Parasocial but Relatable: The Future of Kpop

Created through a collaboration of Hybe and Geffen, Kasteye was created and marketed as “a global girl group with kpop ideologies”. They were first introduced on the survival show Dream Academy. Similar survival shows are very common in kpop, which is why as soon as fans heard of Hybe’s new project, they were all for it. So from the start, Katseye’s fandom has pretty much consisted of kpop fans, despite being marketed as a kpop girl group. Additionally, Katseye’s popularity within the kpop community continued to grow over time as it became clear that everything they do, from dance to music, to promotional style, is the exact same as typical kpop groups. However, there is one key difference separating them from your typical kpop group. This being their treatment from Hybe. 

Unlike typical kpop groups the Kasteye members are given more leniency and freedom. They’re allowed to curse, take breaks when sick, and are allowed to make the most bonkers social media content (this is mostly attributed to the fact that they are just chronically online, but I’m sure there are still rules and regulations that kpop companies have surrounding making content). They are allowed to do things that typically kpop groups are not able to do, and yet, they are just as popular, if not more popular than many kpop groups. This shows that companies don’t need to keep following the same cookie-cutter formula. Idols can be allowed to have personal lives, and allowed to be themselves on camera and be just as popular. In fact, I would argue that this would actually increase the popularity of many groups. One of the main aspects of kpop is that idols represent this unattainable perfection, almost like a fantasy that fans can use to escape real life. However, I would argue that now, fans don’t care as much about this aspect, and instead, the way idols can pull fans into parasocial relationships is by being relatable and down to earth. Fans connect more with groups that feel real. I know that for me, I only ever stan a group if I like or find their personalities or dynamics interesting in some way. For example, the reason why I love groups like Mamamoo or Dreamcatcher is that they feel like real people. The industry needs to be able to learn and grow with its audience, and I think that Katseye’s success serves as a perfect example that idols don’t need to be these completely perfect people in order to be successful. Audiences value realism over fantasy now. A change in the industry has been long overdue, especially regarding the treatment of idols. 

Now companies are not the only ones to blame as fans are just as much a part of the problem. Fans have been conditioned to expect perfection, so even the smallest mistake can cause a full-blown cancellation. I feel that the reason fans don’t care about the girls dating or cursing is that as much as Hybe wants to pretend, they are not kpop, and therefore they are not treated as such. Fans don’t expect them to have the same level of polish as kpop idols. I feel like I'm completely contradicting myself when saying this, but fans (especially og fans) expect the fantasy escape that is created with kpop since after all, it is their job. This is also another aspect that separates Katseye from kpop groups. Kpop idols knew (or hopefully knew) what they were getting themselves into. Pretending to be a perfect human being 24/7 is basically in the job description. Katseye on the other hand, signed up not to be kpop idols, but to be a global girl group which is why they are given some leniency and freedom by Hybe. Anyways, i’m not really sure where i’m going with this, but basically what I was planning to say with this paragraph (which kinda derailed), but basically fans need to change their mindset. Kpop does not need horrendous treatment of idols to still be enjoyable, and there are many other forms of escapism that are a lot healthier (I’d recommend reading fantasy novels). Kpop should instead be known for the music, choreography, and insane performances (many aspects that are shared with Katseye). Basically, what I’m trying to say is that fans should be treating kpop idols with the same respect for them as human beings as Katseye because they share pretty much all of the aspects that actually matter.