UNPOPULAR OPINIONS(?) -- really just questions about sk beauty standards, AGAIN, but this involves snsd so please don't click if you may get upset (1 Viewer)

[twelveloona]

PLEASE JUST LEAVE IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE NEGATIVITY ABOUT YOONA OF SNSD/GIRLS GENERATION. I KNOW THEY'RE ONE OF THE BIGGEST GGS EVER AND I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE.

So... why is Yoona locally considered the prettiest in SNSD? (I don't know about the international fanbase, but I know in South Korea she's considered the prettiest.)

She isn't ugly, but just... really average to me. And her nose seems a bit too wide to fit the Korean beauty standards on paper, although clearly real life is different in this instance. She has a really tiny chin, I can see that... but the proportions of her face don't really look delicate overall to me? (Also, thin lips.) Is it the combination of her tiny chin and her body and height? (I haven't looked at her body closely, but I do know that super-skinny types are popular in SK as opposed to "curvy" bodies like that of Joy from Red Velvet, although Joy is honestly thin by any reasonable standard. And that's probably why, despite being the same height as Yoona, Joy isn't considered the prettiest in RV.)

I was honestly shocked to read that Korean doctors said that Yoona has better facial proportions that Song Hye-Kyo, who is just... an absolute goddess. And all because SHK's lips are "a little too full." I get that beauty standards are different around the world but w o w.

I seriously would've thought Jessica would be regarded the prettiest in SNSD, although I'd guess she's also considered one of the most beautiful.

She also has a small chin (from what I can tell) and her features are so much more elegantly proportioned IMO. If I had to guess, her American-ness detracted from her popularity in SK? Or maybe something about her body type. She's not that much shorter than Yoona according to Google, although she'd still be average-short height while Yoona's 5'6" is usually viewed as "pretty tall (for a woman)."

Also, I read that Koreans considered Sooyoung ugly because of her "Southeast Asian"-looking features. As a Southeast Asian, I'm disgusted. Especially because international fans have let this slide. It's not normal or okay. I'm also reminded that this is one reason people have got to stop treating East Asians and SE Asians as interchangeable because East Asians can be super racist and colorist to SE Asians.

Anyway, Sooyoung is stunning. Like, objectively. I seriously found her one of the most beautiful while casually watching SNSD MVs.

 

[VillageIdiot]

It's usually the idols that fit the Korean standard of beauty the most (IU, Yoona, Suzy, Jiyeon, Hyeri) that ifans have an issue with being plain. We like striking, unique beauty while they favor simple but classic youthful, girl-next-door women with milky white skin, it is what it is 🤷‍♀️
It's not just visuals with Yoona, it's her aura as well. Most people look at her and get a friendly, sisterly vibe from her and that plays heavily into her charm, just as much as her facial construct.

Sooyoung is actually considered one of the 'ugly ones" because of her tan skin tone and "SEA like visuals" . Korean standard of beauty is pretty ethnocentric and has very little room for "exotic" looking idols (2ne1, Hyoyeon, Luna etc). Most iSones actually point to Sooyoung being one of the prettiest in the group despite it (personally I'm kinda sometimey about Soo). It's not that we think it's okay that SY gets overlooked, it's just a "What can you do?" Sooyoung is still an incredibly popular model so I think the hate against her visuals is heavily overstated by translation sites

Jessica was actually in the top 3 most popular of Soshi and got nearly as many cfs as Yoona. Before Irene, she was usually what came to mind when people said "chic ice princess beauty". People only pretended to hate her visuals after all the mess went down with Soshi

 

[blueberries]

Well going by the beauty standard Yoona also has small face/head compared to body, yes that still feels weird to write and she's quite tall and thin. Jessica in other hand might have too long face for korean standards (they rly dislike that) and big face/head...

Although the standards are quite strict in Korea, i don't think it's still a math though like you can't measure it? So sometimes it's not that clear.

And besides every place has some standards, often wacky, and I rly dislike the current stuff in west too like huge butts and lip fillers that's like opposed of pretty in my eyes So other places aren't much better than Korea rly.

 

[yeji]

korean‘s are more into the girl-next-door look and that‘s the idols they love. It‘s just different from what the west usually prefers. we usually like people who look unique.

 

[potato]

I personally think YoonA is one of the prettiest in SNSD. Lots of idols international fans call 'plain', I find super pretty to the point I don't understand why people would call them that. I don't think having less striking features makes you plain(er), vice versa, and I don't really understand the logic behind it either.

My perception of visuals don't really go beyond 'she/he's pretty', 'she/he's super pretty', and 'she/he's beautiful' though anyway which is why I've never really thought someone was 'plainer' compared to someone else.

 

[twelveloona]

Thanks for the interesting responses! I was worried I'd get hate for this. I do get what you're saying. But I feel the need to repeat that I am not technically a Western fan, as I'm Filipino (SE Asian) and was born + grew up + lived in the Philippines most of my life. To be fair, I'm confused by a lot of beauty standards anywhere I live. And as for iFans treating the hate against Sooyoung as okay/normal, I'm not referring to all iFans, of course. But there are many who over-value SK's "beauty standards" even when they cross the line of racist/colorist. As an SE Asian, especially one from the Philippines (where people are usually darker than many other Asian ethnic groups outside South Asia), I know very well that colorism and racism are still normalized a lot in Asia and wish certain people would use their brain cells.

 

[Jimimis]

None of snsd are rlly that pretty just the rose tinted glasses

 

[eclipsoul]

i don't know or care about beauty standards so i'm not gonna speak about that. i just wanted to say that to me all snsd members are gorgeous.

 

[dooh]

for me personally, Sooyoung was no1 visual and Yoona is second in line
isnt it always like that, f.e Blackpink my ULT GG, imho Rose is the visual not Jisoo , but thats how it is