u/sadandverysleepy

Hi, it's me again. I've got some time right now, and I'm bored. This is very long and a bit all over the place because I mention a lot.

To preface: I got into K-Pop around 2013. I've "stanned" BTS since their debut, and they're the only group I really follow like that. I've seen the complete evolution of how we used to rely on YouTube videos with fansubs (or often no subs at all) in 240p, to all that we have now. I saw their logs and their first music video, and I started studying Korean two years later at 13 so I could understand them because there was just no other option at the time. I would literally go to school, come home and do homework, then go on YouTube to look for any new uploads from BTS's channel if I had time. Got bullied for liking K-pop and anime because it was so niche and "lame," but now it's almost mainstream (I'm so incredibly bitter about that, words can't describe). And while I'm older, I don't really follow the industry anymore. Only BTS-related content/news, and lately Cortis. I like them a lot.

I listen to other groups' songs like I would any artist, and I watch other group content. But I think I find myself losing interest in the industry fast, and it actually saddens me. Here are some reasons why I feel this way:

• AI. As a writer pursuing an English degree and working on a novel, I absolutely abhor any generative AI whatsoever. It's despicable, and it's a blight on mankind. Whenever I watch a music video, and I see the very obvious AI, it turns me off so much. Makes me sick. It's an insult to artists of any specialty, and I just cannot believe how normalized it is in South Korea. This was never an issue in the past. BTS has never used any AI, and it's such a relief. I'm still looking into Cortis, though I know the boys themselves have no say on it.
• Quality. The songs that are being pumped out are just garbage now. I don't know how else to phrase it – there's arguably no musicality at all. I'm hesitant to name groups, but I just spent the last thirty minutes listening to various new songs from groups and individual members from any agency. Maybe not new, but new to me because I haven't heard them yet. I don't know who their target demographic is anymore because a lot of it sounds like it's just made for TikTok pre-teens. I don't use TikTok, I deleted it in January when it was sold, along with almost all of my other social media. I'm not aware or up-to-date on the latest trends and whatnot because I just don't care about them anymore. I just want good music and to see the groups I like have fun, whether it's in YouTube videos or on their own variety shows.
• Quality (part 2?). The lyrics. Repeating the same word for about ten seconds or for the entire chorus. It's cheap, and it doesn't sound good. It's also very noticeable that groups are now mass producing full English songs in order to reach a wider global audience. Which, fine, good for them, but it often sounds like garbage. NOT every song, obviously. Fifty Fifty's "Cupid" is wonderful, as an example. And I don't care if they sing English or Korean, but there's a clear distinction upon hearing if the song is made a member who is a native speaker vs. a member who isn't. And, actually, I am allowed to be disappointed by the quality of English songs. It's literally my native language, and it has rules that are meant to be followed like any other. I am allowed to feel as though something sounds weird, and I have no clue why people act as if you're committing a grave sin by commenting on it. Perhaps some of the English songs that sound odd to natives don't sound odd to non-Natives that speak English because they can't hear the discrepancies. The poor English in older K-pop songs had it's own unique charm because the songs were actually good, and it was usually a single word or phrase, sometimes a tiny bit more. They were also clearly used to accentuate the song, not with the sole intent of pleasing a western audience.
• Fandoms. In the past, I've never experienced abandoning something I like because of a nasty fandom. But within the last two years, I have. That's probably because fandom culture was so different in 2013. People generally had mutual respect for each other, there was more harmony, and... people were just more intelligent back then, if I'm being honest. People are so stupid now. Genuinely unintelligent. And super rude and snarky. You aren't allowed to have any opinions that differ from the norm, or any criticisms. You can't partake in normal fandom behavior like creating fan art, shipping, or other stuff without oblivious people taking it too far and making the idols uncomfortable. Number one rule of fandom nettiquete: keep all of your unhinged behavior private and unobtrusive. There are corners of the internet specifically for those like-minded people to gather and hang out and have fun. A lot of the discourse and debate I see online is about "You can't ship idols!" and "You can't do x, y, or z!" None of this stuff existed until like... Five-ish years ago? Maybe six. It's crazy. I mean, you youngins obviously have no idea how and why AO3 was created. Or the origins of Omegaverse. This is fandom culture, and it goes back to the sixties. Almost every fandom imaginable partakes in this. Go watch Supernatural (great show) and do your research. If you really want to learn about it, watch Star Trek and read up on some ancient, iconic fanfics. "Pro-Shipping?" I had to look up what that meant the other day because the term never existed until recently. People in fandoms simply had this understanding: live and let live. It's all fictional, not real. If you don't like something, ignore it and let those who do partake. Nobody actually wants these characters or actors or idols to date. There's reality, and then there's fantasy. But for some reason, people today just can't grasp that.
• Fandoms (part 2). To add to that, the idea of actually talking about inappropriate fandom happenings to the actual idol/actor/artist/whatever was INCOMPREHENSIBLE. I see people at fan meets and on video calls saying and doing the most bizarre, rude, inappropriate stuff to idols. Just why? There were some exceptions back then, too. Some oddballs that couldn't read the room, but they were rare. This seems to be the norm now, and I just wonder if parents aren't teaching their kids proper socialization, or if the schools are failing.
• Group relationship. There's a big difference that I see with third generation groups and those that come after, and I'm not sure if it's because something changed in South Korean society or what. All of the groups that were popular or emerging when I was younger: BTS, GOT7, VIXX, Topp Dogg, Apink, SHINee, etc., they were so natural. Their personalities, how they behaved on camera. Of course, they weren't allowed to say or do certain things. Company rules still existed, but when you watched clips of them, they felt real. Nearly every new group nowadays feels like... a workplace relationship. Very corporate coworkers. I can't explain it, but you can tell just by watching videos that they're not super close, or they're laying it on thick for the camera. Idols also weren't as restrained back then. They were allowed to say and do so much more. I loved watching the boy groups put on wigs and dresses and do girl group dances. Girl and boy groups were openly so friendly with each other. The atmosphere was fun and free. Star King was a great show, it's where that clip of V strutting in high heels is from. I mean, I doubt we'll ever see male and female idols do a duo like "Trouble Maker" without having to scale back too much because of their rabid fans. The "Yeonjun x Daniela" collaboration is not the same at all, and I have no clue how else to describe it. They aren't a duo, just a one-time collab.
• All of these idol survival shows debuting people that have no talent. I don't care what anyone says, Jay Chang deserved to be in ZB1. He was one of the few contestants that could truly sing. Looking back, I'm kinda glad he didn't because he deserves so much more. Companies (and it sometimes seems like the general k-pop fan, both Korean and non-Korean), no longer care if idols can even sing or dance. I mean, why are you debuting people that cannot hold a note? Or even find the note? It's becoming a joke now. Anyone can learn to dance and become decent at it. People can also learn to sing and become decent. But there are individuals born with that innate talent, usually better at it, that want to become idols, who seem like they deserve it, and instead of being chosen they're replaced by someone who is deemed more conventionally attractive. What in the world? The job is to sing and dance, not stand there and look pretty. Go be a model instead. And then the judges are passing people that shouldn't have even passed the initial rounds. They're a bunch of trolls. They're trolling because why else would they do that?

I used to be ashamed to say that I enjoyed K-Pop in the 2010's. Then when BTS finally broke through into the West (the shock was insane to me, just seeing their journey and the shift in society), I could proudly say that I was a fan of them. I can still proudly say I'm a fan of them, but not K-Pop. The industry as a whole is regressing and devolving. And I think I'm done with it.

I'll still keep up with BTS because I'm a loyal fan, and because I was drawn to their music before any other aspect. I still love their music and the members, so I'll continue the 13 year journey I've been on with them since I was 11 to the very end. They paved the way. And I have high hopes for Cortis, I think they can grow into great artists. But aside from these two groups, I think I'm considering closing the chapter in my life that is K-Pop. This really hurts my heart to say because it's actually played such an integral role in my childhood and adolescence. It's a form of comfort for me as an adult. If I'm sad, I can listen to music or watch some clips of my favorite group, or some variety shows/YT videos that feature different groups. Maybe interact with the fandom. But given the state of everything now, I find that I'm unable to do most of these things. I finally understand what people say when they talk about "being done with K-Pop" or "moving on from K-Pop except for X group."

Harsh opinion/rant done.

That’s it. This might get taken down.

I recognize the struggle that lesbians face around the entire world, and the privilege I hold in the sense that I’m straight. I have gay and lesbian family members, and two aunts that are married. I’ve grown up around many lesbian women my entire life, for as long as I can remember, and I just feel so safe and free around them. I have always felt so comfortable and like I’m able to be myself. There’s just this understanding that we have as women, a kind of respect and familiarity that’s free from any kind of perverse masculinity. And I can feel this way around straight women too, but sometimes, with the type of woman that values male attention, it’s just very disheartening. In that case, I don’t feel as if I’m able to completely be myself.

This might sound very weird, but all of the lesbians that I’ve known in my life (they’re all in their 40’s and 50’s, while I’m in my early 20’s) seemed like genuine people. Like, very laidback and real. Unbothered by things that didn’t matter. Their personalities and ideals are what I imagine all women could be like if we didn’t live in a patriarchy.

I genuinely resent my attraction to men. I don’t feel attracted to them as people, only their bodies. Men have nothing of value to add for me mentally, physically, emotionally. Quite the opposite throughout my life. I’ve been bi-curious for a long time, years. But I’m not at a point in my life where I’m ready to tackle that at all. Someday, maybe, if things improve.

Anyway, I’ve given up dating a while ago after a very traumatic experience with an ex, and all of the drama it caused. And because of many horrific experiences with men. I’m summarizing, but I’m sure almost everyone in this sub can understand the anguish and depression those things cause. Since then, I’ve transformed completely. Recognized that I was craving male attention, and just seeing all around me how everything in society is ultimately for male pleasure. My mindset did a complete 180, and I’m learning about radical feminism. I’ve known of it for a while, but I didn’t care to read more into when I was younger. I suppose the bad things had to happen to me for me to wake up.

So even if it turns out that I’m just straight, I’ve come to the resolve that I just want to live my life without men in it. As much as I can. It’s so much more peaceful.

Like, surely they have to know. I mean, I’m being very generous by calling it music; it’s noise pollution. But when they hear it, do you think it registers with them that they’re producing shit from a butt? Like if they compare their music to almost any other group or artist?

“Got to go, got to go, got to go, ah palli.”

I came across that tweet yet again because it’s hilarious but also alarming. These men are getting paid to produce and sell straight garbage, and their fans eat it up. I don’t even want to get started on all of the times they’ve flat out copied BTS, and the result of that is just a pitiful attempt.

I watched their latest comeback MV just to see what it was like. I thought, “Maybe they’ll surprise me.” But no. It was the same cringe music video with ChatGPT ass lyrics. Cocomelon has more lyricism and wordplay, and it’s also more engaging.

Maybe if Bongwater would step up as a leader and actually try to make decent music instead of causing drama on Bubble and Twitter, that big-nose mf would make a difference in their music. Colossal maybe.

This is so random and insignificant, but it’s actually bothering me a bit the more I dwell on it.

I like Ateez. I wouldn’t call myself an Atiny, but I casually listen to a few songs, and I’ve seen a couple of episodes of their variety show. I just casually tune in.

Most of their music is not for me, but there are some songs that I really enjoy. I have nowhere else to say this, but… Mingi seriously ruins their songs. It would sound so heavenly, and then they just demolish it by giving this guy horrible “rap” lines. Hongjoong can rap. Mingi cannot.

“Selfish Waltz” is a great song. Nice mood, and I vibe to it. But then here comes Mingi, choking out his lines and assaulting my ears. He literally ruins the song, and it’s actually embarrassing to listen to. I get severe second-hand embarrassment. I often wonder, “How is a vocal powerhouse like Jongho in the same group with this guy?” I mean, I don’t know much about music technicality-wise, but he always sounds off-key. He and Eunchae from Le Sserafim always sound tone deaf to me, and when I hear one, I think of the other.

“NASA.” The song is alright. Some parts I find a bit unusual, but the chorus is great. Dancing is great. I liked it enough that I added it to my playlist. The song really screams “Seonghwa” to me. And then here comes Mingi, waltzing in and deciding to sabotage an otherwise great song.

Why do they keep doing this? You know what, the same goes for Eunchae from Le Sserafim. Am I missing something?

EDIT: Not always. Only most of the time. I was a lil pumped up when I made the post because his verse in “Selfish Waltz” triggered me.

I've watched this show over 1,000 times since around 2012. I'm watching yet another reaction channel watch this show for the first time because it's gaining some traction again on YouTube for some reason, and this person uploading cannot stand Elena. And there is another channel that despises Elena. All of the people I'm talking about are men.

... I like Elena. I mean, a lot of the stuff she says, does, and feels are just very normal. She's a seventeen year old girl. Do people forget this??? Like, teenagers sometimes do things that are a bit dramatic or stupid, but even then, I've always felt as if Elena is very mature for her age, and all of her feelings are justified. And NORMAL.

Even the parts where she gets a bit jealous over Stefan's interactions after they broke up. Reasonable? Probably not. But this is a very normal experience that people of all ages may have. And common. Crushing on Damon while dating Stefan? Again, not uncommon. Maybe not socially acceptable, but something that is very normal for a seventeen year old girl to feel.

What's the deal? Am I missing something that everyone else is seeing except for me? One of the wonderful things about this show is how realistic it is. The acting is phenomenal, and the atmosphere of the show seems very grounded in reality, despite all of the supernatural elements. Very easy to suspend your disbelief because the character reactions and situations would all be something that your average person would probably do. I enjoy watching it for this aspect, and because it's not over-the-top unrealistic. I think some people just... don't enjoy watching shows with realistic characters? That's the only reason I can think of for people hating on Elena for being normal.

Obviously this isn’t a big deal, but I want to vent about it anyway because I can. I’ve been in fandom space since around 2011/12. Needless to say, it’s changed a lot. I’m also a writer, so I write and read fanfics in my free time. I’m working on my own original novel.

I don’t know what’s changed, though. I’m a fan of some shows, and I force myself to look past the really cringeworthy parts because… well, there are many. Some examples of recent shows I like: Helluva Boss, Hazbin Hotel, The Amazing Digital Circus. The first two especially have some incredibly cringe moments. A lot, actually, but I kinda force myself to ignore it and focus on the good parts because those are great!

I simply can’t interact with the fandom, though. I mean, they’re all obsessed with transgender stuff, (“This character is OBVIOUSLY trans” and it’s just a male character being vulnerable) and attacking a creator for writing their story how they see fit, and “You can’t ship these characters together.” I rarely see people talking about the plot or the characteristics and relationships of certain characters. And then they have the audacity to tell the actors/voice actors about fandom business. Like stuff on AO3 and shipping.

This was a major thing that happened with the Heated Rivalry fandom, when an interviewer literally told and showed the actors about AO3 and omegaverse. Great genre BTW, but… there is etiquette. Netiquette and fandom etiquette. Fanfiction and fan art and shipping is private stuff just meant for all of us to weird out over in our own time. Actively telling an actor or actress about this stuff is just disrespectful, inappropriate, and weird, and it blurs the line between what’s acceptable and what’s not.

This was understood for a long time. Like, I’m a somewhat normal person (?). I secretly enjoy my cringey fan stuff like fics, art, even roleplaying if I have time (helps a lot with writing practice). All in private discord servers where that stuff is meant to be talked about. I could never talk about any of this stuff openly in public, let alone to the actual actors or actresses involved. I think the shame would kill me, and it’s simply inappropriate to do.

What the hell happened in fandom culture? I mean, I loved Hetalia when it came out, I’ve been a fan of Attack on Titan since the anime first came out, Death Note, and so many other shows. Supernatural, Twilight, TVD, etc. Maybe showing my age a bit, but I’m not old. I’m 23, Gen Z.

If I can be vulnerable: my stupid, unrealistic dream is for my debut novel to touch many people, and maybe for there to even be a small fanbase. But with how fandoms act today, I’m not even sure that would be ideal.

It’s just bizarre to me, how much internet and fandom culture has changed. People act without shame now, and focus on such weird things. Other Gen Z and younger! I feel like screaming, “It’s all fictional!” And banning them from the internet forever.

That’s it. I don’t go online often, despite having a Reddit account. At the beginning of the year in January, I deleted TikTok, Twitter, Snapchat, and I’m about to get rid of Instagram (I only follow celebs I like, I never post or check it regularly). All I have are YouTube, Reddit, Bluesky, and Discord…. And AO3. Much more peaceful. I don’t go on most socials now except for YouTube and AO3, and I just study and do my hobbies in my free time.

All of that is to say: this opinion is based off what I see on YouTube and Reddit. I feel like every single member has at least something notable about them, maybe even somewhat appealing. But Megan is just there. Existing. I don’t know if I’m put off by her personality (what little snippets of it I’ve seen) or what. Lately in some clips she just seems so fake and grouchy. But I dunno. She kind of weirds me out, but I can’t put my finger on why.

I haven’t watched the new collab MV, but I’m about to go do that because I saw it was releasing today I think.

Hello. I'm not a laptop/electronic connoisseur, so I would like some advice. I'm about to start saving up for a new laptop, and right now I have a Macbook Air (M1, 2020, 8GB). It's worked well so far, and it's still working well, just a teenie tiny bit slower. I don't really need a new laptop, but I'm saving up for one just to spoil myself because I often can't spend money on luxury things.

I would use it for college work, general browsing, and lots of writing and research (many tabs open at once). That's mainly it. I don't want to spend more than 600 to 700 dollars, so these are the only two I'm considering unless there is a better option.

I've always used iOS, MacOS, and Apple ecosystems in my personal life, so switching would feel weird but not unfamiliar whatsoever. I don't think that matters really, but I added in case it's worth noting.

Form in case**:**

• USA
• $600 to 700
• Refurbished/used: maybe
• At least 13"
• Weight limit: I don't care
• Purpose: college work, browsing, writing
• Standard
• Desired battery life: maybe at least half the day, but most of the day ideally
• Performance > battery life > size > weight

Thank you to anyone who replies :p