That said, if there was ever another good reason to shun the toxic mess that is K-pop and K-pop fandom, here you go.
Aesthetically, it's no secret I can't stand what's supposed to be a musical genre that's defined more by haircuts and choreography than it is actual music.
But that's beside the point. K-pop is, objectively, a vehicle aimed at young women and men to exploit them financially and sexually. The contracts alone, signed at an early age, basically ensure that even if you "make it" in K-pop you are basically fucked for life contractually.
No doubt this shit exists in America as well (#metoo, Kesha, R.I.P. Prince, etc.) but if you can write your own songs and hire a good lawyer, you've got a lot of leeway that Korean artists could never dream of.
So yes, get off of my lawn and all that. K-pop and (kill me now) K-pop fandom have always struck me as bizaro-world parodies of actual music and love of music but rather than end with more of my bile, how about this -- next time you have a chance in South Korea, check out an indie band or singer at a local nightclub, somebody who isn't signed to YG or SM or didn't attend an "academy" for their art. They're out there, some of them are really talented, and they could use your 5,000 won more than any entertainment agency here could.
It's a small start.
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