Be Loyal, Not Hateful (What we really should do as a fan?)

Here's something I would like to ask you, fellow ELF. Do you love Super Junior fully? Do you consider yourself as a loyal fan? Are you willing to love Super Junior till the end? If your answer is yes, then kuddos to you. If not, then you might have to reconsider why you like Super Junior in the first place.

K-pop has been popular for so many years now and it keeps growing and growing. K-pop has changed drastically with a huge number of K-pop groups. From Shinwa to TVXQ to Super Junior to Big Bang, Girls Generation, EXO, SHINEE, Lovelyz, Red Velvet, Twice, Blackpink, Seventeen, NCT, BTS...you name it. And honestly, it is not that easy to keep up with the rapid spreading of popularity of a single group. New talents are coming ahead, and they will steal the spotlight. However, there'll always be a group of fans who remain loyal to the K-pop group of their choice.
This actually summarizes what I wanna say but I would like to elaborate so I hope you'll keep on reading. :P

We humans have hearts that are hard to understand (not biologically unless you're sick but mentally/psychologically). Our heart guide us to the things that take us by interest. Our hearts are complicated because we may have to think to choose which to support and which to leave. We all have different tastes in music. We all have different tastes in movies and books and anything else. A lot of people in this world seem to have similar interests in the latest trends. As years fly by, new trends come in and people cope up with them. However, not everyone likes keeping up with the trends because they may feel uncomfortable with them or uninterested in them. In fact, the world is endlessly changing because of the generation today.

I've come across with this vlog video from Phillip Wang from Wong Fu Productions. And his opinions on the decreasing popularity is similar to K-pop. "YouTube is constantly changing", so is K-pop (Wang, 2016). YouTube's job is to keep up with what's happening in the world year after year. And if you're a YoutTuber, it's good that you've gained popularity, but after some time, it'll fade away. You've done your best to create as many contents as you can, and if people are no longer interested in your videos, then they'll unsubscribe. And that's okay because people change. They may change their perspectives or views on your content. However, just because you're no longer popular doesn't mean you have to quit what you're doing. YouTubers post the things they love. They find a career through YouTube, and viewers find something in common with the YouTubers. If people stick with a certain channel for many years and will still keep on watching, those people are true fans. They believe in the channel and vow to support the channel.
Phillip pointed out that "you won't be popular forever"(2016). It's like a human's lifespan. We grow and grow and then we pause before we eventually will start aging. We may not be popular for a long time, but what we've given to the public will leave a mark to their lives. They will remember you, and they will thank you for inspiring them.

Wong Fu Productions channel has been a big part of my life since 2012. When a friend showed me "Strangers Again" short film, I started to watch their videos ever since. I've become their fan until today, and I'll never stop watching and liking their stuff. There's just something about their videos that has reached my heart. They really know how to tell stories about relationships and life in a visual way. Even though they have not reached to a hundred million subscribers, I will still watch their videos because I like what they do. Their channel has grown bigger and bigger for the past decade or so.

Artists become popular for a certain period of time. That's how the "evolution of entertainment" works (2016). For example, I remember when David Archuleta's time as an American Idol sensation exploded back in 2009. His hit single, "Crush" had him gain so many fans. And then, "A Little Too Not Over You" came along followed by "Something Bout Love" and a lot more. After a few years, his popularity died down. He went on a hiatus before coming back with new songs. But this time, the number of fans he has now are not as many he once had. And that's okay because he likes delivering new music to his fans today. There's still always people who still support him.

I also remember when I first got into Daughtry's music. Back in 2009, when I first repeated the song "Feels Like Tonight" on one of those dinosaur computers, I ended up looking up for more songs from the rock band. Chris Daughtry had participated in American Idol as well. I think he didn't win, but he still made good music and eventually his band's popularity escalated. Their songs has such deep, meaningful, and emotional lyrics. Even today, their new songs are just as good as before. Daughtry, too, is not so popular today. I expected to see at least half of the seats full when I attended Daughtry's concert back in summer 2015 in Vancouver. But I was wrong. That time when I went there, the whole area was full of fans! It surprised me that even though the popularity has died down, there's still a number of fans all over North America who still love Daughtry. :)

Okay, back to K-pop. You probably have noticed by now that Super Junior has lost a number of fans because of so many negative news about them and not just because of the new K-pop groups. Some are made up, some are real. Super Junior takes their own responsibility to cover up their mistakes that make the fans upset and the other people to stomp of them like "wild grass" (quote from Leeteuk). And I know that they feel bad about us protecting them. The reason why we stand up for them is because we still care for them. We choose Super Junior as our favourite K-pop group because they're the ones who attract us first. Right? So, in return, we stay by their side. And I hope we can continue doing that till the end as loyal fans. If you choose to be a loyal fan, stay that way. If you choose to leave the fandom, no one will judge you. You are a human. You make your own decisions. And we don't blame you if you leave for certain reasons. But whatever it is, don't underestimate Super Junior or even us. Because do not forget (and I mean do not ever) that Super Junior is the pillar of the Hallyu wave today. Without Super Junior, none of the latest K-pop rookies who have blossomed into rising stars won't even exist!

What kind of a fan are you if you are not hungry for new music, but hungry for gossip or criticism on Super Junior? Are you even happy to be with Super Junior just because they've done something bad? Why don't you even at least show them sympathy? It's not that they're doing things on purpose right? They are scared! I'm telling you. Scared. They're scared that we will walk away from them. And we're scared too, because we don't to see them disband. We don't want to see them leave us. News on Sungmin's marriage has gone haywire all over the online world, even until now. Don't even get me started. I seriously am done reading those "#sungminout" tweets. It's just torture! That's not just mean that sweet, bright Sungmin is released from military. It means something else. Something dark and cunning netizens hide away from us. Those people don't know Sungmin as much as we ELF do. I've been a fan for close to two years now and even though I have a lot more to know about each member in Super Junior, I know for a fact that they are trying their hardest to stay alive as a group and to preserve our SuJu+ELF relationship.

Even though Super Junior is not recognized by most young K-pop fans, even though Super Junior is looked down by a lot of people, Super Junior still strives to be the best they can be. They're still working hard filling in as many variety shows as they can, releasing as many albums as they can, holding as many concerts as they can and most importantly reminding us again and again that they won't stop. We have been working hard voting as much as we can, sharing MVs and songs as many times as we can and reminding the world again and again that Super Junior is still alive.

And from what I can see, Super Junior members do all those things not for vanity, but for enjoyment. They just love doing what they do, and that's something we all should take note. They don't take clown lessons or anything. They just like to joke around and make us laugh naturally. That is something not many entertainers can master.

Another thing that bothers me is how K-pop companies treat K-pop stars. Yes, they've trained them hard core. Yes, they're turned them into celebrities. But what irks me a lot is how they promote the groups, especially those who have been in the K-pop industry for a while. You've probably heard of the crazy things that happen to several groups this year like Wonder Girls and 2NE1 who have disbanded. I've heard that they've been active for so long and then when one of the members left, the company just called them quits. I didn't mean to say this but all K-pop companies think about is money. Comebacks are the key; however, they don't pay a lot of attention on comebacks from older stars. Like I've said before, the entertainment world changes from time to time and new stars often takes the spotlight. But after I see the way companies treat K-pop artists when it comes to promotion, I think they're seeing nothing other than raining cash. K-pop stars that have been active for more than a decade deserves attention too. They have worked super hard, yet they don't receive enough credit. I'm just saying here. I always think K-pop is different from American music and any other music genres, so I hope to see K-pop companies have a balance of respect for both old and new artists. K-pop is changing, but they probably are not aware that the fans of old K-pop groups are still as big as their coloured oceans. Shinwa, TVXQ, SuJu, Girls' Generation, Big Bang and a lot more...you all have serious fan base and I hope your companies will give you chances to promote well in your next comebacks. Equally.

Old fans may leave, but they are replaced by new fans who is intrigued by Super Junior. Even in this very second, there will be a new fan anxious about the fan club but soon she'll be welcomed with open arms by ELF all over the world. I'm just surprised and grateful that there are still teenagers who grow to love Super Junior. And you can't force someone to like Super Junior, because that's just displeasing. Anyone chooses whatever they want. We choose Super Junior, and that makes a mark in our personalities and memories. If we see Super Junior doesn't make it to the top, well, what can we do? We've tried our best and we have to accept it. However, we can fight it in upcoming opportunities.
You may be one of those people who thinks Super Junior is no longer popular...well sadly that's the truth; however, you haven't seen the real light. Super Junior still holds the status of "Kings of Hallyu". If you don't see it and you want to really know, then you should get one of us to do the explaining. ;) And there will be a long history to be told.

There will also be a group of fans who will cheer on Super Junior forever, and that is us, Everlasting Friends. :)

One day, Super Junior will be whole again. One day, Super Junior will take over the music charts. One day, another Super Junior's MV will have a hundred million views. One day, Super Junior will slay in the next comeback. One day, Super Junior will see the Pearl Sapphire Blue ocean once again. All of these will happen. You just wait and see.

Let me know what you think about popularity or fandom in the comments below! See you in the next post! And to all haters...get a life.

References
YouTube's "Problems"...What NO ONE is talking about. Dir. Phillip Wang. YouTube, 23 Dec.                 2016. Web. 30 Dec. 2016.

Words or Silicon Chips, You Just Have To Be You (inspired by Amber's "Ranting Monkey" episode)

Crystallized rain stormed down the earth.

White icing clothed around the branches

Of naked trees.

The powdery glaze crushed against my feet.

I would never forget 

This seasonal realm. 

I took this photo when I was on my way from the campus building to the bus stop. It was the second day of winter in Vancouver and everywhere was just white! I was so mesmerized by the beauty of this season that I had to Snapchat some of the perfect scenery. I'd also came up with this poetic caption. I write such captions for some of my Instagram posts not only for my followers to read what I want to say, but also for my followers to visualize what I describe about these posts. It's like reading a book. I like to invent imagery, metaphors, personification and any other poetic and descriptive phrases as a way to express myself. 

So, as you can tell, I want to share what I think about self-expression. I was inspired by one of the vlogs from Amber Liu's online series called Ranting Monkey . Amber is from a K-pop girl group called f(x) (not the mathematical formula for functions XD). I recently play her Beautiful album on repeat; her songs are incredible! I've also watched every single episode of her "Ranting Monkey" show which is about her filming about her life as a K-pop star and as a normal American-born Chinese. 

One of her vlogs (as posted above) is about self-expression. I was blown away by her definition and opinion on this topic. In fact,I think everyone should at least relate to Amber's point of view on this topic because she represents us. She speaks for the sake of our values on human life. 

One thing Amber discussed in her video that struck me the most was when she told a story of her past experience of being judged. She once argued with her friend, who had gone through plastic surgery, that it was wrong to change her facial features. However, she didn't say anything when her friend said, "Amber, if you can't have tattoos, then who do you say I can't have plastic surgery?"(KSTYLE TV, 2016). She realized that she was being "insensitive". Even myself as a viewer can totally see that her friend had made a really good point. It reminds me of a conversation I had with one of my good friends back in Malaysia. She said in our group chat whether we want to know what the thesis of her scientific experiment was. I abruptly said "no" because I wasn't interested in science. And then, she left the group chat which took me by surprise. I immediately asked her personally on what I did wrong. She told me that I have to at least hear what she wanted to say and support what she was doing. That made me realize that I was a terrible supporter...and a friend. We've been friends for so long, and that was how I treated her. I learned that I shouldn't be selfish. I guess that the more I grow apart from my friends, the more my heart will turn cold towards them. And the more I'm away from the people who support me and inspire me, the more I've changed into someone they don't even remember. We get to express ourselves in new ways as we grow older; therefore, we need to give strength to each other. 

And don't worry. My friend and I are in good terms again. ;D So are the rest of my wonderful friends.

I've jotted this quote from her vlog down on my life list, which is "something meaningless to you can mean something to somebody else". Each one of us has different beliefs, definitions, preferences, and opinions on things. If we judge or criticize on something valuable to a person, it's like you're stabbing his heart. That person finds joy and comfort in something, and if he's not supported or praised, his passion of that particular interest will drain down. Reacting negatively on someone is like killing a life. You could wreck his motivation, emotions, and even his physical health. 

Amber has tattoos that represents her themes of interests, such as "design of silicon chips" (2016). I love when she said, "If I were to have my own silicon chips, this is how I would be programmed" because "silicon chips" are like the metaphor (or should I say symbolism) of a person's life. Whatever you are now is what God has made you into. Whatever you've become is who you are. And "silicon chips" are made up of tiny little contents that help a machine to operate, just like us humans depending on our physical body to live and our soul to express our emotions and thoughts. 

So when it comes to expressing yourselves, you can do so with just anything. You can dress up all in black. You can paint your nails in every colour of the rainbow. You can turn the volume of your new favourite music full blast and dance in your room. You can write the cheesiest poem ever and attach it on the cover of your file. You can decorate your room with unicorn portraits. You can customize or create anything you want to let your creative juices flow. And no matter what you have in you or what you do, you're just being yourself. There is no one else in this world who is an exact copy of you, because you are one of a kind. 

Even when you hold two packets of coffee with your mouth and pretend to be a walrus, you're expressing yourself. XD  

And when you express yourself, people will either respect you or badmouth you. Let's face it. We all have positive people and negative people in our lives. Positive people will encourage us and support us in whatever we're doing and whatever we're aiming for. Negative people, on the other hand, will attack you with words that will break your spirits and your heart. You have the option to choose whether to be happy or to be depressed. Because if you choose to be happy of who you are, you have to be surrounded by positive people. In this way, you can motivate and inspire them as well. If you're surrounded by negative people, you won't express yourself often. And that's unhealthy. 

Love yourself before you love others. 

Respect yourself before you respect others. ;) 

Like Amber said, "life is a journey of finding yourself" (2016). When you do things that spark your passion and enthusiasm, you'll finding yourself growing and improving. You'll even get to try something new to expand your horizons. Yup! Self-expression also comes with new interests. K-pop has completely changed my music taste; I don't regret it because it defines who I am. It shapes a whole new island of personality (sounds familiar? #Disney). And I don't care if other people malign about me talking or sharing posts about K-pop (including Super Junior, the kings of K-pop yo!), because I know that there's a group of people out there (shout out to my thousands of followers on social media) who will smile and agree with what I really believe in. 

 Even though I have graduated with a Creative Writing degree, I'm still learning to improve my fiction and poetry writing skills. I still have new ideas formed into a list to be transformed into stories, and I'm finding time to write them one by one. I express myself with words for readers to see what I see. And readers may vary on what they picture in their heads, but the most important thing is that they know what I've put on paper or screen. :) 

Express yourself! I promise you it'll be the best feeling ever! 

See you in the next post! <3 

References

[KSTYLE TV] Ranting Monkey EP 13-Self Expression. Perf. Amber Liu. YouTube. 

         KSTYLE TV, 3 Nov. 2016. Web. 10 Dec. 2016.