Compared to male idols, female idols have to endure a lot of pressure, even injustice, when entering the entertainment industry.
K-pop also has a scary dark side behind its glory. Idols always have to live and work under the scrutiny of public opinion. In particular, female idols are considered to be the most pressured. Just a small negligence related to appearance, personality or performance attitude, they will be criticized as criminals.
Tolerating ugly nicknames for lack of beauty
The standard of an idol in the eyes of the audience is beauty that is even more valued than talent. Therefore, if idols have bad looks, they will immediately become the target of Knet’s attack.
Umji – a former G-Friend member once fell into a situation like this. The newly-debuted female idol has received a lot of criticism because her appearance is not as bright as other members. The nickname “the ugliest idol in K-pop history” makes Umji self-deprecating, not daring to raise her head when performing.
Being scrutinized too much about appearance
Their beauty suddenly breaks down, the female idols also become “thorns” in the eyes of many netizens. Wendy‘s case is an example. After the terrible accident at the end of 2019, the main vocal of Red Velvet had to temporarily take a rest to focus on treatment. Returning to K-pop, she suddenly received a series of criticisms about her strange appearance when performing at a music show. The group’s fans are extremely angry at the insensitivity and cruelty of some netizens.
Gaining weight is also an obsession of female idols. In order to have a beautiful image, many artists must follow strict diet plans and limit their food intakes in order to maintain a certain weight. Eunji (Apink) was once criticized for her big legs and chubby face. To lose weight, she chose to take medication to limit her appetite. Combined with practice, the main vocal of Apink has had the desired body. However, after that she was psychologically affected, her voice was so weak that she could not sing.
In one show, female idols were challenged to dance on an outdoor stage despite the cold weather. They have to stand on a scale and publish the number. Notably, the person with the least difference between the actual and recorded measurements will rank in the order of gold, silver, and bronze. This created a fierce controversy because the show deliberately scrutinized the female idol’s appearance.
Famous for her surreal beauty and body, but Lisa is also “deeply drawn” by some netizens. They denigrated her about rough shoulder and poor smile when attending an event.
Objects of libel
Jihyo (TWICE) is a victim of malicious jokes on social networks. Specifically, in 2019, a sensitive picture that is said to be the leader of TWICE appeared and spread widely. Fans quickly found out this was just a product of Photoshop.
The incident has been clarified, but it still affected Jihyo’s spirit. The female idol appeared at the airport with a tired and sad look. She couldn’t even hold back her emotions, and burst into tears.
Not long ago, HyunA was suddenly accused of school-bullying. Facing defamation, the female idol spoke up. HyunA claimed that she has never been rude to anyone because the training took all her time and mind.
In an episode of Youth With You 3, Lisa asked Liang Sen about his unique bald head. The trainee responded comfortably and received an apology from her. However, this normal conversation was deduced by some netizens, who thought that Lisa made negative comments about Liang Sen. BLACKPINK’s fans are very angry with the defamation of Lisa’s honor above and threaten to file a lawsuit. These accounts later deleted the post and apologized to the female idol.
Overcoming strict prejudices to shine, female idols have done extraordinary things. The audience hopes that people will have a more open and respectful view of them.
Source: Yan
