#everyone has their own lines and being in the kpop fan space is exhausting and people say a lot of really dumb stuff all the time

[sanstropfremir]

Huh I love eunbis discography and performances but I wouldn't compare her to chungha??? They're quite different and chungha has amazing performances and just completely different ways to approaching performances and music. Also dang people gave up on chungha so quickly like imo sparkling was a bop! Anyways once again the izone fandom act their girls are untouchable. Reminds me of jo yuri and iu comparions and people being like she's the next iu and I'm like ??? Can't we let artists be the next them instead of setting them to be the next x. Like if I see another person saying ateez or stray kids is the next bts/ amasdhfhhjjk

the amount of times that i get people in my inbox telling me an opinion i've literally never heard anyone say before is so staggeringly high lmao. i have to assume that was a very specific case and not a widely held belief, bc frankly i think it's a flat comparison, but eunbi did kind of invite it on herself with that last cb i guess.

as far as comparisons in general........i think people (read: kpoppies) overreact to them. comparisons are an extremely useful and very relevant tool for media analysis; my master's thesis was literally a comparative case study. you need to be able to recognize when and how different imagery and and concepts are used and comparatives are the easiest and most accessible way to do that. but a lot of people (read: kpoppies) either take a comparison as an offense because how dare someone think their idols are not doing totally unique and groundbreaking art, OR they use it as a tool specifically to antagonize other fans by using a comparison to prove that one is better than the other. both of which are very reductive to everyone (included the function of comparisons itself) involved. when you're in an industry that has as much idea sharing and copying as kpop, comparisons are such an easy way to interrogate WHY you like something as a fan, but instead they're usually just treated as threats.

[chocosvt]

(below is a mix of rambling/more discussion/some updates on where my blog is heading, read if u wish)

to be frank, at this point, i don’t think an apology statement is in sight. pledis has proved time and time again how manipulative and apathetic they are as a company. even the bare minimum - making a small edit in the clip which would have removed the offensive segment - is ignored. no matter how vocal this fandom was, pledis chose to do absolutely nothing. they would rather preserve clips of their artists normalizing an abhorrent, discriminatory song than issue a simple statement, leaving south asian carats to ruminate in this nauseating uncertainty and exhaustion. and it seems to unearth the question: “is this a space i want to be in?”

it’s not anyone’s place to dictate one’s opinion on whether or not they feel comfortable in this fandom. this name doesn’t just encompass kcarats. it’s global. it’s everyone whose decided to support the group so dedicatedly. the way svt have adapted the term “global idol” is questionable when taking into account the ignorance that has been demonstrated. this is nothing new or nothing that hasn’t already been voiced, but seriously, idols shouldn’t expand to a global platform if they’re going to be selective with their respect. 

around 2018-ish, i couldn’t keep up with any group apart from svt, nor did i truly want to get involved with other groups. since their debut, svt has been such a lovely source of happiness and comfort. even when i had to endure some of my toughest moments, i could always turn to them in order to regain strength. so admittedly, observing the complete silence from their end was disheartening. i’m not part of the affected culture, so i cannot begin to imagine such sentiments of disappointment. i do feel a strain on the relationship i once had with svt. 

watching ww’s live, it was unsettling and there were many moments of stiffness. i want to believe that ww would have apologized (dk + vn too) if pledis were not the complete control freaks they establish being, but truthfully i don’t know what’s up in his head nor his heart. nonetheless, this idol coddling is so toxic (i could really write a whole essay on this). they’re not some fifth graders, they’re matured men in their twenties who are more than capable of understanding any cultural insensitivies and how their actions entailed hurt. i was relieved to see so many fans actually holding them accountable, to a point where the original artist himself released a statement and even the damn news got involved.

i wish that we could have got even an inkling of closure. just that tiny, tiny moment where ww briefly mentions the song being cut out. many people have suggested to remain persistent with emailing (not just the pledis accounts, but the bighit accounts as well) and i’ve seen others suggesting to opt from buying tickets to the online caratland event. i can’t see this ending in a manner where any action will be taken. unless someone manages to sneak this topic into another online fs or something along those lines where there’s direct contact, i have no idea what’s gonna happen.

this was a mentally and physically draining week. i hope all south asian carats who had to yet again watch their culture get shaved down to these harmful stereotypes take the time to look after themselves, nurture themselves, step away from this train wreck and prioritize things that are fun and healing!! it’s not your responsibility to educate ignorant people when so many resources are easily accessible. getting into kpop comes with an unhealthy cost. the industry is blanketed with casual racism and it moves slower than molasses when it comes to addressing the layers of disrespect and indifference. 

i also need to question if this is something worth my energy. i’ve been writing on this platform for five years now. i need to decide if this is something i want to keep putting effort into. i’m beyond tired of witnessing pledis brush any serious concern under the rug while scrambling to make amends for insignificant matters that no one legit cared about apart from a few disgruntled kcarats. right now, i’m not in a mood where i want to post svt content or write svt related stories. until there is an apology that suggests actual remorse, growth, and willingness to be evolve in the event there are other blemishes (which seems highly unlikely) i won’t be as present as i used to. 

overall, i’m not sure the direction of my blog. i think i need to step away from chocosvt for a few days so that i can really process. my plans are definitely not to abandon my main. and as time passes maybe i’ll feel less hesitant. 

of course, i’m going to continue my admin position on caratwritersclub because i truly do love writing! i love reading the different works and seeing how galaxy brained you all are! in terms of my own writing, it’s most likely going to come to a standstill. i might finish my massive kmg fic and post it (as well as the yjh and ljh fics in my drafts) but like i previously mentioned, i need to question if keeping up with svt as adamantly as before is worth my energy. i’m not saying i’ll NEVER write or post about them again. writing is one of my only mental escapes that legitimately works. rather, i might ease off and ponder what’s the best road to take, and how involved i should remain as their fan. 

whew.

to end off this gigantic scripture, i’m going to mention that i made a new personal blog. my old one is too cluttered. it’s not completely ready yet but i’m  thinking that i’ll make a smaller post which summarizes some of my ending points. i’ll link it there. i think some kartists will still make an appearance (and there will absolutely be mr. moon wen junhui), but mostly other things i’m interested in!! feel free to drop a follow and mutuals i’ll fb as soon as i can!!! if you read this entire thing then i hope it wasn’t too disorganized. if any part of this comes across as over speaking or invalidating pls let me know! i can really freakin ramble when i’m just sitting here w my thoughts. 

anyways, I’M DONE NOW.  

[ginforink]

31 & 32 for BTS? ^^

31. Your favorite thing, personality-wise, about each member of BTS?

Seokjin- Namjoon said something once about how carefree he was, not necessarily lacking passion, but light and unworried about things. I really appreciate people like that. They’re calming and steady and fun to be around. Even though he has insecurities and he can work hard at things, he’s primarily just there to be himself and help other people be happy, and that’s an incredible, unusual trait in a person. 

Yoongi- He don’t take shit. Also he’s a true Slytherin. He’ll do literally anything to get what he wants and he avoids trouble at all costs. He cheated at games several times during BTS RUN! I respect that about him. He’s, like, the most self-aware idol in kpop. People mistake that for him being lazy sometimes, but I attribute it to him having been through so much shit that he knows how to avoid it.

Hoseok- His judge-y faces when people do something weird around him. Also the unique way he moves his body and addressing situations with his weird, wobbly physical humor. He’s like a stylized human. I’d say he’s part of the trickster line (Hobi, Tae, Yoongi, and Jimin to some degree) because of how much he likes teasing the other members. 

Namjoon- His philosophical side. His random musings would come off as pretentious on any other person, but he’s so careless and sincere about it, and often what he has to say isn’t just about his understanding of the universe and his own place in it, but its more about how he cares about everyone else and how he understands people in general. 

Jimin- This is going to sound awful because its definitely a flaw, but I love how much of an attention whore he is. He’s so needy. He can’t take an insult even as a joke, and he’s constantly seeking praise. He’ll interrupt other people getting compliments just to receive some himself. It’s adorable. And the other members always indulge him because he needs that validation. I also love how he can’t act at all and gets embarrassed easily. What a teddy bear. 

Taehyung- This is hard because there’s nothing about his very unique personality that I don’t love, from his very strange way of acting abnd moving to his earnest desire to get better at things, and the way he treats fans and how airheaded he seems to be. I guess what I like best about him is that he really goes out of his comfort zone to give himself to the fans every day. When you see him in videos of the whole group, he’s often the quietest and most reserved member but he really swallows it down and acts crazy in public even though it must be exhausting. No wonder he gets so hurt and sad when it gets him in trouble or when people make fun of him for it. He tries so hard. 

Jungkook- He’s a walking contradiction. He’s the manliest member of the group, and pretty cocky and stoic, but he’s also reserved and shy. He doesn’t take shit from people but he’s incredibly respectful. He’s full of confidence and incredibly talented and great at everything, and then he’s such a dweeb. He makes me dizzy. He’s so multi-faceted that no two people in the fandom look at him exactly the same way, which makes him SO GREAT to write as a character in fics. I think every Jungkook I’ve ever written is completely different. 

32. Are there any songs that remind you of your biases?

Well, the songs I’ve heard Jungkook sing outside of BTS’s discography, especially in english, remind me of him whenever I hear them. Especially Dean’s half-moon and the one he just sang a couple days ago. “We don’t talk anymore” I think. Charlie Puth? Idk. He sounded great. 

“Shelter” by Porter Robinson and Madeon reminds me of the saddest Jungkook fic I’ve ever read. I still cry about it. That fic damaged my soul. I am now scared of space fiction. It reminds me of the sweet, helplessly innocent side of Jungkook and oh man, I cry. So much. I was in the car alone the other day listening to it and tears everywhere. Like, fuck. Go watch the music video for Shelter. Its a work of art. 

That ended up being incredibly long. I hope you enjoy. Thank you so much. Those were awesome questions and I had to think a lot about them. 

gif by @refrainbow. She’s also done art for the fic that made me cry. And art for one of my fics. My fav. Love her.