Exposé by ‘Bleeding Sherlock Holmes’
Epik High - Fan (Eng. sub)
Credit:chubzzyjudy
Anyway, weeks have passed since the Dream Concert but its specter of fan violence still looms ominously above the Kpop industry. Many fear/anticipate another vengeful boycott or backlash from fan clubs. Despite the implications of the events, the only media outlet who seemed to be interested in investigating what happened at the concert is Mnet; thus, many are curious to hear what they have to say. For those who don’t know, Mnet is a Korean entertainment channel that airs music programs. This time they did a documentary(?), interviewing fans and investigating the events. Despite providing many eye-opening revelations, I must slap a disclaimer on this so-called documentary. Mnet is a music channel that cannot afford to lose its partnership with SM entertainment, one of the three largest entertainment companies in Korea. Besides, SM has the power to rig the annual Mnet awards ceremony and buy awards for their artists so bribing Mnet to paint all the fans at the Dream Concert as crazy and psychotic is no big deal. We cannot ignore the bias that entails Mnet.
I have to admit that the entire documentary seems scripted. I’d have to say that the meeting held among Cassies, ELFs, Triples and Soshis was, at best, laughable. It seemed unreal and very much scripted. The members there representing their respective fan clubs seemed uninformed and misguided. There was one Cassie member denying the fact that CATEL members did not previously plan for the boycott to happen. Then how could it possibly have spontaneously occurred? We’re not that idiotic to believe such pretense. There were other fans who insisted that CATEL didn’t exist until 2 days before the concert when a journalist wrote a piece about the rumours circulating online and coined the term. They also said that CATEL members didn’t think the stunt would work until the news spread like wildfire to other fan club members due to this article. Now they’re blaming a journalist for this mess? What are they nuts? We heard of this boycott well ahead of the concert and was most definitely planned ahead for a successful execution. This documentary also conveys a negative image of fans in general, making them look incredulously petty and jealousy-stricken. The only thing I liked was that the PD actually interviewed a few fan boys. Other than that, the documentary shed an unfavorable light towards fans and their fan clubs - unfairly labeling fans as hysterical young kids with time to waste - and inadequately distinguishing the difference between normal, supportive fans and parasitic cult fans. Not to mention, all the fans they interviewed sounded like chipmunks because the PD didn’t want to disclose their identity.
Despite Mnet’s failed attempt at a level-headed story on the 2008 Dream Concert, there were a few remarkable points that I could salvage. And that is on the topic of EXTREME fans. As promised, I have ended the SNSD fiasco with their apology letter, which many indignant fans deplored for its apparent insincerity (just take what you get and shove it where you think it belongs). I would just like to highlight the origins of this cult-like fandom where fans worship their idols and its consequences.
These cult fans have a special name, the “Personal-life fans” (rough translation, it basically means that these fans stalk every single movement of their beloved stars). Korea is not a big place, especially Seoul. Everyone practically lives in Seoul so it’s easy to keep track of an individual’s movements. Everyone practically lives next to so and so celebrity. I even know someone who lives right next to Shinhwa’s studio. Anyways, these cult fans range from young impressionable teens who are naïve, obsessed, and irrational to old, possessive, delusional ahjumma fans (In the case of Wondergirls, there are also the gun-wielding soldiers who want to escape their tedious barrack lives.) But I am not satisfied with the term “Personal-life fans” so from now on I will refer to these extreme fans as PARASITES.
According to the interview conducted with previous Parasites, they started stalking their stars from the airport, the moment they stepped foot in Korea. On the day that the idol group members arrived from Japan, it was the same day they moved into their new apartment. One of the Parasites in the fan club lived next door to the stars’ new apartment and spied on them unpacking their luggage. Then these captured videos and photos of idol group members in their home were streamlined onto fan cafes. Unbelievable. I am amazed at their speed and coordination, yet irritated at their lack of discretion in private matters. This does not apply to one particular fan club, but to all, including the ELFs, Cassies, Soshi, VIPs, Triples, etc. However, I am referring to a polarized segment of each fan club that cross the line and tarnish the reputation of the entire fan base. Therefore, I want to clarify once again that this article is about extreme stalker fans (aka Parasites) in order to prevent an over-generalization of relatively sane members of fan clubs.
(And for those who are wondering where you can get a hold of these clandestine videos and photos of stars in their homes…hoho, don’t ask. I don’t have those. You need to join ultimate secret fan cafes and sign your soul away to the devil in order to have access. (More precisely, you have to have evidence that you sat in front of the stars’ home and waited for them hours on end). I don’t have that kind of access…sorry. )
We’ve all heard about the 24/7 surveillance by fans in front of their stars’ dorms. Well they use a relay system to track the movement of stars and know when they’re coming back home or going to the studio so that they can meet them. So all the fans go home and they use their cell phones to contact each other when they spot the stars near their neighborhood. This gets relayed to the next person, signaling to them that they are headed towards their area. That is how fans know at about what time their stars will show up in front of their studios and homes for them to grab a peek. I wouldn’t be surprised if these Parasites go far enough to stick GPS detectors on their stars – it would make their lives so much easier.
Of course, Soshi fans probably get the hiccups just from seeing their 9 plastic barbies squished in a van with Ken at the wheel. And I’m sure they waited for hours sitting on the sidewalk like bums to capture this Kodak moment.
When Big Bang’s T.O.P. and actress Shin Mina had a scandal, VIPers (Big Bang’s fan club members) denied the rumors. YG Entertainment used the ‘homeless’ VIPers who sit in the rain in front of Big Bang’s dorm as evidence that T.O.P could not have possibly dated Shin Mina in secret, not even if it was James Bond style. VIPers have put up a 24/7 surveillance, watching anyone coming in and out of Big Bang’s apartment complex. I don’t know if this was a good thing or a bad thing, but one thing is for sure, YG had a damn good alibi thanks to the VIP watch dogs (good job). And thus, the scandal was dismissed even though there was some suspicious evidence, such as Shin Mina’s management company first confirming a love relationship and then retracting it once YG denied it outright.
And of course, there is the usual cell phone problem. Fans somehow find out the cell phone numbers of their favorite stars…and when these stars get a new number, sinister text messages pop up, saying “You changed your number…like we wouldn’t know (hehe).”
Some of these fans go far enough to find out the pin number to their stars’ dorm room. In Korea, you have to punch in a code to get into your apartment, instead of using a key. Some fans have actually been in the dorm rooms of their stars. (That is so creepy! There is a limit to a star’s exposure…and that is at the front door of their home.) What’s their motive? They want to steal ‘memorabilia’, like t-shirts from their stars’ closets. An idol stars’ home is not a free-for-all gift shop.
Not only this, it seems like taxi drivers are profiting off of these stalker fans. These stalkers reserve taxis every weekend to wait on the side curb for them so that when the stars come out and leave their dorms, they can follow them into town. The PD was not allowed to record because many of these fans lie to their family about their whereabouts and come in secret. Some Parasites recall one instance where a star left their home to get some fresh air because they were in a bad mood, but was confronted by a line of taxis bursting with crazy fans screaming their heads off.
What is more shocking is that this fandom existed since the late1990s, among other old-school idol groups. The Dream Concert was already known as a bloody war zone. In the 2001 Dream Concert, Finkl fan boys clashed with Shinhwa fangirls due to a baseless scandal and one fan was sent to the hospital. SechKies fans didn’t like Finkl fans for numerous scandals. Baby Vox’s member Kan Miyeon also fell victim to HOT fans who were angered by her scandal with Moon Hee Jun, receiving threatening letters. In detail, it was a package of a Miyeon’s picture mutilated with her eyes poked out by a knife. There were also fans that attacked the stars themselves, like one incident where a fan threw an un-open bottle at an S.E.S. member.
History repeats itself. At the 2008 Dream Concert, unruly Soshi fan boys and girls turned violent against members of other fan clubs in an attempt to protect SNSD and get revenge. These crazy Soshi fans are just part of a small group of maniac fans that unfortunately exist in Korea’s pop culture.
One industry observer attributes this fandom to the 1990’s when Korea’s gayo (music industry) suddenly shifted their focus from national to teens. Many big management companies came out with packaged idol groups for young teens, called the 10’s generation. Thus, the usual gayo enthusiasts (the older generation) turned their back on the music industry, while young fans took their place. Idol stars were propelled to Hallyu stars while entertainment companies-broadcast companies-fan clubs joined forces to create an international music scene, abandoning its domestic audience. Therefore, the music industry is now in a slump due to its narrow target range and is at the mercy of fan clubs. It’s quite ironic that these entertainment companies have caused their own death.
For all those die-hard fans out there, try to use some common sense and show some respect to the stars that you love. Parasites should be ashamed that they unabashedly violate their stars’ privacy for their own selfish contentment. Most fan club members detest the maniacal actions of these Parasites because they suck the life out of their idols. This fandom is still evolving and, hopefully, it will mature into a more fruitful and enjoyable era where both stars and fans can share their love for music.
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