To feel conflicted about the BTS song Dynamite?

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I quite like the song, it's catchy and upbeat.

But K-pop idols are treated fucking awfully.

:/

I think you can probably stop worrying about the international mega stars and multi-millionaires, BTS. ;)

In what way are they treated awfully?

@TheYeaSayer

In what way are they treated awfully?

In general, it's more like the old studio system in Hollywood "stars" are produced from early teens, living in dorms and training in dance, voice full time. They are debuted on a relentless schedule and very few of them really make good money or achieve any kind of individual artistic expression. The women are sometimes pimped out. Their lives are public property and they have extremely oppressive, sexist and homophobic behavioural codes no dating, even no smoking etc. Basically everything that drives child stars in America crazy with an extra dose of public shame and longer hours.

On the other hand the ones that do make it, make it so big that people want to do it. Everyone signs up, after all. It's not like you work shorter hours just in a normal office job in SK. BTS bring something crazy like $4 billion dollars into SK so they are in a different league really. Severely doubt they are living in dorms being weighed twice a day, (but they've probably all had mandatory plastic surgery).

.. Just looked it up: $4.65billion (a year)

www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/bts-is-back-musics-billion-dollar-boy-band-takes-next-step-1244580

@lojoko

I think you can probably stop worrying about the international mega stars and multi-millionaires, BTS. ;)

Fine they're wealthy...

But the cost of that they are controlled completely what they wear, who they're seen with, how many hours they work, what they look like, dirt strictly controlled....

www.theguardian.com/global/2020/mar/29/behind-k-pops-perfect-smiles-and-dance-routines-are-tales-of-sexism-and-abuse

K-pop artists still seem to be treated pretty badly even when they do have success - just look at some of the videos of BlackPink. There are various videos where they’re performing and one of the members is almost in tears, in one she just stops altogether and stands there looking completely lost for half the performance. Then all the comments were saying that she’s ungrateful, has a poor work ethic, should be cut from the group etc. It’s just relentless.

I do seem to frequently read about suicides from the k-pop genre. I know nothing about it but I can completely believe they are controlled.

Save your concern for the millions around the world who genuinely have no control of their working environments and who can't just walk away at any time with more money in the bank then they could ever spend.

thecognoscenti it’s possible to be concerned about more than one thing at a time 🙄. But these people can’t walk away with money - they’re tied into decades long contracts, if they leave they get nothing.

Im the same really DD 23 is very much into Kpop and BTS atm. She is making money herself by buying the albums from abroad and selling the cards.
Overseas when they release an album they will release 5 different covers each with a different card. They are not allowed to do it in UK as it is seen as chart fixing so they only release on card. There is quite a market for these cards

The latest song sounds just like Jonas bros and i think it was produced by the same person who produced their last album.
She also bought the samsung bts branded buds that came with cards and made enough money out of the cards to pay most of price for the buds.Some of the buyers lived close to her and they have ended up friends

@thecognoscenti

Save your concern for the millions around the world who genuinely have no control of their working environments and who can't just walk away at any time with more money in the bank then they could ever spend.

I don't think they can just walk away though...some of them are contracted in for up to 15years or more.

If money makes it ok to exploit people in your mind, then that's a real shame.