THE HARD TRUTH ABOUT KPOP IDOLS GLAMOUR LIFE

When an athlete suffers a ligament injury, even in cases when recovery by conservative treatment or rehabilitation is possible, they are usually advised to receive surgery despite the potential aftereffects. This is because the treatment period that follows an injury is included in their contracts.

With the surge in media outlets and celebrities, there are more and more things that they are forcing each other to do. There are so many adults who expect young [celebrities] to show bright and healthy smiles when they can’t eat or sleep properly. They expect [the celebrities] to be sexy but not have sex and to be tough but not fight with anyone.

Many junior celebrities are agonizing over how big of an illness they want to carry in their hearts for the sake of the sweet taste of money and status.

So many papers and reports are telling us how convenient and fast psychoactive drugs are and how many side effects and aftereffects they bring about. We must no longer stand by and watch people offer substances because they were asked to or because they need a quick solution. We cannot overlook the fact that the complacent actions taken by large agencies can bring about a contagious disease that is spread without contact.

As an idol, you are on a pedestal—-everyone watches you and every little thing you do or say.

You are scrutinized for behaviors or features that you have.

But still, you have to put on a smile and keep going.

You are dieting because your body is not good enough for the public. Your body feels like it’s falling apart—-it’s hard to sing and dance without feeling light-headed and out of breath, on the verge of collapsing. But you have to keep going. You loose weight, you are praised! But it’s still not good enough, they ask you to loose more…

Some people just hate you for no reason. People talk about you and say whatever they like. Some people leave uncomfortable sexual comments about you, other people tell you that you’re best dead.

You work day and night to perform, with barely any sleep—-dancing, singing, language class, exercise, fan meetings, interviews, sponserships…etc. You are busy every minute of your life. You have no time to meet with friends or family, you most certainly cannot date.

You wonder what a day a rest would be like—-but you know that day isn’t anytime soon.

Many K-pop idols have extreme schedules and are trained to be the best and look the best. This means training for singing, dancing, language, etc (with no time left to really get any sleep). And this along with events. Having to be stage-perfect is also difficult. For many females that means dieting to become dangerously thin, and for males they have regimes that are to keep them muscular with abs(this means a very bland diet with strenuous amounts of exercise, if done excessively injuries are bound to occur).

Fans can be rude and hurtful, even cruel, but as an idol—-they have to keep smiling and not move on. Even when feeling miserable and in pain—-idols cannot let the public know, the idols are trained to hold those emotions back. Many fans forget that idols are humans too and can become obsessive. Those types of fans can do real damage to idols. Living as an idol is a high stress environment and eating dissorders are considered ‘normal’, as well as having mental issues (due to the extreme nature of their schedules and hate comments, with no time to rest/recover).

Also entertainment companies don’t seem to offer any help for struggling idols—-many companies just exploit the idols. They still need to practice and learn how to sing, rap, or dance properly with repetitive instructions. For a comeback they need to record a choreography video, often without sleep for 2 until 3 days, 24 hours. That excludes schedule with outsiders for a comedic or survival show. When they go home they will continue this routine over and over again. But they can’t forget that they have to make contents for their fans.

Many K-pop fans only see the glitz and glamour of the stage and dream of one day becoming just like their stars. In reality, being a K-pop idol is almost torture. Basic human rights are taken away from you and no matter what struggles you’re going through, you still have to keep your smile on for the stage. The saying is true - be careful what you wish for, because like everything, K-pop has a dark side too.

There are many. For examble the lack of privacy or freetime. Idols have to watch what they eat because they have to present a certain body image. They train really hard for several hours a day (up to 10 hours and more) and many start at a young age. Idols often sacrifice their whole childhood an teenage years. For examble BTS Jungkoik started training at the age of 12/13. Many idols suffer from mental illnesses because they carry a heavy burden all the time. They are expected to be perfect in everything they do. When they make mistakes they can gain huge hate quick. Another thing is the payment. Idols don't actully make a lot of money. Most of the money they earn goes back to the company.