Kpop is all about image at this point in time. I agree that they are well groomed and mass-produced to serve a specific purpose: to entertain and fulfill a certain niche. Some of them will most likely break into the K-drama scene at least once, and others will appear on variety shows. But most of them will fade into the woodwork when the next best thing is manufactured.

They begin to seem less potent or important as artists when the industry is constantly trying to one-up the success of one group a month later by forming a newer band that dresses exactly the same as the last, and produces similar music. And the music doesn’t seem to get any better. It’s the same recycled attempt at what they tried last week. They’re so busy trying to make their English-Japanese-Korean fusion hip-hop or girly pop, and it ends up looking and sounding like a garbled mess of incoherence.

I don’t hate Kpop at all. It just looks and sounds so contrived these days, and I also wonder why there is such intense fandom surrounding it. The entire “anti” culture is one of hate, and the constant ridicule of netizens bearing down on these singers, who have been all dolled up and propped on a stage just so they can dance around and get insulted if they gained a pound or two or went out in public without makeup–I find it sad.

But hell, they must be raking in the cash since the Kpop fever is everywhere these days.

come on, those ticket sales and album sales proves that true kpop fans are not jologs.

It really depends on how you define jologs. The definition I gave pertains to something in the “popular culture” that is accessible to the masses. Mainstream = Jologs. As simple as that. I don’t want to over-complicate the definition. So by definition, if you listen to something “mainstream”, then you are jologs (Strictly by definition). We can argue about the definition of jologs but that’s another story.

You are right, and I agree with you. Buying authentic albums and tickets proves that you are a true KPOP fan (jologs or not).

and i see. the arguments are going further. ughh.i dont care anymore. as long as i dont act like one, i wont be considered one, right?

come on, those ticket sales and album sales proves that true kpop fans are not jologs.

I said before that:

“I can now see the reason for hating these masa side-effects of popularity. Although, thinking of it as an “only in the Philippines” and “only the poor are guilty” phenomenon is where we reach our crossroads. I know people, who do not qualify as a masa-crowd, who treat kpop lightly that would offend any kpop fans (even before the so-called kpop fever). I guess it just happens to anyone, something important for someone is insignificant to someone else.”

and you replied:

“I am very interested in this phenomenon. I have yet to find a country that have this same phenomenon. I have reasons to believe that our culture and current demographics are the ones to blame.”

Well, I was looking at the comment section of an All Kpop article: http://www.allkpop.com/2010/06/a-taiwanese-variety-show-with-kpop-dance-flavor/

Comment number 41:

“oks dont hate taiwan ppl/ varitry shows…
But now they touches kpop i get angry…
Cant they use their own country music and do cover??? Whyy must they touches kpop suddenly???and on that channel it is mostly kpop!!!!! Is it suppose to be a korean channel???
Urghs.. Stick to their own music can??!?
They all uses kpop as if they really like kpop, it is an insult to us kpops lovers…!!! More ppl sudd craze into kpop and act they know alot from this….what is this!!!!!!!
### no harm to taiwanese ppl oks??? Understand???
+,just my own point of view…ask finnaly someone posted it…this has maket me upset and angry for the pass few week alrdd lahs…..”

I specially like this part:

“They all uses kpop as if they really like kpop, it is an insult to us kpops lovers…!!! More ppl sudd craze into kpop and act they know alot from this….what is this!!!!!!!”

I think this is really the issue of many pinoy kpop fan. The fact that it has become a fad in the eyes of many that being a real fan is no longer distinguishable from those teens (I expect most are teens) riding in the “in thing”. Are only the masa guilty of this? I don’t think so, though I think it’s how the masa manifest their interest in this fad that is killing you.

First of all seeing these people as gay hasnothing to do withhow the person has been brought up.

My colleague once argued that “Gender identification is just pure common sense. Humans are born with innate ability to tell what manly is”. I then argued “if you put a baby in space, isolated from all forms of human culture, and if he returned to Earth (like when he’s 20 y/o), will he be able to tell that PINK is for girls?” No, of course not! The way we identify gender is perceived by our environment (culture).

I am a harsh critiq, and will state my honest response, but I don’t know much about kpop.From what you blogged kpop is nothing more than packaged entertainers. I dont expect much from pop music in general, only that it must be always evolving it sounds and most important be entertaining. Kpop music does that, except evolving sound. I haven’t really heard any kpop “idol” that could actually sing above average.

so now dont get too detailed wih your posts,cuz,yeah you seem to be a *true kpop fan or whatevs,but i dont know if you noticed that your posts are also hating on western music,lifestyles or anything related to that

Hate? Where? How? No I don’t hate Western music, I’m not just too fond of it. Hate is different.

cuz your also convincing people that mo is raised in a western lifestyle,thats why he hates kpop?

Read the post again, please. I said Mo thinks UKISS is gay because of his western upbringing. That’s it.

ANYONE CAN HATE WHAT THEY HATE,AND ANYONE CAN LIKE WHAT THEY LIKE,ITS THEIR OPINION, go listen to your k-pop,let the haters be,para kalang nakikipag reason sa walang katapusang counter topics& sa mga endless hates,be more brainy and matured,wala namang mawawala kung yun ang ipairal diba?

You, sir, are contradicting yourself. You said people have their own opinion about things so people should just leave each other alone then you’ll go here and tell me to STOP POSTING MY OPINION?

This is the more “brainy” approach. Rather than arguing on discussion boards in Facebook, why not just lay down your rationale arguments on a blog that everybody can read?

What you posted here is not “brainy” and “matured”, you didn’t even contribute anything to the topic at hand.

As the great Joel Spolsky have once said, the best way to recruit passionate Software Developers is through an On-the-Job trainee program.

so now dont get too detailed wih your posts,cuz,yeah you seem to be a *true kpop fan or whatevs,but i dont know if you noticed that your posts are also hating on western music,lifestyles or anything related to that,if you are a true kpop fan then why bother posting this,so that Dj mo,or what shit you want to call him says his opinion about Kpop?,that doesnt make any sense,and that doesnt make you a better than the haters cuz your also convincing people that mo is raised in a western lifestyle,thats why he hates kpop?so what?okay so he hates Ukiss,and to be honest yeah i think theyre gay cuz of the make up and the SOMEWHAT gay wardrobe,(dont hate on me,Ive seen or heard Gay-er outfits from fashion channels,but just so you know,Kpop is also influenced with western music,and yeah SYnthesized is ok,and yeah i guess they are dressing themselves like that to be more known and mainstream i understand that,WHAT IM POINTING OUT IS,LET THE HATERS HATE,AND LET the LIKERS LIKE THERE STUFF,KUNG GUSTO MO YUNG KPOP MO EDI OK,NO NEED TO TYPE IN SOME DETAILED SHIT THO EVENYOU CLEARLY ARE HATING ON WESTERN CULTURE TOO,KAHIT SLIGHT LANG,KUNG GUSTO MO KPOP EDI OK,KUNG MAY NAGHAHATE WAG MO NALANG PANSININ,SIGURO YUNG IBA MEDYO WALA LANG MANNERS,PERO FUCK THEM DIBA?YOU DO YOUR OWN THING,AND LET THE HATERS DO THEIR HATING,KUNG TUNAY KANG KPOP fan,

YEAH WALA TAYONG MAGAGAWA KE K-POP,J-POP OR KUNG ANO PA,KAYA NGA “POP” EH ITS MADE FOR THE MASSES,THEY LISTEN TO THE SONGS KAHIT DI NILA MAINTINDIHAN OR KUNG ANO MAN LACK NUN SONG,MAY MGA MAGLILIKE PADIN AT MAY MGA MAGHAHATE PADIN,POP SONGS ARE DESTINED TO BE HATED AND LIKED,SO DEAL WITH IT OK?

actually,i dont like k-pop too,pero im not that stupid to spread the word to the masses that i hate them,i mean except siguro dito kung midame ka audience sa mga blogs mo,kasi ang dami narin nag post nang never ending arguements sa net about sa kpop or kun ano pa,so dun sa mga walang manners,hayaan mo sila,yun trip nila eh,go listen to your k-pop,let the haters be,para kalang nakikipag reason sa walang katapusang counter topics& sa mga endless hates,be more brainy and matured,wala namang mawawala kung yun ang ipairal diba?

sorry for the typos if there are any,peaceout

Any ideas on where I can find the awesome developers I’m looking for?

2. This was further explained on ‘Jessica Soho’. Fans are attracted to Korean pop songs mainly because of the melody or the ones who sing the song. One does not have to understand the lyrics to appreciate a song. Any person who loves a song but does not know the lyrics would guess them or hum to them, just because they like it. And honestly, that’s my most hated question. “Bakit ka nakikinig ng ganyan kung hindi mo naman maintindihan?” And my answer to that is, “Eh ano namang pakialam mo sa pinapakinggan ko? Pinapakialaman ko ba yung pinapakinggan mo?”

3. Singing and dancing at the same time is hard. Korean groups should be given credit as they do this always. And they do this in live broadcasts, which is twice as hard because there are no edits and no cuts. And SNSD being compared to Sexbomb? They’re at the opposite ends of the spectrum for God’s sake. Comparing them is not blasphemy. It’s stupidity.

4. The weakest defense of Korean pop haters. So what? Is it that bad to appreciate something that is not ours? Anyone would’ve idolized someone not from their own country once in their lives.

5. A mere stereotype. There is no concrete definition of what a man or what a woman should look like. So why even label them as gays or lesbians?

And to answer your question:

1. I most certainly think not. ‘Jologs’ is defined as something that is not pleasing to the senses. One would say, “Mukha kang jologs sa suot mo” or “Ang jologs naman ng kantang yan.” The definition you gave was fit for a word like ‘piracy’ or ‘[cheap] imitation’. And Korean pop is certainly not something that is ‘jologs’.

And just a short message to Korean pop haters:

We are Filipinos who appreciate Korean pop. If you hate Korean pop, butt out! Hindi namin kayo pinapakialaman. So why the hell should you haters say bad things about Korean pop? We can’t force you to like it if you really don’t, and we will not. But we only have one request to ask of you haters, Wag niyo kaming pakialaman kasi wala kaming pakialam sa inyo. Arasou?