Girl groups are marked as self insert while boygroups as boy friends The most popular girl member is the most relatable wannabe..that's why Bp are so popular because there branding is so distinct n very vague giving the perfect self insert
I just realized that in TXT, Yeonjun is the rebel, Soobin is the classic boyfriend, Beomgyu is the boy next door, Taehyun is the prince, and Hueningkai is the cute boy
I also feel like wonyoung branding feel very disconnected from her personality and who she is as a person, which can make her come of as "fake" but I am maybe wrong, I don't know her personaly lol
I'm sorry, it's just make me remember that in their debut days, jin of bts is pushed to give a prince image (he said it himself, but i don't remember when). If you see him now with his real personality, that prince image is kinda ridiculous.
I feel like many kpop fans are aware of this marketing technic, but too afraid of giving it much thought because it would break the image that we have of a certain idol. Not me being attacked by my own words tho .-. PS: You're so underrated :(
I feel like a lot of younger fans may not be aware though. Which is why it’s so important to talk about this. If you get too attached to a camera personality, you might just end up hurting yourself if the bubble bursts.
I agree with all of this but i don't think this is strictly a k-pop thing. Back when One Direction was still an active group, they most certainly had this kind of marketing with the different members having different boyfriend personas (Harry being the "bad boy", Zayn being the cold but sweet guy, Niall being the homely and fun boyfriend) and their MV of Night Changes was with the perspective of the viewer going on a date with each of the members. Idk the group or all of the members that well, but I'm pretty sure Harry isn't a "dangerous badass mafia" in real life. There are also some jpop boy groups which have similar marketing. Basically this is a popular concept for boy groups, regardless of whether they are k-pop or not, because the majority of fans in general are straight teenage girls.
@Nomad in u think about it in the entertainment world many artist are gay/bi, cause it's a word more "open minded", so surely some of these boy bands members are not straight, but they have to hide it cause their main source of income are straight teenager girls
Jhope's song daydream expresses this topic. In the mv you can see there are two versions of him, one being jhope and the other being hoseok. I have also seen him talk about how he is nothing without bts meaning his persona “jhope, the ray of sunshine “ is what everyone loves. I fear he thinks everyone loves his this version and not his real personality
a month later im actually so happy he released his new single more that shows a different side of him artistically, he even said he wanted to show a different more vulnerable or darker side of him which is great luv him for that
i don’t think feeling like he’s nothing without bts necessarily relates to a persona. i think it’s more that he has accomplished the stuff he has through bts
beomgyu used to say he’s the “moodmaker of the group” but a couple years ago when he was going through a tough time he said that he steered away from that title because he felt a lot of pressure to be happy all the time. Its not like he’s not the happy and bubbly anymore, he just feels more comfortable being calm sometimes and not having to put on an act. Im glad he was open and honest about that because i could see how these archetypes pushed by the company could pressure the idols.. he said that he was “searching for his position” i just want idols to know that they dont have to necessarily put on an act, they can just show an honest version of themselves and thats how they gain an honest fanbase that sees them the way they truly are.
This video was very enlightening, actually I got to thinking about girl group marketing strategies (since I’m more of a girl group stan) and I made a quick list Girl Group Marketing Tropes 1. The Rebel - usually charismatic performers (to use the stage presence model from Everglow-Up) - often given more of a tomboy image - usually assertive, sometimes will work on the group’s creative direction - usually rappers - usually wears black - eg: Soyeon of (G)I-dle, Giselle of Aespa, Chaeyeong of Twice, Ryujin of Itzy, Lisa of Blackpink 2. The Seductress - usually sensual performers - given revealing or sexy outfits - very sexy, sensual - often shy/sweet off stage - usually wears red - eg: Soojin ex-(G)I-dle, Joy of Red Velvet, Seolhyun of AoA 3. The Sweetheart - usually cute and sweet - generally lovable - hard-working - usually wears pastel colours, such as pink or purple - eg: J-line of Twice, Dahyun of Twice, Wheein of Mamamoo, Rose of Blackpink 4. The Princess - Rich. - considered “favoured” by company - usually gets most cfs - fashionable, wears luxury goods/clothing - oftentimes is the visual of the group - notably gets a lot of hate - sometimes called “ice princess” or appear cold-hearted - often wears bold, bright colours like red or blue - eg: Nayeon of Twice, Wonyoung of Ive, Irene of Red Velvet, Jennie of Blackpink, Tzuyu of Twice 5. The Goddess - Can do no wrong - often considered good at everything - usually all-rounders - usually leaders - usually considered role models or similarly elevated - eg: Jihyo of Twice, Yujin of Ive, Karina of Aespa
You basically made a whole video with this comment. The way I completely agree with this, just shows how intricate the kpop industry is & the way they portray their idols.
@@dinoman4655 right like the way its made over the years its so easily understandable how it works and what the marketing strategies are most of the time of the companies
Ugh, totally got into a Twitter argument for saying this! This is one part of idol culture I deeply want to stop, because the industry is putting these people in literal danger over being falsely romantically available.
By saying idol culture you’re making it seem like this is a kpop only thing, this has been going on for soo long and everywhere like just look at one direction
@@sunnygirl7669 Idol culture is everywhere though? Idol isn't just Kpop, there's Jpop and anyone with a huge fanbase is subjected to idolization culture.
AAH THANK YOU!!! I really take so much time out of my week to plan, edit, and record these, it's so flattering to hear that people enjoyed them! Seriously thank you so much
I'd noticed the way they were marketed as partners, but never the archetype thing. That's actually kind of unsettling to me, but genius marketing. The boy group had something for anyone...
it really is when you think that for idols this job is their LIFE. obviously they have lives after they stop, but it is their EVERYDAY DURING THEIR PRIME. it seems so exhausting, really thinking about it. very, very unsettling.
6:59 the combo idol personas can be called as "duality" and imo fans like the idea of idols have layers of personalities within them. like yeonjun has rebel persona but he is actually emotional and cries easily. or jhope is bubbly and keeps the members happy but he is very strict when teaching dance moves. as long as it's not an unpleasant behavior, i think fans will find them attractive
True, and I don’t understand why fans talk about “duality”… Everyone has duality. Personality is a really complex science and each one of us has multiple faces (not necessarily in a bad way, and some of them aren’t even noticeable) therefore it’s impossible to meet someone who has only one side of themselves. So why talk about duality?
This video is scarily underrated. I didnt even realize my subconcious bias was an ideal partner. Im not a delusional fan, but i catch myself imagining cute moments with my bias if i ever got the chance to meet them or be friends with them. But in reality i truly dont know their real personalities.
I’ll definitely consider it! This video was strongly based off of the fact that boy groups are marketed as harems, whereas girl groups can be marketed like role models. 💗
@@pinklamborghini6446 it's a word from Arabic which means concubine, here i think the creator used this work to express how male artists are treated like objects that you could pick as partenaire (same as concubines used to be treated), rather than being treated as humann beings.
yes, it's really interesting although I get the feeling that musically he projects an image but if you look at some of the "to do's" you can see a bit more of his natural reactions, and a bit more of his unplanned persona.
I personnaly like branding and persona, this is not just celebrity who does it but also everyday poeple also do it in their everyday life depending on the setting they are in. The problem come when this not at all related to who you are as a person because it means you will have to fake it all the time andI think this not good for the mental health of anyone, second problem is if this image isn't allowed to Evolve with how the personality of the owner, I understand that this is hard to see the personality of someone you know change drasticly but at the end of the day people should accept it.
i've already noticed some kind of pattern on groups before, but never really got into my mind elaborated like that! It really was interesting fr💃💕 ok but prob after watching this my combination is the boy next door, cute and prince...💀
As someone that loves KPop song/music for what it is (I rarely involved myself in fandom and sometimes not really known the member of certain group that I love), differentiate them into certain archetype just not adding any flavour to their music. That being said, not only date-ability, but also the shippability is important thing to sell. Many of K-Poppers that I know, know any group and then got into the fandom because of the ship. So not only they have to fit into certain archetype, the idol have to sell believable bromance too. Whether they just coworker or actually have some kind of hostile relationship, it doesn't matter for the shipper. Honestly, I kinda don't understand what's the matter between KPop and homoeroticism..
The got me. I succumbed. Why are you spot on? 😭 Apparently I'm mainly attracted to "The Boy Next Door" and _sometimes_ "Rebel" (Yeonjun is probably the only one rn) and the "Cute Boy" usually my 'son' 💀 Also when it comes to the idols changing their image, subconsciously, I saw Jungkook as the "Cute Boy" at first then I took a break from BTS for like 1-2 years and decided I wanna check out the members. Not sure about anyone else but I subconsciously see him as "The Rebel" in a few ways and it feels _very_ uncomfortable to even look at him on camera to the point where I kinda ask myself "Who is this?". I never told anyone about this before since I thought to myself that "He just grew up and found his own identity," which is likely true, but it wasn't just that apparently. It was also marketing that I easily fell for...
What's weird is...I noticed while I was making this video that the only person in BTS who really stuck to their branding was J-Hope. Remembering my early army days, it feels like each member was so cartoonified. (Mochi Jimin...what a time.) That's probably why I got such a shock when "baby bunny maknae" Jungkook suddenly got piercings and tattoos. I guess they're so popular now that they don't have to stick to the stereotypes? Thank you for the comment!
some examples of idols i think that suit! rebel - youngjo of oneus, juyeon of the boyz, wonhyuk of e'last prince - jinyoung of cix, romin of e'last, minhee of cravity, boy next door - donghyun of ab6ix, jiung of p1harmony, hoshi of seventeen classic boyfriend - sejun of victon, yejun of e'last, hwiyoung of sf9 cute boy - sanha of astro, minhyuk of monsta x, yanan of pentagon
Uhm, It's my first time to stan E'Last, yeah I'm new to them, and I'll easily put Yejun in rebel type I think Youngjo from ONEUS can be prince + rebel (but I think he's more like prince)
This articulates the problem I have with boy groups very well. It bothers me that a musical act has what is basically a flashing neon sign on the top of their heads saying "be obsessed with us". As a woman, the idol industry assumes that I'll be romantically and sexually attracted to male idols, and fire at all cylinders trying to use that - but all it makes me do is take a step back. Try as I might, even if I adore a group's discography, I can never seem to get to the "stanning" level with boy groups. Of course, gg's have their problematic strategies as well, but for me they're less distracting and bother me less.
This is what I’m saying! This goes out to all kpop but mainly boygroups. I think that literally boygroups ignore the idea of even music at this point. Just like you said even if their discography is good, their marketing strategies and their attempt to appeal viewers by their visuals and mysterious personas get me everytime. It’s like at this point it’s not JUST music. And that’s why it’s super normal to ask a bg stan why they stan a group and they say “they’re my hubbies” or “they’re hot”. They try to sell off the idea that they are available for everyone and that they love every fan separately. This point it’s the music getting overshadowed by the marketing and their appearances and personas
What I think would be Seventeen's: Scoups: the rebel + the classic boyfriend Jeonghan: the prince Joshua: the classic boyfriend + the cute boy Jun: the prince Wonwoo: the prince + the classic boyfriend (maybe?) Woozi: the cute boy (mostly during seventeen's first years as a group) Mingyu: the rebel + the boy next door The8: the rebel DK: the boy next door Seungkwan: the boy next door Vernon: the prince Dino: the cute boy
@@Olga-ph3xf oh I'm so sorry, but I think Hoshi would be the boy next door (maybe also the cute boy), for The8 I don't know, he's very fashionable and his style in some photoshoots give the prince vibes but also the way he acts on variety shows is very the rebel too
I LOVE THIS VIDEO!!! Every description and example you used was perfect. May I add some of mine? Prince - Hyunjin of SKZ DUHHHH Boy next door - Jake of Enhypen? Perfect boyfriend - Bangchan of SKZ, Soobin of TXT maybe? both are leaders, that says something Cute - Sunoo of Enhypen, Hueningkai of TXT And combinations: BTS Suga - cute + rebel TXT Beomgyu - prince + boy next door, I feel like they switch these two every other comeback AND I would add another type, The Smart One: Taehyun of TXT, Jay of Enhypen. They are usually the most insightful and have a lot of knowledge about the world It might be claustrophobic for the idols to perform these roles but I also think that it emphasizes the impact of their change of style when it happens, like with J-Hope now before his solo comeback, or I think Hueningkai in GBGB era - he was always the bubbly cute one and now they style him in a more mature way. I think that's inevitable when you are an artist, you need to choose a persona (which actually comes out of your natural traits though) and be consistent with it.
I think what you said last is very true! the "delulu kpop fans" are pinned too much on us and less on the idols and and companies. Like they almost FORCE us to see these boys and girls as perfect!
it's like a real life otome game where players get to choose their bias, picking the trope they like most.. but we're talking about actual humans with feelings, not dolls. this idol culture is ruthless, but it also could be said about singers in general who are made to appeal in a certain way to a certain audience :(
That's interesting, I see it, although it's quite tricky whether it's the persona created by a company or created by the idol himself (as at least most humans create their personas - their identity). As a MOA, a TXT fan who watched them a lot, hearing the recorded conversation TXT members has, seeing their behavior, and then hears casual listeners or not a listeners opinions I got surprised by the Yeonjun's image. I obviously can be wrong, but out of a few stages he doesn't act as the sexy boy/rebel, but rather playful, he has the tongue habit, very dedicated on achieving goals - which is improving as artist, dancer. I see how he is promoted and I understand that it's because of his looks (this little mischievous looks he has for the ones who sees him the first time), but it's quite weird to me. Marketing is weird, making human unhuman like. Great video!
I'm a moa too and i did get into txt because they make me feel like all of us are a part of a highschool group,a lot of moas also acknowledge that we are like siblings, i think op was talking about yeonjun's onstage persona and style,offstage in lives and around his members he legit acts like a stressed mother of three. txt's marketing is unintentionally like a gg
I'm a moa and I think it's more of the aura they give off to attract viewers initially. Not a bad thing imo since when we get to know them, we find out how they're different from what they initially seem like. For example, this "marketing" for Yeonjun. We know people think he's unapproachable and very opinionated but we know that he isn't. I also fell in love with them because of how they actually are and is very genuine. Let's look at it positively since the marketing would definitely help people give their music a chance and be converted as moas. :p
was looking for this comment!! esp bc that aspect of yeonjun is only rlly prominent when they’re performing their songs and occasionally on tiktok otherwise he’s goofy as hell like 😭😭 i feel like it’s a visuals vs personality thing almost ??? yj has these rlly sharp visuals that lend to the rebel marketing very well but then u see him on weverse debating abt butts at 3 am
it’s so confusing when you don’t know if an idol does or says something because they want to… however, i feel like yeonjun (for example) doesn’t really have this bad boy image in their regular content, in which he seems pretty authentic to me, but more in performances and things that more people watch. it can still influence i think
I don't necessarily disagree with all u said however I don't completely agree with "this is just a persona". As someone who stans BTS since 2018, it's been 4 years & Jhope is my ult bias, I don't think it's his persona. The same also goes for Jungkook. Because, even tho celebrities always have to give certain vibes to attract fans, these " personas" can also be a part of their real personalities. JHope himself said that he loved the idea of calling "jhope" because it represents him well. He knew that his bright personality can attract fans & he can become (describe himself as) ARMY's hope. And he used it. Then after years, BTS members said that Hoseok is the most serious member among them especially when it's time to practice a dance or creating choreography or music. He is very serious with his job & it shows that how much responsibility he has as an artist. This is how things work in real life. You can be joyful, making jokes, having the biggest smile with goofy personality but you can also be serious. The same goes for Baekhyun from EXO. I still remember when they asked them "who is the most serious one in EXO?" and Chen straight up said "it's Baekhyun". And Baekhyun is maybe even goofier than Hobi sometimes. Also Jungkook, is the youngest member, was a literal child when debuted & has a fun personality BUT he is a grown man. And mature fans know it well. So, it's not always about the " fake personas". People's personalities are colorful. It just depends on whom you are with, where you are, what you are doing. Sorry for the long essay but I had to talk a lot :)
ikr I agree with most of what was said in the video but also imagine you're an idol and you show ur real personality to fans and someone is like wow what a fake persona like???? What if that's just how they are😭
maybe not so much a persona but I think that they might be chosen to debut in a group together depending on what the staff working with them sees they will grow into.
That's me with Jimin. I know my guy has different sides to him. However as a loyal Jimin biased for..... 5, 5 years now? I would already know that he has more than 1 or 2 sides to him, and he is not who he seems off camera. That there is 'Jimin of BTS' and 'Park Jimin'. I have come to love all those sides,. If he has sides he won't show to us cause' we are just fans, I will love him either way.... This is a bit weird huh.
Renjun actually said once that when he debuted SM told him he would be the 'innocent boy' or something. Kinda weird to just fix a personality tbh but i guessed most of them work
i've noticed this a lot i think one of the best examples of this would be a combo of the rebel & tsundere type of boyfriend which would be SUGA(Min Yoon-gi). He's the "i'll do what i want" cold on the outside but really sweet, 'the one who'll walk you home w/ his hands in his pockets', kind, caring, & a wise old soul on the inside he's also been called the grandpa/old man as well. This was a really good video you're very underrated
The girl with strong personality/ girl crush or the rebellious (usually attracts girls), the bubbly,cute and funny girl (usually to attracts boys), the best friend (like the typical boyfriend here), the perfect fantasy... they are almost the same personalities as boy groups.
I'm glad you exist to make this type of content, because I'm tired of explaining this to fans who still think that idols display their real personality in their content
Also the fact that most of a groups content is scripted even most vlives, which now makes it harder to connect with them truly, without thinking abt what they’re actually like off camera.
gonna go the enhypen route since we already have Sunghoon as the prince Heeseung: cute + classic Jay: rebel + classic Jake: classic + cute Sunoo: just, cute, like pet-on-the head-cute Ni-ki: rebel + cute + boy-next-door (I see you Engenes out there simping over him, chill) Jungwon: boy-next-door + classic + cute
I’ve been waiting for someone to make a video like this, so thank you! The video is great, I liked the way you organized it and made the format kind of like the game you mentioned. 3:15 - The way I laughed because I knew exactly which clip you were referring to 😂
this video is really well made and the commentary is so well atriculated! i feel like these days there are some boy groups that dont really have these personalities forced onto them anymore, no? maybe its also because the landscape is finally changing and companies are now focusing less on these personas and more on the performance and group concept esp with 4th gen groups. are you planning on making a girl group version of this? i think there are some prominent persona types among female idols too such as the ice princess, the bubbly girl, and the girl crush. would be interesting to see a video essay on the ggs too!!
way more people need to see this (and all of your videos). I think if we all know what you're saying, we could try to reduce this kind of thing? and maybe there's a way to stop the many other problems that the kpop industry has, if enough are aware and willing to acknowledge them.
It's parasocial relationships turned up to 11. It's not a bad thing to like an idol being presented like this, but it's important to know it happens, and especially to be reasonable and accept your fave even if they break out of that role (unless it's to be racist, homophobic, cruel in general, ect, then you accept that's how they're acting but encourage them to learn more and change behaviors, and stop supporting them if they don't), and be aware that the person you "know" may not be who you think they are. I prefer when they don't try and put them in boyfriend niches, and encourage them to just be themselves. Or have them force any kind of persona. An example I like is with Ateez. You can tell that at first KQ had light personas for them that were similar to themselves, Hongjoong was the rebel pirate king (but soft and stressed smol dad of 6 demons), Seonghwa they tried to have kinda dark and cool Prince thing (but in reality a stressed single mom of 6 with a 5 step system for cleaning the floors and a nerd that loves pretty things), Yeosang hid how shy he was by being quiet and cool prince #2 but more unknown bc he was quiet, San was cute and smol with emphasis on him being precious and innocent (but then Hala Hala happened and-), Yunho had way toned down his extraness and ho energy, Wooyoung was The Sexy One and we were safe from his aegyo, Mingi has talked multiple times about how he chose to act dumb, because he knew it was entertaining even though he was reading philosophy books back at the dorms, Jongho as the mature maknae (watching him kinda go on a self discovery from around Say My Name through Imitation filming has been interesting, trying on different hats basically, and knowing how long he was a trainee it makes sense) ect. But KQ realized quickly how much people resonated with them being their authentic selves, while also having a performance persona, like a character they play on stage (San and Seonghwa in particular), so they dropped that idea pretty quickly. Some still keep a bit of a wall between who they are in Ateez and their personal life (and that's totally fine) but it's very much so their own choice rather than company pushed. Like jongho and Yeosang don't talk much about their childhood or families, but we basically know Wooyoung and San's entire extended family (Eunkyung, Woo's mom, is a savage and drags him all the time it's great). I think them getting Universe the past year and a half has been a big way to show just how comfortable they get with talking to fans, and how it encourages them to feel more safe when fans are receptive to it. Like Seonghwa recently being open about how he had wanted to do the ab reveal choreo in Inception, but what he did to get his body there was unhealthy and he never really felt comfortable with anything. Which does play into the parasocial relationship part, but if the idols are happy and comfortable while being open with fans it's not the worst thing, as long as you don't take any y/n features to seriously. Reasons why Ateez aren't "perfect boyfriends" (and that's ok because they're being themselves and that person is great): Hongjoong: never home, works too hard, tsundere, possessive, loves minions. Seonghwa: He's pretty but he will talk about Star Wars non stop if you let him. And not just the movies, the full expanded universe. Did a 3 hour livestream building a star wars lego set that was discontinued 10 years ago that sells for 500$. Great if you like those things but not exactly typical "perfect boyfriend". Yunho: ok he's nearly perfect in all ways but he can't cook for sht, and while he's good at nearly everything, including video games, but will pout and demand more rounds if you manage to beat him. 4D so you never really know what he's going to say or do at any time. Will leave you for Spiderman. Yeosang: Sweetest boy in the world but all the members joke about how he's rather head empty no thoughts (or no thoughts but practice) and how they have to tell him things at least 3 times. Holds a grudge (will not let Wooyoung live down taking 12 hours and 19 minutes to wish him Happy Birthday last year, or when they all forgot his 4 years ago). Pretty sure any potential partner will have to fight all the members Scott Pilgrim style first. San: When describing what he does on a day off- Sleeping, eating, rolling around in bed, eating, bother members, game, sleep" Will love his cat, Wooyoung, and his members' butts more than you. Mingi: all emotional availability is dedicated to Yunho, will turn every conversation back to his bestie somehow. So many awful puns. Wooyoung: a demon. Will make food but WILL pout to steal food. Gives lessons on being hard to get. has a harem of male idols. Will snatch your favorite and add them to said harem just to brag to you (poor Changbin). Will actively decide to make you jealous for no reason. Rip your eardrums. Jongho: Doesn't quite scream at any forms of affection anymore, but still, no touchy. Also loves terrible puns. Rip your eardrums part 2.
I love ur insights on Ateez. It rly showed me why do I like them. With kpop groups I'm always: who am I looking at? The persona given by marketing or polished version of their own selfs. And with Ateez I have the feeling we lookin at the polished versions... Or maybe not so polished... (I remember the hj vlive?! when he thought he was alone, n members returned - the witch screaming was woo 100 percent enjoying being loud af)
I don't even listen to K-Pop anymore, but I used to be a fan of EXO 6-7 years ago. I feel so weird that this exists and you put your finger right on it! I really enjoyed watching it
oof I feel called out for 4/5 because I specifically stan those groups and I realize how they are marketed to fans and when idols do something that doesn't fit their quote unquote "image", the reactions would definitely be mostly negative. agHH I don't know how to feel about this but it's made me further understand how idols are given a specific image and are expected to act a certain way to appeal to fans
i love it. you nailed the whole thing. everyone should watch this and wake up. there is a difference between fangirling and obsessing. fr these companies
I love this video and I agree with everything for awhile I noticed a pattern to how kpop male idols act I feel bad because the have act a certain way to appeal to fans instead of being their selves
nawh because when i heard the music for the classic boyfriend i just immediately smiled because it reminded me of jaehyun and thats how i know im in too deep .
@@katgreer6113 i would say that's part of his image because they frame him in "romantic" settings in some nct content (as discussed in the video). but in more casual content, he's just a quiet, odd, funny dude. i partially agree with you too. i think doyoung fits the "classic boyfriend" image better esp bc of his IG posts LOLL
i can’t stop complementing how informational and honestly amazing your videos are. your commentary and way you explain concepts is so digestible but also leaves the viewer with something to think about, as well as some deeper insight into what they consume.
I'm super late but, Han from SKZ seems like boy next door. But if you've seen any of his vlives or his vlogs... He isn't like that at all. It seems like his true personality is when he isn't in front of the cameras/press. I can't speak 100% since I don't know him personally but the 360 difference is a lot to ignore. From a loud and funny guy in front of the cameras to a quiet, a bit shy and soft spoken guy with social anxiety in his vlives or vlogs is too much of a difference to ignore.
I've been thinking this for so long. And now, finally, someone put it into words. THANKS. It's all the time like "oh, kpop fans are crazy ¿how do they feel entitled to his idol?" The marketing strategy of the companies has the fault. Like they are so subtle through day-to-day interactions and yet so evident when basically all kpop idols say that they have no girlfriend apart from all his fans. It just pisses me off. By the way, I just realized that Kang Daniel is the boy-next-door troupe.
ugh i love this video!! the editing is lovely and ive always been so interested in this sort of topic (like with idols personas and stuff) so im glad i found this💔💔
Fascinating video. I don’t notice roles in K-pop too much but man, you tell Bang Chan fits into the perfect boyfriend role. Here’s my guesses for all of SKZ: Bang Chan: Perfect boyfriend Lee Know: Prince + Rebel Changbin: Boy Next Door + Rebel + Cute Boy (hard to pick!) Hyunjin: Rebel + Prince Han: Boy Next Door + Cute Boy Felix: Cute Boy + Prince Seungmin: Prince + Cute Boy I.N: Cute Boy Despite their roles you get to see their duality, their goofy or more thoughtful sides. My bias is Han so I was happy to see he’s actually an introverted homebody. Hyunjin seems so intimidating… until you see his silly side! Seungmin seems so serious and he is NOT.
I LOVE how u edit ur videos!! the games (like in ur video on kpop idols and body image) make the viewer take part in the issue instead passively watching. I love that we interact w the video. and the select-your-character transitions were so cute and unique. ur editing style is really great so keep it up!!💖💖
I am so late to this video but i would just like to say that this was SO entertaining to watch. The most fun while watching i had when you stated the examples of typical idol types in groups! I hope you make a similar video again:)
*and that's why there is some obsessed and toxic fans, because of this marketing technique, they become delusional and think they really have a chance with the idol, and then harassed the female idols that interact with their bias! That's really sad...*
I got into kpop when i was like 11. Me personally, i think of male idols more like friends or brothers than love interests. Their “softer image” compared to western male celebs, comforts me as i am the same way. The softer kpop boy image helped me accept that even tho im a (trans)guy, i dont gotta be this macho masculine persona, which helps me a lot. As im turning 21 tho, ive rlly seen how these idols are marketed as “fantasy boyfriends that arent that far away 😉”. Theyve always been marketed that way, but as years pass, its getting worse, to me atleast. There was the “school crush, flower boy, and cute guy next door” image, and ofc the bad boys. Even tho these concepts were given to idols by the company, most idols’ personality traits combined in that image gave off a more natural impression. To a point that when these idols are doing solo activities, or even leave the label, they still seem like the same person they were because they were already… themselves in certain ways. Now, instead of combining their image and their real personalities into one full product, companies are having new gen idols do sumn different. Now, theres the model concept. Instead of showing the color of each member and having them be idk human, they got these idols acting as models, just staring with no expressions. In mvs, its mostly just choreo and idols looking at something or someone with no emotions at all. Same with performances, not much facial expressions, which makes me not rlly feel the actual music. Now theres the “attractive model” image in official comeback/music activites, the scripted extra content and vlives that shows “another” side to them, different from the model image. The very limited unscripted vlives that shows ANOTHER side to them, etc. Instead of one cohesive image with the idols’ actual personality helping shape it and making it feel more genuine, now theres the model image and the other sides of the same idol doesnt blend well to make one smooth coherent personality. So now ive been looking at these idols like, other than your main model image, who actually are you? What do i like abt you, and how much of that is you and how much is the company? During this ive seen how the actual music isnt the focus as much as it should be. These companies arent selling music, theyre just selling these idols, and using music as the reason why. Which is sad for all these trainees that wanna make music, they think theyre selling their talent, which is true to some extent. But when youre a huge ass company that consistently releases hit music, ironically it seems they focus less on the music and more on selling anything that teen girls would pick up to “get closer to their idol”.
Before transitioning, i rlly just saw it as these trainees wanna make music and the company is there to help them, in return for their freedom. And i still do. But since im not the targeted audience anymore, and im growing into being a man, i could kinda put myself in the idols’ shoes and think abt how they feel. How they feel abt their company. These idols arent idols because they wanna sing for teen girls. They wanna make music they wanna make for their own preferred audience, in their own style. Companies just have the money to execute it, and money is power. Who would give them the most money? Teens who aren’t responsible of taking care of their familes yet, or dont have a job thats taking up most of their time. I rlly wish kpop companies could stop treating idols as fantasies for teens, but thats how they make money. Seeing how companies direct idols to act with their female fans, its honestly just ouran high school host club 😂 so i guess, tldr now that im a guy i see the ways companies push their male idols to give false hope and possibilities to female fans, who in return buy any merch or memberships and stuff like that to get closer to their idols with the hope that maybe they could end up in a relationship with them. As a guy, i buy these things to support my fav idols, their hard work deserves it. That said, its probably why its hard for me to get into new groups, seeing as they dont have such a strong relationship with their fans yet, but are already sold as potential boyfriends to these same fans. Sometimes even before or during debut
@@NeonGreenSpidey Thank you very much for sharing your point of view, it is very interesting. I agree with you completely. I would love to have an idol's opinion on this kind of questioning: is their idol career better or worse than they hoped? How do they feel about the admiration and love their fans have for them? Does the "superficial" aspect of Kpop bother them or are they used to it and accept it?
It seems to me that these archetypes are very noticeable in the performances of the groups but I think (and hope) that the majority of idols don't stick to these images all the time. For example, Sunghoon is my bias and I feel like he has more simple and funny personality than of a prince - he jokes really a lot, when I think of him I always remember his "yah!" (not exactly fitting for a prince)
I like the video but I feel like the personas and examples would need a bit more description. Also it's worth mentioning that some Idols are portrait in a certain way like Renjun (getting an innocent boy image), they can break free of it like Renjun did. Like yes Sunghoon's image and first impressions are Prince-like but when you see their content (live streams or shows) fans can see that he can be really silly, funny and maybe a bit weird too sometimes. So yes Idol images are a thing but I think they are mostly used as a first impression (for rookies groups especially) for new fans discovering a group (like a rising sign if you will).
Love the video! I've always been interested in this topic. It's def not exclusive to kpop, i think is a "boy group/band" thing. I've been (and i still am) a Beatles, Nsync, 1D and BTS fan, and all of then play on the boyfriend character to some extend. It's just cause the companies/manegers know that large part of the fanbase is straight young girls, and creating this romantic bond between idol and fan make the fan more... devoted? Don't know if that's the right word but it's the one i have lol. I don't think that's always a bad thing, sometimes it's just kinda natural i guess but it also has it's side effects, especially considering that most of young fans are very impressionable and not aware that this is more of a persona then who they really are; it can also be harmfull when the persona created doesn't have much of their real personalities and they have to fake it...makes me very sad cause it doesn't leave much space for them to change or show other sides of who they are.
had to take out some footage because mnet loves to hate me, but we're up and running again!
Hey , have you made the gg version too ? If not please make it .
This video is perfect....there is a video like this on girl group marketing
Girl groups are marked as self insert while boygroups as boy friends
The most popular girl member is the most relatable wannabe..that's why Bp are so popular because there branding is so distinct n very vague giving the perfect self insert
@@Vvvxxloxe in this channel ? Please tell me the title of the video or give a link 🙏🏻
DO A GIRL MARKETING ONE
I just realized that in TXT, Yeonjun is the rebel, Soobin is the classic boyfriend, Beomgyu is the boy next door, Taehyun is the prince, and Hueningkai is the cute boy
That's what I was thinking too!
My bias
Girl groups are marked as self insert while boygroups as boy friends
Lmfao we had the same idea
exactlyyyy
I also feel like wonyoung branding feel very disconnected from her personality and who she is as a person, which can make her come of as "fake" but I am maybe wrong, I don't know her personaly lol
Omg I thought I was the only one who thought so
Stop it please 💀✌
@@babyme8886 stop what
I'm sorry, it's just make me remember that in their debut days, jin of bts is pushed to give a prince image (he said it himself, but i don't remember when). If you see him now with his real personality, that prince image is kinda ridiculous.
shes often marketed as a princess from what I've seen
I feel like many kpop fans are aware of this marketing technic, but too afraid of giving it much thought because it would break the image that we have of a certain idol. Not me being attacked by my own words tho .-.
PS: You're so underrated :(
OOH that hit hard, you're so right. And thank you lmao!!
that hit hard but it's so trueee
I feel like a lot of younger fans may not be aware though. Which is why it’s so important to talk about this. If you get too attached to a camera personality, you might just end up hurting yourself if the bubble bursts.
I agree with all of this but i don't think this is strictly a k-pop thing. Back when One Direction was still an active group, they most certainly had this kind of marketing with the different members having different boyfriend personas (Harry being the "bad boy", Zayn being the cold but sweet guy, Niall being the homely and fun boyfriend) and their MV of Night Changes was with the perspective of the viewer going on a date with each of the members. Idk the group or all of the members that well, but I'm pretty sure Harry isn't a "dangerous badass mafia" in real life. There are also some jpop boy groups which have similar marketing. Basically this is a popular concept for boy groups, regardless of whether they are k-pop or not, because the majority of fans in general are straight teenage girls.
I haven’t watched everything but did they specifically say this is a strictly kpop thing? Or is she only talking about the kpop side of it?
@@meoviona i feel like they mentioned k-pop agencies specifically here
Big time rush too lmao
This is so sad if u think about it
@Nomad in u think about it in the entertainment world many artist are gay/bi, cause it's a word more "open minded", so surely some of these boy bands members are not straight, but they have to hide it cause their main source of income are straight teenager girls
Jhope's song daydream expresses this topic. In the mv you can see there are two versions of him, one being jhope and the other being hoseok. I have also seen him talk about how he is nothing without bts meaning his persona “jhope, the ray of sunshine “ is what everyone loves. I fear he thinks everyone loves his this version and not his real personality
a month later im actually so happy he released his new single more that shows a different side of him artistically, he even said he wanted to show a different more vulnerable or darker side of him which is great luv him for that
Damn :’(
Thankfully everyone is responding well to his new music ❤️
i don’t think feeling like he’s nothing without bts necessarily relates to a persona. i think it’s more that he has accomplished the stuff he has through bts
beomgyu used to say he’s the “moodmaker of the group” but a couple years ago when he was going through a tough time he said that he steered away from that title because he felt a lot of pressure to be happy all the time. Its not like he’s not the happy and bubbly anymore, he just feels more comfortable being calm sometimes and not having to put on an act. Im glad he was open and honest about that because i could see how these archetypes pushed by the company could pressure the idols.. he said that he was “searching for his position” i just want idols to know that they dont have to necessarily put on an act, they can just show an honest version of themselves and thats how they gain an honest fanbase that sees them the way they truly are.
the same w hyuka being the cute bright maknae like !!
This video was very enlightening, actually I got to thinking about girl group marketing strategies (since I’m more of a girl group stan) and I made a quick list
Girl Group Marketing Tropes
1. The Rebel
- usually charismatic performers (to use the stage presence model from Everglow-Up)
- often given more of a tomboy image
- usually assertive, sometimes will work on the group’s creative direction
- usually rappers
- usually wears black
- eg: Soyeon of (G)I-dle, Giselle of Aespa, Chaeyeong of Twice, Ryujin of Itzy, Lisa of Blackpink
2. The Seductress
- usually sensual performers
- given revealing or sexy outfits
- very sexy, sensual
- often shy/sweet off stage
- usually wears red
- eg: Soojin ex-(G)I-dle, Joy of Red Velvet, Seolhyun of AoA
3. The Sweetheart
- usually cute and sweet
- generally lovable
- hard-working
- usually wears pastel colours, such as pink or purple
- eg: J-line of Twice, Dahyun of Twice, Wheein of Mamamoo, Rose of Blackpink
4. The Princess
- Rich.
- considered “favoured” by company
- usually gets most cfs
- fashionable, wears luxury goods/clothing
- oftentimes is the visual of the group
- notably gets a lot of hate
- sometimes called “ice princess” or appear cold-hearted
- often wears bold, bright colours like red or blue
- eg: Nayeon of Twice, Wonyoung of Ive, Irene of Red Velvet, Jennie of Blackpink, Tzuyu of Twice
5. The Goddess
- Can do no wrong
- often considered good at everything
- usually all-rounders
- usually leaders
- usually considered role models or similarly elevated
- eg: Jihyo of Twice, Yujin of Ive, Karina of Aespa
You basically made a whole video with this comment. The way I completely agree with this, just shows how intricate the kpop industry is & the way they portray their idols.
@@dinoman4655 right like the way its made over the years its so easily understandable how it works and what the marketing strategies are most of the time of the companies
Ugh, totally got into a Twitter argument for saying this! This is one part of idol culture I deeply want to stop, because the industry is putting these people in literal danger over being falsely romantically available.
Exactly we are loving these people for not who they are
By saying idol culture you’re making it seem like this is a kpop only thing, this has been going on for soo long and everywhere like just look at one direction
@@sunnygirl7669 Idol culture is everywhere though? Idol isn't just Kpop, there's Jpop and anyone with a huge fanbase is subjected to idolization culture.
@@Yuunarichu thought u ment K-pop idol ok whatever the
@@sunnygirl7669 in 1D it wasn't that much intense and extreme
DUDE THIS WAS SO INTERESTING AND WELL PRODUCED I AM SO SURPRISED YOU DON'T HAVE THOUSANDS OF SUBSCRIBERS ALREADY
AAH THANK YOU!!! I really take so much time out of my week to plan, edit, and record these, it's so flattering to hear that people enjoyed them! Seriously thank you so much
@@chaebinnout OH IT ABSOLUTELY SHOWS. KEEP DOING THE AMAZING WORK!
Welp she has now
I'd noticed the way they were marketed as partners, but never the archetype thing. That's actually kind of unsettling to me, but genius marketing. The boy group had something for anyone...
yup. it's honestly weird and creepy if you really think about it.
it really is when you think that for idols this job is their LIFE. obviously they have lives after they stop, but it is their EVERYDAY DURING THEIR PRIME. it seems so exhausting, really thinking about it. very, very unsettling.
6:59 the combo idol personas can be called as "duality" and imo fans like the idea of idols have layers of personalities within them. like yeonjun has rebel persona but he is actually emotional and cries easily. or jhope is bubbly and keeps the members happy but he is very strict when teaching dance moves.
as long as it's not an unpleasant behavior, i think fans will find them attractive
True, and I don’t understand why fans talk about “duality”… Everyone has duality. Personality is a really complex science and each one of us has multiple faces (not necessarily in a bad way, and some of them aren’t even noticeable) therefore it’s impossible to meet someone who has only one side of themselves. So why talk about duality?
This video is scarily underrated. I didnt even realize my subconcious bias was an ideal partner. Im not a delusional fan, but i catch myself imagining cute moments with my bias if i ever got the chance to meet them or be friends with them. But in reality i truly dont know their real personalities.
Please make the girl group version
I’ll definitely consider it! This video was strongly based off of the fact that boy groups are marketed as harems, whereas girl groups can be marketed like role models. 💗
@@chaebinnout yes please!!!
@@chaebinnout wdym as harems?
@@pinklamborghini6446 it's a word from Arabic which means concubine, here i think the creator used this work to express how male artists are treated like objects that you could pick as partenaire (same as concubines used to be treated), rather than being treated as humann beings.
I find it interesting how yeonjun' persona changed after blue hour. Before he was like sweet, androgynous, noona, etc boy.. and now he is the rebel.
yes, it's really interesting although I get the feeling that musically he projects an image but if you look at some of the "to do's" you can see a bit more of his natural reactions, and a bit more of his unplanned persona.
I personnaly like branding and persona, this is not just celebrity who does it but also everyday poeple also do it in their everyday life depending on the setting they are in. The problem come when this not at all related to who you are as a person because it means you will have to fake it all the time andI think this not good for the mental health of anyone, second problem is if this image isn't allowed to Evolve with how the personality of the owner, I understand that this is hard to see the personality of someone you know change drasticly but at the end of the day people should accept it.
i've already noticed some kind of pattern on groups before, but never really got into my mind elaborated like that! It really was interesting fr💃💕 ok but prob after watching this my combination is the boy next door, cute and prince...💀
As someone that loves KPop song/music for what it is (I rarely involved myself in fandom and sometimes not really known the member of certain group that I love), differentiate them into certain archetype just not adding any flavour to their music.
That being said, not only date-ability, but also the shippability is important thing to sell. Many of K-Poppers that I know, know any group and then got into the fandom because of the ship. So not only they have to fit into certain archetype, the idol have to sell believable bromance too. Whether they just coworker or actually have some kind of hostile relationship, it doesn't matter for the shipper.
Honestly, I kinda don't understand what's the matter between KPop and homoeroticism..
dang this video sunghooned me 💀
great video tho, really touched on all the reasons we are so allured by kpop idols
The got me. I succumbed. Why are you spot on? 😭
Apparently I'm mainly attracted to "The Boy Next Door" and _sometimes_ "Rebel" (Yeonjun is probably the only one rn) and the "Cute Boy" usually my 'son' 💀
Also when it comes to the idols changing their image, subconsciously, I saw Jungkook as the "Cute Boy" at first then I took a break from BTS for like 1-2 years and decided I wanna check out the members. Not sure about anyone else but I subconsciously see him as "The Rebel" in a few ways and it feels _very_ uncomfortable to even look at him on camera to the point where I kinda ask myself "Who is this?". I never told anyone about this before since I thought to myself that "He just grew up and found his own identity," which is likely true, but it wasn't just that apparently. It was also marketing that I easily fell for...
What's weird is...I noticed while I was making this video that the only person in BTS who really stuck to their branding was J-Hope. Remembering my early army days, it feels like each member was so cartoonified. (Mochi Jimin...what a time.) That's probably why I got such a shock when "baby bunny maknae" Jungkook suddenly got piercings and tattoos. I guess they're so popular now that they don't have to stick to the stereotypes? Thank you for the comment!
some examples of idols i think that suit!
rebel - youngjo of oneus, juyeon of the boyz, wonhyuk of e'last
prince - jinyoung of cix, romin of e'last, minhee of cravity,
boy next door - donghyun of ab6ix, jiung of p1harmony, hoshi of seventeen
classic boyfriend - sejun of victon, yejun of e'last, hwiyoung of sf9
cute boy - sanha of astro, minhyuk of monsta x, yanan of pentagon
Uhm, It's my first time to stan E'Last, yeah I'm new to them, and I'll easily put Yejun in rebel type
I think Youngjo from ONEUS can be prince + rebel (but I think he's more like prince)
This articulates the problem I have with boy groups very well. It bothers me that a musical act has what is basically a flashing neon sign on the top of their heads saying "be obsessed with us". As a woman, the idol industry assumes that I'll be romantically and sexually attracted to male idols, and fire at all cylinders trying to use that - but all it makes me do is take a step back. Try as I might, even if I adore a group's discography, I can never seem to get to the "stanning" level with boy groups. Of course, gg's have their problematic strategies as well, but for me they're less distracting and bother me less.
This is what I’m saying! This goes out to all kpop but mainly boygroups. I think that literally boygroups ignore the idea of even music at this point. Just like you said even if their discography is good, their marketing strategies and their attempt to appeal viewers by their visuals and mysterious personas get me everytime. It’s like at this point it’s not JUST music. And that’s why it’s super normal to ask a bg stan why they stan a group and they say “they’re my hubbies” or “they’re hot”. They try to sell off the idea that they are available for everyone and that they love every fan separately. This point it’s the music getting overshadowed by the marketing and their appearances and personas
4:13 i did not expect getting sunghoond🧍🏻♀️
What I think would be Seventeen's:
Scoups: the rebel + the classic boyfriend
Jeonghan: the prince
Joshua: the classic boyfriend + the cute boy
Jun: the prince
Wonwoo: the prince + the classic boyfriend (maybe?)
Woozi: the cute boy (mostly during seventeen's first years as a group)
Mingyu: the rebel + the boy next door
The8: the rebel
DK: the boy next door
Seungkwan: the boy next door
Vernon: the prince
Dino: the cute boy
I think you forgot hoshi xdd. Minghao lately would be more of the classic/prince type maybe?
@@Olga-ph3xf oh I'm so sorry, but I think Hoshi would be the boy next door (maybe also the cute boy), for The8 I don't know, he's very fashionable and his style in some photoshoots give the prince vibes but also the way he acts on variety shows is very the rebel too
As a minghao biased I would say he’s more the prince type…
As a lesbian boy group Stan, so much about the marketing and fan base is lost on me and I just laugh in the corner
And yet, you're one of MANY lesbian beomgyu stans...clearly there's something for everyone
I LOVE THIS VIDEO!!! Every description and example you used was perfect. May I add some of mine?
Prince - Hyunjin of SKZ DUHHHH
Boy next door - Jake of Enhypen?
Perfect boyfriend - Bangchan of SKZ, Soobin of TXT maybe? both are leaders, that says something
Cute - Sunoo of Enhypen, Hueningkai of TXT
And combinations:
BTS Suga - cute + rebel
TXT Beomgyu - prince + boy next door, I feel like they switch these two every other comeback
AND I would add another type, The Smart One: Taehyun of TXT, Jay of Enhypen. They are usually the most insightful and have a lot of knowledge about the world
It might be claustrophobic for the idols to perform these roles but I also think that it emphasizes the impact of their change of style when it happens, like with J-Hope now before his solo comeback, or I think Hueningkai in GBGB era - he was always the bubbly cute one and now they style him in a more mature way.
I think that's inevitable when you are an artist, you need to choose a persona (which actually comes out of your natural traits though) and be consistent with it.
I guess they’re all actors lol. No wonder idols sometimes have their acting debut after several years 😆. They’ve had a lot of practice
this was so interesting and VERY well said !! i really appreciate the effort you put into these videos
awh you're making me blush stop
I think what you said last is very true! the "delulu kpop fans" are pinned too much on us and less on the idols and and companies. Like they almost FORCE us to see these boys and girls as perfect!
MARK MY WORDS YEONJUN IS GOING TO BE A BIG SUPERSTAR ONE DAY
it's like a real life otome game where players get to choose their bias, picking the trope they like most.. but we're talking about actual humans with feelings, not dolls. this idol culture is ruthless, but it also could be said about singers in general who are made to appeal in a certain way to a certain audience :(
That's interesting, I see it, although it's quite tricky whether it's the persona created by a company or created by the idol himself (as at least most humans create their personas - their identity). As a MOA, a TXT fan who watched them a lot, hearing the recorded conversation TXT members has, seeing their behavior, and then hears casual listeners or not a listeners opinions I got surprised by the Yeonjun's image. I obviously can be wrong, but out of a few stages he doesn't act as the sexy boy/rebel, but rather playful, he has the tongue habit, very dedicated on achieving goals - which is improving as artist, dancer. I see how he is promoted and I understand that it's because of his looks (this little mischievous looks he has for the ones who sees him the first time), but it's quite weird to me. Marketing is weird, making human unhuman like. Great video!
I'm a moa too and i did get into txt because they make me feel like all of us are a part of a highschool group,a lot of moas also acknowledge that we are like siblings, i think op was talking about yeonjun's onstage persona and style,offstage in lives and around his members he legit acts like a stressed mother of three. txt's marketing is unintentionally like a gg
@@aahana4931 same here . when I saw txt for the 1st time I found them very relatable , close because I am also the same age as them .
I'm a moa and I think it's more of the aura they give off to attract viewers initially. Not a bad thing imo since when we get to know them, we find out how they're different from what they initially seem like. For example, this "marketing" for Yeonjun. We know people think he's unapproachable and very opinionated but we know that he isn't. I also fell in love with them because of how they actually are and is very genuine. Let's look at it positively since the marketing would definitely help people give their music a chance and be converted as moas. :p
was looking for this comment!! esp bc that aspect of yeonjun is only rlly prominent when they’re performing their songs and occasionally on tiktok otherwise he’s goofy as hell like 😭😭 i feel like it’s a visuals vs personality thing almost ??? yj has these rlly sharp visuals that lend to the rebel marketing very well but then u see him on weverse debating abt butts at 3 am
it’s so confusing when you don’t know if an idol does or says something because they want to…
however, i feel like yeonjun (for example) doesn’t really have this bad boy image in their regular content, in which he seems pretty authentic to me, but more in performances and things that more people watch. it can still influence i think
I don't necessarily disagree with all u said however I don't completely agree with "this is just a persona". As someone who stans BTS since 2018, it's been 4 years & Jhope is my ult bias, I don't think it's his persona. The same also goes for Jungkook. Because, even tho celebrities always have to give certain vibes to attract fans, these " personas" can also be a part of their real personalities. JHope himself said that he loved the idea of calling "jhope" because it represents him well. He knew that his bright personality can attract fans & he can become (describe himself as) ARMY's hope. And he used it. Then after years, BTS members said that Hoseok is the most serious member among them especially when it's time to practice a dance or creating choreography or music. He is very serious with his job & it shows that how much responsibility he has as an artist. This is how things work in real life. You can be joyful, making jokes, having the biggest smile with goofy personality but you can also be serious. The same goes for Baekhyun from EXO. I still remember when they asked them "who is the most serious one in EXO?" and Chen straight up said "it's Baekhyun". And Baekhyun is maybe even goofier than Hobi sometimes. Also Jungkook, is the youngest member, was a literal child when debuted & has a fun personality BUT he is a grown man. And mature fans know it well. So, it's not always about the " fake personas". People's personalities are colorful. It just depends on whom you are with, where you are, what you are doing.
Sorry for the long essay but I had to talk a lot :)
J-Hope is just like me.
ikr I agree with most of what was said in the video but also imagine you're an idol and you show ur real personality to fans and someone is like wow what a fake persona like???? What if that's just how they are😭
@@mintyoongi4016 exactly like not everything about the idols is fake, right?
maybe not so much a persona but I think that they might be chosen to debut in a group together depending on what the staff working with them sees they will grow into.
That's me with Jimin. I know my guy has different sides to him. However as a loyal Jimin biased for..... 5, 5 years now? I would already know that he has more than 1 or 2 sides to him, and he is not who he seems off camera. That there is 'Jimin of BTS' and 'Park Jimin'. I have come to love all those sides,. If he has sides he won't show to us cause' we are just fans, I will love him either way.... This is a bit weird huh.
Renjun actually said once that when he debuted SM told him he would be the 'innocent boy' or something. Kinda weird to just fix a personality tbh but i guessed most of them work
i've noticed this a lot i think one of the best examples of this would be a combo of the rebel & tsundere type of boyfriend which would be SUGA(Min Yoon-gi). He's the "i'll do what i want" cold on the outside but really sweet, 'the one who'll walk you home w/ his hands in his pockets', kind, caring, & a wise old soul on the inside he's also been called the grandpa/old man as well. This was a really good video you're very underrated
J-Hope is just a nice person
He is a pure soul .
@@namu4380 and so am I honestly.
please do this for girl groups, i'm a lesbian and i'm really curious to see where my biases lie
The girl with strong personality/ girl crush or the rebellious (usually attracts girls), the bubbly,cute and funny girl (usually to attracts boys), the best friend (like the typical boyfriend here), the perfect fantasy... they are almost the same personalities as boy groups.
You know I came here for Jaehyun :)) THE CLASSIC BOYFRIEND AHHHHHH OH MY GOD it does make me feel like I'm on a date 😭😭
we already know you're jaehyun lover #1 dw
@@chaebinnout its my title now 🥴🥴
Sad
I feel like G-Dragon has a bad boy/rebellious persona when he's performing. Otherwise, he seems more cute and shy. I love it. :)
I'm glad you exist to make this type of content, because I'm tired of explaining this to fans who still think that idols display their real personality in their content
Also the fact that most of a groups content is scripted even most vlives, which now makes it harder to connect with them truly, without thinking abt what they’re actually like off camera.
gonna go the enhypen route since we already have Sunghoon as the prince
Heeseung: cute + classic
Jay: rebel + classic
Jake: classic + cute
Sunoo: just, cute, like pet-on-the head-cute
Ni-ki: rebel + cute + boy-next-door (I see you Engenes out there simping over him, chill)
Jungwon: boy-next-door + classic + cute
I’ve been waiting for someone to make a video like this, so thank you! The video is great, I liked the way you organized it and made the format kind of like the game you mentioned.
3:15 - The way I laughed because I knew exactly which clip you were referring to 😂
this video is really well made and the commentary is so well atriculated! i feel like these days there are some boy groups that dont really have these personalities forced onto them anymore, no? maybe its also because the landscape is finally changing and companies are now focusing less on these personas and more on the performance and group concept esp with 4th gen groups.
are you planning on making a girl group version of this? i think there are some prominent persona types among female idols too such as the ice princess, the bubbly girl, and the girl crush. would be interesting to see a video essay on the ggs too!!
Female version would be interesting to explore as well.
way more people need to see this (and all of your videos). I think if we all know what you're saying, we could try to reduce this kind of thing? and maybe there's a way to stop the many other problems that the kpop industry has, if enough are aware and willing to acknowledge them.
And then you have bangchan serving father figure/mentor vibes💖
It's parasocial relationships turned up to 11. It's not a bad thing to like an idol being presented like this, but it's important to know it happens, and especially to be reasonable and accept your fave even if they break out of that role (unless it's to be racist, homophobic, cruel in general, ect, then you accept that's how they're acting but encourage them to learn more and change behaviors, and stop supporting them if they don't), and be aware that the person you "know" may not be who you think they are.
I prefer when they don't try and put them in boyfriend niches, and encourage them to just be themselves. Or have them force any kind of persona. An example I like is with Ateez. You can tell that at first KQ had light personas for them that were similar to themselves, Hongjoong was the rebel pirate king (but soft and stressed smol dad of 6 demons), Seonghwa they tried to have kinda dark and cool Prince thing (but in reality a stressed single mom of 6 with a 5 step system for cleaning the floors and a nerd that loves pretty things), Yeosang hid how shy he was by being quiet and cool prince #2 but more unknown bc he was quiet, San was cute and smol with emphasis on him being precious and innocent (but then Hala Hala happened and-), Yunho had way toned down his extraness and ho energy, Wooyoung was The Sexy One and we were safe from his aegyo, Mingi has talked multiple times about how he chose to act dumb, because he knew it was entertaining even though he was reading philosophy books back at the dorms, Jongho as the mature maknae (watching him kinda go on a self discovery from around Say My Name through Imitation filming has been interesting, trying on different hats basically, and knowing how long he was a trainee it makes sense) ect. But KQ realized quickly how much people resonated with them being their authentic selves, while also having a performance persona, like a character they play on stage (San and Seonghwa in particular), so they dropped that idea pretty quickly. Some still keep a bit of a wall between who they are in Ateez and their personal life (and that's totally fine) but it's very much so their own choice rather than company pushed. Like jongho and Yeosang don't talk much about their childhood or families, but we basically know Wooyoung and San's entire extended family (Eunkyung, Woo's mom, is a savage and drags him all the time it's great).
I think them getting Universe the past year and a half has been a big way to show just how comfortable they get with talking to fans, and how it encourages them to feel more safe when fans are receptive to it. Like Seonghwa recently being open about how he had wanted to do the ab reveal choreo in Inception, but what he did to get his body there was unhealthy and he never really felt comfortable with anything. Which does play into the parasocial relationship part, but if the idols are happy and comfortable while being open with fans it's not the worst thing, as long as you don't take any y/n features to seriously.
Reasons why Ateez aren't "perfect boyfriends" (and that's ok because they're being themselves and that person is great):
Hongjoong: never home, works too hard, tsundere, possessive, loves minions.
Seonghwa: He's pretty but he will talk about Star Wars non stop if you let him. And not just the movies, the full expanded universe. Did a 3 hour livestream building a star wars lego set that was discontinued 10 years ago that sells for 500$. Great if you like those things but not exactly typical "perfect boyfriend".
Yunho: ok he's nearly perfect in all ways but he can't cook for sht, and while he's good at nearly everything, including video games, but will pout and demand more rounds if you manage to beat him. 4D so you never really know what he's going to say or do at any time. Will leave you for Spiderman.
Yeosang: Sweetest boy in the world but all the members joke about how he's rather head empty no thoughts (or no thoughts but practice) and how they have to tell him things at least 3 times. Holds a grudge (will not let
Wooyoung live down taking 12 hours and 19 minutes to wish him Happy Birthday last year, or when they all forgot his 4 years ago). Pretty sure any potential partner will have to fight all the members Scott Pilgrim style first.
San: When describing what he does on a day off- Sleeping, eating, rolling around in bed, eating, bother members, game, sleep" Will love his cat, Wooyoung, and his members' butts more than you.
Mingi: all emotional availability is dedicated to Yunho, will turn every conversation back to his bestie somehow. So many awful puns.
Wooyoung: a demon. Will make food but WILL pout to steal food. Gives lessons on being hard to get. has a harem of male idols. Will snatch your favorite and add them to said harem just to brag to you (poor Changbin). Will actively decide to make you jealous for no reason. Rip your eardrums.
Jongho: Doesn't quite scream at any forms of affection anymore, but still, no touchy. Also loves terrible puns. Rip your eardrums part 2.
Anyways, I like the video, idk why it only showed up on my recommended now, vs earlier, but I'm glad it did. Good work!
I love ur insights on Ateez. It rly showed me why do I like them.
With kpop groups I'm always: who am I looking at? The persona given by marketing or polished version of their own selfs.
And with Ateez I have the feeling we lookin at the polished versions... Or maybe not so polished... (I remember the hj vlive?! when he thought he was alone, n members returned - the witch screaming was woo 100 percent enjoying being loud af)
I don't even listen to K-Pop anymore, but I used to be a fan of EXO 6-7 years ago. I feel so weird that this exists and you put your finger right on it! I really enjoyed watching it
My bias -
TXT - Soobin
BTS - Namjoon
SKZ (not a stay , causal listener ) - Bang Chan
Enhypen ( casual listener) - Jungwon
you have all leaders as bias wow
@@ignite_d_soul 😉
noww how do literally have the exact same biases as mee😃😃😭
itss all leaderss too, ig we've got a type😭
Not her casually dropping my bias list...
your videos are so wonderful and well done😩
thank you!
all of you smart people discussing thise masterpiece of a video while i am stuck at the fact that i got sunghooned
Yeonjun is to Taehyung, as Hanbin is to Namjoon, as Jin is to Jisoo, as Jackson is to Jay Park
oof I feel called out for 4/5 because I specifically stan those groups and I realize how they are marketed to fans and when idols do something that doesn't fit their quote unquote "image", the reactions would definitely be mostly negative. agHH I don't know how to feel about this but it's made me further understand how idols are given a specific image and are expected to act a certain way to appeal to fans
i love it. you nailed the whole thing. everyone should watch this and wake up. there is a difference between fangirling and obsessing. fr these companies
I love this video and I agree with everything for awhile I noticed a pattern to how kpop male idols act I feel bad because the have act a certain way to appeal to fans instead of being their selves
Lol I actually see Jaehyun more as a frat boi/jockboi
Jaehyun and Johnny rlly are the presidents of NCT frat boi line, I agree
jaehyun is a weird one bc they give him that prince soft boy image but he breaks it all the time-
I really love your take on the kpop industry! You deserve many more subs as your voice need to be heard. Keep up the good!
*this is sooo true, wooah i never noticed this marketing strategy omg!!! That's fucked up but well-made!!*
SAW YEONJUN ON THE THUMBNAIL SO I AM HERE
nawh because when i heard the music for the classic boyfriend i just immediately smiled because it reminded me of jaehyun and thats how i know im in too deep .
rrly? Im an nctzen too and i feel like jaehyun is on no way "the classic boyfriend" 😂maybe I just see him in a different way.
@@katgreer6113 i would say that's part of his image because they frame him in "romantic" settings in some nct content (as discussed in the video). but in more casual content, he's just a quiet, odd, funny dude. i partially agree with you too. i think doyoung fits the "classic boyfriend" image better esp bc of his IG posts LOLL
I did not just get sunghooned on a serious video
sumtn tells me the real rebel is taehyun
I agree, ik this category is not in the video but I think Yeonjun is more like "the cool guy"
@@saraalfaroferreyra4620 yeonjun the cool popular guy; everyones favorite
@@italyvii yes,on point! Like yeonjun is so cool,you could be friend with him,but taehyun you have a long way to go
i come back to this video every once in a while just to watch the part where yeonjun's featured
THAT was the reason I first started stanning TxT last year. I clicked on this vid, saw Yeonjun, and that was it: I had to stan. Loool.
absolutely true. this also happens with girl groups too.
i can’t stop complementing how informational and honestly amazing your videos are. your commentary and way you explain concepts is so digestible but also leaves the viewer with something to think about, as well as some deeper insight into what they consume.
bruh can we talk about the editing in this video, amazing
I’d love to see a video like this for female idols! Like if their common archetypes that companies push are the same as these boys
I'm super late but, Han from SKZ seems like boy next door. But if you've seen any of his vlives or his vlogs... He isn't like that at all. It seems like his true personality is when he isn't in front of the cameras/press. I can't speak 100% since I don't know him personally but the 360 difference is a lot to ignore. From a loud and funny guy in front of the cameras to a quiet, a bit shy and soft spoken guy with social anxiety in his vlives or vlogs is too much of a difference to ignore.
I've been thinking this for so long. And now, finally, someone put it into words. THANKS. It's all the time like "oh, kpop fans are crazy ¿how do they feel entitled to his idol?" The marketing strategy of the companies has the fault. Like they are so subtle through day-to-day interactions and yet so evident when basically all kpop idols say that they have no girlfriend apart from all his fans. It just pisses me off.
By the way, I just realized that Kang Daniel is the boy-next-door troupe.
ugh i love this video!! the editing is lovely and ive always been so interested in this sort of topic (like with idols personas and stuff) so im glad i found this💔💔
Ohmyy good this is soo true likeee ahhh damgg kpop is sometimes very very scary
Fascinating video. I don’t notice roles in K-pop too much but man, you tell Bang Chan fits into the perfect boyfriend role. Here’s my guesses for all of SKZ:
Bang Chan: Perfect boyfriend
Lee Know: Prince + Rebel
Changbin: Boy Next Door + Rebel + Cute Boy (hard to pick!)
Hyunjin: Rebel + Prince
Han: Boy Next Door + Cute Boy
Felix: Cute Boy + Prince
Seungmin: Prince + Cute Boy
I.N: Cute Boy
Despite their roles you get to see their duality, their goofy or more thoughtful sides. My bias is Han so I was happy to see he’s actually an introverted homebody. Hyunjin seems so intimidating… until you see his silly side! Seungmin seems so serious and he is NOT.
Excellent video! love the Douglas Adams HHGttG reference too.🌌
I LOVE how u edit ur videos!! the games (like in ur video on kpop idols and body image) make the viewer take part in the issue instead passively watching. I love that we interact w the video. and the select-your-character transitions were so cute and unique. ur editing style is really great so keep it up!!💖💖
I am so late to this video but i would just like to say that this was SO entertaining to watch. The most fun while watching i had when you stated the examples of typical idol types in groups! I hope you make a similar video again:)
I’ve never made the connection to otome games before that’s so smart 😭
Love this. this is so important, i wish this video existed when i was 15
and then there's chenle rejecting gf stans in every way possible 💀
*and that's why there is some obsessed and toxic fans, because of this marketing technique, they become delusional and think they really have a chance with the idol, and then harassed the female idols that interact with their bias! That's really sad...*
From a lot of the comments written here I don't think you guys understand the point of her video.
Please do this with girl groups. I love this videos ♥️
watching this on june 2024...awesome!!
As a trans guy who’s mostly into boy groups, ive seen this as well, even more since ive transitioned.
wdym?
yeah, could you develop your thoughts pls?
I got into kpop when i was like 11. Me personally, i think of male idols more like friends or brothers than love interests. Their “softer image” compared to western male celebs, comforts me as i am the same way. The softer kpop boy image helped me accept that even tho im a (trans)guy, i dont gotta be this macho masculine persona, which helps me a lot. As im turning 21 tho, ive rlly seen how these idols are marketed as “fantasy boyfriends that arent that far away 😉”. Theyve always been marketed that way, but as years pass, its getting worse, to me atleast. There was the “school crush, flower boy, and cute guy next door” image, and ofc the bad boys. Even tho these concepts were given to idols by the company, most idols’ personality traits combined in that image gave off a more natural impression. To a point that when these idols are doing solo activities, or even leave the label, they still seem like the same person they were because they were already… themselves in certain ways. Now, instead of combining their image and their real personalities into one full product, companies are having new gen idols do sumn different. Now, theres the model concept. Instead of showing the color of each member and having them be idk human, they got these idols acting as models, just staring with no expressions. In mvs, its mostly just choreo and idols looking at something or someone with no emotions at all. Same with performances, not much facial expressions, which makes me not rlly feel the actual music. Now theres the “attractive model” image in official comeback/music activites, the scripted extra content and vlives that shows “another” side to them, different from the model image. The very limited unscripted vlives that shows ANOTHER side to them, etc. Instead of one cohesive image with the idols’ actual personality helping shape it and making it feel more genuine, now theres the model image and the other sides of the same idol doesnt blend well to make one smooth coherent personality. So now ive been looking at these idols like, other than your main model image, who actually are you? What do i like abt you, and how much of that is you and how much is the company? During this ive seen how the actual music isnt the focus as much as it should be. These companies arent selling music, theyre just selling these idols, and using music as the reason why. Which is sad for all these trainees that wanna make music, they think theyre selling their talent, which is true to some extent. But when youre a huge ass company that consistently releases hit music, ironically it seems they focus less on the music and more on selling anything that teen girls would pick up to “get closer to their idol”.
Before transitioning, i rlly just saw it as these trainees wanna make music and the company is there to help them, in return for their freedom. And i still do. But since im not the targeted audience anymore, and im growing into being a man, i could kinda put myself in the idols’ shoes and think abt how they feel. How they feel abt their company. These idols arent idols because they wanna sing for teen girls. They wanna make music they wanna make for their own preferred audience, in their own style. Companies just have the money to execute it, and money is power. Who would give them the most money? Teens who aren’t responsible of taking care of their familes yet, or dont have a job thats taking up most of their time. I rlly wish kpop companies could stop treating idols as fantasies for teens, but thats how they make money. Seeing how companies direct idols to act with their female fans, its honestly just ouran high school host club 😂
so i guess, tldr now that im a guy i see the ways companies push their male idols to give false hope and possibilities to female fans, who in return buy any merch or memberships and stuff like that to get closer to their idols with the hope that maybe they could end up in a relationship with them.
As a guy, i buy these things to support my fav idols, their hard work deserves it. That said, its probably why its hard for me to get into new groups, seeing as they dont have such a strong relationship with their fans yet, but are already sold as potential boyfriends to these same fans. Sometimes even before or during debut
@@NeonGreenSpidey Thank you very much for sharing your point of view, it is very interesting. I agree with you completely.
I would love to have an idol's opinion on this kind of questioning: is their idol career better or worse than they hoped? How do they feel about the admiration and love their fans have for them? Does the "superficial" aspect of Kpop bother them or are they used to it and accept it?
This is so well made and researched
this makes so much sense. thanks for the great video!
i think mark lee may be a mix of cute boy and boy next door😩😆
THE OTOME GAME PIC IS SOOOO CURSED 😖 also your video topics and editing are so cool!
Not her giving jungkook the cute animal crossing music 😂😭😭 it’s so fitting but funny at the same time 😂😭
It seems to me that these archetypes are very noticeable in the performances of the groups but I think (and hope) that the majority of idols don't stick to these images all the time. For example, Sunghoon is my bias and I feel like he has more simple and funny personality than of a prince - he jokes really a lot, when I think of him I always remember his "yah!" (not exactly fitting for a prince)
I like the video but I feel like the personas and examples would need a bit more description. Also it's worth mentioning that some Idols are portrait in a certain way like Renjun (getting an innocent boy image), they can break free of it like Renjun did. Like yes Sunghoon's image and first impressions are Prince-like but when you see their content (live streams or shows) fans can see that he can be really silly, funny and maybe a bit weird too sometimes. So yes Idol images are a thing but I think they are mostly used as a first impression (for rookies groups especially) for new fans discovering a group (like a rising sign if you will).
I can't believe I found you only recently TT your videos are incredible!!
yeonjun being the rebel only rlly comes out in performances and fashion magazine shoots imo
Not related to video topic but, your thumbnail are so pretty.
I'm obsessed with your vids
4:13 there's no way I got SUNGHOONED in THIS video😭
😭😭😭
Love the video! I've always been interested in this topic. It's def not exclusive to kpop, i think is a "boy group/band" thing. I've been (and i still am) a Beatles, Nsync, 1D and BTS fan, and all of then play on the boyfriend character to some extend. It's just cause the companies/manegers know that large part of the fanbase is straight young girls, and creating this romantic bond between idol and fan make the fan more... devoted? Don't know if that's the right word but it's the one i have lol. I don't think that's always a bad thing, sometimes it's just kinda natural i guess but it also has it's side effects, especially considering that most of young fans are very impressionable and not aware that this is more of a persona then who they really are; it can also be harmfull when the persona created doesn't have much of their real personalities and they have to fake it...makes me very sad cause it doesn't leave much space for them to change or show other sides of who they are.