Discussion #1

Essay

Q2: What are the problematic characteristics of current K-pop "fandom"? Would it be possible for idols to begin implementing a different relationship dynamic with their fans, and if so, how?

Ziyang:

Generally speaking, current K-pop “fandom” is distinctive for their high degree of active physical and emotional involvement for their idols, which can lead to problematic actions from individual cases of copycat suicide, to instances such as the all-in internet and real life “violations of privacy… and a total disregard for individual rights” (Shin 2015: 139) to the K-pop celebrity Tablo. Elfving-Hwang effectively characterized such relationship between “fandom” and their idol as a form of “parasocial kinship” (Elfving-Hwang 2018: 195), which I believe is a type of virtual intimacy created between idols and “fandom”.

Here, the meaning of “virtual” is twofold. First, it described the nature of some major channels (e.g. social media, online distribution platforms, etc.) through which media are distributed. Even live stages nowadays are not immune to the digital technologies, on the contrary, they are widely adopted in live stages for visual enhancement, as incorporated parts of the show, and recordings for further distribution (Kim 2018: 166-167). Although some believe that consuming media through virtual channels stripped away the physical intimateness between performer and consumer. I would argue that thanks to its low cost, versatility, and reproducibility, digital media have found its way to the consumers in incomparably larger scale and frequency that live performances can never reach, and with an increased frequency of exposure, presumably also the deepening of emotional attachment.

Secondly, I use “virtual” here also to describe the artificially constructed ecosystem of the idol, “fandom”, and producing company (henceforward company) relations. It is no secret that the construction of an idol’s persona involves“creating a suitable narrative and characteristics that come to define each idol and their function in the group” (Elfving-Hwang 2018: 193). This said group, with its characteristics clearly pre-defined, no doubt have a specific group of consumers targeted, which makes it easier for acquiring a loyal consumer base (i.e. a number of individual fans). To further secure this customer base, a set of peripheral products are also developed and released by the company to enhance the sense of intimateness between individual fans and the idol. For example, the release of less formal video clips through idol’s social media account (plus idol-fans interactions that followed), or idol’s participation of a supposedly less heavily scripted variety shows, provide the fans an artificial “private” persona of the idol, which further facilitated consumers’ emotional attachment. In addition, physical peripherals are also released, enabling fans to also be physically surrounded by the presence of their idol. This physical intimateness, combining with the all-around media materials provided, enable the consumers to “transform the consumption of a commodity into a satisfactory experience for the body and the mind alike” (Kim 2018: 185). To finally turn this fans-idol relation into an ecosystem involving “fandom”, idol, and the company behind, fan societies are encouraged and cultivated by the company. Which in return have the potential to consume, but also actively produce media and stories for their idols, which no doubt expanding their career span and the fan base.

It is now clear that the rigid fan societies, deep emotion and physical attachment the “fandom” have for their idol, which at times resulted in problematic behaviors, are parts of an ecosystem constructed by the company for securing loyal longterm fan bases for the idol they “produced”. In this sense, the dynamics between idols and the “fandom” are largely depend on corporate decisions made by the company rather than the idol him/herself. In other words, so long as the current business model remain competitive, there is little reason for the company to establish a new relationship dynamic.

Bibliography

Elfving-Hwang, Joanna. "K-pop idols, artificial beauty and affective fan relationships in South Korea." In Routledge Handbook of Celebrity Studies. Edited by Anthony Elliott. 190-201. London: Routledge, 2018.

Kim, Suk-Young. K-pop live : fans, idols, and multimedia performance. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2018.

Shin, Haerin. "The dynamics of K-Pop spectatorship: the Tablo witch-hunt and its double-edged sword of enjoyment." In K-pop – The International Rise of the Korean Music Industry. Edited by JungBong Choi and Roald Maliangkay. 133-145. London: Routledge, 2015.

*Currently google sites do not support the hanging indent for the bibliography, we are still trying to find a way around this.