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roo-bastmoon · 1 year

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IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF THE CULT'S DYNAMICS

Disclaimers: Sensitive topics are discussed below the cut; please do not incite drama, speak hate, or engage in bullying. I am not a mental health professional; I make no claims of expertise (in anything). This is a collection of my thoughts about what is currently happening on the Taekook side of ARMY, in the hopes that it may help us as a community respond more effectively to the toxic parts of our fandom. If you click below this cut, you are assuming responsibility for your own behavior and agreeing to engage with my blog respectfully, or you will be blocked.

THE NARRATIVES AT WORK

I submit that shipping Taekook is both an evolving conspiracy theory and a living cult.

There are various narratives within this subgroup, but in general, to ship Taekook, one must believe Kim Taehyung and Jeon Jungkook are in a closeted gay romantic relationship.

One also likely believes that their company (both BigHit and Hybe) and everyone around them have always actively hid their gay relationship.

Initially, Taekook (the “real” gay couple) was being hidden by Jikook (the “fake” gay couple) because Jikook was somehow more popular in Korea and therefore considered to be more profitable.

And this was the main narrative for years. It got Jimin dragged and hated online and in real life, to the point there was even a credible shooting threat at a concert.

Now, the narrative is being modified in light of the video footage revealed this week involving Taehyung and Jennie.

If Taekookers accept at all that Jennie and Tae were indeed photographed holding hands in Paris this week, then they likely believe both their companies are using this as a PR Relationship stunt to hide their real gay relationships before military service and comeback projects.

This belief includes:

1) assuming Taehyung and Jennie are not being honest;

2) believing Taehyung and Jungkook have no agency or power within their own companies; and,

3) all of their members and managers are also in on this nefarious plot.

Whether they believe Taennie is just cosplayers in an orchestrated smear campaign, or two actual idols in a PR Relationship, regardless, a large segment of this subgroup still believe that Jimin is the company favorite who gets special treatment.

Therefore, things that should be Taekook’s (such as songs and subunits and couple-like interactions) are instead given to the company’s king of fan service, to the point where Jimin “assaults” Jungkook with “unwanted” attention and physical contact.

THE LOGICAL FALLACIES

As amazingly popular as our Korean It Boy is, I have serious doubts about Jimin being the “company favorite” ever since Hybe took over two years ago.

As the “company favorite,” I’d love it if he got more lines in group songs, or was allowed to film as many music videos as he wanted, or could be given more than 10 days of promotion time for a project he spent a year working on. It would be stellar if the “company favorite” had in-ears that worked correctly during live broadcasts, or was invited onto IU’s show, or could host streaming parties or sell exclusive merch. To say nothing of the “company favorite” getting far more reality show appearances and magazine interviews and a Disney documentary with behind the scenes footage! Heck, I’d settle for his songs not being split on Spotify, his views not being culled on YouTube, and maybe just one congratulatory statement to the press or even just a CAKE celebrating his historic Hot 100 #1.

At least Jimin was “allowed” to include a hidden track with Jungkook (that wasn’t advertised or available to stream, so not fan service) and he was allowed to queer code his Like Crazy music video. So I believe he has some agency and say over his projects. I’m not sure he’s entirely understood or appreciated by his company—frankly, I think his potential was underestimated—but I don’t claim he’s a victim. Victim narratives play into cult dynamics.

But I digressed. I was talking about logical fallacies.

Let’s entertain the idea that for more YEARS, Jungkook and Taehyung have been horribly abused by their management and forced to hide their relationship.

They never thought to address this issue when they were renewing their contracts?

Also, what’s up with all the footage during RUN episodes when they are standing together, or on the same team, or hugging and cuddling, or leaning their heads on each other’s shoulders and legs?

Why were they allowed to flirt and dance and do skinship on stage—and all that stuff even made it into official footage?

Now let’s entertain the idea that Taennie is a PR Relationship.

So… two rival companies, just coming out of a bitter failed deal around a music industry monopoly, are now working together to make people believe Jennie and Tae are dating?

Even though idols LOSE popularity and company stocks take a DIVE when couples are revealed?

So Taennie is the strategy to promote solo albums and upcoming projects?? And both companies’ PR teams say “We can’t confirm it as it is their personal lives.” So no PR statement is the PR strategy??

We know it’s bullshit. It makes about as much sense as Hillary Clinton running a child sex trafficking ring out of the basement of a pizza parlor that doesn't have a basement.

But many in the cult believe it’s Absolute Truth.

The question is why?

The answer is in the dynamics at play here.

CULT DYNAMICS

It starts with a MISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN.

Baby ARMY get curious about BTS, hop on YouTube or TikTok, and are bombarded by the algorithm that claims Taekook is real.

Unless they go searching for original content (which takes up dozens and dozens of hours to sift through and much of which sits behind a paywall), they will not have much to contradict these claims.

Most older ARMY are understandably so sick and tired of the ship discourse that they don’t go into Taekook spaces and duke it out in the comments. Plus, content creators know that Taekook content gets hits and likes, which translates into passive income, so they keep making it.

See this video where a cult leader shows you she made over $109,000 in a year just from her Taekook edits:

So in the din of all this nonsense and noise, it’s up to Baby ARMY to seek out other voices, other input, to form an opinion. They have to be proactive. And sadly, a large segment of the population lacks critical thinking skills and do not WANT to seek facts.

We live in a very busy, post-fact world, where “credible messengers” (i.e., someone you know and trust) tell you their opinions. Then you try those opinions on for size, and they eventually become your opinions. It’s faster, it’s easier, and…

It lets you be part of the IN-GROUP. Next thing you know, you're part of a group chat with 400 indoctrinated members, spitting conspiracies like gospel truths.

In today’s globalized, fast-paced, hyper digital world, most people cannot tell you the names of their neighbors or local butcher or even their state’s politicians, let alone what all they stand for. But they can tell you how the Kardashians feel about organic salad in a plastic bowl, or what Trump believes about election results.

There’s a lack of real-world relationships that tether people to a shared reality.

And yet, there is a human need for Tribe.

A cult uses that instinct for TRIBE by constantly re-enforcing the notion that People Out There don’t understand, aren’t very nice, will even persecute you for knowing the truth.

But People In Here, the IN-GROUP, they appreciate you, they are reasonable and open-minded, they will be there for you when everyone else turns their backs on you and puts you down.

All you have to do to belong to the IN-GROUP is subscribe to these CONSPIRACY THEORIES.

First, you should think about becoming Anti-Establishment.

You cannot trust the Authority (company, government, scientists, whatever). The Authority is corrupt and will lie to you because it wants something from you (money, votes, microchips in the vaccines, whatever).

Do not trust what your eyes show you and what your ears hear. Believe your in-group. Be loyal to your found family. Your found family is SPECIAL.

Second, you need to begin to wake up to the Signs and Wonders.

Once you’re willing to see the truth, suddenly there are all these hints. All these little “Q-drops” of information. Like Taekook touching face moles during a song. Or seeing slowed-down, edited videos of facial expressions that look like evidence of jealousy. Or maybe hidden meanings behind tattoos of tigers and green mics. Or making a secret handshake or symbol with their fingers. These Signs and Wonders are FOR YOU.

*Now, I’m inclined to give Taekookers a bit of a break on queer couple coding because, culturally speaking, similar clothing and jewelry are couple-coded in Korea. And there are just as many if not MORE theories about Jikook using similar black and white clothing, matching jewelry, related tattoos, using special numbers in songs and timestamps, and even changing up lyrics as secret messages.

The issue here is that Jikook ACTUALLY DOES SOME OF THOSE THINGS. They actually deliberately type out specific numbers on some of their social media messages. They actually have dressed in the exact same outfits or worn each other’s clothes. They actually have changed up lyrics and sung them to each other.

Even so, any reasonable Jikooker will say “all of this is suspicious as hell, but not proof.” Like when Jungkook says his J tattoo stands for Jungkook—the placement over the M is suspicious, yes—but all sane Jikookers accept that Jungkook has spoken about that tattoo and he did not say it was for Jimin. We don't sit around calling Jungkook a liar just because we preferred our theory.

Taekookers, however, want what Jikook have so badly, even as they scorn it for merely being fan service.

Half the time the hints they claim are completely made up.

They see sandal footprints in the sand, and their leaders say it’s proof that Jungkook went on a secret beach date with Taehyung. Even though Taehyung went out with a friend and his parents that night.

Taekookers will see a photo of shoes all neatly lined up and say it’s a secret ski date with Hobi. Even though Jimin owns the exact same pair of shoes and there were no photos or accounts of them ever being at a ski lodge the day after Jin went into service.

Taekookers will swear they hear Jungkook’s voice off camera during Taehyung’s vlog and insist he was hiding in the trunk of the car during the drive to film. As if JK would hide in the trunk for hours instead of just… go in a different car that didn't have a camera??

All of these Signs and Wonders require a huge leap to arrive at the conclusion that Taekook is a romantic couple.

Meanwhile, evidence of Jikook spending birthdays together and couple holidays together and going on trips alone together and having integrated families and inner circles (stylists, tattoo artist, boxing coach) are ALL fan service. Every single person is in on the conspiracy.

Yes, even when JK’s mom screams “I love you!” to Jimin and makes her son eat seaweed soup on Jimin’s birthday, (JK was clearly FORCED to make up that story) it has to be fan service.

And when Jimin’s dad posts a photo of JK’s old dog on JK’s birthday (a birthday where Jimin visited him in the middle of working on his album, but Taehyung did not even though he wasn't working on anything), it's fan service. And when Mr. Park hosts a give-away event at his café where JK’s music is playing and cap and photo are proudly displayed next to JImin? Absolute fan service; he’s a money-hungry, attention-hungry cad, don’t you know? Even the charity he and his son do are fan service!

But JK went bowling with Wooga, so, Taekook are married. (Legally married. Not in Korea. But you know. They ARE married. Coming up on their third anniversary already!)

It’s all there, if you’re just willing to see the Signs and Wonders. And believe your cult leaders when there's nothing to see or wonder about at all.

Third and perhaps most important, is the Star-Crossed Lovers angle. The VICTIM CARD.

You see, it’s not bad enough that openly gay couples face pure hell in conservative countries anyway—losing their jobs, their families, sometimes their will to live because the stigma can be so bad. But on top of all that, for years and years, Taekook have been forced apart.

They’ve been just tortured by Jimin’s attention-whoring greedy nature, and made to endure fabricated fan service skinship!

(When Tae and JK look happy to be around Jimin, it’s just because they are professionals and such good actors!). Darn that Park Jimin, the abuser and sexual predator!!

And after so long being forced to hide, now in solo era, poor abused victimized Taekook can be loud. So loud. So very loud and wild and free!!

After all, during the Vegas concert, Jungkook sat on Taehyung’s lap!! He's NEVER sat on any other BTS members' lap (except for all of them).

And when Jungkook came online and said “Keep being jealous, I’ll keep holding Jiminie!” and that Jimin was HIS! Then fans kept asking him about Taehyung, so he also said Taehyung was his. It was totally his own organic idea (except for how it wasn't).

When fans kept pestering Jungkook during his camping VLive about Taehyung, he said he was forced to admit that Taehyung was attractive, he’d never seen a man so attractive! (FORCED to admit it! So romantic!)

Meanwhile, as all this shakes down, there’s this scandal in the press that Jimin didn’t pay his insurance premiums because his mail was omitted by the company. News of this dropped EXACTLY the moment his first OST With You came out, and he went totally quiet.

And then, Jungkook also went quiet for a while too. He deleted all his previous Insta photos that were personal and changed the layout to be totally professional. He went to the White House. He did a collab. He partied for JitB. He went on a Meat Tour of Korea. He did a concert with his members. He headlined World Cup. But mostly he was getting quieter and quieter.

Eventually Jungkook deleted the app entirely. Sometimes he stayed in his home for six days at a time. He stopped working out or going into Hybe; he started drinking whiskey. And nowadays he doesn’t even want to look at the comments on lives. Not because he was sick of the Taekookers or anything, but because “the company is forcing them to hide!”

Of course.

And all throughout 2022, Taehyung and Jungkook are paired up for things, and Tae's talking about a fortune teller saying he and Jungkook were “fire and water.” And rather than be taken as cute moments between friends, these are just VERY LOUD SIGNS AND WONDERS.

Then there are leaks online of all these photos that involved Tae and Jennie.

And thus begins tons of lives where he mentions Jungkook.

I'm not saying Kim Taehyung had an agenda to throw fans off the scent of his actual relationship, but I'm also not NOT saying that.

Whatever his motivations, the cult interpreted this as a direct message for Taekookers to keep the faith!

And indeed, Taekook do hang out—sometimes openly. (Sometimes where there’s press that make them hold up signs while cameras are going off—but that’s not for work, that’s a date, because the security team there wasn’t Hybe’s, and it was a friend’s premiere.) Sometimes quietly, where they share photos of hanging out afterwards.

But it cannot be just two friends hanging out. It’s Signs and Wonders!! SO LOUD!! SO FREE!!

So many reveals—mostly coming from Taehyung, but Jungkook doesn’t often deny them. And it’s mostly Taehyung stroking Jungkook’s hair or laying his head on Jungkook’s thigh or whatever—but Jungkook doesn’t stop him. And Jimin seems totally unbothered by all of it, which is strange because it sort of debunks years of his efforts at fan service.

Yet, clearly THIS cannot be fan service or misdirection.

It can’t just be friends playing games, or a TikTok made for work. It can’t be recording someone without their informed consent for attention. It can’t be going to a concert with other members and sitting in separate rows as friends. Or going to a musical or movie to support friends. Unlike all the things Jungkook has done with Jimin, this has to be Real Love!!

So just to recap:

When the cult had no evidence of Taekook hanging out, they were a private couple.

When the cult had ever-increasing evidence of Taekook hanging out, they were being loud.

When the cult had evidence that Jikook hang out outside of work, that was just fan service.

When the cult had no evidence that Jikook hang out outside of work, that was just fan service getting exposed.

When the cult has evidence that Taehyung has a girlfriend, that’s a punishment.

MARTYRDOM

You see, Jungkook and Taehyung would go on WeLives without permission, remember? And Taehyung set up a dual live chat on Insta and JK didn't seem that into it but he was persuaded. Then they giggled and couldn’t find much to talk about for ten minutes. And Taehyung said he would take full responsibility for it.

And the cult now believes that “taking responsibility” means pretending to be in a heterosexual relationship. Even their insider sasaeng accounts predicted it!

Never mind how mad all of this seems. And it would be one thing if just one or two ideas were far-fetched, like looking at a pair of shoes and making assumptions. But all of it is far-fetched.

Facts do not matter. Because you cannot trust the Authority. You can only trust the In-Group.

And the In-Group sees Signs and Wonders. So the In-Group knows the Real Truth.

The In-Group DECIDES TOGETHER what is real.

They can make entirely fake edits; cosplay; post false witness statements; harass models, coworkers, brands, businesses… they can hire trucks to circle the building with loud speakers, protesting and shouting their truth!!

And anyone who doesn’t believe the Real Truth is a Fake Taekooker.

No disbelievers allowed. Get out of the tribe. Only the faithful can stay in the Tribe.

Right now, you might be asking yourself: Why would you stay in a tribe like this??

Because the dynamic is ever-evolving, which is titillating, and participants get a sense of power, because they are able to help craft the narratives—by being so smart as to see the truth where others are blind sheep—so they can bond over how unique they are.

Plus… TAEKOOK NEEDS THEM.

The boys absolutely depend on their support. You see, Taekookers are the real HEROES here.

They understand the boys like normal people never could. If you know you know, and they are steadfast against any and all lies presented as evidence. They are loyal.

The whole world is against their baby bear and baby bunny!! They are the boys Only Defense. Just take a look at this video of their rallying cry:

If you've got martyrs, you've also got... CRUSADERS.

Yikes, right?

So, here are millions of fans who were lied to, misled, misinformed… They developed relationships over time with people who also believe this misinformation… They get a sense of power in crafting their own reality, in which the objects of their affection are victims and they are the heroes… And the only way to prove themselves worthy of the group is to stalwartly ignore anything that contradicts these narratives.

This is a literal, textbook cult.

Cults use deception, isolation, peer pressure, group-think, and suppression of critical thought. To varying degrees, all Taekook spaces do this too. (And yes, other ships and solos and mantis ALSO rely on these tactics. But I've never seen anything quite so open or pervasive in ARMY like the Taekook cult tactics.)

I feel I should make one thing should be made clear: a LOT of people sincerely believe in Taekook.

But there are also a lot of Taekook content creators who sincerely believe in the money they make off people believing in Taekook.

Like all cults, at the end of the day, it's a scam.

Now there’s evidence of a real relationship, and of course anyone who has invested time and money in Taekook is going to be pushing back—hard.

So how do we navigate this chaos?

Well, most cults end in one of two ways: an FBI raid, or everyone drinks the Kool-Aid and dies.

But more often than not, cults don’t really end so much as fizzle out over years.

Plenty of cults are still alive and well despite amble debunking (Scientology, Q-Anon, Illuminati, flat-Earthers, Larries—what they believe doesn’t really matter; it’s how they believe that makes them a cult.)

Cults are a bit like hydras—you cut off one head, three stronger ones pop back up.

They won't stop. They have to BE STOPPED.

HOW TO DEPROGRAM A CULT

Well, back in the 70s, in the early days of deprogramming, the only thing that was effective was to separate the individual from access to the cult (by kidnapping if you had to), then bombard them non-stop with facts (using imprisonment or restraints if you had to) and eventually they are coerced into re-integration. But none of that is humane or legal by today’s standards.

It also leads to relapses.

Really the only way to deprogram cult conditioning is for a mental health professional to slowly and methodically discredit the cult leader(s) and gently present contradictions.

(How can Jungkook really be in a relationship with Taehyung if he’s always mentioning Jimin? How can Jimin be hurting Taehyung and yet they are on FaceTime for hours, trading fan art and watching tv shows? Why would the two most rich and famous pop stars in the world need a publicity stunt?)

And even then, the cult member has to be sort of able to question things for themselves, and it just helps to have other supportive people echoing their own questioning sentiments back to them.

It can take YEARS until a cult member reaches the breaking point and begins to listen to Out-Group ideas. (On average, five years, to be exact.)

And then they may begin a journey of self-expression, where they openly voice doubts or complaints against cult narratives. They may even engage in transference, jumping off the Taekook ship and onto another (the need for tribe is very real). This is an extremely vulnerable stage and should not be taken advantage of.

At this critical moment when someone is tittering on the fence, trying to figure out what reality is, you need to REWARD THE BEHAVIOR YOU WANT.

You want them to question. You want them to express their grief and doubts. You want them to look for real sources of information.

This is NOT the time to kick someone when they are down, or look for “gotcha” moments to shame them publicly.

If you see a Taekooker wondering if they’ve been lied to this whole time—they HAVE. And that is abuse. And abuse victims need to be handled with care.

I know that Taekookers have dragged Jimin to hell and back for years so I’m not about to preach love and acceptance.

But it’s also fair to say that Taekookers have been gas-lit and realizing that can be traumatic.

Wounded animals are dangerous. A traumatized human lashes out. And you know who the prime target always is. They are already starting to take it to Jimin directly.

I strongly recommend you take a very cautious approach if you engage with them right now. Especially if you’re thinking about arguing with them.

People who defend Jimin or Jikook end up doxxed, suspended, harassed--and someday, I fear a wounded cult member will get physically violent.

Be especially careful because plenty of big accounts are closeted Taekookers. Here's a thread exposing some "mystery cult" members:

THE MOST EFFECTIVE RESPONSE

I normally don’t try to police people or preach too much, but I’m going to give you some unsolicited advice if you managed to read all this:

Don’t go into Taekook tags or spaces. Don’t debate them. Don’t talk trash about them or the members. Don’t slam-dunk or spike the ball with snarky words or memes. Don’t give them a taste of their own medicine. Don’t be cruel.

First of all, don’t do any of that because Jimin and Jungkook would be mortified by it.

But second of all, don’t do it because it just makes them dig in harder; it adds weeks or months to the deprogramming timeline.

The goal is to get the cult out of ARMY fandom. Because they thrive on a victim/hero complex, attacking them reinforces cult dynamics.

I believe there is a better approach.

First, you can and should go Gray Rock whenever possible.

Starve them of oxygen. Don’t acknowledge them. If you do, be generic in your responses—boringly bland, detachedly polite. Ignore them completely; their hot takes do not matter.

Block and report if warranted, but never engage. On some level, they really want to be persecuted for their beliefs. It's why they keep coming into Jikook spaces looking for a fight.

But their beliefs are so ridiculous that they aren’t worth our time. Instead, direct your focus on what you want, which is to promote and celebrate Bangtan.

Second, you can provide what’s called a Graceful Exit.

It doesn’t always work if they know that’s what you’re doing, but it is perhaps the most effective technique, especially if they are already questioning the cult narrative.

You see, a shamed human being gets defensive, doubles down, won’t listen. But a human being offered a Graceful Exit Out of a Bad Place gets to reinvent themselves in a way that allows them some dignity while they change direction.

A Graceful Exit has a few components to it:

“Hello, Taekooker. I also saw a lot of misleading content when I was a baby ARMY. The algorithm feeds you Taekook content almost immediately. Then you make online friends, and they all believe in Taekook. Suddenly everyone is telling you really complicated theories about how Taekook is being hidden. Once you believe that, you have to also believe that Taekook are lying by omission, that Jimin and the members are also lying, that the company executives and translators and managers and staff are all lying, that Korean ARMY is lying, that fellow I-ARMY is lying… and that’s a lot of people spreading a lie for no real gain. Now that you have some evidence that Tae is happily in a relationship with someone else, it’s only natural to question your beliefs, because YES, Taehyung and Jungkook absolutely love each other. But are they IN love? NO. For my part, I trust Taehyung. I love and support Taehyung. I don’t spread the idea that he or Jungkook engage in fake relationships. If you support them, then you’ll accept what they are showing you. When you’re ready to stop shipping Taekook, ARMY will be ready to welcome you back. We can stream together and vote together and help our boys achieve their dreams. We can watch their content and go to concerts together and enjoy fan-works. But what we can’t do is make up really complex stories around BTS’ reality. Our place as fans is to appreciate their music, and let them live their own lives in their own way. It’s time to let go of old ideas, and embrace the new things they share with us.”

This tactic allows the cult member to feel sympathy for being human. It provides understanding that they’ve been deceived. It appeals to their higher nature and love for the objects of their affection. And reassures them they could have a place in a bigger tribe if they let go of the in-group.

It invites them in, instead of calls them out.

Now, you guys might not be willing to do that. Especially considering the hate trains and rape jokes and death threats they gave Jimin for years. Believe me, I get it. I GET IT.

So if you see someone spewing vitriol, now is not the time to call them in. Now is the time to block and report.

However, if I take out my anger on them, it’s serving my own feelings.

And I’m here to serve Jimin, Jungkook, and BTS, not my own need to be right.

So I believe the best way to do that is to Gray Rock the Die-hards and provide a Graceful Exit for the Questioners.

Many cult members are not going to believe in Taennie unless Kim Taehyung makes an announcement directly--and even then, he’ll have to do it in such an emphatic way that they buy what he sells.

So we should accept that the cult is going to be around for a long, long time. Conserve your energy, my dears.

But for the ones who just got fooled but don't intend any harm, we can either hope they let go of their own volition, or we can try to make room for them as part of true ARMY.

What we shouldn’t do is get down in the mud and start slinging. Everyone loses ground that way.

THIS WAS THE LONGEST EVER POST; I AM SORRY!

But these have been my thoughts over the last few days. I’m okay if you want to comment, but I would like to ask that you DO NOT reblog to tag Taekook and that you don’t weaponize this post by spreading it around specifically where it could cause drama.

Drama is the exact opposite of my intention.

My desire is to provide some better understanding around how cults work and how to disband them.

In conclusion: Keep it classy. Ignore assholes. Be gentle with people recovering from gas-lighting. Stay true to the principles of BTS and ARMY. Apobangpo.

Love, Roo

#jimin #jungkook #jikook

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mimibwi · 9 months

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Unpopular(?) BTS shipping opinions

These are some random points I wanted to talk about regarding shippers and my opinion on some specific ship moments:

1. The most likely possibility is that no ship is real in a romantic way.

We really should start swallowing that cause people might die… I genuinely don’t get how some of you would rather die before accepting the fact that your ship probably aren’t dating, they aren’t friends with benefits or exes or whatever narrative it is being pushed these days. If we’re looking at this seriously (and I am saying this as a shipper who likes to explore the possibility of my ship being romantic) those boys are most likely just friends, coworkers, family at the end of the day.

I mean obviously the possibilities for any ship being romantic still exists but I just don’t think shippers should be as confident as they are that their or any ship really between the boys is romantic or sexual. I can’t explain this well because I genuinely am not against shipping but I just think some people are incapable of doing anything casually— that’s problematic.

2. None of us know who is actually close and who isn't, especially not right now.

The little they share with us right now isn’t enough to prove anything. We have no clue who sees or calls each other and that's fine. Why are shippers so quick to push the X and Y are drifting apart thing? Nothing much seems to have changed between the ships themselves but the content we get and the member’s approach to social media has changed. I think this is how things have been for the most part on the social media front for a long time. Whilst the guys have been known for their use of social media in the past, they got the paper award for a reason lol, I think they have been gradually reducing their use for a while now so none of their behavior in chapter two is really striking to me. The only thing that really has changed is the lack of constant in flow of BTS OT7 or subunit content.

The lack of this type of content is what makes it seem like members aren’t close because shippers and other fans have no other content to distract themselves when the boys don’t post on social media, even though they are posting or not posting the same amount than before chapter 2 started. In other words, social media interactions have never been the sole indicator to determine the status of anyone’s relationship much less the boys. What shippers usually focused on in chapter one were clips from Bangtan bombs, ITS, BVs, Run, Memories, Summer/Winter packages etc. but with the lack of that now it seems like some ships aren’t close anymore when that probably isn’t the case. It’s obvious that they don’t spend as much time together anymore but that was the entire point of the hiatus and chapter 2: for them to branch out and do their own thing. However, that doesn’t take away much because if you have ever had long term friendships like the ones Bangtan have, you will know that those are the ones where you can go months without meeting up regularly and still be close as ever once you get back together.

I’m ranting but all this to say I don’t see what many of you do when it comes to “drifting apart” narratives cause there isn’t much to go off of.

3. 'Letter' is not about Jungkook.

Not gonna even speak too much on it. I'm sorry for my fault— not really😐

4. Matching clothes or accessories doesn't always mean something (to me).

Yes those moments are cute but it isn't that significant in my opinion, especially if it's matching for a stage or anything for work cause those outfits don't seem to be completely their choice sometimes.

5. None of the boys are intentionally malicious to each other.

They don't see, intentionally ignore and then do things that would directly result in hate towards the other members. Yes, I am talking about Taehyung. I will never get over the fact that some of you basically think Taehyung is admin of every Taekooker group chat out there. So many of you are CONVINCED that this man sees everything toxic Taekookers do and say. Even if Tae does browse ARMY spaces sometimes, who are you to tell me what he does and doesn’t see.

This isn’t really a shipper conversation but pjms and some ARMYs attitude to Yoongi regarding scheduling can also fall under here too. I won’t spend too much time on this because it falls under a subset of BTS related things I don’t like entertaining i.e. their work decisions. It really isn’t mine or any of our places to speak on in my opinion. These conversations are very manti-coded and they’re almost never productive so I’ll move along swiftly.

6. Not every shipper from a toxic shipper fandom is toxic.

This is probably the one and only time I’ll defend some shippers but you can’t group everyone like that. Even if most of the shipper fandom are a bit much, it isn’t any individual shipper’s fault their co-shippers are toxic. It’s sad bro. I feel more sorry for them to be honest like they’re living with psych ward escapees, it’s scary out here. Though this kinda contradicts with this point, I think that’s the reason why these huge toxic fandoms continue to get bigger. I can imagine it’s difficult not to get enveloped and start sharing those opinions when you’re surrounded by them all the time. I still maintain that not all of them are like that though and along those same lines majority non-toxic fandoms also have some rotten eggs. Anyway, non-toxic taekookers and jikookers I’m rooting for you. Fighting!!🥺

7. On the contrary of that last point, I think some non-toxic or seemingly unproblematic shippers reinforce or enable the behavior of the toxic ones.

It’s a very rare occurrence to see these seemingly non-toxic shippers calling out toxic behavior from the co-fandom. I kinda get why so I am not completely blaming yall because I can understand why you may not want to be at odds with the masses. However, I think it’s problematic because some of you start making excuses for their behavior even if you don’t share their opinions or exhibit that behavior yourself. This reinforces and spreads these narratives to more people who now feel justified to make the same comments or act the same way because of all the excuses.

8. Toxic shippers are the same thing in different fonts.

All of you claim your groups are better than each other but turn around and act the same exact way. You hate on members for the same reasons and push many of the same narratives. I really don’t care to say or call out whose worst because all of you are bad in my eyes. I definitely am not kekeke-ing with toxic, delusional shippers about other toxic, delusional shippers being toxic and delusional. Some of y’all are so quick to call out other shippers but it’s crickets when it’s your co-fandom exhibiting the same exact behavior.

9. Shippers are the reason some ships aren’t talked about more—

Take this with a grain of salt because these ships are talked about quite a lot despite all of this. I have seen shippers from very big, majority toxic shipper fandoms say “ARMYs aren’t talking about x ship but if it was y ship they would be celebrating” and I am really sorry to say this but your big, majority toxic shipper fandom is sometimes the reason why. It is really sad and I am not encouraging or defending any of this but it is evident that many people refrain from talking about some ships because they don’t want to be associated with the shippers or attract those shippers into their spaces.

It’s also frustrating because many times the distaste for certain shippers and even solos translates as hate towards that ship or that member and most times that isn’t the case. There are cases where shippers’ behavior actually produces disdain towards the member’s relationship and even the individual members. This point is one I don’t support in any regard because if you present yourself as a fan of these men, there is no reason why random people’s behavior on the internet should interfere with that. I’ve expressed this here before but fandom behavior should not reflect on the boys. Although I do wish we all acted in a way that will be a good reflection of them especially in online spaces, that isn’t always the case unfortunately:(.

10. Jimin didn't give Jungkook a hickey.

And even if you argue "sure friends bite each other on the neck scoffs", it's hard for me to take that moment seriously /especially/ if you are looking at it from a ‘jikook are dating’ perspective. It just doesn’t make sense to me that a closeted couple under their circumstances would even want to imply something like that or something that can even be interpreted like that, especially coming from Jimin. Also the way they talked about it didn’t come across as a couple secretly sharing their relationship. It just seemed like a fun, little joke/story but that’s just my perspective.

11. The message Tae wrote for Jimin on 'Let's BTS' was just what he said.

I find it hard to believe there was any secret message on the note considering the circumstances i.e. filming with a crew they most likely aren’t familiar with and the whole thing being on live TV. If Tae was serious about the note being “for Jimin’s eyes only” and not the other members, I doubt he’d want the crew to see. I think the blurring was only done for dramatic effect and it worked because I'm sure many were floored when Tae said he likes Jimin the most.

12. Car sharing as “proof” is ridiculous.

That’s it, that’s the opinion…

13. Some ships don’t make sense as a romantic pairing.

I think all the boys are close and every pair has had moments that make you do a double take but if I am seriously considering a ship to be romantic, many if not most of them just don’t seem likely to me. I know shipping is a lot about personal perspective and that we all won’t see the same things in the same way but some shippers act like some ships are so obvious and I don’t see it half the time. I swear sometimes I watch these shipping videos trying to force myself into thinking some of these ships are romantic but I simply can't. I feel like some of you are lying to me to be honest.

14. The taennie situation is strange.

Do I even want to go here… This isn’t me claiming that they’re fake or real because I really don’t know. I just want to say that the progression of this situation since the insta follow has been so weird in my eyes. If you told 2021 me that this is where we’d be almost two years later I think I would laugh in your face. The whole Gurumi situation— what even was that? Then the walk… I don’t stand with any cosplayer narratives about that video especially, maybe drop that one cause it’s not looking too good for you guys. I think I have the same outlook on Taennie as any other ship really and that’s just that it’s possible. I don’t think they’re fake but I also don’t think they’re real— I’m just here shrugs.

This was a whole pile of nothing lol. It’s just hard for me to form any decisive opinions with how strange the progression has been. If they are together, good for them and if they aren’t…good for them??

The only thing I’m sure of is that I don’t like taennie shippers. Anyone who spread those alleged leaks just to prove something and supported someone who has posted and threatened to post the types of pictures that Gurumi did for half of their ship— JAIL. I think a lot of them hate other shippers and want to be proven right more than they like the two people in their ship but i’ll just leave it at this (that’s how a lot of shippers come across to me tbh). Sooo… I wrote this weeks before Jennie’s insta post lml I guess cosplayer narratives are completely out the window huh? I maintain what I said in this post. Taennie is still strange to me even after that post but girl do your thing I guess😐

15. JK isn't the possessive alpha male people want him to be.

How so many shippers look at that man and see that is beyond me. I know he has the whole strong, beefed up, tatted up fuckboy look going but something I have always found interesting is that Jungkook, as a person, isn’t that stereotype. He is a total sweetheart and must be protected at all costs. And I obviously don’t know what he’s like off-camera or what he’d be like in a romantic relationship but all shippers go off of BTS content and he doesn’t come across like that to me in there. Half the time you all talk about him being “jeonlous” (the fact that there is a name for it is part of the problem) is just him staring while zoning out or being nosey which he’s so real for because same.

Editing this after ‘Seven’ and I don’t know if seven era proves or disproves my point but I maintain this opinion🙃

16. Pushing the jealousy narrative so much makes me question if you think these people are in a happy or toxic relationship.

Don't get me wrong, jealousy is a normal emotion (within limits) and I think it can even be a little cute sometimes but the amount these jealousy narratives are pushed is concerning to say the least. My thing is why do you think X is jealous because another member touched Y's shoulder so he moved closer to them to show his possessiveness(?). Like I can bet on that not being the case. Even if a ship is real and a couple does exists among the boys, they are not jealous every time their partners so much as touch another member. They’d be mad every second of the day if that was the case. I guess I can see how some of it can come across as jealousy based on how you look at it but frankly, most jealousy moments are stupid. I don’t know how people take some of them seriously.

17. Even if a ship is real, the lives of the members involved in that ship doesn’t revolve around whoever their partner is.

Well this applies to any relationship ever but you can be in a relationship and still be your own person. You should be able to have your own wants, friends, interests etc. outside of your relationship and I can argue that you’re encouraged to do so. Some of the ideas and theories shippers push are borderline toxic, unhealthy and unrealistic expectations of what relationships are or what they should be.

18. I find it weird to use 2013/14 moments as hardcore proof of a ship being real.

There are multiple reasons for this including: I find it creepy *shrugs*. Not only those including JK but especially those including him because he was underage at the time. In general though, I personally find it a bit weird to obsess over the love lives of people 19 years old and younger. Some may argue it’s weird to obsess over anyone’s love life in general and I can agree with that too cause I specified 19 but I cant really explain why 20 is different or acceptable so— Not saying you can’t see things or find it cute but some of these theories especially the sexual ones need to go. Another reason it’s strange to me is because realistically, there most likely isn’t anything there. Maybe a small crush at most but it doesn’t make sense that these boys were really focusing on relationships very seriously back then. Or maybe they were, I would never know. Even if a ship is currently real (that I won’t know either), it doesn’t mean they were into each other back then.

This just reminds me of those taennie shorts I always see on Youtube trying to say they were looking at each other in a blurry clip from an award show in 2017/2018, some of you are very unserious people. Like even if they are (allegedly) dating now— bro I am not gonna explain this cause it’s so obvious (not obvious that they’re dating now but obvious that they probably weren’t dating then. Well no but— sighs bro idk just don’t ask me if I am a taennie shipper ever again I beg). I get a good laugh out of those shorts though so thanks I guess.

I’m in the middle of writing this and just saw a video with 23K likes saying Taekook showed up with hickies the day after JK’s 18th birthday. WTF??? Some of you are so fucking disgusting. I don’t think some shippers even consider the implications of your words because you would shut the fuck up otherwise. Also the people who consume content from people who think like this are also fucked up in the brain. There’s no way y’all are normal seriously. I was having fun writing this but this shit got me heated and threw me off so bad. It’s crazy that that’s the exact same thing I was trying to talk about here. (I never want my posts to be overly explicit but I can’t hold back from being angry about this because really WTH??)

I’ve been thinking about this since I wrote it and wondering if people may see this as an exaggeration or over reaction of that Tkk video so I’ll make my point clear. I don’t think Taekook’s age difference at that point was necessarily wrong…I kinda side eye it (if I look at it from the perspective that they were dating or something back then) but it’s not the worse thing ever. HOWEVER, I think you, AS AN OUTSIDER, pointing out a “hickey” on a freshly 18 year old boy’s neck (there didn’t even seem to be any but that’s besides the point) is very gross, much less implying that his older bandmate was waiting for him to turn eighteen??? I hope other people can see how absolutely disgusting that is because 23 THOUSAND people didn’t.

19. Speaking of youtube shorts— shippers need to stop editing moments out of context or fusing different parts of videos to make their ship seem real.

There are so many times that I watch a short or reel of shippers making it seem like something then go back to the original content and the things didn’t even happen within the same 5 minute span. Why do y’all do that? It’s so annoying and obviously misinforming. This is why it’s very important for fans especially new ones to look at the original content and form their own opinions because some of you cannot be trusted.

20. Shippers need to let go of the eye contact narrative.

People are allowed to look at the people around them especially if they’re speaking or doing something. I might even find it kinda strange if you don’t look in some instances. It comes back to the jealousy thing again but some people also say it’s flirting which… each to their own I guess. This is one where I am torn again because I can sometimes see what you guys mean, there are even staring moments that I hype up sometimes but some moments just don’t give what shippers thinks it does.😕 The funniest ones when it comes to this are those ships with members from other groups. I don’t know how to tell yall that JK isn’t in a long term, loving relationship with Tzuyu or Lisa just cause he looked at them for 3 seconds one time in 2016. The way I’m talking about all sorts of ships here, I did say I am noseyㅠㅠ.

21. It’s okay to form your own opinions even if it differs from the general consensus.

I’m saying this because I am tired of shippers being called “insecure” because they question moments and the validity of their own ship as a romantic pairing. Emphasis on romantic here because I am not a supporter of people questioning if the boys are friends or not— let’s not go too far😑. Anyway, this is for you if you’re scared to be called insecure for your unpopular or out of the box thoughts about your ship— it’s okay. It’s okay and I would say natural, maybe even better to have doubts. None of us know anything for sure, so being completely secure and sure of any ship is delusional, boraward escapee behavior. It doesn’t mean you love them any less, it doesn’t mean the boys love each other any less even if the only thing that exists between them is friendship. It’s okay to not agree with everyone on what a particular moment means. It’s okay to doubt and it’s okay to be the outlier— so question things all you want. As long as you’re respectful and aren’t hating members or other ships or anything along those toxic shipper lines, everything is fine by me (not that you need my approval lol).

22. ALL OF YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF EACH OTHER’S BUSINESS!!!

This is very hypocritical of me cause I’m always in everyone’s business. Well not always but I did tell y’all I’m nosey. The problem with looking into other ship moments comes about when it starts making you mad. If you think it’s gonna upset you that other shippers are blind and they haven’t seen the light (your ship) then stop going into other shipper’s spaces. Stop provoking other shippers, stop engaging in ship wars cause all of you look dumb as hell. Stop trying to get other shipper’s opinion of your ship only to be mad when they don’t agree with you. What did you even expect? Stop putting ships against each other and start realizing that every ship is it’s own thing. I don’t get why there needs to be a scoreboard and we need to prove why certain moments mean something while others don’t. Just enjoy the moments from your favorite ship(s) when you get them and move tf on. Are y’all not tired??? Y’all are draining the fun out of this shipper business. I don’t get how y’all do this day after day, I get tired just reading one or two of these posts sometimes.

23. Shipping just isn’t that serious.

I’m writing this after the next point so sorry if my disinterest in this comes across. I’m just gonna keep it brief— Jikook, Taennie, Taekook, Yoonmin, Liskook etc. etc. are not losing sleep because some people on the internet think they aren’t dating and neither should you. You can relax! Some things just aren’t that serious. You can rest easily knowing that that Jikook won’t break up or Vmin won’t suddenly become mortal enemies because Amanda from South Wales thinks they don’t hang out and aren’t friends anymore. It’s okay! Breathe! In the same way, Yoonmin and Taekook aren’t dating just because you and your moots say they are. Let’s all just get a grip. Y’all are just on Elon’s broken ass app fighting day in and day out and for what…

24. No ship is worth shipping right now.

I’ve been adding to this post for over a month and my outlook on shipping has been evolving during that time. I’ve held back on posting this because I’m not sure if I want to include myself or share these opinions in any public shipper spaces. I just don’t know if I want to talk or hear what anyone has to say about these ships right now. Shipping has just been so boring recently and it’s understandable why— point 2 of this post is one of the most significant reasons plus others.

The conversations I see in shipper spaces have been more or less the same for the past few months: who’s wearing matching clothes/jewelry, who is and isn’t hanging out, who is and isn’t fanservice, debunking or supporting taennie to prove or disprove different ships, who supported who, who went live and talked about who and the list goes on and on… None of these conversations are stimulating or interesting to me in any way and personally I don’t see how anyone can enjoy these constant circular conversations about the same mundane topics. I don’t think there is anything from any ship worth discussing on this scale right now and I’m honestly just bored🫤. The lack of content from your ships is making a lot of you miserable and I can tell cause the conversations y’all are having are making me feel the same way. I log on and all I see are people thinking they got a hold of a life boat and bragging about it despite the life boat being deflated or in many cases non existent, when we’re all sinking with these ships.

Like I mentioned in point 1, the possibility of any ship still exists and I don’t think this period really proves that any one in particular is “real” or not BUT as shippers, it’s okay to admit that we have nothing to work with right now. There’s nothing worth obsessing over for more than 5 minutes and there’s nothing worth fighting for on the bird app the way y’all do. I think it’s okay to give it a rest for a bit. Get a hobby, read a book, touch some grass, go on a walk, fill out a job application—ANYTHING!! Anything else is worth doing than obsessing over these slowly sinking ships. I’m not against anyone talking about their ship or anything (you do you) but the continuous pulling sh!t out of thin air to fight about and talking about the same fucking ring for 5 days in a row is an interesting way to spend your time to say the least.

So I guess what I’m trying to say is it’s not the fact that anyone is still shipping but it’s the way it’s being done. It’s the fact that very minuscule interactions and occurrences are being given any significance. And I mean shipping has always been like this but it’s becoming increasingly annoying to me and whilst I was somewhat engaged before, i don’t feel any need to care that shippers are being shippers (dumb) right now. I’ve still been watching videos of my ship and all of BTS really (I miss them so bad) and I’ll definitely be one of the first ones up when my ship breathes but even then I don’t know…

Anyway, those were my opinions! I may have others but these are all that have come to mind thus far. I don’t think any of this is particularly new or really controversial to be honest. They have all most likely been said before by other people but I just wanted to give my take I guess. Whilst I gave opinions on general subsets of shipper moments (eye contact, jealousy etc..) my views are quite fluid and can change from moment to moment.

Please note that I am not claiming that my views are “correct” because I don’t know anything for sure either so I am not trying to change anyone’s mind here. This is mainly in regard to the specific ship moments I mentioned. I was wracking my brain about whether or not I want to give any of my opinions on specific ships here cause I really want to talk about shipping from a general stand point on this blog. I came to the conclusion that no one would die if I said one thing about jikook or vmin or taennie right…RIGHT???��

I didn’t write this in order so the change in tone in different parts compared to others is crazy to me. I went from being so enthusiastic about sharing some of these to not caring much at all lol. I have a few interesting posts about shipping and other BTS-related things I’ve been slooooowwwwwllllllly adding to but I am not sure when or if they’ll ever see the light of day at this point.

~🐝

#opinions #BTS #bts ships #jikook #taennie #vmin #taekook #Yoonmin #bangtan #solos #i'm tired and bored #shippers are being shippers #touch grass or something #let's give it a rest

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