The K-Pop Hole

[Music] all right so I know on the intro alone half of you were like yes I was waiting for you to make a video about this and the other half of you are hovering over the unsubscribe button as we speak but hear me out I'm not here to convince anyone anything I'm just here to illustrate a funny experience I had because that's what I do welcome to my channel so kpop you either love it hate it or your overall indifferent and maybe think that the industry is kind of questionable and controversial in regards to the mental and physical health of their idols but that's a whole other area of discussion that we're not really gonna get into this particular video for the past six years or so I fill under the indifferent category in middle school / early high school I was really into the typical late 2000s favorites but then I kind of slowly just fell out of touch with it and stopped keeping up so when this hot new group called BTS started making waves in the United States I didn't do anything here's the thing I had actually avoided BTS for the past several years mostly because I wasn't really into kpop anymore and partly because the fandom seemed kinda intense I wasn't interested in being a part of that so I went out of my way to avoid listening to any of their music or paying any mind to news about them and also maybe I secretly knew that once I got sucked in there would be no chance of escaping I knew this because I have a soft spot for pretty guys if you're not quite sure what I mean here's my celebrity crush in third grade and here's my celebrity crush in ninth grade what do they have in common both of these men are significantly prettier than me basically if a dude looks like he could successfully catfish someone just by wearing a wig I'm all for it so look I'm no idiot I know as soon as I even so much as glance at this group of seven very pretty looking men I'm trapped so I just didn't over the past few years I got asked a lot do you listen to BTS are you army oh my god you're curvy in Saudi listen a BTS and I'd always respond and with no I haven't kept up with kpop in years and I didn't intend to get back into it I was never really into dramas or Korean shows or movies either so I just didn't really consume that much Korean media growing up there's a reason for this but that's a topic for another video point is I went out of my way to avoid the inescapable hole known as the kpop fandom so I like to listen to music while I draw and occasionally I like to put on some late 2000s k-pop songs if I'm in the mood for a throwback and I usually just let it auto play after the first song so I don't have to direct my attention away from my work Vohland a YouTube autoplay decides okay I see you jamming out to tangs wedding dress and some epic I throw backs but you know what we're gonna spice it up a bit with something a little more current so while I'm minding my own business being productive I'm caught completely off-guard by this oh wow okay that was actually pretty catchy all right already giving it after one song so we willed okay calm down all I did was listen to one song enjoying one song doesn't mean I'm a fan so then I made the big mistake of watching a music video listen if you're trying to avoid kpop don't watch any of the music videos because kpop videos are and always have been very extra an eye-catching with their visuals like even if you don't like the song it's made for it the video itself will mesmerize you and you'll be unable to look away at least that's what my experiences were always like maybe I'm just speaking for myself here so out of curiosity I watched the blood sweat and tears music video and the moment teamand did that shoulder move thing my soul was ripped from my body Wow anyways I may have listened to a few more songs after that and watched a few more videos but like it's chill or whatever I'm still just as indifferent as I was before huh where am I welcome to the hole we've been expecting you for a while the hole wait no you've got the wrong idea good to see you here Emily I'm happy to see that you've decided to finally join us what that's not possible I watched like one music video what are the last five songs you listen to on your Spotify okay hang on I listen to them when I'm at the gym that's all I'm not like a weird fangirl or anything like that it just makes that running music what can I say who's your favorite Jimin obviously you already picked a bias oh my gosh you're a deeper than I thought who already got past the point of no return oh come on don't be ridiculous foolish Emily huh didn't you know once you Jim in you can't Jim out if you hate kpop and think it's trash music that's totally fine or if you love it and think it's the greatest honor of music that's totally fine - all I ask is that you be civil with each other and respect other people's preferences which brings me to my next point all right mini PSA here come on you all saw this coming don't think I wasn't gonna address it I'll make it quick I like k-pop as much as the next person all right maybe maybe not as much as the next person but all too often I see weird behavior like this hey what you in there oh just a mochi I bought earlier you want some mochi army army you like BTS did someone say army open that a bug will put on again oh my god blink any blanks guys stop that or weird behavior like this to be honest I don't really like BTS I think they kind of suck are you any idea how much they've accomplished in their career kim namjoon has more talent in a single toenail than you do in your entire pathetic existence and you should be grateful you get to be alive at the same time incense - breathing disgusting see I'm not trying to say that only kpop stands are guilty of this sort of behavior every phantom has its batch of bad apples or bad pickles don't think I forgot I think it's great to be passionate about the things you enjoy truly I fangirl over things really easily but when it starts going into obsessive and toxic levels of fanaticism it's no surprise that people go out of their way to avoid it including people who could have potentially enjoyed that same thing and I'm speaking as a person who was deterred from the music simply because I didn't want to be associated with what I saw as a messy fanbase I haven't even mentioned the existence of the super disturbing stalkers hustling fans that try to invade the privacy of their favorite idols but if I talked about that to you this video would be way too long point is it's okay for people to not like the same things you like I personally really enjoy a pop music so it's no surprise that I easily got into BTS and a whole plethora of other idol groups but it's not for everyone and that's okay and likewise if you don't like that kind of music don't go out of your way to baitin hate on the people that do enjoy it it's rude and a waste of your time with that said I've met mostly fantastic people in the phantom and it's been a ton of fun getting educated by more dedicated friends and I know this topic isn't going to appeal to everyone but I thought it'd be fun to illustrate my experience getting unintentionally dragged back into a fandom I thought I'd left years ago I mean can you blame me they're all so freaking beautiful what's their skincare routine I need to know if you stuck around this long I'd like to end with a question not kpop related because I know not everyone cares about that and the comments are probably going to be flooded with them anyway but a question that I think everyone has or will experience at some point what's something that you actively avoided and then discovered you actually enjoy once you tried it doesn't have to be music related it could be like a show or a Brussels sprouts or something I like men now this just in I like men now

Channel: Emirichu

Views: 4,113,461

Rating: 4.9216499 out of 5

Keywords: bts, emirichu, kpop, kpop hole, tabbes, chillypanda, theamaazing, eroldstory

Id: XMOh5drnrwc

Length: 8min 43sec (523 seconds)

Published: Sun Feb 03 2019

Reddit Comments

[u/ValkyrieCain9]

This video was extremely relatable to me. I had very actively avoided kpop, and when I learnt who they were, BTS, for a while because I knew how intense to fandoms were, though this was only based on my very narrow view of how fandoms behave because I had never actually been a part of one. I too was fully pulled in by the BST video because I never knew that guys could look that good ever. So I started listening to some of their songs but was still very much in denial about being ARMY because I was still very much intimidated by it and also by the things others would say about ARMY coming after them, I didn't want to be associated with that. I was in denial for more than a month while still getting more and more into BTS.

But now I am part of this fandom and I absolutely love it. What the people ragging on ARMY never mentioned was how it is a fandom full of intellectual accepting and caring people from all over the world. Especially here on reddit, I have loved in participating in some really amazing discussions. When I posted about wanting people to practice Korean with I was surprised by how many people replied and were enthusiastic about it. I am so happy and proud as well to be part of ARMY. Thank you all of you 💜

[u/92sn]

I am realizing that to be part of army is usually making research by yourself not forced by others. Like myself, i was curious with BTS hype and here i am. I tried to make my sister like BTS in 2017 but failed. She was cassiopeia. Suddenly, at second half of 2018, she suddenly asked me which kpop groups that currently being famous. She said she keep on hearing people talking about Twice and BTS last year. She end up making own research about BTS craze last year and yeahh finally she being Army. Lol.

[u/cpagali]

"The hole" is such a useful concept. When I need to explain to other fans how I got into kpop in general, and BTS in particular, all I need to say is that I watched a couple of videos and fell into the rabbit hole. They understand instantly.

[u/wnokie]

I had the exact same experience over the last few months! After being really into YouTubers a few years ago I said I never wanted to be at that level of investment again and had only ever seen k-pop treated that way. I’m glad I gave it a chance though because I genuinely love the music/aesthetic/community support/etc. that I found.

I still feel that there’s a certain stigma with wanting to just be a casual fan with today’s ‘stan culture’, but I think liking what you like and how you like it is important and should be respected.

[u/CharmSky35]

Her Alice in wonderland reminded me of Haruhi!

[u/aimtojag]

This video is a BIG MOOD.

[u/severianlyctor]

I laughed seconds in because yeah, same. I'd been into kpop before over 10 years ago, back in the Mitotic days up until 2012ish, when I fell out of it. I was a TVXQ/Super Junior/SHINee stan more than anything. I saw a lot of the worst sides of Army and counted my blessings that I wasn't really into kpop at all any more so I didn't have to bother with any of that. Even to the point of being vaguely disgusted that a BTS song (Spring Day) was in a compilation of Oricon hits I'd downloaded to find an elusive enka song.

My boyfriend sent me their entire discography at the tail end of 2017, and I ended up listening to it when I was sad and just really needed to have something to focus on. At first it was "yeah, they're alright actually", and then it was like "oh damn... DAMN... they're really good". The moment I picked a favourite (by googling them and seeing pictures of Jin in his glasses...) I was doomed. Ended up stuck watching those compilation videos on YouTube, as we all do.

Now I'm stuck in the rabbit hole entirely. It's pretty neat, actually. The fandom definitely has its moments but I'm here for the boys and the music.

[u/Fire_Lord_Pants]

Oh god when she said she stared with the blood sweat and tears music video I spit out my cereal

[u/NorikaN]

This is adorable, and so true.