CREDITS : NAVER (SOURCE); hazyfiasco@2ONEDAY.COM (TRANS)
The ones that are angry right now are not just Jaebum fans.
This situation is rather humorous. The mistake that 2PM has committed is something that's occurred for the first time ever in Korean idol history. There was never such a controversy, and there will never again be such a mistake committed as idols will be taking this as a lesson. It will be left in history as a superb precedent.
The first generation of idols began their training after the members of their groups were decided. Although their debut dates were not set, they practiced together under a unified name and met the various hardships and successes of their trainee lives together. But the idols of today are different. There are hundreds of trainees and companies are measuring time frames and are quick to put together a few trainees and debut them under the name of a group. They're forced to be put in a brutal competition amongst each other where everyone is your enemy, until one day, they're suddenly tied together into one group, an order that cannot be rejected. They're in a relationship that's forced. They are not put in a situation where trust or friendship is easy to blossom. That's why, in comparison to the first generation idols, the second and third generations of idols have weaker levels of friendship and loyalty.
However, fans continue to hold the same expectations of friendship and love that they anticipated from the first generation idols. Whether they date girls or are wrapped in scandals, they must never break their loyalty to their respective groups. That is the fans' fortifications because that is the utopia that they want to see through their idol groups.
The play between male idols, jokes and their bond is what magnifies the imaginations of the fans. Their 'relationship' becomes a sort of 'play' to the fans. What guarantees an idol's fandom are not their skills or album sales, it is whether they're able to successfully stimulate the fans in a way that confirms their fandoms. The two groups that were able to capitalize on this were Park Jinyoung's own two groups, GOD and 2PM.
GOD, in comparison to the many other groups that were out at the same time, were lacking 2% in their looks, singing abilities, and age. But with a TV program that had them raise a child, they were able to exude a friendly image to the public and constantly talked about their hardships as a group. Their display of loyalty became a sort of 'item' to their fans. A GOD fanfiction site was one of the most visited sites online, further proving that GOD created their own fanbase. The songs Park Jinyoung wrote for them were easy to sing and listen to for the public, but it isn't the entire reason behind their success. The way GOD treated their fans and their display of loyalty is what shot the group to stardom. Such is the reason why when Yoon Kyesang withdrew from the group while the group was at the height of its fame, the fans left them and the group fell from their position at the top. The reason was simple. A group that is missing a member no longer appeals to its fans. The illusions of the fans were shattered, and such a group was no longer needed.
2PM is the same. They began climbing the ladders of success through 'Idol Army.' It wasn't their songs but their 'image.' They gave off the image of a next door neighbor, a sort of friendliness that wasn't easy to see in other idols their age. It was as if fans were seeing the nostalgia of a first generation idol. They appealed to the 20-30 age group that was hungry for that same feeling from their younger, first generation fan years. The amount of success that they were met with was surprising.
But Jaebum's controversy exploded. And Park Jinyoung was quick to throw him away. The boycott of the fandom was not as systematic as the boycotts of the 90's. And unlike their first generation idol seniors, the members were not considerate of their other members. And time passed. In an official announcement, they stated that they would be terminating Park Jaebum from their group forever.
They might have underestimated their fandom or thought that fandoms now were different from the first generation. They might have also thought that there were too many Park Jaebum fans within the fandom and that it was time for a 'wash out.' If none of these are true, they might have thought that it was okay to throw away their fans. They have talents, they have skills. They can collect another fanbase again in no time. They were confident that they would be able to appeal to the mass public instead.
But that is an immature illusion. There is no 'mass public' in the world of fandoms. There is a 'main fan' and a 'sub fan.' Main fans hold 2PM as their main group and completely devotes themselves to their well being. Sub fans have other groups as their mains but still are a fan of 2PM, although with considerably less energy and dedication in comparison to their main fandom. There is no mass public in the world of fandoms. The only concept that exists is whether they're able to sell more or less. The ones spending money on 2PM are, whether more or less, the fans. The mass public will not go out of their way to buy an album for an idol.
But what 2PM has committed is enough to make all of the female fandoms of their industry to turn their backs. No other idol in history had so blatantly shattered their illusions in such a way. Even groups that ended on horrible terms filled with ill feelings and swears turned around and greeted their fans with a smile while stating, "Of course, we still keep in touch." That was the rule and that was common knowledge. It was in respect of their fans and their conscience. But 2PM has completely shattered the illusions of their fans. They might believe that it is merely just the illusions of their fans but this illusion exists in every idol fandom, and is the illusion of every fan. But they shattered it and corrupted it.
Did this issue only stimulate 2PM fans? Of course not. Every female participating in the culture of idol fandoms felt the corruption of their illusions. The majority of Korean female netizens are in some way or form a part of an idol fandom. What 2PM stated was something that turned that entire group into an enemy.
To think that those that are enraged right now are only Park Jaebum fans is a complete misjudgment. The impact of their statements will easily make anyone that's been in an idol fandom long enough to feel enraged. What they did was stick their tongues out to their fans and state, in a belittling tone, "You were tricked!"
Will they be revived?
It will be impossible. Idols live in a world of illusions. Whether they commit a mistake or meet girls, they must be undiminished in the face of their fans and their illusions. But 2PM shattered those illusions and fans are never forgiving towards idols that break out of those illusions. They will be thrown away. Like they have thrown away their own member, like they have thrown away their own fans, they, too, will be thrown away.
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