Chogiwa – Is dating really a scandal for idols?
This is going to be my first weekend features in Chogiwa. This feature is especially written by me as someone who has a little bit more interest in KPop industry.
I will write anything I want to write from my point of view, so my opinion could be really bias and sometime is not objective but I hope, you could help me whenever I have question or something I curious about.
This weekend and the first topic I want to write is about why KPop idols keep their dating life private? As a KPop fans I always love to hear new updates from my idols, including their dating life.
I’m pretty good with language, my English is excellent and as KPop fans I’ve been diving some terms and words that used often. But there is one word that I don’t really understand.
It is ‘scandal’. Yes, it is definitely scandal.
According to Oxford Dictionary the literal meaning of the word scandal is “an action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage”.
However, in KPop word, the word scandal is always attached to the word ‘dating’ and then become ‘dating scandal’. But then the word ‘scandal’ could stand by itself to explain it.
In my personal and humble understanding, that could mean that ‘dating’ for idols is considered as a scandal. Simple example, when an idol is reported of having a scandal, it is most likely just because they were caught dating.
Well, I think now I understand a little bit why idols prefer to keep their dating a secret. Hey, in normal circumstances dating is not a crime but in KPop industry, it could be.
Due to that I’ve been doing some researches just so I could understand a bit about this culture and below are some possible reasons.
- I found out that it is a normal thing for agency to put ‘no dating rule’ as part of the contract. Well, I’ve dived it a little bit deeper to understand the context but now I understand; it is only about cultural difference.
As an Asian I know it better than anyone how dangerous it could be because dating could lead to something more than just holding hands. The consequence is much bigger in Asian than in Western culture if that happens, it definitely could turn the brightest star in idol universe into a black hole only in a blink of eye.
- One more thing about ‘no dating rule’, especially in KPop industry, it is considered rude for a new Idols to start dating in the early of their career. It is disrespectful because being an idol is not an easy path, at least you should show how dedicated yourself as idol before you care about your personal life and dating included.
- There is a term ‘idol culture’ where as idols’ lives are simply for their fan. The worst thing of them all, there are a lot of delusional fans who thought that idols are their boyfriend/girlfriends.
Those fans would not happy when their idols were dating. They are more like an obsessed fan or well-known as ‘Sasaeng’fans.
That’s how the hatred came from. Recent case, when EXO’s Chen were announced his marriage, he received a lot of hatred and even petition to leave EXO. I believe that could came from the delusional fans who doesn’t like the fact that Chen is only a normal human being.
Well, there is one more thing I need to add. Being an idol could give a lot of benefits but also there are some consequences they should deal with and ‘dating’ is one of them.
Besides, in KPop culture is not an easy thing to choose between dating and career because most idols should spend years being a trainee before they could debut as an idol.
Some of them even started being a trainee from a young age. Somehow, it’s just not worth it for an idol who have spent years of training only to enjoy some months after debut because they involve in a scandal.
