#omg uncle jim you're such a boomer~ bitch where where's the boomer in his eyes?

[chaos0pikachu]

I just want to say I still appreciate you for being one of the few people I see and agree with re: Only Friends about Sand being everyone's babygirl and SandRay being everyone's ship. There's A LOT of meta, which I vary in liking, agreeing with, disliking, and not agreeing with, but no matter how many essays are written, I will go down believing a vast majority of the love Sand gets is cause of First and the overwhelming majority of love SandRay gets is cause of FirstKhao. It's the exact same thing that happened with Moonlight Chicken. I'm not even sure people realize they're doing it, but I see it. So, again, thank you for still talking about it cause sometimes I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. lol

firstly, thank you <3 <3 you're def not crazy or wildin out lol It's funny you mention this actually b/c I recently saw this tweet:

With a lot of replies and quotes from OhmNanon fans saying the tweet is spreading "misinformation" and to take it down. Also that it's "not true unless gmmtv makes an official statement".

but what's not true here? That Ohm and Nanon aren't going to do another BL together? Who cares? Or is this about "couple content" and "couple merch"? What's the issue here really?

GMMTV sells "couple merch" & does "couple fan meets, events" which shows to me they're not selling Bad Buddy, or Moonlight Chicken what have you, they're selling OhmNanon and EarthMix and FirstKhao and ForceBook. Contrast that with idk Riverdale, WB doesn't sell Cole/Lilli merch it sells Betty, Jughead merch. Or Squid Game, the merch is for the show itself, you might find Kang Sae-byeok, but you won't find HoYeon Jung (the actress) merch.

This all reminds me more of how kpop companies sell their idols; you buy merch for either the group or individual idol. You buy the BT21 items, or a Jimin blanket etc. And these companies bank on fans loving their idols so deeply they'll buy sixteen albums for the chance of getting such-an-such photocard of their bias member.

The way gmmtv promotes their "acting couples" is very similar to me - right down to the lightsticks even.

I can believe that some fans don't fall into these para-social relationships but it's pretty clear, to me from my observations of gmmtv fandom specifically, that a lot of fans do. The grow found of the actors, and the acting couple which influences how they'll feel about the characters they play to, at the least, a certain extent.

Like, I've seen people say their bias for Khao has influenced their feelings towards Ray. It can even be subconscious. B/c you don't just like Khao or FirstKhao you watch their "contents" of them together, see them being cute, want to support them as a couple, buy their merch or share things about them; that level of investment in them as people is going to effect how you view their work specifically the characters they play. Even more so b/c that's what gmmtv wants.

They knew what they were doing casting EarthMix in Moonlight Chicken even though Earth was a miscast - I stand by this, but someone like Peter Knight should've played Uncle Jim. Earth is to fucking young to play an 'Uncle' convincingly give the man some comedies pls he's so funny.

They knew what they were doing putting two of their most recognizable and popular acting couples (FirstKhao, ForceBook) in Only Friends to offset the "risk" of a high sexual series.

This got away from me but yeah, I don't think all fans feel that para-social connection to the actors, but gmmtv especially wants their audience too. And it absolutely starts to effect how fans engage with the media in question completely b/c they see the actors before they see the characters.

anyway that's my hot take