Thoughts on "The Dark Side of K-pop" BBC News article NipponPole

Hey guys, it's NipponPole here again with a quick update on an issue that is really bothering me currently.
I recently found a "report" posted on BBC news website about "The Darker Side of K-Pop" relating to the recent boom in popularity, or at least the news coverage of it, thanks to SMTOWN11 in Paris earlier this month.

From the first 5 seconds of the "report" video you can already tell it will be very biased, generalizing the entire industry and all the artists as fake products of the companies, simply saying that all it takes is to take good looking young korean boys and girls, give them dance and vocal classes for a couple years, invest around a million bucks and boom, you got yourself a k-pop band.

While it'a true that the big companies invest a lot of money into their groups, I feel very bad about this "report" as it seems to completely forget to mention that not all groups make it big, that it requires the artists many months and later years of practice, grutitous training and a lot, and I mean a lot, of giving up on other parts of their lives.

Sure, in some cases the concracts aren't very fair to the artists, and I agree that in those cases they should sometimes take legal action (ex. Kara) however the way the report was shown would suggest that Korea is a country filled to the brim with "terrible music companies" and absoultely evil people, as well as a large mass of, what the report effectively called "idiots", people who follow and are fans of these bands.

It was completely biased and I feel very unprofessional, more as to get page views than have any real value to it, I think, and so I decided to tell BBC News what I think about it.

Here's a link to the "report" (in the description) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13759912

and here's what I sent them about it:

I am really bothered by this "report" by Lucy Williamson on "the Darker side of k-pop".
It is very unprofessional, extremely biased ("news" should always try to stay objective) and very hurtful to the K-pop artists starting to expand into the US and Europe more and more, as well as the countless US/EU fans plus others around the world.
We don't see Asian news networks making reports on the "quality" and generalizing the UK music market, or any other countries market, and so I am not sure if this "report" (if it deserved to be even called that) is fitting for a renowned news website such as BBC News.
It seems to be more to gain page views rather than provide any real value.
I agree that in some cases the concracts aren't very fair to the artists, and I agree that in those cases they should sometimes take legal action however the way the report was shown would suggest that Korea is a country filled to the brim with "terrible music companies" and absoultely evil people, as well as a large mass of, what the report effectively called "idiots", people who follow and are fans of these bands.


P.S: If you haven't already, go check out The Channel of Dylan, or Thechannelofdylan on Youtube. Awesome Sone

The song is the newest kpop mix by Dj Masa. It's called "Kpop till the world ends"
look it up on Youtube, its also in my Favorites

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[Onlygodknows1001]

delusional fan girl is delusional

[NipponPole]

@Onlygodknows1001 im a guy, but thats cool, i guess...

[bj8282]

For the contract issue, companies invest lots of money & time to train the singers. So they want to keep them when they become singers in order to bring back the money they invested. It could be good or bad thing. For example, 3 members of TVXQ didn't like it, while 2 members like it. I heard that because of the law suit, SM decide to shorten the length of contract. Popular singers like the decision, while unpopular singers didn't like it cause they could be kicked out after the short contract.

[NipponPole]

@bj8282 Good point, i agree with you. It's just the first time I read this it just seemed like something I should mention

[klee642]

Dreams are NOT easy, but work hard as the competition is fierce. BBC forgot about working hard to win over competition and making dreams come true. Work Hard, and HAVE fun...... KPOP singers worked hard and now having fun in London. All of the English fans screaming..... BBC will even have issues with Santa Claus; it is their BBC culture. Grinch.....

[NipponPole]

@klee642 Well said

[keytube06]

why can kpop singer be a free artist, be free to be their self not a payment singer? Not as a bird hwo live in gold cage.

[MegaChangli]

The trainie will get low paid at their first year as being an idol or if they were train too long so it might go by their year of training . if the company got all their invest back they will let the idol have their money the next month and so on .

[kimyunah100]

BBC shit asshole! they're envy of our entertainment industry..

[hamirilive]

2ne1 and bigbang don't perform based on their looks, as u can tell compared to most kpop bands, IT'S FRIGGIN TALENT! 2ne1- ugly, fire, bigbang love song, haru haru, damn all haters can go die in a hole

[Pillowuyen]

She does not say kpop companies are "terrible people" or people who follow it are "idiots". She actually depicts fans in a more lovable way she calls it a "national love story". She gives evidence that kpop companies are financially unable, and it isn't their fault, since she interviews Bernie Cho that says its due to the "dropping of the prices". She also goes about saying how it's unfair, and viewing the girls working hard but with low wages. Please watch the video carefully.

[oystein127]

K-POP is like all things Korean poor uncreative and uninteligent South Korea is well know for haveing the the worst culture in the world basicly everyhing is just a copy of China and Japan

Fuck the ignorant people of South Korea Fuck the puppet govornment of South Korea

NIPPON BANZAI!

[ynfuan]

What do you mean haters? The article is about how the artists are not getting fairly treated by their companies, that they have to work so very hard but many are chained by contracts that leave them with almost no money. I'm sorry but this isn't anything uncommon, there is a dark side to most things, and the asian music industries are no exception

[sosokevin1]

@klee642 yeah you are right

for me I think the kpop idols are more grown up more than hollywood artists and hard workers too

LOL Santa Claus?!!