A while back, about a month ago, I did a little blog post about colorism in kpop and why it’s so problematic, you can read that here if you’d like. But today, I really wanted to talk about an issue that has been bothering me since I got into kpop– the sexism of the kpop industry. In the kpop industry, the oppression of women is seen over and over– but the problem is, it doesn’t just come from the music shows or the record companies. A lot of the sexism in kpop comes from the fans, and it’s time to stop.
How many times have you been getting to know another kpop fan and asked them what girls groups they like when they hit you with the classic “I don’t like girls groups… they’re just not my style.” Well, okay. I guess. I’ve been subject to this many a time too, but the funny thing is, it doesn’t make sense. There is a girls group for everyone. There are girl groups who sing cute songs, who sing ballads, who focus on dance, who do funky songs, who do soothing songs, who do hip hop and rap songs. They got it all, man. Someone once told me they didn’t like girls groups because they were too “cutesy” and “bubbly”. Mind you, her favorite group is Astro– who, would you look at that, have “bubbly” concepts. This is a recurring issue, and not just specific to one group. The double standard and hypocrisy held for girls groups, the censorship on music shows targeted towards girls groups, the blatant ignorance for girls groups’ struggles, all this needs to stop. Enough is enough. Who are we to call ourselves “feminists” in Western culture and take advantage of the rights that so many women have fought for when we cannot even accept the fact that there is an issue elsewhere?
Don’t believe that sexism is an issue in kpop? Allow me to give you a few examples.
