(Personal Opinion) Why Garam won't be cut and Le Sserafim will operate as if nothing has happened - Approval from the General Public is No Longer Needed for an act's success

  • Unlike most genres of pop, KPop has become very compartmentalized.


    Acts no longer try to cater to the general public. I think the last act to try to obtain general support was X1. aespa might qualify but it is probably going to be the last of its kind.


    Acts like txt, Stray Kids, enhypen, etc, the general public simply doesn't care. The older gen in Korea listens to trot, and the balladists and the person at the bottom of my post fill the gap for the general listeners which is why Jay Park's otherwise average song had stopped Gidle for quite a while at Melon.


    Approval by the general public is nice to have, but not too necessary for the success of an act.


    The primary cause for launching an act is to make money. And if an act has built a fanbase, it can survive for a long time just catering to the existing fanbase, while the general public doesn't know anything about it.


    Gallup ranking , under age 40, 2021.


    1. BTS

    2. IU

    3. Blackpink

    4. Lee Mujin

    5. Lim Young Woong (trottist)

    6. Aespa

    7. Twice

    8. Akmu/Taeyeon

    10. Brave girls


    Other than aespa, there is no idol debuting after 2016. Lee Mujin is an audition winner but his stars are already fading.


    Not one single idol group in the 4th gen , save aespa.


    Having a concert in a big venue is nice. But consistently raking money from existing fans is a good stream of revenue . Companies can only get a few biggies once in a while; SM had aespa , which is the first biggie since EXO for SM.


    Album sales are no longer for listening. They are kind of the goods of the idols, not to be listened but to be kept as decorations. Even idols selling more than 1 million copies are strangers outside of their fandoms.


    Like fringe parties or fringe religions, each idol with a sizable fandom is a country of its own. They can care less about whatever is happening in the outside world, who don't really spend too much time on them anyways.


    And companies only care about revenue. Doesn't matter if an idol is rotten. If the idol brings revenue, that's all it matters.


    tl,dr, as the idols all seek to build a sizable fandom who will follow them to the end, and as the general public loses interest on them, idols will be even more atomized and compartmentalized that the opinion of the general public won't matter.


    IN addition, other than rare exceptions like aespa, the acts won't really try to become the 'it girl' or something like that. They won't be fighting for domination anymore ; more likely, they will be more feudal, and will only be loyal to their fandom and no one else.


    Which is why I think Hybe will get away , keeping Garam in the group and ignoring any criticism, since the opinion of general public won't matter and all it needs is the approval of its loyal fandom which will continue to shell money to LeSserafin to the end.

  • If Sakura or Chaewon who already had their own fanbases before the group were in this position, I could see the reasoning, but what does Garam who was a nobody just yesterday brings that is so important? Even considering only the new members Kazuha eclipsed her easily in popularity

  • I don't know about this one...I think you underestimate fan's loyalty. They haven't even had time to get to know Garam, and lots are already switching sides, fans will defend their faves from racist/ca scandals, or other things, but bullying with this level of evidence/messy-ness, I don't think fans want anything to do with her. if anything this will make the fandom hate her, that is if hybe keeps her, they will see her as a burden and the reason the group isn't gaining success.

  • I don't know about this one...I think you underestimate fan's loyalty. They haven't even had time to get to know Garam, and lots are already switching sides, fans will defend their faves from racist/ca scandals, or other things, but bullying with this level of evidence/messy-ness, I don't think fans want anything to do with her. if anything this will make the fandom hate her, that is if hybe keeps her, they will see her as a burden and the reason the group isn't gaining success.


    It's already happening among Twitter Ifans of Chaewon. They are pissed at both Hybe and Gram.

      

  • After a week , the fandom will approve Hybe's decision.

    No. Because nobody want's their favs reputation to be damaged by association with a bully. The reason why the fan base was putting up with her or defending her was because the allegations were murky and questionable as hell, and HYBE seemed to have a legal response in the works that will clear her. With the allegations become more substantiated and defined, it's either Clear Her or Drop Her.


    If you think otherwise then you have no idea what's happening.

  • I've seen OT5 tweets with like 10k likes. It's crazy.


    Wizones and Ssamkura stans don't fool around. They've endured so much drama and turbulence over the past four years, from rigging scandal to Covid to disbandment and then a news blackout while LSFRM was being planned. Imagine Ssamkura stans now, after all that they've endured, having their redebut muddled by this new rando trainee...They are at wit's end i'm sure, both exhausted and ready to fight for their faves :pepe-laser-eyes:

      

  • Fandoms being silos is hardly news.

    Many observers including the Gaon YouTube channel OK pop has commented on it.


    But irrespective, I do hope Kim Garam continues, most bullying stuff is BS and even if true, adolescent teenagers should not be haunted for such things, which they mature out of.


    But anyway, IU wasn't even challenged even by BTS or Twice in the Korean minds, others can talk about paving and following.

    She beats her own path, which nobody seems capable of following.

    Edited once, last by bbgc ().

  • Public opinion is more important for girl groups. No one is going to give this group CFs if their image is like this. And you can tell hybe was hinging on them getting brand deals with their whole model concept. Also all the lesserafim stans have switched and want her gone. If they can't sell albums either this group is a financial hole. She won't last for long imo. Only a matter of time before she's out. It's just a question of how hybe will frame it.

  • I don't know about this one...I think you underestimate fan's loyalty. They haven't even had time to get to know Garam, and lots are already switching sides, fans will defend their faves from racist/ca scandals, or other things, but bullying with this level of evidence/messy-ness, I don't think fans want anything to do with her. if anything this will make the fandom hate her, that is if hybe keeps her, they will see her as a burden and the reason the group isn't gaining success.

    This is definitely true. I have seen people panic selling Garam stuff these few days

  • This is definitely true. I have seen people panic selling Garam stuff these few days

    Same thing happened on Nov 10, 2012, when the person under this sentence revealed a certain photo with a fish.


    She showed up in the next week's Inkigayo as if nothing had happened, and the panic died down.

  • But irrespective, I do hope Kim Garam continues, most bullying stuff is BS and even if true, adolescent teenagers should not be haunted for such things, which they mature out of.


    people change. But doesn’t mean she can keep her job as a kpop idol if her past was this bad. She can have a normal 9-5 job or whatever, just not a public figure anymore

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