It kind of haunts me that we really have no idea what idol life is like between each company, managing team, and group. The instances of malpractice that we’ve seen probably don’t even scratch the surface… we really need to take this video and start a unionization campaign in Korea 😭
Thank you so much! I'm glad that I was still able to inject a little bit of humor into an otherwise-serious topic. One of my side goals for my content is to make my viewers laugh out loud at least once every episode, no matter how heavy the subject at hand may be, because a little bit of humor can make difficult subjects easier to digest. I am clinically incapable of taking myself too seriously, it appears. Thanks for tuning in!
@@overthinkingkpop you are absolutely crushing ur goal then bc I have giggled at every one of ur videos while also actually learning something and expanding my mindset. They are seriously very enjoyable to watch. You are a gem!
@@abiStalli I highly agree, their voice is also easy to listen to and makes me feel like I'm in a safe space of creative minds, where I can respectfully share my thoughts and opinions on any discussed matters.🥰
This is why i have mad respect for ALL idols, regardless of their position or skill level. Surviving all of this is a commendable feat in an of itself. I would have not made it out alive.
Besides the obvious reasons, i could never be an Idol. I'll be fighting the styling Team 24/7 What now? You mean to tell me that a fellow Idol that i have beef with is performing and i have to applaud them? Nuh uh
The Kpop industry really needs some worker's solidarity and get a union! Don't think it will ever happen, but i'm certain it would solve 90% of issues with training debt, overworking of trainees and idol + give them freedom to live a life outside of their job as an idol.
Unions do exist in South Korea. Their collectivist culture seems like it would naturally lend itself towards collective bargaining. I really think that would go a long way towards systematically addressing some of these issues, but like you said, it's a tall order.
The issue is that, unfortunately Korea isn’t the only industry with extremely shady practices and what not. They’re not the only ones who have slave contracts. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of them but TLC a girlgroup in America were literally THE BIGGEST group at the time and they were all completely broke….they even called out their company during an award acceptance speech or something…it didn’t do anything. The girls continued working and being broke until they eventually disbanded 😢 So unfortunately, so long as greedy people with money, power and investments exist…the entertainment industry is cooked everywhere 😢
@@overthinkingkpop unions existing in south korea is very different to kpop idols unionizing though because the companies literally go out of their way to create as competitive an environment as possible. on top of that, most idols are definitely considered replaceable by the companies. with the poor paychecks and trainee debt most of them are just not going to be able to risk being fired or put in the dungeon or whatever. and unionizing in south korea is also legally far more limited than in other countries. the right to collective bargaining is only legally protected up to the point of negotiating wages (not other benefits or work hours etc), and even then unions are suppressed quite a bit. overtime and stuff is often paid using union funds rather than by the company. south korea gave a lot of power to a few corporations which could be why they're so anti-union. i think the culture also lends itself to being anti-union tbh. it's a collectivist culture, sure, but it's also highly competitive owing to the fact that there are only a few "desirable" jobs and a lot of competition for them. for every person who is willing to unionize, there is going to be someone else willing to accept worse terms for the job. i'm not sure if they can legally fire people for trying to unionize there and i would assume they can't, but that's an easy law to get around as you just have to come up with some other reason to fire someone, and as the person who has been fired you need to be able to match the legal resources of the corporation if you hope to win a legal case.
It's such a unique way to emphasize what idols need to go through daily. Loved it. I really hope this industry becomes better for them. Like I can't even imagine being so underweight and sleep deprived and every single thing I do to be judged by someone who hasn't even lived 1second of my life.
I have joked many times that we send people to college when they're 18 because they haven't developed boundaries yet. We are emotionally stunting these idols by thrusting them into the spotlight at such a young age.
@@vixxexo6855 not every Hybe girl group have bad live vocals. New Jeans and Fromis_9 have nice vocals. Plus Le sserafim has improved since their debut. So it's not right to say that
i would cry if i woke up as an idol..that too a female idol. I can't even eat a strawberry or even joke without people calling me "pick me". i would be cancelled for stealing my neighbor's toy when i was 7 or 8. I would be called fat even if my body type is similar to Liz. Has to be perfect 1000% . And i will be attacked because my company chose to give me clothes different from other members. I would prefer to be male idol. Because for their jokes are taken as crackhead behavior, i can eat without people judging me and even if someone did, i have a strong fanbase that literally doxx them. Performance mistake is taken like one, a mistake. No one will call me lazy. I just have to suffer the fancalls i get and i should not say anything that goes overboard so that my fans wouldn't take it upon themselves to harass other idols. Dating is a big no no. I wouldn't get as cancelled as female idols since like i said, i have strong fanbase and as long as i don't do literal crimes, i can be safe.
We need more groups like the piggy dolls or pink fantasy to debut. They don’t have to follow pacific diets and generally got a little of each paycheck they made even with trainee debt
Thank you! I think kpop stans tend to lose perspective on just how much we're asking of these idols sometimes. When you put it all on the table together, you can see that we're really holding them to impossible standards.
Another amazing video! It is really concerning how some "fans" especially in many recent incidents lack even the basic concept of empathy. The hate many idols suffer from could be comparable to actual criminals and the reasons are often blant (mostly caused by the generally large emphasis on parasocial relationships). Of course not only Kpop idols suffer from such behaviours, other celebrities do as well, but the situation idols are put into by the companies make it even worse. I am not gonna pretend like I don't take part in parasocial relationships, I am a huge Kpop stan after all, but it makes it all the less comprehensible to me, how could anyone in a way of online hate and other toxic behaviour or even worse in actual real life hurt these people, claiming you like them and care about them. I think opening these kinds of conversations is very important to make us more humble and thankful for our general privacy and independence some of the idols could only wish for.
Thank you! My LE SSERAFIM clip selections for some of those segments were very much a subtle jab at the FEARNOTs who have been making their lives hell recently.
@@overthinkingkpop I figured, they've also been making my life quite miserable, meeting with so much hate every time I just tried to genuinely talk about how I love their music. But all the groups I stan, have been hated at one point or another or are so underrated, they don't even get a chance to. But I generally feel bad for any idols under a hate train, they are also just people after all. That's why I really value positivity with content creators, although toxic positivity can also be harmful.
Sheesh what a video. The rationalization bit hits hard, but I guess most of us do that all the time. I mean it’s not like my phone is made ethically. Here’s to hoping every idol has a strong support system of people who value them as a person! 🍻
When I was younger and starting to get into kpop I wanted to be an idol. But as I got older I started to realize all the things I would have to give up for that to happen. Being a kpop idol sounds like a dream but if you put it in reality it’s not as glamorous. I know so many people want to be an idol and it’s not an easy job but you really do have to consider all things you would have to give up and sacrifice for that chance. And there’s no guarantee you’ll get to be an idol.
If this episode does well, I may do a follow-up episode about the trainee programs and everything they put prospective idols through, only for the distinct possibility of them never even debuting to dash their hopes after months or years of grueling work. The system is truly so ruthless and so very few ever really "make it" compared to the number of wannabes who sacrifice their entire youths in hopes of achieving a dream of dubious actual value.
@@overthinkingkpop this video is amazing I think it’s a great way to let younger viewers or anyone wanting to become an idol get a reality check of how it’s not just you following your dream but all things that are gonna come with it.
Thank you so much. I think it's important to take a hard look at both the good and bad aspects of this industry when I generate this content. A lot of my audience does skew on the younger side and, while I hate to shit on people's dreams, this one isn't worth pursuing imo.
i’ve always wanted to sing and dance, and living that life is a dream for me. i’m well aware of all the issues, and i 100% have a plan b (im very good academically, and plan to go to harvard otherwise) i would only audition if it’s a survival show though. less worries about debt and even if i don’t make it i’ll have a fanbase
@@overthinkingkpop Yes, but the manga is definitely better (even if I've never actually read it). Here, the witch protagonists capture the emotions (usually various forms of love) from humans and turn them into hearts to be used as an energy source or currency. And the protagonists are elementary school age, but act like teenagers.
@imagiguard Oof, I can absolutely see the metaphor, particularly given that Japan has its own special brand of toxic idol culture to offer. Thanks for the tip!
Show idea: A Kpop hater wakes up as a Kpop idol. They have no guide or anything, they have to figure all this out on their own. Bonus points if they can't sing or dance to save their life.
@@overthinkingkpop Black mirror is more of series of movies packaged together as a tv show, each episode is around 30 minutes-2 and a half hours of a self contained plot, no characters ever really return but it takes place in the same universe. I highly suggest the episodes “Rachel, Jack, and Ashley two” and “Nosedive”. I think this video is like the melting point of those two episodes
at first I was quite skeptical on watching this seeing there wasn’t quite many views but for some reason it was calling my name. I really would’ve never acknowledged most of this without watching and now I truly see how terrible an idols life can be :(
I appreciate you giving it a shot! My channel is only a couple of weeks old, so it is still picking up steam and gaining subscribers/views. It's really a sad picture when you put it all together like this, though, isn't it?
@@dureila3039 Thank you so much! We just hit 1K subscribers this morning, which happened faster than I could ever have dreamed. Like, that was my goal for my first YEAR on the platform and I hit it in under two months, which is just insane to me. You get to be one of my lucky founding followers. 😘
Some of these claims seem so outlandish (like Wonyoung's strawberry/pizza drama, for instance) that it's worth including references to show that I'm not just being hyperbolic or overdramatic. I should go find some articles to link in the description for people to do further reading and/or watching.
@@overthinkingkpop ya that is something that I really appreciate, because when I saw what this video was about I wasn’t sure if it would just be random info that we weren’t sure was true, so I’m so happy that it wasn’t that!
Thank you so much 😭 I was nervous about posting this episode because I didn't know if it was going to come off as cheesy or boring and it's a bit of a departure from my usual format. Glad to hear it actually came out all right after all!
@@overthinkingkpop I mean, we needed something like that to bring ourselves back to reality. Kpop fans tend to criticise the idols a bit too easily (and also a bit too much). The video is a great exercise to train empathy!
We all know the video is full of details hidden behind the MV shots in the background of it, but Wonyoung in Baddie MV in the end, exactly during the part where she sings "catch me if you can" during idolbot's "luckily i won't be catching you next time" was my favorite detail.
I was sleeping when the video premiered again (most of ur premieres are during night time for me) and I may have forgotten to watch it- I remember now but holy shit that's horrible. I've always dreamed of becoming an idol but every step is so huge. Even after you debut, oh wait IT'S NOT OVER. First you practice hard and improve your talents and audition for a company. If you're not selected try again next time or leave it. If you're selected, time for round 2 of practice except this time you'll be helped by professionals and you'll not have a life outside of practice. That's okay, it's only till I debut, oh no, you'd be sooo wrong, after debut, round 3 of practice just now, you have no time to even breathe! It's a horrible life man... those who succeed good for you, but if you don't... it's really REALLY horrible, not bad, HORRIBLE. Yet I still wanna be an idol 😃 I feel like the big 3 are the best chance to try auditioning because even if you're average in all (vocal, dance, stage presence, visual) but above average in at least one thing and have an extra talent other than the ones mentioned above like playing guitar, taekwondo, painting/drawing there's a high chance they take you, they'll train you a lot and sometimes change your appearance too but by the time you debut, you'll be the best of the best. Hybe is one of the companies you can audition and get in easily since if your pretty and dance average, they'll train you for 1 month in dance and send you off into the idol journey but if you don't wanna be bashed around all across the internet, being good at singing and being stable is enough to keep you safe, not your members though. How did I start off like "Idol life os tough" and end off like "It's VERYYY manageable" Like how- 😂 This is what I think it's like but it's probably not so easy to get in
Not going to discuss your points cos you're basically right about everything... but I'm saluting the A+ form, you write well and the editing is awesome :)
for me, being a kpop idol was a thing for me, especially cuz the idols I saw at that point were all Korean with white as snow skin and are super skinny so I didn't really see the point for myself to envision life as a kpop idol. I'm sure tho that being part of any entertainment industry (regardless of what kind of music industry) would not be a pleasant nor easy way of living life! I recognize that any form of capitalism in a creative field would definitely be tiring to keep up. definitely love the video game esque directioning with this video as well as including your own personal takes regarding the kpop industry at large! also really adore the little points to other things such as the point to cheer bear in the background as well as other easter eggs!! Can't wait for the next upload :DDDD
Thank you! Tried something a little outside of my comfort zone with this conversational sketch format. I was worried people would think it was boring so I went back through and injected a bunch of additional chaos to the background videos, such as the reference to Cheer Bear, which I only added a few minutes before exporting the finished product. I'm glad that those extra bits of detail had value!
Tbh if I were east asian I would’ve tried being one. Even though there’s terrible conditions, think about it this way: People like me live for the arts. Be it painting, singing, writing, acting, drawing, etc. I personally love all of them! And honestly, I couldn’t imagine having a life where I can’t do those things. A life where I’m working a full time boring ass job in like an office clicking on tabs and being bored just to go home to being bored again but wait I have to cook for myself and potentially my kids and catch up on debt anyway but not from being a trainee, from having been to school for a job I got bored of after 2 years? That sounds even WORSE to me than being a kpop idol. Just having a normal house with a family and no goal in sight? No excitement? Just the same old everyday until I grow old? I could never. Never. I stand from the crowd even as a normal person and I’m not cut out for just a normal life. I feel like kpop idols are the same. Performers in general. The Kpop industry comes at high stakes, but so does life. Some people would rather take it slow and enjoy little things, but some people just cannot. The thing with conforming to the person the media and the agency want to see sounds terrible, but guess what? In society in general, most people still conform to what others want. The kpop industry is restraining, but it’s because a dream factory like that can’t be run on literally anyone. (Sidenote: I completely think it’s unhealthy, but whenever a group in not perfect, fans don’t like it. Fans are giving incentives to the companies to make those dream factories real, and people who want to be perfect see it as a big bonus point. People want to be idols because they want to make people feel the same way those idols make them feel. It’s a vicious cycle, but we are the only people who can stop this by lowering our expectations, and that’ll take time.) There are so much more lifestyles in which you get similar restraints and for what? Anyways, I’m going on a tangent now, but what you can get from my comment is that like the video said, RESPECT THE IDOLS! Even those who you think suck pure ass. BUT, if you’re scared of debuting because of all of this, think about it. Are those things you’re scared of things you would never experience at all in a normal lifestyle? Stuff like being criticized for your weight, having crippling debt, no sleep, not being allowed to express yourself, etc. happen to so much more people than to kpop idols alone. You only live once. All of those things might be a complete deal breaker to you, in which case, do something that will make you truly happy, but it also might be a worthy sacrifice, in which case I encourage you.
@ChiefMakes Nice! Yeah, we've grown quite a bit during the past two months since launch. I'm still kind of blown away by it tbh. I have lots of great stuff in store so make sure you turn on the notifications so it actually lets you know when I post!
@@overthinkingkpop I’m still going with the lore that idol bot has a thing for wonyoung and that’s why she keeps getting beat down by the internet daily. It’s ok to blame idol bot sometimes
@@overthinkingkpop it’s honestly just my dream. I’ve seen how much Kpop has affected my life and I want to become an idol so I can do the same for other people.
In my opinion minors should not be allowed to sign any trainee contracts. Someone under 18 can't really make rational decisions that might affect them for the next 10+ years. All these rules prohibit them from actually maturing as an individual. Companies should also make sure that the idols finish high school. There is no guarantee for success. A lot of former idol are now working at low paying jobs because they have no qualifications and still have high debts. In general a lot of popular groups actually dont make that much money if you count everything together.
I also feel like there should be more regulations on who can be able to debut and be a trainee. I'd say sign a junior trainee contract when you're 16 (which is less strict on the visual aspects and has a lighter schedule) and a "regular" trainee contract when you are 18 and graduated from school, after which you are able to debut once you're good enough. People always forget that the Korean school system is a full time job on its own, I don't even want to know how many teens completely wrecked their chance at entering the academic field because they "wasted" their teen years training for something they were never able to pursue. People also forget that you don't have to be in a company as a trainee to train for being an idol. Below 15 people could just as well have dancing and singing classes as a hobby alongside school and without the tight schedule of a real trainee.
She's my ult bias and I've been on an IVE kick lately, between making my "Baddie" video and them dropping new content the moment it was complete. She manages to sneak her way into a lot of my videos, but particularly because netizens have been so cruel to her historically, she really fit in here.
@@overthinkingkpop 😭 ugh u get it - she’s helped me a lot with not letting peoples incorrect and hateful assumptions of you stopping ur from letting ur sparkle shine or being yourself… like just keep being who u r and the right people will hopefully recognize you for that. not to mention that she is incredibly talented and always improving. i do admire her for her work ethic but i truly do hope she can rest n be as happy inside as she makes us!!! thank u for that, Wony love forever!! she’s my ult bias too 🥹💖 and Baddie was stuck in my head as i saw this notif LOLLL ily for that
Oh my gosh give me a BREAK?? Stop acting like these kpop stars are some kinds of Gods/ goddesses on earth celebrities in general go through a lot. But they also have tons of fans are attractive and rich ?? So many good things come with being an idol or Popstar. They are lucky to be doing what they’re doing more than to be not doing it. To succeed as a K-pop star is a 1 in a million chance this isn’t some kind of sci fi oh look at me I’m in the public eye I’m so special bullcrap these are people who trained and got lucky
I really, genuinely do feel so terrible for these idols being robbed of their youth and autonomy in the hopes of achieving fame, but you're certainly welcome to disagree. As I stated in the video, you couldn't pay me to put up with all of the absurd expectations and standards we hold idols to.
@@overthinkingkpop oh I’m not saying you would or have to but for the idols that see this as their life long dream would and will put up with all of this because well it’s their dream career they are literally living out their dream lives something only some can imagine its truly wonderful. theirs a downside to everything yeah but being a kpop idol has its good things FOR SURE.
@@ALPHAMALE-h4r Yeah I don't think anyone would ever claim otherwise, and that's definitely not the case I'm trying to make here. I wanted to spend an episode focused on crystalizing just how brutal the industry can be on idols and how there's a lot of dark elements lurking beneath the surface that aren't discussed as frequently.
Thank you so much! This one was definitely a learning experience for me because I had never experimented with TTS voices at all previously. Glad to hear that the results came together all right!
@@overthinkingkpop you’re welcome! the results truly did, trust! oftentimes, tts sounds too robotic and that aspect can be very distracting from the message, but the voice you chose was not only pleasant to hear (could just be a me thing😭), but suited the concept well! the editing was great - the clips you chose for certain topics, the captions for idolbot (a smaller detail i loved), as well as the little easter eggs made this a treat for someone who is already painfully aware of the reality behind the pretty parts of kpop we get to enjoy! you’re definitely achieving your goal thus far
It kind of haunts me that we really have no idea what idol life is like between each company, managing team, and group. The instances of malpractice that we’ve seen probably don’t even scratch the surface… we really need to take this video and start a unionization campaign in Korea 😭
unpopular opinion but some of what makes kpop so successful is its strict standards. At least, that's why its successful in korea.
Yeah it's something that draws or turns off people from kpop
"in middle school that was 20 years ago??" "incorrect, ur 14 - it was last year"LMAOOOOOOO U are soo funny man omg i enjoy ur videos alot
Thank you so much! I'm glad that I was still able to inject a little bit of humor into an otherwise-serious topic. One of my side goals for my content is to make my viewers laugh out loud at least once every episode, no matter how heavy the subject at hand may be, because a little bit of humor can make difficult subjects easier to digest. I am clinically incapable of taking myself too seriously, it appears. Thanks for tuning in!
@@overthinkingkpop you are absolutely crushing ur goal then bc I have giggled at every one of ur videos while also actually learning something and expanding my mindset. They are seriously very enjoyable to watch. You are a gem!
@@abiStalli I highly agree, their voice is also easy to listen to and makes me feel like I'm in a safe space of creative minds, where I can respectfully share my thoughts and opinions on any discussed matters.🥰
This is why i have mad respect for ALL idols, regardless of their position or skill level. Surviving all of this is a commendable feat in an of itself. I would have not made it out alive.
Not every idol go through all of that. I doubt New Jeans and Illit ever worked hard in their whole life.
@@vixxexo6855 Bro you don't have these girlies all the time
You'd have to be a certain type of strong to thrive being a kpop idol without letting it consume you fr.
Besides the obvious reasons, i could never be an Idol. I'll be fighting the styling Team 24/7
What now? You mean to tell me that a fellow Idol that i have beef with is performing and i have to applaud them? Nuh uh
I would forever be saying the wrong thing and incurring the unsolicited wrath of netizens
Realll omg 😭
The Kpop industry really needs some worker's solidarity and get a union! Don't think it will ever happen, but i'm certain it would solve 90% of issues with training debt, overworking of trainees and idol + give them freedom to live a life outside of their job as an idol.
Unions do exist in South Korea. Their collectivist culture seems like it would naturally lend itself towards collective bargaining. I really think that would go a long way towards systematically addressing some of these issues, but like you said, it's a tall order.
The issue is that, unfortunately Korea isn’t the only industry with extremely shady practices and what not. They’re not the only ones who have slave contracts.
I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of them but TLC a girlgroup in America were literally THE BIGGEST group at the time and they were all completely broke….they even called out their company during an award acceptance speech or something…it didn’t do anything. The girls continued working and being broke until they eventually disbanded 😢
So unfortunately, so long as greedy people with money, power and investments exist…the entertainment industry is cooked everywhere 😢
@@overthinkingkpop unions existing in south korea is very different to kpop idols unionizing though because the companies literally go out of their way to create as competitive an environment as possible. on top of that, most idols are definitely considered replaceable by the companies. with the poor paychecks and trainee debt most of them are just not going to be able to risk being fired or put in the dungeon or whatever.
and unionizing in south korea is also legally far more limited than in other countries. the right to collective bargaining is only legally protected up to the point of negotiating wages (not other benefits or work hours etc), and even then unions are suppressed quite a bit. overtime and stuff is often paid using union funds rather than by the company. south korea gave a lot of power to a few corporations which could be why they're so anti-union.
i think the culture also lends itself to being anti-union tbh. it's a collectivist culture, sure, but it's also highly competitive owing to the fact that there are only a few "desirable" jobs and a lot of competition for them. for every person who is willing to unionize, there is going to be someone else willing to accept worse terms for the job. i'm not sure if they can legally fire people for trying to unionize there and i would assume they can't, but that's an easy law to get around as you just have to come up with some other reason to fire someone, and as the person who has been fired you need to be able to match the legal resources of the corporation if you hope to win a legal case.
I’m starting several scandals so I can be freed of my contract because I like chipotle more than I want to be an idol
I'm pretty sure my Coca-Cola addiction means that the only label that would be willing to take me is JYP lmao
Bless your heart. You think you can afford Chipotle. You still have trainee debt to pay silly.
@@l4ckless well the only company that will accept my chipotle gift cards is chipotle so 😞
It's such a unique way to emphasize what idols need to go through daily. Loved it.
I really hope this industry becomes better for them. Like I can't even imagine being so underweight and sleep deprived and every single thing I do to be judged by someone who hasn't even lived 1second of my life.
I have joked many times that we send people to college when they're 18 because they haven't developed boundaries yet. We are emotionally stunting these idols by thrusting them into the spotlight at such a young age.
Not every idol have to go trough all of that. Like some idols are extremely lazy and never improve like every girlgroup in Hybe.
@@vixxexo6855 not every Hybe girl group have bad live vocals. New Jeans and Fromis_9 have nice vocals. Plus Le sserafim has improved since their debut. So it's not right to say that
THE FUCKING AGE PLOT TWIST OMG- THIS VIDEO SHOULD BE SHOWN TO ALL NETIZENS!!
i would cry if i woke up as an idol..that too a female idol. I can't even eat a strawberry or even joke without people calling me "pick me". i would be cancelled for stealing my neighbor's toy when i was 7 or 8. I would be called fat even if my body type is similar to Liz. Has to be perfect 1000% . And i will be attacked because my company chose to give me clothes different from other members.
I would prefer to be male idol. Because for their jokes are taken as crackhead behavior, i can eat without people judging me and even if someone did, i have a strong fanbase that literally doxx them. Performance mistake is taken like one, a mistake. No one will call me lazy. I just have to suffer the fancalls i get and i should not say anything that goes overboard so that my fans wouldn't take it upon themselves to harass other idols. Dating is a big no no. I wouldn't get as cancelled as female idols since like i said, i have strong fanbase and as long as i don't do literal crimes, i can be safe.
We need more groups like the piggy dolls or pink fantasy to debut. They don’t have to follow pacific diets and generally got a little of each paycheck they made even with trainee debt
That was scarily insightful… in a good way.
Thank you! I think kpop stans tend to lose perspective on just how much we're asking of these idols sometimes. When you put it all on the table together, you can see that we're really holding them to impossible standards.
@@overthinkingkpop could not have said it better 👌
Another amazing video! It is really concerning how some "fans" especially in many recent incidents lack even the basic concept of empathy. The hate many idols suffer from could be comparable to actual criminals and the reasons are often blant (mostly caused by the generally large emphasis on parasocial relationships). Of course not only Kpop idols suffer from such behaviours, other celebrities do as well, but the situation idols are put into by the companies make it even worse.
I am not gonna pretend like I don't take part in parasocial relationships, I am a huge Kpop stan after all, but it makes it all the less comprehensible to me, how could anyone in a way of online hate and other toxic behaviour or even worse in actual real life hurt these people, claiming you like them and care about them. I think opening these kinds of conversations is very important to make us more humble and thankful for our general privacy and independence some of the idols could only wish for.
Thank you! My LE SSERAFIM clip selections for some of those segments were very much a subtle jab at the FEARNOTs who have been making their lives hell recently.
@@overthinkingkpop I figured, they've also been making my life quite miserable, meeting with so much hate every time I just tried to genuinely talk about how I love their music. But all the groups I stan, have been hated at one point or another or are so underrated, they don't even get a chance to. But I generally feel bad for any idols under a hate train, they are also just people after all. That's why I really value positivity with content creators, although toxic positivity can also be harmful.
Sheesh what a video. The rationalization bit hits hard, but I guess most of us do that all the time. I mean it’s not like my phone is made ethically. Here’s to hoping every idol has a strong support system of people who value them as a person! 🍻
When I was younger and starting to get into kpop I wanted to be an idol. But as I got older I started to realize all the things I would have to give up for that to happen. Being a kpop idol sounds like a dream but if you put it in reality it’s not as glamorous. I know so many people want to be an idol and it’s not an easy job but you really do have to consider all things you would have to give up and sacrifice for that chance. And there’s no guarantee you’ll get to be an idol.
If this episode does well, I may do a follow-up episode about the trainee programs and everything they put prospective idols through, only for the distinct possibility of them never even debuting to dash their hopes after months or years of grueling work. The system is truly so ruthless and so very few ever really "make it" compared to the number of wannabes who sacrifice their entire youths in hopes of achieving a dream of dubious actual value.
@@overthinkingkpop this video is amazing I think it’s a great way to let younger viewers or anyone wanting to become an idol get a reality check of how it’s not just you following your dream but all things that are gonna come with it.
Thank you so much. I think it's important to take a hard look at both the good and bad aspects of this industry when I generate this content. A lot of my audience does skew on the younger side and, while I hate to shit on people's dreams, this one isn't worth pursuing imo.
i’ve always wanted to sing and dance, and living that life is a dream for me. i’m well aware of all the issues, and i 100% have a plan b (im very good academically, and plan to go to harvard otherwise)
i would only audition if it’s a survival show though. less worries about debt and even if i don’t make it i’ll have a fanbase
I’ve been comparing idols to Sugar Sugar Rune’s premise. Idols are “heartcatchers” above all.
I'm unfamiliar with Sugar Sugar Rune. Is it an anime?
@@overthinkingkpop Yes, but the manga is definitely better (even if I've never actually read it). Here, the witch protagonists capture the emotions (usually various forms of love) from humans and turn them into hearts to be used as an energy source or currency. And the protagonists are elementary school age, but act like teenagers.
@imagiguard Oof, I can absolutely see the metaphor, particularly given that Japan has its own special brand of toxic idol culture to offer. Thanks for the tip!
That’s a very good comparison i never thought of it 😮
but this is exactly why the industry is so successful.
Show idea: A Kpop hater wakes up as a Kpop idol. They have no guide or anything, they have to figure all this out on their own. Bonus points if they can't sing or dance to save their life.
The creators of black mirror ether created idol bot or there watching its every move now
I've never actually watched any Black Mirror (I kinda hate watching tv) but from what I hear, the vibe is there.
@@overthinkingkpop Black mirror is more of series of movies packaged together as a tv show, each episode is around 30 minutes-2 and a half hours of a self contained plot, no characters ever really return but it takes place in the same universe. I highly suggest the episodes “Rachel, Jack, and Ashley two” and “Nosedive”. I think this video is like the melting point of those two episodes
The way this masterpiece deserves a million of views at least
Aww, thank you so much! I was really nervous about releasing this one so I'm very grateful to hear that you enjoyed it.
at first I was quite skeptical on watching this seeing there wasn’t quite many views but for some reason it was calling my name. I really would’ve never acknowledged most of this without watching and now I truly see how terrible an idols life can be :(
I appreciate you giving it a shot! My channel is only a couple of weeks old, so it is still picking up steam and gaining subscribers/views. It's really a sad picture when you put it all together like this, though, isn't it?
@@overthinkingkpoptrue
@@overthinkingkpop it really is ☹️☹️ hopefully your channel gets the attention that it deserves !
@@dureila3039 Thank you so much! We just hit 1K subscribers this morning, which happened faster than I could ever have dreamed. Like, that was my goal for my first YEAR on the platform and I hit it in under two months, which is just insane to me. You get to be one of my lucky founding followers. 😘
@@overthinkingkpop omg that’s AMAZING just last night you were under that goal! You’re doing so well keep it up
Every kpop fan should see this video
@@bibigamerita6966 Thank you! I agree!
Damn, such a great video. Youre so damn underrated! Thank you for such a deep insight into an idol's life...this was scary, in a way ❤😂
Not underrated, just new! 😘 This channel is less than two months old so we are just getting started. Thanks for tuning in!
I love that you included sources!
Some of these claims seem so outlandish (like Wonyoung's strawberry/pizza drama, for instance) that it's worth including references to show that I'm not just being hyperbolic or overdramatic. I should go find some articles to link in the description for people to do further reading and/or watching.
@@overthinkingkpop ya that is something that I really appreciate, because when I saw what this video was about I wasn’t sure if it would just be random info that we weren’t sure was true, so I’m so happy that it wasn’t that!
That was genius, thank you 🫶🏻
Thank you so much 😭 I was nervous about posting this episode because I didn't know if it was going to come off as cheesy or boring and it's a bit of a departure from my usual format. Glad to hear it actually came out all right after all!
@@overthinkingkpop I mean, we needed something like that to bring ourselves back to reality. Kpop fans tend to criticise the idols a bit too easily (and also a bit too much). The video is a great exercise to train empathy!
We all know the video is full of details hidden behind the MV shots in the background of it, but Wonyoung in Baddie MV in the end, exactly during the part where she sings "catch me if you can" during idolbot's "luckily i won't be catching you next time" was my favorite detail.
Thanks for catching that! 🥰
I was sleeping when the video premiered again (most of ur premieres are during night time for me) and I may have forgotten to watch it- I remember now but holy shit that's horrible.
I've always dreamed of becoming an idol but every step is so huge. Even after you debut, oh wait IT'S NOT OVER. First you practice hard and improve your talents and audition for a company. If you're not selected try again next time or leave it. If you're selected, time for round 2 of practice except this time you'll be helped by professionals and you'll not have a life outside of practice. That's okay, it's only till I debut, oh no, you'd be sooo wrong, after debut, round 3 of practice just now, you have no time to even breathe! It's a horrible life man... those who succeed good for you, but if you don't... it's really REALLY horrible, not bad, HORRIBLE.
Yet I still wanna be an idol 😃 I feel like the big 3 are the best chance to try auditioning because even if you're average in all (vocal, dance, stage presence, visual) but above average in at least one thing and have an extra talent other than the ones mentioned above like playing guitar, taekwondo, painting/drawing there's a high chance they take you, they'll train you a lot and sometimes change your appearance too but by the time you debut, you'll be the best of the best. Hybe is one of the companies you can audition and get in easily since if your pretty and dance average, they'll train you for 1 month in dance and send you off into the idol journey but if you don't wanna be bashed around all across the internet, being good at singing and being stable is enough to keep you safe, not your members though.
How did I start off like "Idol life os tough" and end off like "It's VERYYY manageable" Like how- 😂
This is what I think it's like but it's probably not so easy to get in
This is why I like to pretend to be a kpop idol without ever thinking about actually being one.
didnt know i needed kpop glados this much
Lmfao amazing 😂
Not going to discuss your points cos you're basically right about everything... but I'm saluting the A+ form, you write well and the editing is awesome :)
for me, being a kpop idol was a thing for me, especially cuz the idols I saw at that point were all Korean with white as snow skin and are super skinny so I didn't really see the point for myself to envision life as a kpop idol. I'm sure tho that being part of any entertainment industry (regardless of what kind of music industry) would not be a pleasant nor easy way of living life! I recognize that any form of capitalism in a creative field would definitely be tiring to keep up.
definitely love the video game esque directioning with this video as well as including your own personal takes regarding the kpop industry at large! also really adore the little points to other things such as the point to cheer bear in the background as well as other easter eggs!! Can't wait for the next upload :DDDD
Thank you! Tried something a little outside of my comfort zone with this conversational sketch format. I was worried people would think it was boring so I went back through and injected a bunch of additional chaos to the background videos, such as the reference to Cheer Bear, which I only added a few minutes before exporting the finished product. I'm glad that those extra bits of detail had value!
This was solid, okp
Tbh if I were east asian I would’ve tried being one.
Even though there’s terrible conditions, think about it this way:
People like me live for the arts. Be it painting, singing, writing, acting, drawing, etc. I personally love all of them! And honestly, I couldn’t imagine having a life where I can’t do those things. A life where I’m working a full time boring ass job in like an office clicking on tabs and being bored just to go home to being bored again but wait I have to cook for myself and potentially my kids and catch up on debt anyway but not from being a trainee, from having been to school for a job I got bored of after 2 years? That sounds even WORSE to me than being a kpop idol. Just having a normal house with a family and no goal in sight? No excitement? Just the same old everyday until I grow old? I could never. Never. I stand from the crowd even as a normal person and I’m not cut out for just a normal life. I feel like kpop idols are the same. Performers in general. The Kpop industry comes at high stakes, but so does life. Some people would rather take it slow and enjoy little things, but some people just cannot. The thing with conforming to the person the media and the agency want to see sounds terrible, but guess what? In society in general, most people still conform to what others want. The kpop industry is restraining, but it’s because a dream factory like that can’t be run on literally anyone. (Sidenote: I completely think it’s unhealthy, but whenever a group in not perfect, fans don’t like it. Fans are giving incentives to the companies to make those dream factories real, and people who want to be perfect see it as a big bonus point. People want to be idols because they want to make people feel the same way those idols make them feel. It’s a vicious cycle, but we are the only people who can stop this by lowering our expectations, and that’ll take time.) There are so much more lifestyles in which you get similar restraints and for what? Anyways, I’m going on a tangent now, but what you can get from my comment is that like the video said, RESPECT THE IDOLS! Even those who you think suck pure ass. BUT, if you’re scared of debuting because of all of this, think about it. Are those things you’re scared of things you would never experience at all in a normal lifestyle? Stuff like being criticized for your weight, having crippling debt, no sleep, not being allowed to express yourself, etc. happen to so much more people than to kpop idols alone. You only live once. All of those things might be a complete deal breaker to you, in which case, do something that will make you truly happy, but it also might be a worthy sacrifice, in which case I encourage you.
I cannot believe I forgot about this channel, I could have sworn I rung the subscriber bell
Easy enough to fix! 😘 Thanks for tuning in, whether subbed or not!
@@overthinkingkpop congrats on 1k subs last time I checked you didn’t even had 300 (I think)
@ChiefMakes Nice! Yeah, we've grown quite a bit during the past two months since launch. I'm still kind of blown away by it tbh. I have lots of great stuff in store so make sure you turn on the notifications so it actually lets you know when I post!
Ok watching the visuals now and relaxing idol bot has a thing for wonyoung
She's my ult bias so she sneaks into my videos a lot. 😅
@@overthinkingkpop I’m still going with the lore that idol bot has a thing for wonyoung and that’s why she keeps getting beat down by the internet daily. It’s ok to blame idol bot sometimes
fantastic video wow
Thank you so much for watching! 💖I was worried that this one wouldn't be well-received so I am really glad to hear that people actually enjoyed it.
This video gives me more inspiration to be an idol lol
Hey, clearly plenty of people find that path to be incredibly rewarding, so more power to you. I just... cannot relate.
@@overthinkingkpop it’s honestly just my dream. I’ve seen how much Kpop has affected my life and I want to become an idol so I can do the same for other people.
finally 💓💓
I do it 🌚 everything about kpop i love
Very meta...
No Mark Zuckerbergs were harmed in the production of this RUclips video lol
In my opinion minors should not be allowed to sign any trainee contracts. Someone under 18 can't really make rational decisions that might affect them for the next 10+ years. All these rules prohibit them from actually maturing as an individual. Companies should also make sure that the idols finish high school. There is no guarantee for success. A lot of former idol are now working at low paying jobs because they have no qualifications and still have high debts. In general a lot of popular groups actually dont make that much money if you count everything together.
I wholeheartedly agree. I have a script that's about 90% done about minors in Kpop so you'll definitely want to stay tuned for that one!
I also feel like there should be more regulations on who can be able to debut and be a trainee. I'd say sign a junior trainee contract when you're 16 (which is less strict on the visual aspects and has a lighter schedule) and a "regular" trainee contract when you are 18 and graduated from school, after which you are able to debut once you're good enough. People always forget that the Korean school system is a full time job on its own, I don't even want to know how many teens completely wrecked their chance at entering the academic field because they "wasted" their teen years training for something they were never able to pursue.
People also forget that you don't have to be in a company as a trainee to train for being an idol. Below 15 people could just as well have dancing and singing classes as a hobby alongside school and without the tight schedule of a real trainee.
Hey ppl
Hello y’all
wonyoung😭💖
She's my ult bias and I've been on an IVE kick lately, between making my "Baddie" video and them dropping new content the moment it was complete. She manages to sneak her way into a lot of my videos, but particularly because netizens have been so cruel to her historically, she really fit in here.
@@overthinkingkpop 😭 ugh u get it - she’s helped me a lot with not letting peoples incorrect and hateful assumptions of you stopping ur from letting ur sparkle shine or being yourself… like just keep being who u r and the right people will hopefully recognize you for that. not to mention that she is incredibly talented and always improving. i do admire her for her work ethic but i truly do hope she can rest n be as happy inside as she makes us!!! thank u for that, Wony love forever!! she’s my ult bias too 🥹💖 and Baddie was stuck in my head as i saw this notif LOLLL ily for that
SHIVEERRSSS
Lol yeah this one is definitely more unsettling than my other fare so far
Omg scary
I didn't even mention the fact that I'd never be able to smoke weed again 😭
No I'm not
Lucky you!
i still want to be one
I just want the money and it’s not even guaranteed for idols 💀
Oh my gosh give me a BREAK?? Stop acting like these kpop stars are some kinds of Gods/ goddesses on earth celebrities in general go through a lot. But they also have tons of fans are attractive and rich ?? So many good things come with being an idol or Popstar. They are lucky to be doing what they’re doing more than to be not doing it. To succeed as a K-pop star is a 1 in a million chance this isn’t some kind of sci fi oh look at me I’m in the public eye I’m so special bullcrap these are people who trained and got lucky
KIND OF UNRELATED TO THE VIDEO…. But nice editing and creative idea !!
I really, genuinely do feel so terrible for these idols being robbed of their youth and autonomy in the hopes of achieving fame, but you're certainly welcome to disagree. As I stated in the video, you couldn't pay me to put up with all of the absurd expectations and standards we hold idols to.
@@overthinkingkpop oh I’m not saying you would or have to but for the idols that see this as their life long dream would and will put up with all of this because well it’s their dream career they are literally living out their dream lives something only some can imagine its truly wonderful. theirs a downside to everything yeah but being a kpop idol has its good things FOR SURE.
@@ALPHAMALE-h4r Yeah I don't think anyone would ever claim otherwise, and that's definitely not the case I'm trying to make here. I wanted to spend an episode focused on crystalizing just how brutal the industry can be on idols and how there's a lot of dark elements lurking beneath the surface that aren't discussed as frequently.
this was flawlessly executed!! i keep wanting to elaborate further on my thoughts, but you said everything better than i could’ve lol 🫶
Thank you so much! This one was definitely a learning experience for me because I had never experimented with TTS voices at all previously. Glad to hear that the results came together all right!
@@overthinkingkpop you’re welcome! the results truly did, trust! oftentimes, tts sounds too robotic and that aspect can be very distracting from the message, but the voice you chose was not only pleasant to hear (could just be a me thing😭), but suited the concept well! the editing was great - the clips you chose for certain topics, the captions for idolbot (a smaller detail i loved), as well as the little easter eggs made this a treat for someone who is already painfully aware of the reality behind the pretty parts of kpop we get to enjoy! you’re definitely achieving your goal thus far
i find it interesting that you used quite a few clips of vcha. their concept is somewhat that of the idea of this video, after all.
Indeed! Their inclusion was quite intentional! Thanks for catching that 💖