Male idols and the allure of room salons

  • Male idols and the allure of room salons

    Tuesday, June 14, 2022

    Capture.JPG

    Video: Real fans have already known what big agency male idols have been into

    Source: Sojang via YouTube

    1. [+1,300] Is there anyone who doesn't already know that Oh Sehoon and Park Chanyeol have been going to room salons since '16? There are no clean male idols once they get two years into the industry ㅋㅋㅋ so don't be sitting there thinking "not my oppa" ㅋㅋ if it's not scandals of this type, it's scandals of another type, so just enjoy their stages for what it is and stay out of their private lives ㅋㅋ there's a certain NCT member who everyone assumes is still innocent and naive but you'd be shocked to find out what he's actually like


    2. [+565] When you hear stories from madames of room salons, they always say that it's easier to ask about celebrities who don't visit than those who do. It's sad. They're public figures so they can only relieve themselves through venues like this.


    3. [+105] What about the male actors ㅜ I heard a lot of male actors visit these salons too...


    4. [+321] As someone who's worked in the broadcast industry, I've just seen so many weird things about celebrities... We're all the same humans in the end. Celebrities may be even worse, though.


    5. [+432] Are men not able to live their lives normally without going to salons like this...? I've never viewed anyone who vists such establishments as normal, they all seem so dirty... Seems harder to find a man who doesn't go to these places than those that do.


    6. [+109] These guys are going to room salons with the money they make from their fans ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ this is why you're called stupid when people catch you spending money on these idols ㅋㅋㅋㅋ


    7. [+716] Why is no one disappointed in Chanyeol?

    - [+600] ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ He's already so far gone, what's the point..

    - [+159] "What's the point" ㅋㅋ

    - [+51] Is there anything left to be disappointed over...


    8. [+148] I was wondering when this would make it to the surface.. ㅋㅋ goodbye, Sehoon-ah ㅋㅋㅋㅋ


    9. [+34] I remember Sehun would be hanging out with Seungri back on old variety shows, talking about how they're close friends and would often drink soju together


    10. [+186] ㅋㅋㅋ It's so funny to me how Korean fangirls submit to the beaten housewife trope ㅋㅋㅋ They're constantly being backstabbed and gaslit by these male idols, constantly being disappointed, but they keep on supporting them and sacrificing themselves for them ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Korea's really got women brainwashed ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ


    11. [+82] At least male idols have the decency to change their outfits and put some effort into not getting caught. Baseball players will straight up call girls up to their dorms to sleep ㅋㅋㅋㅋ they'll even share with other players, it's a mess


    12. [+68] Will always confuse me how Korean women are quick to call out misogynistic men but then stan male idols... those same male idols are Korean men too, you know...


    13. [+660] Male idols will purposely take taxis to avoid getting caught, sometimes swapping two or three rides at a time in different shirts by having someone wait for them with a change of clothes ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ don't ask me how I know this, I didn't want to find out either


    14. [+113] I don't know how actual fans feel about all of this but I can't help but think Chen is the cleanest of them all for going from a longterm relationship to taking responsibility for his baby with marriage... Isn't that better than idols who go around playing dirty like this?


    15. [+115] Only DO and Baekhyun are trustworthy


    16. [+31] I don't get why people assume men or even celebrity men wouldn't be into pr*stitution ㅋㅋㅋ non-celebrity men will go to room salons for after work drinks or even lunch ㅋㅋ and celebrities who are even richer and have more free time? I'm sure they're even worse...;; the only difference is between men who've been caught and men who've yet to be caught. Please don't get too deep into male idols ㅋㅋ you'll only hurt yourself in the end


    17. [+309] I always think the women who go around saying "not my male idol" or "not my bias" to be so cringe and sad


    18. [+54] There is nothing more foolish than spending your time and money on male idols and male actors ㅋㅋ so many of them go to room salons, and take a good hard look at the kinds of friends they hang out with. Don't put your life on the line for these idols. They're all using you for their own wealth and fame, so fans should be using them back to enrich their own hobbies and nothing more. Don't spend your money on them or you'll regret it.


    19. [+96] What I find hilarious is that every time stuff like this gets out, fans are always like "oh yeah we already knew", "everyone already knew about this" ㅋㅋㅋ so you already knew but continued to spend your money and give presents the whole time?


    20. [+215] Yeah, I'd rather idols just get into normal relationships that lead to marriage than go to room salons, this is the worst

    LAFBL0s.gif

    let us gather around for the lord’s prayer:

    Nævis we love you. You are the one who protected me when i was in trouble. MY victory, one SYNK DIVE. I know your sacrifices. Let’s meet surely after the resurrection.

    Æmen

    :pepe-pray:

  • I read a fairly robust discussion about this months back.

    That dating bans and fan outrage and hysteria over idols having dating "scandals" eventually leads to this.


    Honestly, male idols are young, highly energetic, engaged in a highly sexualised industry, usually live in dorms with little privacy and have obsessive, fanatical fans that scrutinise their every action. They, like most males, also have "needs" and there is 0 chance that out of the 100's of currently active male idols (let alone all the retired ones) don't get h*rny and dont want to have a bit of fun every now and again. There is NO way these guys are getting through their late teens and twenties purely celibate.


    The problem with dating is firstly the "scandal" aspect of it all, the terrible, stupid fan reactions when their idol is revealed to have a partner. The hate and scorn the partner possibly gets. Then theres the fact that the idol lifestyle doesn't really allow much time or privacy to have proper relationships either.


    Even if the idol wanted something more casual/fwb, thats dangerous as well, as you REALLY need to trust the other person won't run to the media/social media. It's actually REALLY surprising that you don't hear that happening with idols at all. The whole "groupie" thing that western musicians have.


    So where do young, dumb, handsome, sexually frustrated idols go to get release?

    Probably two options really. They can possibly form some kind of casual/fwb thing with other idols (or dancers maybe) who also know the score and know to value privacy. I really do believe this is probably very common in the industry.


    Or... they go to room salons/use very high class escorts. The kind of ones that are very "professional" and used to dealing with high profile and famous people and are known to be very discrete and private. The labels and management probably help organise it as well. Out of the options of dating, casual relationships with commoners, casual relationships with others in industry or paid services, it's probably the easiest for companies to manage and control.


    Is it seedy and gross? That's a matter of perspective honestly and there is definitely a lot of discussion to be had about the ethics of sex work and the role of sex workers.


    But... tldr...

    Dating bans and fans poor reactions to their idols having real relationships probably leads to male idols using sex workers for their needs.

  • 1. [+1,300] Is there anyone who doesn't already know that Oh Sehoon and Park Chanyeol have been going to room salons since '16? There are no clean male idols once they get two years into the industry ㅋㅋㅋ so don't be sitting there thinking "not my oppa" ㅋㅋ if it's not scandals of this type, it's scandals of another type, so just enjoy their stages for what it is and stay out of their private lives ㅋㅋ there's a certain NCT member who everyone assumes is still innocent and naive but you'd be shocked to find out what he's actually like

    im curious who they're trying to imply here :pepe-magnify:

    LAFBL0s.gif

    let us gather around for the lord’s prayer:

    Nævis we love you. You are the one who protected me when i was in trouble. MY victory, one SYNK DIVE. I know your sacrifices. Let’s meet surely after the resurrection.

    Æmen

    :pepe-pray:

  • You put it perfectly. Also most people forget there is alot of legal sex work. From the aforementioned escort services to host and hostess clubs and other freely and publicly adverised services both here in Korea and in neighboring Japan and China such as rent a boyfriend or girlfriend services these too are escort services disgused as something innocent.

    At the end of the day what these idols do both male and female idols both have sexual urges and should be allowed to engage with whoever they want how they want like any other human being can to treat them differently is to treat them kess than human which is wrong

  • "room salon" is just another word for brothel huh?

    you learn something new every day

    Yup its soo well and widely known because these places are legal sex work their mostly disgused as some form of escort service so they get around the prostitution loophole.

  • Yup its soo well and widely known because these places are legal sex work their mostly disgused as some form of escort service so they get around the prostitution loophole.

    interesting - they are legal? I remembering reading that prostitution is illegal in SK but escorting is legal so these room salons masquerade as escort services to get around the illegality aspect correct?


  • You should post more often, you have the best hot takes.

  • Agreed to the max.

  • interesting - they are legal? I remembering reading that prostitution is illegal in SK but escorting is legal so these room salons masquerade as escort services to get around the illegality aspect correct?

    Yes it's an open secret. They flirt with the law its a rather simple loophole. The tldr version is "its not prostitution if the client and the agent decide to have sex and no money exchange's hands." Because if you tried to prosecute, you'd run into the problem of basically having to arrest anyone who decided to form a relationship etc. As the mechanics are the same.


    This same mechanism is how seungri got away without the prostitution charge and how this maddam lady ran the business because technically no prostitution occurred that's why they were having soo much trouble with the charge sticking. Another reason I would often laugh at uninformed forgieners here who portrayed him as some evil pimp lord🤣 when im reality this dude ordered escorts from one such service this shit is as common as someone ordering something off Uber eats. Another reason this all exists is because sex work has been legal for along time here it only recently was banned in the early 2000's to appease westerners so thatwe could host the Olympics.

  • If they wouldn’t have it that hard to date, they wouldn’t go to these establishments. Sex is a human need, unless you’re asexual.


    Btw I think the discussion of sex work is often pretty poor and many get way to emotional that a more nuanced conversation isn’t possible.

  • If they wouldn’t have it that hard to date, they wouldn’t go to these establishments. Sex is a human need, unless you’re asexual.


    Btw I think the discussion of sex work is often pretty poor and many get way to emotional that a more nuanced conversation isn’t possible.

    I wouldn't necessarily agree that it's a human need.. Things like food and water are human needs though

  • You are free to disagree, but it is and always was.

    2118F938-B0F3-4C84-B138-20A6E225D4C7.png

    that image is a bit misleading though, cause sex is obviously not the same as all the other things in that category. It's entirely possible to go without sex for the majority of your life or all of it without suffering any physical repercussions, unlike food, water, sleep, etc where you'll literally die within days if you're deprived.

  • that image is a bit misleading though, cause sex is obviously not the same as all the other things in that category. It's entirely possible to go without sex for the majority of your life or all of it without suffering any physical repercussions, unlike food, water, sleep, etc where you'll literally die within days if you're deprived.

    It is not misleading. Not every need is equally important, but still a need, the person who quoted me said it’s not a need. This the Maslow Hierarchy of need.

    “Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is used to study how humans intrinsically partake in behavioral motivation. Maslow used the terms “physiological,” “safety,” “belonging and love,” or “social needs” “esteem,” and “self-actualization” to describe the pattern through which human motivations generally move. This means that in order for motivation to occur at the next level, each level must be satisfied within the individual themselves.”


    And it’s also not true that it wouldn’t cause any issues, studies have already shown that a lack of intimacy can cause negative psychological consequences or that a low libido is a sign of other psychological issues.

    Some people can live without sex for years, for others it causes frustration and this can lead to unfavorable behavior.

  • But... tldr...

    Dating bans and fans poor reactions to their idols having real relationships probably leads to male idols using sex workers for their needs.

    Nearly all men with status and money use high end escorts. Even when it's not a dating ban in place nor poor reactions.

  • Yes it's an open secret. They flirt with the law its a rather simple loophole. The tldr version is "its not prostitution if the client and the agent decide to have sex and no money exchange's hands." Because if you tried to prosecute, you'd run into the problem of basically having to arrest anyone who decided to form a relationship etc. As the mechanics are the same.


    This same mechanism is how seungri got away without the prostitution charge and how this maddam lady ran the business because technically no prostitution occurred that's why they were having soo much trouble with the charge sticking. Another reason I would often laugh at uninformed forgieners here who portrayed him as some evil pimp lord🤣 when im reality this dude ordered escorts from one such service this shit is as common as someone ordering something off Uber eats. Another reason this all exists is because sex work has been legal for along time here it only recently was banned in the early 2000's to appease westerners so thatwe could host the Olympics.

    the more you know


    cheers mate :thumbup:

  • As much as I hate these things, I acknowledge that this is the disgusting lifestyle for most rich men or male celebrities. Not that middle or lower class men are saints either. Most of them have visited these places at least once in their lifetime. If they couldn't, they dream to do so. Whenever I remind myself of this, I feel so done with humans.

    𝐁𝐓𝐒 ♡ 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐤 ♡ 𝐀𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐚

    c09dafd21a568e816f2cb77504fa56a8086e9412.gifv

  • As much as I hate these things, I acknowledge that this is the disgusting lifestyle for most rich men or male celebrities. Not that middle or lower class men are saints either. Most of them have visited these places at least once in their lifetime. If they couldn't, they dream to do so. Whenever I remind myself of this, I feel so done with humans.

    🤣🤡 Its not that disgusting sex work is legal work in some areas and Many people partake in it. There's plenty of sex that women do at these places. Host clubs jiggalos Chippendales etc they all service female clients and here in Asia especially Japan the women are the biggest customers. So this isn't a man only thing get that bullshit out of your head. Its just women looking for sex isn't part of the narrative so you don't cover it. All the female idols and actresses have the same needs and wants as the men they too have to find a secure discreet way too

  • Re the groupie thing - they sign nda’s


    The rest is on point

  • Visiting brothels is extremely common in Korea. I don't think a lot of Kpop fans realize how common. All boy groups who are in their 20s statistically have a couple of members who've bought sex. It may ofc vary from group to group but, yeah, half of all men in Korea have bought sex and the majority do so for the first time in their early 20s.


    It's really fucking disgusting but I think it's good to stay aware of it. It puts a lot of scandals in perspective.

  • You put it perfectly. Also most people forget there is alot of legal sex work. From the aforementioned escort services to host and hostess clubs and other freely and publicly adverised services both here in Korea and in neighboring Japan and China such as rent a boyfriend or girlfriend services these too are escort services disgused as something innocent.

    At the end of the day what these idols do both male and female idols both have sexual urges and should be allowed to engage with whoever they want how they want like any other human being can to treat them differently is to treat them kess than human which is wrong

    "legal" is a strong word. Just because these places find loopholes doesn't mean they're legal. Actual legal prostitution is regulated by the government and gives it's prostitutes workers rights and protection from being exploited.


    As far as I'm aware Korea and most neighbouring countries have no such thing. Sex trafficking and exploitation of sex workers still runs rampant, it literally wasn't that long ago that those Brazilian kpop fans were tricked and sex trafficked into room salons with their passports being taken. They managed to barely get away as they were lucky enough to get help but there are dozens of other girls that aren't.


    Even in Japan a lot of the soap houses are run by Yakuza. There's literally a video on YouTube interviewing a madam in Japan about how she manipulates young girls into prostitutes. Just because it's common and people have normalised going to these places doesn't mean they're ethical and doesn't tone down how going to these places basically supports the sex trafficking industry.

  • Visiting brothels is extremely common in Korea. I don't think a lot of Kpop fans realize how common. All boy groups who are in their 20s statistically have a couple of members who've bought sex. It may ofc vary from group to group but, yeah, half of all men in Korea have bought sex and the majority do so for the first time in their early 20s.


    It's really fucking disgusting but I think it's good to stay aware of it. It puts a lot of scandals in perspective.

    Well then... y'all keep stanning your male idols :pepe-back-away:



    good thing ive never spent money on mine and clown on them just like the antis do when they deserve it so i dont end up looking like a clown :pepe-mirror-glare:


    LAFBL0s.gif

    let us gather around for the lord’s prayer:

    Nævis we love you. You are the one who protected me when i was in trouble. MY victory, one SYNK DIVE. I know your sacrifices. Let’s meet surely after the resurrection.

    Æmen

    :pepe-pray:

    Edited once, last by bobsyouruncle ().

  • Sounds like a complex issue. I don't really have a problem with men visiting these places on their own time perse. At the same time, sex work is bad industry.


    Though, with idol fans being protective about idols in regards to dating and relationships, that doesn't help stop it...

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  • Its complex. Some psychologists say sex is human necessity, for example another user stated Maslow hierarchy, there may be even lots of research dedicated for it. So its hard to blame them for it. Also its not only man thing, for example there's something as rent a boyfriend etc in japan lol, and they even train and take a test to become one which is crazy. At the same time, its something far from right, and lots of women hurt and becomes victim. And it's disgusting. But personally I don't really mind for kpop idols doing it.

  • Anyone who visits a room salon is guilty of sx trafficking.

    If men didn’t go to these places there would be no traffic and exploitation.

    Doesn’t matter if it’s loophole legal.


    There’s no happy hookers. Only systems who fail these women. Disgusting. Go out and find someone for the night like any normal man or have a friend with benefits.


    Never heard about the brazillian kpop fans :eyes: :eyes: :eyes:

  • Its complex. Some psychologists say sex is human necessity, for example another user stated Maslow hierarchy, there may be even lots of research dedicated for it. So its hard to blame them for it. Also its not only man thing, for example there's something as rent a boyfriend etc in japan lol, and they even train and take a test to become one which is crazy. At the same time, its something far from right, and lots of women hurt and becomes victim. And it's disgusting. But personally I don't really mind for kpop idols doing it.

    Sex work will never end. So we should at least make it as safe as possible for sex workers and give them as much rights as possible.


    There is a stigma towards this job, either on the men who take the service or women who provide it. (And there has been an increase of male sex workers which many people like to ignore)


    First of all we should get away from that black and white view of it. To claim that every women who works in that industry is a victim that needs rescue or to act like there aren’t any issues at all isn’t doing this discussion any justice. On top of that it’s often discussed over sex workers, for example in Korea sex workers are fighting for years to get prostitution decriminalized, but there are also those extreme cases of unthinkable abuse… so like you said it’s really complex . There are those who had very bad experiences, probably even being coerced into it, but there are also those who like their job and want it to be accepted as any other job.


    So for me personally I think it’s very important to distinguish between forced prostitution and sex work and not throw it into the same pot.

  • I mean, when dating is prohibited with many idols/fans take a bad reaction to them I can't really blame idols for going to room salons. As long as it's protected!

    Protected?


    As in what way protected?


    Does it matter where you can buy sx?


    [Herald Interview] 'Underage sex trafficking getting worse’
    In March 2015, a 14-year-old girl was found dead lying on a bed in a motel in Gwanak-gu, southwestern Seoul. The victim was identified as a runaway teenager.…
    m.koreaherald.com


  • So how can the man know who is being trafficked and who is there to pay off a debt or who decided to take this job? No need to talk about it just give them rights and everything will be ok?


    And yes you could argue that you can have a legal brothel and it makes everything honky dory. I’m sure any prostitute will chose that job over any other job.

    Right?


    They need rights allright - I think they need protection and a way out. but we are taking focus away from the huge sx trade in SK, the molka, nth room, burning sun etc.


    I can’t believe women are so ok with this.


  • I feel more sorry for the gullible people who think men with money and power don’t visit brothels lol


    What do I think about it? Sex work isn’t safe for woman esp not in all countries and there is nothing progressive about claiming so. So just to defend oppa please don’t say things like “it’s legal” just to make yourselves feel better about stanning someone.


    As for my personal opinion, I don’t care to know about all the atrocities celebs take part in simply because I have no motivation to do so. So this doesn’t have much barring on me.

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