‘Blood, sweat and tears’- this BTS track’s title perfectly sums up what it takes to make it as a K-pop idol. Ungodly work hours, strict schedules and carb-controlled diets hound them from their trainee period to the Hall of Fame.
“Living as a female idol is like being a sailing ship. There will be malicious comments, this and that on the way but you have to arrive at your destination. It’s your part to endure the hardships.”
– Suzy from Miss A
With celebrity status comes attention and a whole lot of baggage. Female idols especially are more vulnerable to security threats resulting from the callousness of their fans. Instances of female idols being pulled off stage, called names and stalked have become commonplace.
Nayeon’s German Stalker
It all started with a German lad named Josh posting a video on YouTube to pour his heart out to his crush TWICE’s, Nayeon. Sounds sweet, right?
The video starts out innocuously with Josh expressing his admiration for Nayeon and quickly escalates with him admitting that he had been to multiple spots which Nayeon had visited.
On top of that, he passed around love notes to the staff at coffee shops, service centers and makeup studios that Nayeon frequented, requesting them to pass it on to her.
TWICE’s fans were quick to call him out and label him as a German Nazi, white supremacist, racist etc.
Concerned about the group’s safety, JYP Entertainment, the agency under which the girl group functions, issued multiple warnings to him but that did not stop him from sneaking his way into TWICE’s flight. He allegedly tried to force his way to Nayeon’s seat but was stopped by bodyguards.
Nayeon’s stalker will be arriving at the 2nd week of december and here are his plans. He’s really sick in the head (screenshots aren’t mine) #ProtectNayeon #TWICE #트와이스 #NAYEON #나연 pic.twitter.com/mw5PHni1fR
— #ProtectNayeon (@kookeupuffs) December 6, 2019
This stalker or ‘Sasaeng’ brings to light the blurred lines of an appropriate idol-fan relationship. Despite JYP’s strict security provision Josh managed to breach into the aircraft without catching anybody’s eye.
Idols are often treated as public property and their private space is violated time and again. BTS’ Taehyung while streaming on V Live explained that the boyband chartered private flights instead of flying commercial due to over-excited fans causing disruption during the flight.
Read More: Why Are We Focusing On The Negative & Not The Inspiring Things K-Pop Star Sulli Did Before Her Untimely Death
Lisa’s Moon Café Incident
Blackpink’s Lisa Manoban has stolen the hearts of millions around the globe. Her unparalleled dancing and singing skills make her stand out in the group of four. She recently visited a retro-themed Bangkok café where she snapped many aesthetic pictures of herself.
Hours later the internet blew up with the news of the ‘Mqqn Café’ owner trying to auction off items that Lisa had ‘touched’.
The items included the seat she sat on, glass that had her lipstick stain and the plate she ate from amongst other things. While some were disgusted by the owner’s behavior, others felt comfortable participating in the cringe-fest.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6xDqWJjII8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Many Blinks (the fandom name for Blackpink) came to Lisa’s aide claiming that his actions amounted to sexual harassment and trashed him mercilessly.
It is not uncommon to auction off articles used by famous personalities: Kim Kardashian recently purchased Michael Jackson’s ‘Smooth Criminal’ hat and jacket with his make-up still on it for her daughter North.
But the two situations are worlds apart as Lisa was on a personal trip with her friends and did not consent to be a part of the auction. This is yet another example of capitalism at the cost of another.
SNSD’s TaeYeon Dragged Off Stage
Okay, this one is pretty old but surely worth mentioning. In 2011, Girls Generation, a first-generation girl group from 2007, was performing at Angel Price Music Festival in matching glittery, golden outfits in front of a huge crowd.
The stage was supposed to be the most secure area for the girls but things took a turn for the worse mid-performance. TaeYeon was pulled off stage by an unknown male, few members rushed to her aid while others continued performing.
I wonder where the security forces were and how far did he think he could have taken her. (slow claps). TaeYeon reportedly was shaken after the incident but hopefully the guy got what he deserved.
Even though TaeYeon’s incident took place almost nine years ago, not much has changed- the perpetrators seem to be more nonchalant than ever and the authorities appear to be unfazed.
We can only hope that their respective music labels appoint adequate security personnel to vet the venues and transportation thoroughly before they board.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Allkpop, Korea Times, Straits Times
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