Why do fans like to pretend all the members love each other?

Quote from Owned_by_Irene

Kpop is fake, but doesn't mean I have to be fake for their sake. It's been known for a while that Irene and Joy don't like each other much. Their personalities don't match and it probably worsened during Irene's scandal. Now they barely speak to each other even when promoting together. Wendy gets easily bothered by almost anything Seulgi does. They are "same age (business) friends" but Seulgi prefers the more tender relationship she has with Yeri and Irene. So the group is split between Wenjoy and Yermseulrene. And they are staying together for 10 years or more for the money, as neither of their solo careers are consistently profitable.

Nice fanfiction. You have quite the imagination.

I don’t think any group is filled with only friends it’s unrealistic.

Well, why not?

It is far better to believe that your idols like each other than not. Kpop is about escapism, then why should we escape to dislike and discord?

Of course, we do not know what is true. Like any individuals working in groups, realistically they too would have challenges, communication issues, ego clashes and what not.

But why should fans dwell on 'realistic' scenarios, we have enough of that in our own lives.

You know "Cypher" is the hero of Matrix movies,

Since we'll never know truly, it is better to assume they're friends than they're not.

Some groups make it obvious who they're close with like Nayeon and Momo. And some just straight up tell you they're awkward around each other like Chaeyoung and Jihyo.

In social psychology, there is something known as the proximity principle. Simply, it's the idea that of you spend enough time with someone, you'll like them. Given there are exceptions always but if I have to place a bet on a 50/50 whether two idols in a group like each other, I'll gamble on them do than dont.

I think It's possible for all members of a K-pop group to be friends and like each other, but obviously, there are degrees, since It's a human nature. Parents usually connect better with one of the children than another, why wouldn't something similar to happen within a friend-group or workplace. But, I mean, X might like Y more than Z, but doesn't mean X and Z don't get along well necessarily.

The thing is that for K-pop fans It seems like everything needs to be 8 or 80, but in reality, the truth for most groups might be there somewhere in between.

It's just as silly as the fanfiction you wrote. None of us know about their dynamics and personal relationships and it's delusional to assume we do just because we watch curated content regardless if our assumptions are positive or negative.

Quote from Minazuki

The thing is that for K-pop fans It seems like everything needs to be 8 or 80, but in reality, the truth for most groups might be there somewhere in between.

I'm convinced Kpop fans on the average aren't exactly experts on normal human interaction. Many have this weird belief that everyone has to either love each other unconditionally or absolutely hate each other, with nothing in between. They hear that two people had a fight and instantly jump to the conclusion that they've never liked each other or are merely co-workers at best, when in reality even the best of friends have disagreements and usually work through it.

Hell, people fall in & out of romantic love all the time. But according to some of these myopic fans, you'd think everyone who loves each other enough to get married lives happily ever after & divorce just isn't a thing.

Along those same lines, you can often tell who among us has never had co-workers who are also actual friends (or more.) There's just a lot of projection going on overall whenever this topic comes up.

Do I think there are some Kpop idols who genuinely dislike each other, but still have to work together without letting it show? Of course, but these are more than likely statistical exceptions, not the norm that many fans make them out to be.

I think most group members like each other as colleagues who get along well and not as best friends.

Maybe only in some groups you'll find a trio or duo that will be really close friends outside of group activities.

Izone is the exception.

The worst you can say about any of the relationships is that they are work friends/neutral with each other. Sakura, Wonyoung, and Hitomi were the three that were least likely to develop any ships beyond work ships. But there was zero enmity within Izone, no one actively disliked anyone.

And the actual true friendships still bearing fruit to this day. Us Wizones get practically weekly content, more than some active groups tbh, and they've been disbanded 3 years now. Literally just two days ago...

The more you watch a group the easier it is to tell which members are super close and which members might just be cordial coworkers. Nothing wrong with that, it's natural. Seeing cute interactions between members is always nice, but i've always found it silly to speculate beyond that. We truly don't know what happens behind closed doors, nor is it our business.

Fans pretending idols like each other, isn't it the same goes for fans pretending idols hate each other? lol

What we see on screen are what the idol is willing to present to us, take it with a doubt. Reminder that we're only seeing 5-10 minutes of someone's life through a screen.

Lee Hyori once said that even siblings fight with each other, what makes people believe random stranger in a group is harmonious. It's unrealistic.

Quote from Owned_by_Irene

Actually, no. Sometimes it's very obvious by their comments, actions and mannerisms over time. People knew Jessica would be out of SNSD even years before it happened.

There's a name for talking about other people's lives based on what you "see": gossip.

im sure there are plenty of instances of idols disliking each other but I prefer to think otherwise. Of course friends will get in fights but that doesnt mean they hate each other.

I have wondered if any idols are actually best friends though. I have close friends from work but none I would call my best friends.

Younger people that dreams about friendship I guess. I don't really care if the are friends or not, but it's of cource better if they get along, probaly gives better production and keeps the group together longer. But I have many times pointed out that a lot of "friendships" are fake or at least exaggerated.

A little bit suprising why have not had any really drama around Twice, what I know about at least. In a such big group you would think something would crack after so many years.

Quote from Tru-Multistan

I have wondered if any idols are actually best friends though. I have close friends from work but none I would call my best friends.

I'm sure some are. After all, these people aren't exactly normal co-workers, they live(d) together and are often traveling together. Under those circumstances it would be much easier to form a strong bond (and also annoy each other, as the case may be.)

There's also likely a number of Kpop idols who, while not literally being each other's "best friends," are still closer with each other than someone else and their own "best friend" are. Relationships are all relative.

I like to pretend I get along with everyone at my work place

and I hope my co workers does the exact same thing back to me

que the music

I've never had to worry about the authenticity of the friendships in my favorite group

Wheein and Hwasa have been actual best friends since middle school and joined Mamamoo together.

Solar and Moonbyul...do I even need to say it? MoonSun are attached at the hip.

And the sisterhood between all four is powerful and palpable.

NewJeans are very young and early in their journey, but I don't think I've seen any idol group ever engage with their fans as much as they do through Phoning, and unless they're all superb actresses, they're very authentic and honest to their fans and with each other.

I can't relate to this thread I guess

parasocial relationships sells?

even if the group members are purely in it from a business standpoint they still have to pretend to like one another since one generates from money that way

Quote from selfmate

parasocial relationships sells?

even if the group members are purely in it from a business standpoint they still have to pretend to like one another since one generates from money that way

But my girlies are so lovable tho

Is it really so hard to love each other and not to pretend?

Quote from fdblink

But my girlies are so lovable tho

Is it really so hard to love each other and not to pretend?

I imagine it's actually harder to pretend. Kpop idols are rarely the great actors everyone likes to think they are.

yea that's true but not my group though they are inseparable best friends!!

Im more happy if the group claim they are business partner/friends than pretend they are family within members.. Most of the time group claim they are family tend to get problem between members in future

Quote from ISaidISaid

I don’t think any group is filled with only friends it’s unrealistic.

Newjeans is

Quote from Owned_by_Irene

Kpop is fake, but doesn't mean I have to be fake for their sake. It's been known for a while that Irene and Joy don't like each other much. Their personalities don't match and it probably worsened during Irene's scandal. Now they barely speak to each other even when promoting together. Wendy gets easily bothered by almost anything Seulgi does. They are "same age (business) friends" but Seulgi prefers the more tender relationship she has with Yeri and Irene. So the group is split between Wenjoy and Yermseulrene. And they are staying together for 10 years or more for the money, as neither of their solo careers are consistently profitable.

This reminds me of Jessica and the rest of Snsd.

Quote from tetetete

if only they would fight in public, we would get actual drama

They wouldn't tell us about it. I'm sure some people fight but it never comes out because it'd ruin their reputation.

Quote from stxr

do u live with them, how do u know that

I know everything

Quote from fdblink

But my girlies are so lovable tho

Is it really so hard to love each other and not to pretend?

I'm sure some groups like and love each other more than other groups

I'm not going to mention which ones obviously

but I've always said it's the training process and the training hardships that what makes members get closer with one another...like who else besides another kpop idol knows the feeling of training 24/7 with like only a days rest every 2 weeks

and who else sees them at their most exhausted/vunerable - it's their teammates who suffered with them and not just understands but empathises with everything they've gone through

I don't have any stats to back it up but I'm pretty sure the longer the group (members) have trained for the closer they are

Quote from catzi

There's a name for talking about other people's lives based on what you "see": gossip.

There's a name too for following a group just to throw passive aggressive comments at them from time to time : antifan.

I am dumbfunded that people still think that he is a fan of Red Velvet after all these years.

Quote from Eldeweiss

There's a name too for following a group just to throw passive aggressive comments at them from time to time : antifan.

I am dumbfunded that people still think that he is a fan of Red Velvet after all these years.

He's an Irene akgae at best.

Aespa, Newjeans, and SNSD definitely friends at work too, not just colleague. they have too much inside jokes.

Let's be real and objective: we'll never know 100% for sure how much members really love - or hate - each other in an idol group.

We often don't even know it about other people we aren't close with in our own classes, so let alone about some remote people we only see snippets of from their public appearances.

I think that it's the same as it is at your work, sorority house or sports club if you're in a team: some people you love, some you like and some you (learn to) tolerate.

And just like with team sports, having a common goal and working together to win the game and become champion, will create and strengthen bonds even if it's out of necessity. The 'band of brothers/sisters' effect, where experiencing and sharing the same sufferings together, survive and thrive can strengthen a group as well as their bonds and understanding of eachother.

Quote from sonemariam

This reminds me of Jessica and the rest of Snsd.

Good point. Yet the remaining SNSD members still have regular meetings, pairing ups and gatherings together, which shows they're still good friends after all these years.

Also, you can be good friends up till a point and still have a - sadly unrecoverable - falling out between friends, if the disagreement was too big or principled to step over it. It wouldn't be a world first or rarity at all, close friends that have a fight/conflict/falling out they couldn't recover from, in fact it happens all the time.

Quote from Eldeweiss

There's a name too for following a group just to throw passive aggressive comments at them from time to time : antifan.

I am dumbfunded that people still think that he is a fan of Red Velvet after all these years.

I think most people know OP is not a real fan of Red Velvet and has a love/hate relationship towards Irene.