With all the stuff going on between Min Heejin and HYBE at the moment, I feel like this was a long overdue take that I can finally bring myself to make now that its the topic of conversation.
I'm sure we have all seen the comments about how companies need to stop debuting young idols because of the fans sexualizing them, but that is only the tip of the iceberg. To see the true issue, we need to look deeper to find the real issue.
This has always been an issue within kpop, since the very beginning. Kpop idols have been debuting as young as 12 or 13 for a long time now, but even with the recent spark of concern, the amount of idols debuting young have been increasing and so have the amount of fans these groups have.
People say we should stop debuting young idols, but have we done anything to stop it besides complaining online in comment sections and the occasional post? No.
All of the big groups at the moment are full of minors, or at least were mostly minors at debut, for example New Jeans, IVE, Le Sserafim
We complain and rant against idols debuting young, but while people are boycotting groups because of mistreatment, we never boycott the groups or companies that debut idols at such young ages. Most of those who make these comments stan groups that have those same minors in them that they discourage so much..
But where does the problem really come from? The fans? No.
We always talk about creepy fans and I have seen so many videos of people talking about the big amount of male voices in the audience toward female groups with cute concepts. This is where Min Heejin comes into this rant.
Min Heejin has produced groups such as NewJeans, EXO, SHINee, f(x), and Girls Generation. These are all names you'll probably recognize.
Most of these groups have something in common, too. Their cutesy concepts with the undertones of sexualization.
Cookie is the most well known example. The lyrics of the song are so obviously innuendos, but also have that childish innocence to them that make groups like this the target of predators.
Just look at SHINees debut and immediate hit, Replay. A bunch of young boys singing about their "noona". Of course a noona can be as little as a year older, its pretty clear the intentions when all members were 15-18 years old and their fans were mostly women in the 30s and above.
and Girls Generation, possibly even the prototype of NewJeans, they portrayed a very innocent concept at debut with very young members all with a girl-next-door kinda vibe to them, but you can even find performances of them with pig tails dressed up very young with lollipops in their hands, singing about love and kissing... not hard to see whats going on there.
Its no wonder these idols have such young appearances for their concepts, because of the "demographic" they reach for.
Predators will sexualize and let their imaginations run wild with anything. The true problem with companies. Its not hard to see that the companies are the ones putting the children into harms way, not the fans. They exploit children knowing creeps will eat up anything they do.
