when he’s praised so then they are all about the OT7 agenda, or those who just ignore his accomplishments altogether like he’s some silent member of the band. It’s a good thing his members know what to say to those so called fans even before he can answer.
I’m really glad that Jimin seems to know who he is to his members and more importantly to himself now. He recently said that he’s been on a several years’ journey in self love. That means at some point he didn’t love himself. I can only imagine how that must have been amplified with the stresses of trying to prove you belong in a group you almost got cut from several times, or with all the things he may have seen and heard by the abusive part of this fandom. I say fandom with confidence because the ugliness that I’ve seen thrown Jimin’s way is within Army. I’m sure he gets outside hate as well like the others do, but I don’t think it’s as prevalent outside of it as it is inside it. For someone who loves Army so much that’s truly a shame. Sure he’s more loved than hated but you really wouldn’t know that if you haven’t done some digging to see that he’s Korea’s IT boy! That fans scream so loud for him at concerts. (I was so surprised at the response to him and was low key braced to hear jeers during the online LV concerts. I was so happy to hear the loud cheering instead and sad at the same time because I wonder how many new army’s experienced surprise at the same reaction for a whole different reason) That everyone who encounters him in person can’t help but to talk about how lovely and good he is, usually without much prompting says so much about him. Even animals melt when he’s around.
I wonder if that’s why the members take time to treat him with such extra special care. His hyungs dote on him and his chingu and dongsang act as his protectors more often than not. To them he’s someone so very special based on their own words, not mine. It’s as if they know he’s one of a kind, someone you may be blessed to know about, let alone meet, love and call more than family, maybe once in a lifetime. And while he’s fully capable of taking care of himself, they still gatekeep him even to this day. They tease him, encourage him, scold him, protect him, support and praise him every chance they get.
I said all of that to mainly get a newbie’s lists of frustration regarding how Jimin seems to be perceived off of my chest. I’m glad I found out and know the truth. I’m glad I am a true fan of an awesome group. If you stuck around for this long vent session then thanks for indulging me. I’m happy that when I ask myself if I really love BTS I can say yes. Yes, because I love all of them, not just my biases but the ones my biases love as well. I truly love what I think I know about these young men even though I will probably never meet them. I’m sure I’ll love them even more the deeper I dive in to their content. No one can fake this genuineness and unity for 10+ years. If they can then they’ve missed their calling. While this was mainly Jimin’s post I’m glad I can say that all of them have their something special that makes BTS who they are. I’m glad I know that. I wish all of Army, old and new, would ask that question, maybe reevaluate where necessary if they can’t answer yes, so that they could know it too.
JM's shirts being the strongest soldiers, part 2 of 2
#bts #park jimin
rent was due
JM's shirts being the strongest soldiers, part 1 of 2
#bts #park jimin
How many of us are alive?
Here's some pics dedicated to that one strong button that held on with its life... (pity)
WHAT IS JIKOOK DOING TO ME 😭😭😭😭😭
Gif source
Pics are from twt and own screenshots
It's great that people would be okay with whatever their bond is but i honestly don't think i would :/ i've thought about it a few times and as lgbt i know i would be very disappointed of them doing things that very ""gay"" just for giggles and shit. and yes, they do know what they're doing. whether is real or not, they know exactly what it looks like. all of bts do. and this is something that's just in my head. jin said once somewhere "not like lovers" or something like when one of the others +
hugged him from the back in a photoshoot; so they know what their actions may come across. im sorry and maybe im way too strict with stuff like that, it's just that as a lesbian i cant come out to my family and lgbt people die and get beaten everyday around the world for the same things they could be laughing/playing around with. i dont think i would HATE them but i for sure wouldnt take them seriously anymore, not as a couple and i would probably lose a bit of respect for them individually. that aside, i think the whole "support" them thing it's actually meant romantically. like, if they're not a couple then there's nothing to support. you just bias them individually. i wanted to say also that i had wandered a little into the kpop world and the fetishization made me go back the way i came in the blink of an eye. i hate when girl members do this, too. i know there's a fair amount of kpop boys and girls who are lgbt, but there's also a lot of str8s who act like being gay is for show.
Okay this is going to be a bit of a long one because it’s a complicated subject and I don’t want to word something incorrectly.
I understand your gut reaction completely, but I think there’s a layer to my statement you might not have understood, because it’s something I’m always a bit vague about/hesitant to speak on for fear of backlash, so I’m probably at fault for this misunderstanding. I’m just going to say how I feel about Jikook, no euphemisms or beating around the bush.
A) Yes, fanservice culture is fetishization and I agree with your reservations about it completely. I spoke on my feelings about it here.
B) I think it’s pretty undeniable that Jimin and Jungkook have an extremely intimate relationship. It’s not really up for debate.
A moment like this doesn’t happen without an immense amount of established physical and emotional intimacy. This isn’t phony. Jungkook wouldn’t have done this in front of thousands of people (knowing it was being recorded by hundreds for millions to see) if he wasn’t already in a space with Jimin where this was an acceptable form of comfort and affection. With a few exceptions, I think most of us can agree that this isn’t regular behavior between friends, or even family. It’s something (typically) reserved for lovers. It’s not my place to say what they are to each other, but this does not fall under normal standards for Korean skinship.
So with all this being said, I think that it’s pretty clear that what we’re supporting is ‘real’, though I hate to use the term because it implies that other relationships between members aren’t real or genuine, which is not what I mean. What I mean is that we chose to support Jikook because we saw REAL interactions there that don’t fall in line with typical ‘friend’ behavior, and we want to support this.
When I say that if Jikook end up dating other people, we should support them anyway, it’s not because I don’t think what they have is special or tangible or ‘real’ in my eyes. But rather because they’re in a really complicated situation with a 1000 more variables in their relationship than even normal, non celebrity people have to deal with. Whether they’re just extremely intimate friends or more, they aren’t faking this for fanservice. It’s genuine interaction. As you said yourself, it’s one of the things that makes BTS stand out from your regular Kpop group. They don’t fake shit for fanservice, they embellish what’s already there.
And I’m sorry, but the example I showed above may have started as fanservice, but it evolved into something beyond fanservice halfway through.
My point about them having variables is that though clearly their relationship is extremely special and unique and full of love, they themselves are in a tough situation. You mention being a lesbian and not being able to come out, and how people around the world are attacked and murdered for being gay, and fanservice feels like a mockery to you. But remember- they live in this same harsh world we do. They live in South Korea, where being gay is still very much a taboo topic and by no means accepted by the general public. Gay marriage is not legal for them, there’s been almost no REAL representation in the media until extremely recently, and this is the culture they grew up in. Knowing what we know about their relationship, they’re in the same boat as you. They, if they are gay, can’t come out- they’re South Korea’s pride- they represent the entire country internationally. The amount of pressure on their shoulders is unimaginable. They are expected to be perfect, by Korea’s standards. Being gay does not fall within those standards. Remember a few months ago when Jungkook got into a minor fender bender? Somehow it became a national scandal. A minor mishap that a majority of the human population will go through at some point in their lives was blown up into a huge event and the public ripped him to shreds for it, trying to unearth every little detail and form it into a scandal. Now imagine if it was about their sexualities.
I think you know just as well as I do that Jungkook and Jimin’s interactions aren’t laughing and playing around with LGBT culture. There’s certainly problematic aspects to idol culture and it’s fetishization of LGBT people, but what they show us, I perceive as genuine. Whether or not they other come out as anything, or let us in on their private lives during this time period in retrospect, I think we can trust them to not have disrespected us in such a thoughtless way. Jungkook especially has proven to be a huge supporter of LGBT culture and artists. I don’t think he takes our lives as a joke.
If they end up dating other people, it could be for a multitude of reasons. Maybe they were always just extremely intimate friends, and had an agreement they could date whoever they wanted. Maybe they were friends with benefits, and again, agreed to date freely outside of this. Maybe they are in a defined relationship, and won’t date other people unless they break up. Maybe they fulfill all the actions of a defined relationship without the label, and things are uncertain between the pair even now. There’s sooo many variables and soo many ways the future could turn out. It’s impossible to know from the outside looking in.
Either way, my extremely long-winded point is that regardless of the future, Jungkook and Jimin’s actions aren’t here to make a mockery of LGBT people and queerbait. They don’t do that, and I’d like to believe they respect us as fans more than that. The way they act is genuine; there’s no faking the amount of intimacy and love they’ve shown towards each other for the camera to the extent that they have, for the amount of time that they have.
If they date other people in the future, it doesn’t detract from the depth and meaning behind their relationship now, no matter the label.
If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading.
Beautiful quote from Chris Martin talking about 'My Universe'.
https://twitter.com/coldplayxtra/status/1437428245394251779?s=20
Doesn't this speak to the fact that BTS's consistent message to the world has been one of love without borders, inclusion, celebration of diversity, rejection of prejudice, understanding of others difference, and self love, no matter what society says? I am not at all attempting to use Chris's mention of LGBTQIA love as anything indicative of the personal identities of individual BTS members, to be super clear. But it speaks to their nature as artists and people. There's intention in everything they do. From covering a song from Troye Sivan's Blue Neighborhood series 'Only Fools', to incorporating international sign language in PTD and so much more.
Can it be possible that young men as thoughtful about their words, image, message, branding, ambassadorship and legacy as BTS are would perpetuate a 'queer fanservice' hoax the scale and consistency of Jikook at this stage in their global career? I mean, it's actually laughable. That people would rather believe Jimin and Jungkook are that insensitive than consider they might be members of the LGBTQIA community expressing themselves within the parameters that are possible for them makes me angry and sad. Hopefully the world will change and get better.
But can't wait to hear the song!
I totally agree anon.
BTS's messages have been clear from the get go. They stand for "inclusion, celebration of diversity, rejection of prejudice, understanding of others difference, and self love", even if society says or even dictates otherwise.
These young men have been supporters of the LGBTQ+ community since forever, recommending covering and inserting LGBTQ+ artists music in their own content.
I really don't think it to be a coincidence that Coldplay (a band that has championed those same ideas for years now) chose to have this specific colab on this specific song with BTS.
"Can it be possible that young men as thoughtful about their words, image, message, branding, ambassadorship and legacy as BTS are would perpetuate a 'queer fanservice' hoax the scale and consistency of Jikook at this stage in their global career?"
My answer to that would be: Hell no.
This would be have to be a well knit plan, starting well back in 2015, and carried out to perfection for 7 years now. Brilliant scripting and acting on the part not only of JK & JM (the worst actors ever), but also of the rest of the band.
Like you said anon, this is laughable.
You know what else is laughable to me though?
It's these 'fans' that call themselves army, yet not only ignore but also act in a way that goes against every single thing that BTS stands for.
BTS have shown more than once their support for the LGBTQ+ community. Would it be so awful if within the band there were to be gay members? Would it be so unbelievable that they wanted to be true to themselves and actually behave freely, openly with each other, not have to hide who they are and who they happen to love? Why do so many army find this so unfathomable? So much so that they create these far fetched theories of a conspiracy level, that these two band members cannot be genuine and this is fanservice and queerbaiting? And to what purpose exactly?
"That people would rather believe Jimin and Jungkook are that insensitive than consider they might be members of the LGBTQIA community expressing themselves within the parameters that are possible for them makes me angry and sad."
Me too anon. It's like a constant flow between anger, frustration and just sadness.
Hey stormie 💜 hope you're well and happy
So I've been watching the making of just one day for the first time. I can help but think how different jimin was during this era. I mean, we can barely see him talking on screen here. But now, i think even the editors can't get enough of jimin. Have you talked about jimin's personality dynamics before on your masterlist? Sorry if i had missed. Reading your blogs always makes me feel inspired 😊 I love how you put your thoughts into words. So beautiful ❣️
Hi! You are sooooo sweet. Thank you
I haven't really discussed his personality as a whole, but I've discussed certain facets of it in different posts under my Jimin topic on my masterlist, which I will link here:
As well as I've talked about parts of it in my BTS group dynamics post:
Jimin is so beautifully complex and dynamic. You cannot put him into just one box and call it him. He is a little bit of everything meshed into one of the most considerate and intelligent people out there. I think what you are referencing here is what a lot of people consider his "glow up" over the years.
Which isn't so much a change in personality or in who he is, but a change in confidence. It's confidence in himself, who he is, how he feels, what he is doing. It's embracing all sides and aspects of his character and personality.
Jimin since debut has been kind hearted, empathetic, badass, scary when mad, soft, gives great hugs, intelligent, funny, talented, hard working, a perfectionist. He is masculine and tough, while also being charming, cute and delicate. He has always been a great listener. A support system for the others. He has always been a leader.
Now he is just better at showing all these things. He has embraced his soft side, while never letting go of his tougher side. He has excelled at taking on a leadership role and asserting himself. He has gained confidence in his own ideas and his strengths. He is more comfortable with who he is and all the multifaceted parts of himself and his personality. He went from never relaying on anyone and struggling a lot with figuring out who he is and how to lean on others to knowing how and when to ask for his space but accepting help and praise and love when it's given to him. He went from questioning and asking "am I charming?" To knowing that he is. He still enjoys and gains significant happiness from that praise when given, but he isn't self reliant on it anymore.
He doesn't shy away from himself, any part of himself now. So this the camera can't get enough of him, he is so much more now. All these things, they were always there. They were always part of who he was and his personality. He has just grown into them and grown into the confidence and ability to showcase these aspects of himself more effectively. He is more comfortable and secure in himself in order to let himself shine in truly stunning ways. We see it in the way he carries himself and presents himself. The way he takes care of those around him. His level of emotional intelligence is extremely impressive and something that everyone around him relays heavily on too. Of course self love and acceptance is a never ending journey, one you are always working on and adapting to. But it is obvious that while he might still have bad days, he is more comfortable as a whole with who he is for the most part.
This kind of just turned into a Jimin's duality post and me gushing over him and how well he has grown into the person that he is now. His kindness, sweetness, cuteness, sexiness, geniune caring self he let's us see. I'm so proud of him 🥺 he truly is an inspiration to everyone around him and everyone worldwide. A wonderful role model.
If this didn't answer your question the way you meant it, please come back and send another ask. I love talking about JM and could do it all day! Lol he is so genuinely good. Just a good human and so inspirational. They all are.
Hello, Euna, hope you’re well! This isn’t a KM specific ask but rather a question I have regarding BTS, K-media, and the Korean GP, so please don’t feel obligated to answer since it might be too heavy a subject or a subject you don’t want to delve into on this blog. I feel as though this has been a somewhat big topic more recently, but it’s something I’ve noticed for a while now. Does K-media really have something against BTS? It seems as if, currently, BTS are only behind IU in GP recognition and popularity in Korea and just like IU has been able to shed her kpop idol image, more and more people are considering BTS as artists rather than idols (that’s a whole other can of worms). So, they’re insanely popular both at home and around the world, but I feel like K-media expects them to fail? I’ve seen comments sporadically of K-armys saying Japanese media writes about BTS’ achievements with more pride than K-media does. I wanted to ask you if you think that’s a fair deduction to make and why exactly that is the case, if it is. As a U.S. ARMY, I always feel a lot of pressure from specifically K-media because I feel as though many news outlets and reporters feel it’s easy to get a number 1 here when it takes complete dedication from ARMYs, especially when our competition is insane like WAP and Olivia. Also, I still feel a bit upset over how many Korean articles emphasized their Grammys loss almost immediately after, as if they were waiting for it. A lot of ARMYs say it’s because the Big 3 are in kahoots with the media, that the media doesn’t like Bangtan because they succeeded without them, etc. etc. but I don’t know, I just hate considering those possibilities because I don’t like the idea that everyone seems to be against BTS. If that is the most plausible explanation for this, then ah...Thanks for reading all this!😭
Hi anon ♡
I'd like to preface this by saying that I'm not an expert on this subject by any means, so all of this comes from my own personal observations and background of familiarity with following K-media since early childhood.
Whether it's the Western or Korean music industry, there's always going to be big companies making arrangements and pulling the strings from behind closed doors. The fact that some artists get a bigger "push" by the media is undeniable, and acknowledging that privilege isn't necessarily an attack on their artistry or even their 'right' to success. It's just recognizing that the system is designed to always maximize the interests of companies that already hold significant influence in the market.
That said, domestically, the Big 3 (SM, YG, JYP) are still considered to be the center of K-Pop. It's a different culture from America, where the general public would know Ariana Grande but probably wouldn't know that she's signed to Republic Labels. In Korea, with the case of most mainstream music, the artist in basically inseparable from their label. This is especially the case with idols, who are basically raised by their companies from a young age and receive all of their training through their specific, in-house systems. The label becomes almost synonymous with the idol and vice versa. With the entertainment industry as insular as it is, the Big 3 have had plenty of time to form solid business relationships with various news outlets, broadcasting companies, etc, that would help smooth the path for their artists breaking into the scene. After a while, just brand recognition of the companies alone would be enough to garner "favorable treatment" for their artists. I don't mean this in a malicious or even underhanded way. All platforms want buzz, and if the Big 3 are the biggest generators of that buzz, that's where they're plugging the brunt of their time and energy.
For a while, that's how it operated: a closed circuit of production and buzz that was mutually beneficial for all parties without any major fluctuations.
BTS came in and disrupted that system.
BigHit is not part of the Big 3. BTS had no significant "backing" — name or money-wise — from their label that could help them in the industry. Yoongi jokes about BangPD striking gold with BTS in "Daechitwa" because it's true. BTS blew away everyone's expectations for them. The stories about their mistreatment and blatant disregard/disrespect from music shows, award ceremonies, news outlets, variety programs, etc, aren't just stories made up to tug on baby ARMY's heartstrings. They're the realities of an uphill battle with an industry that's already decided who gets to succeed. And Bulletproof Boy Scouts, who charged out of the gates with an explicitly anti-establishment, against-the-status-quo concept, was so far from their idea of conventional boy-group-hood that in their eyes, they might as well have been negligible. So for a long time, they were treated by K-media as if they didn't exist.
But as we know, BTS proved that they could rise with or without their acknowledgement.
To this day, I think this makes a lot of mainstream K-media deeply uncomfortable. Which is why some outlets are hesitant to start praising and promoting BTS now, given that sometime during BTS's rookie years, they and the staff at BigHit realized that instead of sitting around hoping for fair treatment, they had to step away and do their own thing. From the media's perspective, it's awkward to hype up the achievements of a group whose succeed had little, if anything, to do with you.
Of course there are exceptions. Solid industry friends and supporters of BTS from their debut days to now. Journalists and sunbaes and MCs like Yoo Jae-Suk. To paint a sweeping narrative that it was "BTS and ARMY against everyone else in the world" would be inaccurate and unfair to the people who believed in them.
Still, it's frustrating for K-ARMYs to continuously watch as the majority of the domestic media does the bare minimum to acknowledge BTS's achievements while snatching any opportunity to claim that BTS is on a decline. I've seen multiple big posts on my timeline from K-ARMYs frustrated with how easily the efforts and dedication of I-ARMYs would be dismissed by the media if BTS places 2nd on Hot 100 when even charting that high among major Western artists is already an incredible accomplishment, one that is certainly out of reach for any Korean artist active at the moment aside from BTS.
It only goes to show how the easy path has never existed for BTS and ARMY. Even now, at the height of their game, where everything should theoretically be going smoothly, this remains true.
So where do we go from here?
While I know it's difficult when everything of value seems to be determined by numbers nowadays, instead of feeling burdened by rankings and reception, let's just follow in BTS's footsteps and do our own thing. Working hard and doing our best in the given circumstances with whatever resources are at our disposal—and most importantly—enjoying ourselves while we support and cheer each other on, with or without people's acknowledgements.
And let the results speak for themselves. 💜
Okay so, I came to this blog because I’m an Army and recently have been quite fond of Jikook’s bond. I always used to close myself off the shipping considering how toxic it gets on other platforms but I really love these two together it’s almost painful to resist. I come here in peace, and I’m asking you something. Can we open a topic about what would ACTUALLY happen if two idols of the caliber of Jimin and Jungkook confirmed having a relationship? Because so many Jikookers see the coming out as the final win, when actually it could be the contrary? Some people in the fandom are naive and don’t realize the impact, especially negative, it would have on their career. If you open this discussion I’m sure also other blogs will tune in. I beg you to view it on a much bigger scale than just the fandom shippers, let’s observe it from the point of view of their country, the industry, their reputation as a whole. And also if you were in their shoes, and your aim was to live your days with your loved one ultimately, what marketing procedures do you think would be necessary to take in order to keep your career going as well.
Thank you Anon for the question and I will try to be very careful in navigating such a topic. I've mentioned before that I will not talk about Jimin and Jungkook in regards to their private personal life, but what I can do is to focus on what is written in shipping spaces, as it's part of the fandom discourse. I will start by saying that you are asking some questions which are impossible for me to respond. I cannot put myself in their shoes as I am first of all a woman and second of all, not famous. My answer will be divided into two parts: how shippers talk about identity and more general, about sexual identity in SK, for which I will provide extensive references and I hope they can be useful in understanding the social context. I want this to be an open discussion, especially if there are people in this space who know more, who have more knowledge on this particular subject.
It seems that in general, those who ship Jimin and Jungkook do see a coming out, in the possibility that there's an actual romantic relationship, as the ultimate ''win'', just as you said. To me, that's complete ignorance and I can only situate it in the realms of problematic fantasy. As I've said before, I don't have any problems with the idea of shipping. Of course, I've noticed that a lot of jikookers call themselves supporters in order to differentiate themselves from your run of the mill shipping practice. ''You say tomato, I say tomato''. They say they will support Jimin and Jungkook no matter what, but anyone who becomes part of a community, makes connections or develops some emotional attachments towards their ship or subjects of the ship, will definitely have some strong feelings if they will encounter some ''evidence'' at some point that would disregard the way they see those people. I'm of course generalizing here, but I'm not saying this only in order to criticize them, but because it would be a normal reaction, something to be expected and each person has their own way in which they deal with those feelings. Just as I talked in my shipping post, there are positive outcomes here, such as people who gather more extensive knowledge on LGBTQ+ issues, in case they haven't done that before. But there's a shtick and of course I can only talk about what I see in international shipping spaces, which is the fact that despite doing research on this topic and trying to understand the SK political landscape, they still use a Western filter. What do I mean by that? Their understanding of sexual identity is in most cases Western and they apply that mindset when it comes to situations in countries that have a history that doesn't match the American one, which is the more prevalent. Sexual orientation has become part of someone's entire identity. It has developed over the course of the 20th century (Michel Foucault and Jeffrey Weeks have written about this) and today it's the norm. We do live in an era of globalization, but to take this idea and apply it to a context that not many of us actually know, results in a discourse that can have some colonization elements to it and leaves no room for specific Asian Queerness. It's unfortunate because all shippers could do is read more about it, if they actually call themselves supporters. Not to focus just on their ship but to actually try and understand how alternative meanings of identities work. If they had done it, in a bit more detail, perhaps they would know that one's sexual orientation does not become someone's entire identity everywhere. It's a difference between something that ''I am'' and ''I do''. The SK situation, when it comes to LGBTQ+, is influenced by Confucian values, the military service, the huge influence a family can have, but it's also about finding a community. Not everyone is the same and in this case generalization is dangerous. People can use western terminology, even fully embrace a ''coming out'' as we understand it and some of them don't, or they only do it with themselves or close friends while some engage in activism just as any part of this world. You can find more about this in a thesis written by Matthew David Arnold called Queer Korea: Identity, Tradition and Activism (2016) in which he interviewed 49 LGBTQ+ individuals over a period of time while he lived there. These are people who became his friends, acquaintances, and artists and each and every one of them has a story of their experience which has its own particularities. Arnold talks about the Social Compact which consists of the established communities in which these people live and the most important one is the family and the huge influence it can have. It also bothers me the fact that when shippers engage in such a topic, a lot of the times they are alienating, othering this entire culture and using their own Western frame as a system of reference.
To go back to your initial ask, about the jikook ship and coming out, it is ludicrous. How can shippers talk about such a thing when it comes to people whom they don't know? They observe a pattern of behavior and draw some conclusions, sometimes they have a more educated guess and other times not. But they should stick to that. They say they care about their biases, but by having this request and considering it as a win is disrespectful because a coming out is no one's business and especially not of some strangers on the internet.
I'm aware that I probably haven't given a specific response to your questions, but these are the limits in which I situate myself, but as I said in the beginning, I encourage other people to chime in.
For more insight into LGTBQ+ topics in South Korea from an academic perspective, I will leave some references here:
Song Pae Cho, Faceless Things: South Korean Gay Men, Internet, and Sexual Citizenship, 2011
Elias Alexander, Seoul's Gay Districts: Space, Place, and Identity, 2017
Joe Phillips, Joseph Yi, ''Queer Communities and Activism in South Korea: Periphery-Center Currents'', Journal of Homosexuality, 2019
Joseph Yi, Joe Phillips, ''Paths of Integration for Sexual Minorities in Korea'', Pacific Affairs, 2015
Todd A. Henry, Queer Korea, 2020
Thomas Chase, ''Problems of Publicity: Online Activism and Discussion of Same-Sex Sexuality in South Korea and China'', Asian Studies Review, 2012
Youngshik D. Bong, ''The Gay Rights Movement in Democratizing Korea'', Korean Studies, 2009
Robert Hamilton, ''Gaytrification and the re-orienting of Sexual Peripheries. The Displacement of Space and Place in South Korea's Queer Underground'', Contemporary Society and Multiculture, 2016
Tari Young-Jung Na, Ju Hui Judy and Se-Woong Koo, ''The South Korean Gender System: LGBTI in the Contexts of Family, Legal Identity and the Military'', The Journal of Korean Studies, 2014
Timothy Gitzen, The Promise of Gayness: Queers and Kin in South Korea, 2012
Jungmin Kwon, Spectacularizing the Homosexual Body: The Secret Rendezvous Among Global Gay Media, Local Straight Women, and the Media Industry in South Korea, 2014
hey! hope it's okay to just ask stuff about language and culture haha but I always wondered how Koreans don't find it awkward to use honorifics with family/partners? My language (German) also has a formal and informal way to address people though not as nuanced and I'd never use formal speech for someone only 1 year older than me but to me formal speech is ofc about respect but it also creates a distance btw me and that person so using it for a loved one is unthinkable to me ...
Hello anon!
These kind of questions about language and culture are actually very welcome here because as a literature student, I'm fascinated with both of those things.
Personally, I think the existence of honorifics/formal language in Korean creates so much creative potential for how the social bonds between people are articulated and developed. Having that kind of strict structure that underpins all relations establishes these very clear-cut boundaries which are then either kept or crossed with every interaction, every address, every sentence you communicate because, to a certain level, the basic elements of how that sentence is constructed announce your relation to the person you're addressing.
The decision to drop formalities (ie. between friends) or reversely, the decision to put formalities back on (ie. in an argument, or after a breakup) then becomes a moment where the status between personal relations is being negotiated — a kind of signal of entering into a new intimate space or exiting it, navigating and tracking that movement through language.
Personality plays a big role here too, with some people finding formalities more awkward (and therefore wanting to relax them as soon as they can) while others finding the absence of formalities awkward instead (and therefore preferring to keep them in place even when it's not needed). Other factors like age, social class, circumstantial context for the relation, etc all play into the decision of whether or not to invoke formalities, with the additional note that none of this is fixed or determined. That there are always exceptions, always contradictions, always changes, and that's what makes the interplay between language and culture so interesting.
I guess what I want to emphasize with all of this is the immense potential for nuance that a designated formal language introduces, and how so much of its expression depends on the diverse agency of the people who use it or choose not to. Because honorifics and formal language are a form of measuring respect and distance, there's a lot interesting ways that it can then be played with and manipulated for various effects. The flirtatious/comedic/slanderous potential of various honorifics and forms of formal language, for example. It's all part of what I think makes Korean such an interesting and rich language to use and study.