#Engage Magazine

[tinas1469]

rollingstone:

Congratulations are in order for the happy couple, Zendaya and Tom Holland. 💍

[army-in-the-stars]

Jung Hae In x Esquire HK

[monkeyssalad-blog]

GIBSON, Charles Dana. The Proposal. by Halloween HJB

[gizka]

You're not a true tom wlaschiha fan. You dont even own the tom wlaschiha playboy magazine.

[misterradio]

i think factory pomo will always be my sweetheart aesthetic i just love the geometric stylings. i always used factory pomo style clip art in school projects i thought it was suuuch a cool style.

looking thru that website... memphis jr is also great, kind of similar geometric style with brighter colours. i even used to have the toy used as the example image, and for some reason images of LSD:DE are used as an example lol

[youareinlove]

Zendaya and Tom Holland Are Engaged!

(From people dot com so you know it's factual)

super happy for them. this is going to be the royal wedding of the internet lmao

[beautifulpersonpeach]

kind of random, but I’m curious about your thoughts on what seems to be the intended growth and direction of Weverse and Weverse magazine beyond the kpop sphere

bang pd has said that they want to expand weverse’s use to western artists and fanbases. Of course it’s still almost entirely kpop and kpop adjacent, but in general I like the platform and I think it could be an interesting tool for smaller artists globally. But I also don’t see western artists being that interested in engaging with their fans like this, especially where they already have tools like Instagram live. Maybe I’m biased by my army experience, but the Weverse armys are some of the cringiest (and youngest) imo, and the parasocial relationship encouraged somewhat in kpop isn’t encouraged in the same way in the west. Maybe there’d be interest in the online concert format?

as for Weverse magazine, I like the idea of growing a kpop oriented magazine that actually respects the artists. There’ve been so many dumb articles written about bts that it’s nice to see there be consistently decent interviews with them. The bts/hybe bias shows, but I don’t need constant fluff pieces about the members to appreciate the magazine and I think it’d be better off in the long run if they have objective authors writing about kpop generally. I have seen some articles about western artists which threw me off of what I thought they wanted to do with the magazine and who they want their audience to end up being. Do you see a benefit in trying to grow their reach to western artists and growing their audience? What do you think they want to do with this magazine?

***

You raise very good points. I want to challenge and expand on a few things.

"...and the parasocial relationship encouraged somewhat in kpop isn’t encouraged in the same way in the west."

This is changing. Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Billboard, etc, the main music publications have been highlighting since BTS got on the scene (2020), that musicians should look into actively building dedicated fanbases via more fan engagement, to be more successful. Here's an article from Billboard crediting this shift in the industry to Taylor Swift (I disagree). Also, western artists already leverage parasocial relationships: Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj are all examples of western artists who are about as engaged with their fans as some k-pop groups are. So if the sales pitch for Weverse is a customized fan engagement solution to lean on the parasocial aspect more, there's more than a few western artists who will be interested.

Just wanted to put that out there, and also because it ties to my next point about the (theoretical) competitive edge WV has over a platform like Instagram Live:

IL is technically the better platform because it gives you the widest audience reach. More people have Instagram already installed than they do Weverse.

But the key thing about successful fan engagement, is cultivating a fandom. Meaning, a somewhat organized group of fans. For the fans to organize, they need a fandom space. A shared feed where people in the fandom can communicate and build community. It's somewhat difficult to get this on Instagram and this is why forums like Twitter, Reddit, Tumblr, Quora etc thrive.

Weverse's pitch is highlighting a customized solution that combines the best things about those platforms into one thing, creating a dedicated fan space for the artist and their fans.

In theory, Bang PD is right on the money here and with a few adjustments should have a gold mine on his hands. But the platform isn't well managed.

And neither is the magazine.

And so that theory remains just that.

There's been a handful of dumb articles about BTS/members and other artists by Weverse Magazine too. They've done an excellent job with the interviews they've published, and sometimes they've offered critical counterarguments to shoddy logic from mainstream music publications, but the times they've gaffed have been really embarrassing for everyone involved. For example that racist article that undermined Jimin's accomplishments with FACE. One can assume that was maybe their attempt to show less bias towards BTS and come across as 'objective', but all it did was make the writer and magazine look uninformed.

To gain any critical cred they need more flashy bylines, more socially conscious Korean critics and more mainstream writers, etc. And to increase their audience, yeah more pieces featuring western artists is one way to go about it. They want the magazine as an avenue to tell their own stories and offer their own side, as well as an attempt to participate in discussions in the wider industry, in k-pop and outside k-pop.

This is the wrong way to think about things, but I use Weverse as a bellwether to gauge how efficient and well-run HYBE is. My take on things, using how Weverse appears to be managed as a proxy, is that HYBE is bloated - not quite yet a bureaucratic nightmare but key departments are slow to react whether it's in fixing problems, picking up on trends, course correcting, etc.

I don't know much about coding but the UX/UI on Weverse feels like an afterthought. Almost everything from the color scheme (and lack of personalizing options) to the fact there's a WV streaming platform nobody uses.... they could be doing a much better job with a leaner structure.

Last week if you opened Weverse you'd have gotten a notice to participate in a survey. I left my feedback and I hope y'all did too. BigHit used to be decently good at responding to fan feedback. Let's hope that's still the case with Weverse and HYBE because even the company recognizes that Weverse is underperforming.

[wormdramafever]

Goodbye Volcano High among Gayming Magazine's LGBTQ games of 2023!

[94erz]

My god has Instagram just become un-fucking-usable. I used to be able to use the tag and search feature and my feed would be tailored to my interests, now I can't do anything on it, it's literally worthless. Doesn't matter if it's on a computer or my phone, it just does not do ANYTHING I need or want it to like before. I dunno what happened but they fucked it, just completely and utterly fucked it up.

And I know that's been the case for a lot of people for a while, but how in just a span of a month can it go from my most used social platform for fandom content and trading to now being GARBAGE?! It's infuriating.

IG may be the reason I quit collecting PCs 'cause there aren't any other options now aside from me buying them out of Japan, which totally ruins the fun of collecting in the first place. TRADING is the whole point, that's step 1 of the process! Buying is the final option to complete a set/collection once you've done all the trading...

[wateveriwant]

Dylan Sprouse and Barbara Palvin

[9w1ft]

I just ran from karlie’s ig post to see if you saw it / what your thoughts might be.

we knew there were rumors that she was looking to buy it but even thought they were reported rumors, eye mean, what’s an eye theory girl gonna do, stay calme?!?

[tinas1469]

Zendaya and Tom Holland Are Engaged!⁣

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The 'Spider-Man' costars, who maintained for years that they were just friends, confirmed their romantic relationship in 2021 after they were spotted kissing⁣

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Zendaya and Tom Holland are taking their relationship to the next level!⁣

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The Spider-Man costars, both 28, are engaged, a family source confirmed to PEOPLE. TMZ was first to report the news. According to the outlet, Holland proposed at one of Zendaya's family homes over the holidays.⁣

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A separate source told PEOPLE that "everyone close to them knew an engagement was happening" — just not when. The source said Holland had been keen to propose to Zendaya "for a while."⁣

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"He's always been crazy about her. He always knew she was the one. They have something very special," the source said, noting that Holland shared the happy news with friends around New Year's.⁣

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As for tying the knot, the couple plans to take their time. "They will just enjoy things for now and won't rush a wedding," the source added. "They are both busy with work projects."⁣

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In the meantime, the pair are soaking up the special moment. "Tom's always had this sweet way of letting the world know that Zendaya is his. Now, it's official — she really is!" the source told PEOPLE.⁣

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The news comes after Zendaya stepped out to the 2025 Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 5, sporting a diamond ring on her lefthand ring finger. The ring appears to be a 5.02-carat East-West Cushion Diamond Button Back Ring from Jessica McCormack, listed in the engagement section on the jewelry brand's website.⁣

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Holland previously teased his "secret" holiday plans with his now-fiancée while appearing on the Dec. 18 episode of the Dish podcast. "I'll be with my girlfriend's family, which will be fun. Where we'll be is a secret," he said of his plans to spend Christmas in the U.S.⁣

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"[Secret] to you guys," he joked. "I'll know where we're going."⁣

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Holland and Zendaya — who play onscreen couple Peter Parker and Michelle "MJ" Jones in the Spider-Man movies — maintained for years that they were just friends. However, just months after their characters shared their first kiss in 2019's in Spider-Man: Far from Home, life imitated art for the pair. Much to fans' delight, they were spotted kissing in a car in July 2021, confirming their off-screen romance.⁣

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In September of that year, they went Instagram official, with Holland sharing a selfie of the pair in honor of Zendaya's 25th birthday and affectionately calling the Euphoria star "my MJ" in the caption.⁣

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Weeks later, in a November 2021 interview with GQ, Holland expressed his desire to keep their relationship private. "One of the downsides of our fame is that privacy isn't really in our control anymore, and a moment that you think is between two people that love each other very much is now a moment that is shared with the entire world," he told the outlet.⁣

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He added that the pair would decide together when the time was right to share details about their relationship.⁣

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"This isn't my story. It's our story. And we'll talk about what it is when we're ready to talk about it together," Holland explained.⁣

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The couple's romance continued to blossom over the following months and years. And while they maintained a low profile, Zendaya shared her love for Holland in quiet ways. In a June 2022 Instagram post celebrating the Uncharted star's 26th birthday, she wrote simply, "Happiest of birthdays to the one who makes me the happiest <3," alongside a black-and-white snapshot of the pair cuddling.⁣

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In March 2023, she was spotted wearing a gold ring etched with Holland's initials in a video posted by Zendaya's nail artist on Instagram.⁣

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in June 2023, Holland reiterated why the couple prefers to keep their relationship under wraps. “Our relationship is something that we are incredibly protective of and we want to keep as sacred as possible," he explained at the time. "We don’t think that we owe it to anyone, it’s our thing, and it has nothing to do with our careers.”⁣

The following month, he revealed that his relationship with Zendaya is the thing he holds "most sacred" in life.⁣

"I don’t talk about it. I try my best to keep it as private as possible," he said while appearing on the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast. "We both feel very strongly that that is the healthiest way to move on as a couple."⁣

Zendaya echoed that sentiment in an August 2023 interview with Elle, telling the magazine that her priority is "protecting the peace" in her relationship with Holland amid the relentless public interest and paparazzi presence.⁣

"Parts of my life, I accept, are going to be public. I can’t not be a person and live my life and love the person I love," she said.⁣

"But also, I do have control over what I choose to share," Zendaya continued. "It’s about protecting the peace and letting things be your own but also not being afraid to exist. You can’t hide. That’s not fun either. I am navigating it more than ever now.”⁣

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[devileaterjaek]

Discord Twitch Ko-Fi

[hostilecityshowdown]

the amount i need modern wrestling fans to study the von erichs until they're able to point at other wrestlers and go "i know where they learned that" is unreal

[thrilling-oneway]

what did i miss why are there official vbs and wxs rings now

[style-of-princess-beatrice]

A Royal Recycling (part 137)

Zimmermann