is the kpop industry "manufactured"? 

idols are seen as robots tbh not just by companies and outsiders, but also from kpop stans. we expect so much from them and then we go pikachu shook face when they actually breakdown and are tired. and dont get me started on the obsessive fans who think they own and can control their idols.. it’s crazy but when was the entertainment industry ever normal 🤷🏻‍♀️

I know it sucks to admit, but it kinda is. Even my favorite groups come from big companies and the companies as a whole are pretty toxic. I love so many solo artists too, but the biggest solo artists come from already successful groups. From the outside looking in, you train to be marketable and marketable is a ticket to success. Fame itself is about being marketable. Not just with kpop, but due to the big companies and the idea of training to be in a group, we assume that kpop idols are just products. I hope that makes sense and as kpop fans, we shouldn't see or treat idols as products.

Isn't every industry manufactured?

2:00 yessss!!!! Exactly like armys (im an army too so please dont take this as disrespect) who call bts "btspop" like no they are korean,they speak and sing in korean,they live in korea so they are kpop

Literally every industry is "manufactured" in some way, the kpop industry just happens to be more transparent. Dismissing groups for this reason is so dumb especially when they're actual people just trying to be successful

You could also say American music is very manufactured now. The music quality has decreased because companies are just pushing these mediocre artists and people tend to care more about their personality and aesthetic. This doesn't apply to all American music but a lot of the popular ones, especially rap music that has been overtaken by terrible rappers who get trapped in terrible contracts where they can't pay their company back. These young kids (some as young as fourteen) are used and dropped whenever the company wants and its sad.

Maybe it’s “manufactured” in the way that the idols are trained and debut. But usually when people bring up this topic, they’re usually trying to call idols “robots” or “dolls” which I think is inaccurate. Most idols are passionate about singing, dancing, and making music. Sure companies “manufacture” the process that idols go through to debut, but ultimately the amount of hard work and dedication they put in their skills is up to the idol. It’s definitely not easy to debut, so I do believe that most people who put themselves through that process have a genuine passion for it. I also believe that the treatment of idols entirely depends on the company they have a contract with. Some companies are less strict than others.

kpop is the result of western pop. But the culture is their own. The american industry was the same way with groups-take fifth harmony for ex none of them meshed well together and they didnt last long before going solo-like all the other american groups. The music industry period is manufactured not just kpop.

It is (no question). I have been a Kpop for so half of my life, and I'm 22 now. When you've spent so much time being exposed to the industry, you're bound to see things differently compared to new fans when they still have their overflowing enthusiasm, so much so they forgot that Kpop is all about business - one that makes use of aspiring idols' passion and talents. It isn't necessarily a bad thing, I see it as kind of a win-win situation, everyone gets money (not all idols receive their first paycheck) plus some of the idols do what they enjoy. They are LITERALLY trained to sell more, to appease more audiences. Some trains for years just do improve their singing, dancing, acting, camera, heck even variety show skills. They are taught some other languages, such as Japanese, Chinese etc to gain fans from said languages' countries. And we can't ignore, cosmetic surgery procedures done to them so they could look more "visually-pleasing". At the end of the day, idols are just "byproducts" (I don't intend any offense but sorry anyway) of business companies. If they sell good, they are well taken care of. If not, they get neglected. 2019 is a good opportunity for Kpop fans to take a very little glimpse of what happens behind the colorful lights and catchy beats of Kpop with all the scandals and controversies popping up one after the other. I still have so much to say but I don't wanna act like this is a thesis. Anyways, show love to the idols, whether you stan them or not. They are living in a different world than us, no matter how much we don't wanna admit it.

But tbh the western side doesn't really care about looks, they're more about talent. Yes, looks could give a plus but the kpop industry cares so much about their skin colour, their body weight and even encouraging them to have plastic surgery (but that could be because of their culture.) The asian representation is great, but do you see how they treat people of darker skin? Jongin from exo has natural tanned skin but get mocked by others. The model who was a mix of african and korean could rarely even get an offer for modelling. Edit: the western side also gives more power to the artist but korean idols are like robot machines to their companies, and that's just sad.

Lets be honest... YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS its very manufactured just like the western music industry but at the same time you cant deny the freedom of western artists compared to their kpop counterparts

Kpop is heavily manufactured period.

Girl,stop reaching. Unfortunately,Kpop is the most manufactured thing ever. Companies decide everything. The members,the group's name,their sound,their image.they literally give them songs to sing and learn the choreo and perform them onstage,they decide when is the music going to be released,what the idol is gonna wear.they control every little aspect of their lives,they are not even allowed to date I-...... .they can't express themselves creatively or just being who they are.long story short your fave has no say in his/her career

it definitely is. it’s all about the money. like when that’s the prime concern of the company (more important than idols’ welfare) it’s kinda hard to not look at it as manufactured. i don’t think they’re just manufactured, they’re also controlled, like robots. it’s the truth, as much as i hate to admit. them, their music, they’re all products that companies want to sell to people.

the industry may be “manufactured” but these are real ass people, said real ass people put their heart and soul into this. they poor their blood sweat in tears into this. i hate when people call them plastic dolls, because they don’t know the work and the genuine love put into every stage and every song. ignorant ass people use “they’re manufactured” as a way to to slander Kpop, not critique the sometimes downright inhumane companies and that’s a problem.

Came because you used my kings in the thumbnail #EXOL

Kpop is very manufatured, and everyone knows it. Like an artist can only have a come back when the company decides, they'll provide you songs, and you sing it.. Everything is controlled by the company. Only few singers have the freedom to write their own song and sing it

There are a lot of genuine artists but their companies are businesses, there is a line that people seem to not understand

When I lived in Korea, none of my Korean coworkers liked kpop because they felt like it was all manufactured. This was during the 1st generation. It has only gotten worse. I think it's fine though.

I also think it's manufactured, and the industry is a lot more open about compared to the west. I feel like the west wants to push the authentic, "American dream" version of becoming famous and successful when it comes to music and art, as in if you've got the passion anyone can make it. As opposed to this, Kpop and Korean entertainment emphasize hard work & training. I don't think one is necessarily better than the other, it's just a different approach to fame. Industries are all about making money and exploitation, it happens everywhere. The part about kpop being manufactured that irks me is the notion that the artists themselves are never involved in the creative process. It's a lazy generalization that discredits so many groups and soloist that do, in fact, write, produce and help plan concepts, music videos and choreography. Ofc many don't write or produce, but that's something you see everywhere: *pop music* is manufactured. I think saying music is bad because it's manufactured is a subjective opinion, and if you don't find what you consider authentic in kpop you probably won't find it in western pop either so don't be a hypocrite. If you can't enjoy a song because the performer didn't create it that's fine, but saying this automatically makes the song or artist bad isn't a fact, there's no correct way to make music.

they're deliver a perfect stage, people call them manufactured but there's still a lot of support. they make mistakes, people are disappointed and call them untalented. i can see why the first one is more appealing. of course the companies want to make money and of course the trainees want to become successful.

Kpop is definitely manufactured. Pop genres in all countries are manufactured, its the nature of the industry. However is this inherently a bad thing? no but does that mean that the kpop industry is good? also no. At the end of the day the music industry exists to make a profit. All the negative and positive consequences such as exploitation and Asian representation, are unintended as the industry exists only to make a profit. The western music industry doesn't take kpop seriously because it could threaten their profits. Tbh everything comes down to money in business.

yes it is thats why every kpop song sounds the same

it is, i'm sorry, but it is.

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HI I LIKE PIZZA AND THANKS FOR LIKING MY COMMENT

Bruh tell me why I'm getting hate for telling Jennie stans that her entertainment has manufactured her by restricting her activities and making her act a certain way 🙄 like yall wtf toxic.

Also, a lot of manufactured westeen artists don't get reapected either. That's why you see so many Disney stars go a bit "crazy" as soon as they break free. They want to ditch the stigma of being manufactured. All of the 90s boy bands were seen as manufactured and not respected in the industry. A lot of peoppe don't like Cardi B and are mad that she's getting so many awards because she is seen as manufactured. So I don't think there is a double standard. The west hss always look down on manufactured (read - inauthentic) artists so of course they would nit embrace a whole industry of manufactured artists. Thst doesn't mean they won't get famous though.

Yes it is since day 1 but it slowly becomes better

I don’t think it is cuz the poeple singing and dancing have a passion for music so nah I don’t think it is

Simple answer: yes

Here is what I don’t understand: kpop artist openly talk about personas and concepts. Fans acknowledge that by saying, for instance, thatember X used to have this concept but now he is comfortable with himself. How do they know that this is not just yet another image? Also, how can fans talk about someone’s great personality and how they love them for it when they know that it is manufactured? This is sth I will never understand.

Do kpop idol's mk ultra next

it is the strangest argument ever... I mean I have an education that gave me skills to perfect (well thats a reach) my job, it doesnt make me fake or manufactured and not a robot :P the Idol training programs is about giving them the skillsets to be successful, its a trade, I dont think any Idol is authentic per say, they are highly skilled performers that excel at giving the audience what they want... the training program is in most labels way to extreme that is true, but those that make it, they make it by skill and willpower (everyone who makes it) and we see the artist that is the result of that hard work and will... yes by western standards the drive to push young people to that high a standard is wrong but that doesnt make the Idol less, it only means that one should advocate for reforms, not blindly hate people for being more skillful than oneself :) again every single Idol posses a skill we as non-idols cant achieve (unless we are really young and have the drive and willpower and talent), and that is what makes us as kpop fans like them and look up to them, most western artist that make it have the raw talent no doubt about it, but not all have that drive and that willpower and that versatility, that is the trademark of the whole Kpop genre... sidenote you may dislike an idol or a music style in kpop but if you think that they aint talented and dont work hard you are a fool, defintly nothing more maybe something less. Peace and love to all :)

*2:00** I agree so much*

An answer before you start the video: Yes and No

OMG!!!..... SHE'S BACK WITH MORE TEA AND HERE TO SLAY!!

i stopped editing to watch ur video lmao, ur vids are the best.

Random but for people who have been talking in comments about the creative freedom of kpop artists I found this, and I think groups producing their own music is a great way to give them more artistic freedom! So maybe check this out! www.allkpop.com/article/2019/09/k-pop-idol-groups-that-produce-their-own-songs

Oh my gosh I love y’all but it’s literally just music 😭😭😭😭😭😭 go outside and do something it’ll do you good

In all aspects, kpop is made by a business entity, so it's sounds pretty much (at most) manufactured. The best tea about this concern is finally here. 🍵👌🏻

You can't put Exo in your thumbnail and expect me to ignore it

First

No more manufactured than the music industries in other countries.

The ENTIRE music industry world wide is manufactured. Kpop isn't any different

The tea is exceptionally good when it come from you hon❤🙏

well duh, so is western music

Yes. It is.

yes

Is this a rhetorical question? Of *course* it is. But that doesn't mean that there isn't some fantastic music to be found. You just have to dig for it a bit. As long as you can see the Kpop industry for what it is, there's no harm.

the entire music industry is manufactured, it's just easier to see it in kpop

I think it depends on the artist and their intentions.

everything is manufactured : music, entertainment, game companies, everything.

yes

it groups like one direction and 5th harmony are western groups that broke up because of the toxicity of being put together and being heavily managed. people should stop bashing all of kpop when they stan the likes of little mix who didn't know each other before they where put together by a panel judges. (not anything against little mix just addressing the hypocrisy.

I believe the industry is heavily manufactured. There is a certain ideal idols have to be (looks wise) to even have the opportunity to be an idol. The west definitely has more representatiom and diversity when it comes to looks ( especially figure and weight). For ppl not used to asian culture or faces, and I'm sure newer kpop fans know this, it's hard to distinguish between group members. If u look at it from a western standpoint, it just a whole punch of groups that look exactly the same, singing songs that are 1-3 years past the American trend. Also kpop songs also have this feeling of sounding the same. ( I don't really believe this but I see videos where blah blah group sounds the same. Also my non-kpop friends believe title track songs all feel the same). These are all reasons that the industry feels over manufactured, and ultimately is. I believe if k-rap and k-hip hop was going more west, like kpop, it would be a completely different story.

That was a very interesting topic to discuss :D I'd love to hear what you have to say on the training process (you mentionned you have some issues with it in the video) !

My opinion : yes kpop is manufactured let’s be honest. But for me it’s exactly what makes me love this industry. Since the goal of each companies is to make the most money they could have, the best solution they found was to produce good songs. They are putting the best out of them to please te public. I don’t find it bad at all, it might be not everybody’s taste, some prefer maybe more brut talent like in western countries, but I don’t. I love how the companies are choosing the best concept, the best choreographers, the best video and music producers, in order to satisfy the fans. They never rest on their laurels, they always try to be better and more original. + I’ve seen that more and more companies even in the big 3 are giving more freedom to the artists in the process of creating. Idols are becoming less manufactured and maybe more like artists ? So yeah I like kpop, and only because of pretty faces

I love how even though you became a kpop fan not too long ago you stan and care for 2nd generation kpop groups and you can explain everything you know without leaving out your own opinion of the matter. You dig up as much information as you can find and share them to us. Even if it’s a short video with very little facts I really appreciate what you do.

I just want to say that every industry is manufactured, because it is the way industry works. People saying kpop is extremly manufactured because companies have big input in idols life and even decide what they should sing or how they must look, are the ones that stayed in the past. As a living industry it has evolved and developed. There're many idol-composers, choreographers and writers out there, that have authority and can decide what they should do. In the other hand constant back-up from company really helps them to have media appeal in their country. It is manufactured but saying idols are robots for average fan is wrong (they can be/are robots for their company or saesangs). And I just want to add that western industry is as manufactured as kpop indutry. They sell their bodies in the name of pride, when all they do is giving thirsty psychos some nudes. And Kesha's situation was another example of western industry and how ugly western companies are (or even worse) so stop riding your high horse when every industry must be manufactured to survive in capitalistic world.

You're right, everything in entertainment has manufactured and formulaic aspects- EVERYTHING. The k-pop industry's processes are far more transparent than those in the West so it is a lot easier to bash them for it. For me, I have always leaned more toward solo artists over groups, east or west, because groups often leave me with that "manufactured" taste (there are some that I love). If you have to train like a robot to get the job done then train like a robot, but once on stage the human side is what attracts spectators the most. Awesome groups can be formed non-organically but it doesn't always work, you don't always get a compatible group regardless of their talent and eagerness. The K-pop industry pumps out so very many of these groups so there are bound to be a great number of them that seem forced (because they are to a certain degree). You don't see as many synthetic feeling groups in the west because there just aren't that many groups in the West to begin with. Every last idol, I'm certain, is sincere and authentic in their want to be an entertainer, you'd have to be to go through all that training. The problem is the end product sometimes looks like exactly that, a product with no life because putting people together is like a box of chocolates- you never know what you're gonna get.

😍😍😍

They're classically trained for non-classical genres. Having so much passion for something and basically going to school to improve your skills is amazing! That's the exact reason I want to do music there instead of the US. People go to trade school for welding and other such trades, so why can't artists go make the best of their talent?

Wait I thought everyone knew this???

Off topic but your voice is really soothing

Did yoy hear about the VMAs creating a new category for KPOP to out bts blackpink etc in one category YET they don't get nominated to major video awards WHEN IN FACT THESE TWO GROUPS have beem beating streaming VIDEO records. This is what we arw fighting for. This is internatlized xenophobia that we should fight for. Bigbang bts and 2ne1 broke that kpop is manufactured perception for me

i havent even started the video but spill the tea sis

Just yes tbh

never been this early

firsttt

no views but 12 like YoUTubE YOu dRUnk 😶