Visuals vs. Talent (2 Viewers)

[inverity]

Stage presence>>>>

Good point! I wasn't really thinking about this as being seperate. I think the idols i find most attractive in the end have good stage presence, because there are some who look good in photoshoots and awkward while dancing. it's a bit frustrating.

 

[amourpinks]

Lol I've seen you with only Jennie aesthetics for as long as I remember so I was shook
I'm only a casual fan of Blackpink and my bias used to be Jisoo for the longest time, but starting sometime early 2019, Jennie's Instagram wrecked me big time and eventually I moved over to the Jennie camp
This was just before Coachella too, so once Coachella happened I knew it had to be Jennie

Coachella hit me in all different directions with all the girls. They all looked amazing and performed amazingly, I questioned my bias for a week lmao.

 

[inverity]

I think you're right that everyone cares about visuals, even if they aren't consciously aware of it. But the cliche of "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" is a cliche for a reason. Beauty is subjective. We all care, but we each look for different things.

I think the real issue isn't with wanting pretty k-pop stars. The issue is with how much of a focus there is on it. To the point where we even have and regularly-use the term "visual" when referring to k-pop idols. To the point where "visual" is even a role to be played in a k-pop group line-up. And as you said, surgery is a thing.

At the end of the day, music is about more than just music, even outside of k-pop. Looks complete the package. But usually, outside of k-pop, even just looking average and putting in a bit of extra effort is enough to satisfy most people. In k-pop, it feels a lot harsher than that. I personally think that's a problem, because music is still the main-selling point at the end of the day. Without that, what do you have to dance to and go on variety-shows to promote? I'd much rather have idols that focused less on looks and more on performing to the best of their ability.

I sort of disagree? not because of my own personal preferences, but you have to keep in mind that you are talking about an idol industry. even the US (especially for women) pop artists have to be fairly attractive. But for kpop, which is Korean (a society currently focused on looks) AND a genre that is designed to create an image of perfection and untouchableness an emphasis on pure talent is going to be impossible. talent and beauty, yes, or music and beauty. but no sucessful kpop group can just have music and talent.

i don't agree that idols should be bullied for being tan or having a big nose or whatever koreans don't like. but it's inherent in the industry. it's image based, even arguably before music. it's what seperates them from being normal korean musicians. an extreme example of this would be blackpink.

I think it'll be interesting in the next 5-10 years to see if the focus on image for idols goes away to some extent or becomes even stronger. like right now, dancing and visuals are more important than vocals.

 

[inverity]

The thing with kpop is for me that everyone looks relatively good. It's not like there is truly ugly idols around (even if everyone is not my type). Ofc visuality of kpop attracts me, but it's not visuals themselves- who I by my own standard find mostly plain It's the mvs, outfits, styling.. And what comes to idols look, I have always thought the "ugly" groups have better looks ^^;

What comes to kpop visuals I'd like to see more individuality and not just one type that is considered pretty or handsome.

The good news is that it seems like Koreans are warming to faces that don't meet their standard. Idols like Jennie, Doyeon from Weki Meki. But it's still people who are very attractive. I think in 3-5 years there will be even more. Kpop seems to go in a cycle of "everyone tries to do the same thing but better" and "everyone tries to be super unique". right now a lot of girl groups are softcore girl crush concept and have a visual that looks like tzuyu/suzy/seolhyun/sulli. but back when i first got into kpop this was not the case.

 

[inverity]

Talent first.

big brain.

Talent or personality.
I don't find my biases the prettiest in their respective groups.

do you find them attractive at all? I'm curious about how you make your selection. for example, changkyun is my ult bias because i like how he looks, his personality, rapping, etc. but i think minhyuk is more attractive.

 

[inverity]

I tend to disagree with the top hailed K-pop visuals.
For me, whoever I bias (for either their talent or their personality) becomes the prettiest one to me

>tends to disagree with top-hailed kpop standards
>tzuyu dp (I'm assuming she's an exception then?)

 

[inverity]

It's really hard not to be a visual stan when your ult bias is Hyunjin

Imagine being Jaehyun biased...it really do be like that. I love being shallow

 

[kodoku]

yeah it's smart to avoid becoming a stan. it's draining and bad for both your mental/physical health. are your biases mostly main vocals/dancers/rappers then?

I don't stan any group or idol yea, I like to keep it as simple as possible and just enjoy the stuff about kpop that I like hehe because really, sometimes it's so toxic and tiring....... as for your question, I am not even sure, never really gave it much thought and sometimes I don't even have a bias....

 

[inverity]

I don't stan any group or idol yea, I like to keep it as simple as possible and just enjoy the stuff about kpop that I like hehe because really, sometimes it's so toxic and tiring....... as for your question, I am not even sure, never really gave it much thought and sometimes I don't even have a bias....

ooooh so you’re one of those mystical kpop fans with an actual life outside of kpop. how fascinating.
I can relate, it's why I'm only on this site every 5 months or something.

 

[kodoku]

ooooh so you’re one of those mystical kpop fans with an actual life outside of kpop. how fascinating.
I can relate, it's why I'm only on this site every 5 months or something.

well tbh I do think a lot of kpop fans are way too invested in such a fake and fleeting thing like kpop.... and good for you really, it's better that way for sure :)

 

[inverity]

I'm well aware of that, I'm just saying there is a pressure for looking pretty. That's true of any industry in which you go out to perform. Even writers have to have a certain look, and they're reclusive half the time. But just look at someone like Neil Gaiman or J.K Rowling, people know their image. It helps them sell books.

As I said, we all think about beauty. But the standards, even in k-pop, don't have to be that high. Yes, they're specifically called "idols," but really... aren't all musicians idols to somebody? This is just taking a phenomena and giving it a label to justify certain actions with, including setting harsh beauty standards. But again, we all think about beauty. We all look up to musicians. The standards still don't have to be that high for us to go, "Oh my gosh, I want to be like that person!" Their skill in performance also does that a lot. It's still music.

I'm always hearing people gush whenever an idol "eats the CD" during a performance or about "how stable they are" and "how great their vocal color is." People will regularly talk about how "Yuqi's voice is so awesome" when referring to G-Idle... On and on and on. Whenever an idol self-produces (not saying they have to) it also gets tons of attention. Again, Soyeon of G-Idle got a whole video (might have been a series, bad memory on this) going behind-the-scenes on that...

Point is, yes, k-pop places a ton of pressure on looking pretty. But it seems like even a lot of fans don't care that much as we might think...

You're right there. The word "idol" doesn't mean that they have to be pretty, perfect ideal girlfriends/boyfriends, but that is what it has become. It could be changed.

I am not quite as optimistic. I think international fans tend to think this way, and can put their visual preferences on the second shelf and/or make it a nice "bonus" thing, but for Koreans I'm not seeing the same emphasis on talent. And that's where the majority of kpop's money still comes from. But most of my knowledge of Korea's preferences comes from blogs written by Koreans, kpopcalypse and those awful knet translations so it might be better than I think.

 

[Michael]

As for me; music is king. I may follow any group for which I love their music. If I just like their music, and there is something more (like being a co-ed), I may follow it as well, So in order for me to choose a bias, I have to like and follow the group first. Visuals play a role, but it's the smallest one. When I already follow a group; I may choose a bias based largely on personality.

 

[VillageIdiot]

>tends to disagree with top-hailed kpop standards
>tzuyu dp (I'm assuming she's an exception then?)

Some visuals like Seolhyun, Jisoo, Dara, Krystal, Sana I don't see the hype for at all
others like Joy, Sulli and Jennie are sometimey for me
and some are pretty but overhyped to me like Irene
normally the visual of the group isn't the one I find the prettiest. For instance, Tzuyu is gorgeous but I'd place her 4th or 5th in Twice

 

[Skinnny]

big brain.



do you find them attractive at all? I'm curious about how you make your selection. for example, changkyun is my ult bias because i like how he looks, his personality, rapping, etc. but i think minhyuk is more attractive.

Well ofcourse, I am attracted to their personality, charisma or their mannerisms.
But it's not in a sexual or visual way.
For example my current bias in loona is olivia hye because I like her murderous but cute personality.
However, I find hyunjin and yves the prettiest & chuu the cutest.

 

[Mayday]

I wish i could say the same, but for me i get heart palpitations when i see a good gif of him. i've tried ignoring him over and over and it's never worked

ME

 

[Juniverse]

Imagine being Jaehyun biased...it really do be like that. I love being shallow

He really is quite handsome

 

[ddeonghwaaa]

I don't really care. At first i might because that's how i get into a group sometimes, but even then there are idols that people say are handsome yet i dont think so.

But as i listen more and more to a group i grow to love everything about them.

 

[ddeonghwaaa]

And i'm a jaehyun stan too! his voice got me

at first i didnt like Jaehyun's visuals but i started liking his voice and here i am

 

[mirella]

Visuals are a great plus, and I don't mind appreciating from afar

But generally, an artist's music makes me a fan. There is also a wonderful phenomenon that makes artists I like drop-dead gorgeous in my eyes. Plus, visuals are abundant in K-pop, and I really can't bias everyone.

 

[SnowWhite]

Not much of a "stan" anymore, but back in times I mostly got interested in groups based on music, then the rest. Tbh talent was not big part of it.

Never understood ifans' logic of "visuals are useless". We have suzy, seolhyun, naeun , hara(rip) , nana, irene and so on making more than their groupmates only thanks to their visuals even if their members are/were also part of an established group. Reality's harsher when you realize they actually aren't really the most talented. Even nugu groups like DIA sometimes end up having a member like Chaeyeon who only makes money thanks to their looks.
Yea tbh, looks matter more in kpop as harsh as it sounds. Even outside kpop, lookism is generally a huge factor.