darkbluemork - Tumblr blog

darkbluemork · 2 years

Note

Hi!,

With respect to the Thai BL Industry,...I believe, everything and anything that an actor or even a maker does is scrutinised to a whole another level that it becomes extremely embarrassing for the BL fandom.

I can quote several examples at the cost of getting ridiculed,...but I don't care about toxic fans or their opinions, because it's just bullshit.

Time and again I've seen BL fans being critical of Krist (of "SOTUS"fame) for no reason. If being a celebrity means that you own them,...then that's a wrong perception to have. That man was asked by a rude fan if he's gay,...and he was repeatedly asked about his sexual orientation, which is none of anyone's fucking business. And when he reacted negatively,...everyone came down heavily on him,...calling him homophobic and cooking their own stories to shown in a bad light. His on-screen partner too was ridiculed for making some insensitive statement, because of which Krist had to come in front of the media and make a public apology. Fine,...what Singto said was totally unacceptable,..but I bet,...he is one of the most finest man in the industry, and deserved to be treated better for something he didn't do intentionally.

Then came poor Godt (Pha of "2 Moons" fame). I'm honestly not biased,...but I have huge respect and admiration for the whole cast of the first installment of 2 Moons franchise. But one of the lead pair, till date,...is criticised for being homophobic,...when in reality, none of the toxic fans know what exactly conspired between the actors and the production company. And with respect to the BTS that was released,...it's absolutely inane to imagine things when one knows nothing about it. Had Godt been homophobic,...he wouldn't have acted in a BL advertisement post the success of "2 Moons". BUT NO! When stupid fans start to hate someone,...the become blind, and insane at the same time.

Same shit happened with Mean,...when he reportedly gave an interview to a Thai tabloid. Now,...unless one can understand a language, or is a native-speaker of a certain language,...one shouldn't do the guess-work, and I bet,...Mean might have said nothing about wanting to work in the BL industry for money. I believe,...something might have lost in translation,...or, there is a 100% possibility of toxic fans purposely trying to twist his words to get him cancelled.

Then comes the whole fuckery that happened with respect to New's girlfriend, Bright's girlfriend, and Gulf's girlfriend. I mean,...do such fans that spread hatred, and lies, have no other business other than to poke their nose in other's bloody business? Why do these poor actors have to seek apology for something they have either not done, or perhaps done without any intention to hurt anyone? Why are toxic BL fans so much interested in the girlfriends of the Actors?

Mew is still trolled by toxic fans that call themselves the supporter of his now assumed ex. In fact,...the toxicity related to him launching his own business went to such an extent that he was criticised of plagiarism, leading which he had to hold a press-con to clarify things, which I believe is first of it's kind in BL history.

Joong Archen (Ming of "2 Moons" fame) replied to his IG story at the very beginning of his career, that he is a real man and not gay. Now,...that didn't go down well with me, but he apologised to his fans after getting reprimanded by the great "Motive Village". And that's now is a thing of the past,...and he's now a part of GMMTV universe.

And when Director. Aam Anusorn decided to make a series out of his own experience with "Motive Village",...I came across several comments online that called him a 'Drama Queen' who has an issue with everything that happens within the industry.

Recently,...one of Earth Pirapat's fan was trying to be rude or abusive to him on IG. Thankfully that guy gave back a befitting reply, and earned accolades. I wish all BL actors were like him and stop tolerating bullshit from fans.

And now with "KinnPorsche" being aired,...fandom has started to started to scrutinise every single move in the series, comparing it with the book,...and questioning the professionalism of the three excellent Directors involved in the making of the series.

As an Asian myself, I do know that "Respect" is a huge part of the Asian culture, to the extent that one is told to sacrifice his peace-of-mind, if it earns him a position in the good-books of the other. But this logic is not only ridiculous,...but in this day and age,...it's impossible to bake the cake, and eat it too. One cannot reach the echelons of success,...without burning a few bridges. And if it means doing away with toxicity,...so be it.

So,...my question to you is,...

Are BL fans slowly and gradually turning into toxic K-netizens that find mistakes in every move that a celebrity makes?

Why do you think a BL actor puts up with so much shit, despite the fact that many a times they haven't done anything even remotely wrong?

Are BL actors at the mercy of rich toxic fans that shower them with gifts, and cash if things go as per their way?

How far and how deep do you think the cancel culture has started to spread in the BL industry?

Thanks

xoxo

Arjuna

Some BL fans are sasaengs, and it’s a problem

I honestly don't really want to get into this because I try to be positive here on this blog and frankly, protect myself by not thinking about the terrible side of fandom, in general. I’ve done this since I was a child and first had a celebrity crush and then realized how dirty and objectified it made me feel for doing that to them. My stomach gets kinda queasy thinking about it.

The proprietary ownership of celebrity is a grave social issue that speaks not just to the trauma it inflicts on the celebrity victims but the seriously damaged psyche and mental health of the perpetrators. And I use the words victim and perpetrator intentionally.

If you are trolling celebrities, you are a predator who is culpable. Saying a celebrity “deserves it” because they became a celebrity is like saying a woman “deserved to be raped” because she wore a short skirt. Don’t buy into that patriarchal mentality, okay? This is victim blaming.

However, the demographics do trouble me, A LOT, particularly around sasaeng behavior.

Which is what I would call these (so called) BL fans. Just another kind of sasaeng.

Sasaeng fans are, IMHO, actually unhinged, unhealthy, and mentally corroded. But they are demographically different from the stalker/killer fans celebrities also get (mostly in other parts of the world) who usually (but not always) fit the same profile demos as serial killers and sexual predators. On a BASIC level the first tends to be female 13-23, the second male 33-63).

"Social identity is the portion of a person’s self-concept that is derived from their perceived membership in a relevant social group (e.g., political party, sports team, music group fandom) and is motivated by both a need to self-enhance and reduce feelings of uncertainty (Hogg, 2006, 2007, 2012)." ~ Jessica Tomory for The Inquisitive Mind (source)

I've been thinking about a white paper on this for a few years now, ever since I dipped my toe into Kpop and then RAN THE FUCK AWAY. But honestly? I don’t want them targeting and coming after me.

Here have some preliminary online research sources:

Social identity theory

Sasaeng Fans

Celebrities murdered by their own fans

Are you “fan” enough? - the role of identity in media fandoms

Toxic fandom - threats to identity

Why Are We So Attracted to Fame? (podcast: No Stupid Questions)

Screaming fans and overzealous stans (podcast: All In The Mind)

Now to, sort of, maybe not, answer your questions:

1. Are BL fans slowly and gradually turning into toxic K-netizens that find mistakes in every move that a celebrity makes?

Yes.

2. Why do you think a BL actor puts up with so much shit, despite the fact that many a times they haven't done anything even remotely wrong?

Social conditioning, management/studio pressure, morality and behavioral contract clauses, and the deep desire/need to be liked that is endemic to the type of personality that pursues celebrity status as a career path.

3. Are BL actors at the mercy of rich toxic fans that shower them with gifts, and cash if things go as per their way?

Maybe? I think less so than some of the other pressures named above, though.

So I have some, (pretty minor) celebrity friends, but they still get tribute and we talk about it. There is genuine gratitude for the fact that someone thought of them and likes them enough to gift them something, particularly if it is genuinely thoughtful and shows understanding of said celebrity’s taste.

However, if it’s too on the nose it comes with attached discomfort because that screams stalker. There’s also the off-putting proprietary nature of “I know you so well really this gift is about me and my knowledge of you.”

Gifting culture is different in different parts of the world. So I am not confident on attached social obligations in places like Thailand.

Also, very few celebrities understand the underlying psychology going on there with the fan. That these gifts tend to spring from a deep desire to be “remembered by the celebrity” which is often also the wellspring of sasaeng behaviors.

And then that is connected to social bragging rights with other fans.

Do you see that? I gave him that! Look he talked about it. That means he talked about me. He’s remembering me.

Do you see how sad he is because of a negative comment I made? Well at least he’s thinking about me. I was obviously right about him. Do you see how scared he is when I make those calls to his hotel room on his Live? That’s ME. I did that, I have power in our relationship. We have a relationship.

You know what I’d do? (Given autonomy and no contract obligations, of course.) Just stop doing whatever I’m doing in that moment. Blame the sasangs, end the Live. Shut down comments. Leave the stage.

Sadly, most of the time, celebrities simply can not do that, though. Or they’re too nice and don’t want the “good” fans to suffer.

But look, this is a problem internal to fandom. So I’d sick the good fans onto the bad ones, by taking the toy away and explaining exactly why everyone is losing access. Deny them the attention they crave.

I get that this is simplistic and not a solution, but I think the celebrity has the right to immediately protect themself, mentally and emotionally (as well as physically).

(Honestly, I’m really intersted in seeing how GOT7 behaves going forward. especially Mark. They are major idols who now have the autonomy to actually express how they really feel when confronted with this kind of behavior.)

4. How far and how deep do you think the cancel culture has started to spread in the BL industry?

Too far.

Cancel culture absolutely terrifies me on a deep psychological level. There are so many scales and specturms of nuance that outsiders (and fans are OUTSIDERS) do not have access to. It’s the opposite of realizing that we exist in a morally grey world. It’s a manifestation of puerile and underdeveloped minds incapable of comprehending complexity or practicing empathy. It’s the rotted maggot-ridden wound of a conflicted culture sliced open by selfish behavior.

Oh dear, I’m getting poetical, I should stop now.

Take Joon for example. He’s half Turkish. Have you any idea, if you didn’t grow up in such a household, how unbelievably toxic most Turkish masculinity is? I’m shocked he was allowed to do a BL at all. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s estranged from some of his family because of it. What if he HAD to say something like that to protect himself from his home environment? Or because he was raised that way? Should he have answered that question at all? Of course not. But he was what, 18 at the time? How many stupid choices did you make at 18? I’ll wait. You list them off.

But let’s be honest here, HE SHOULD NEVER HAD BEEN ASKED THE QUESTION in the first place.

HOW DARE any fan ask a celebrity about their sexual orientation or identity. HOW DARE THEY.

*heavy breathing*

Look, I was raised to believe that if you spot a problem, you are responsible for the solution. But this is a big effing problem and I don’t have a solution.

Here’s the best I can come up with:

What’s the worst thing I myself can do to these kinds of fans?

Ignore them. Block them. Unfollow them.

I got into BL because I wanted to escape reality, not be sucked into the worst version of it.

Which is why this is the one and only time I will be talking about this subject on this blog.