"idols are humans too!"
I see fans say "idols are humans too!" in all sorts of potentially wank-y places to defend dumb things their idols have done, and I've come to the conclusion that the term has gotten distorted.
"idols are human too!" should not apply to the idols, it should apply to the fans. By which I mean... they're humans and sometimes they make mistakes, but they're also public figures (by choice!) whom a lot of young, impressionable kids look up to, and it's their business to put on the squeaky clean act whenever the public eye is on them. There is no excuse for dumbass behavior. On the other hand, it's even more important that fans should remember they're human and allow them decent human rights, like privacy and a chance to make mistakes (and learn from them).
But I think it gets conflated. Fans act like their idols are gods and follow them around 24/7; then when they make mistakes and set a bad example, it gets brushed off like it doesn't matter. If an idol hits fans, or gets a DUI, or makes a sexist/racist remark, or does something illegal, they should be suitably penalized, not forgiven out of hand just because "oppa is always right!11"
I remember when Jaejoong got his DUI, there was a group of fans who approached our forum to see if we wanted to be part of this project to write him letters saying it was okay and we support him in everything he does. NO! Of course we don't support him in getting a DUI wtf?! He should definitely take his punishment and reflect and act better in the future.
/steps off soapbox. Actually I was going to rant about how I hate jumping to negative conclusions because it just feels like a jinx (#Koyama) but uhhh clearly that wasn't what came out of my fingers.
"idols are human too!" should not apply to the idols, it should apply to the fans. By which I mean... they're humans and sometimes they make mistakes, but they're also public figures (by choice!) whom a lot of young, impressionable kids look up to, and it's their business to put on the squeaky clean act whenever the public eye is on them. There is no excuse for dumbass behavior. On the other hand, it's even more important that fans should remember they're human and allow them decent human rights, like privacy and a chance to make mistakes (and learn from them).
But I think it gets conflated. Fans act like their idols are gods and follow them around 24/7; then when they make mistakes and set a bad example, it gets brushed off like it doesn't matter. If an idol hits fans, or gets a DUI, or makes a sexist/racist remark, or does something illegal, they should be suitably penalized, not forgiven out of hand just because "oppa is always right!11"
I remember when Jaejoong got his DUI, there was a group of fans who approached our forum to see if we wanted to be part of this project to write him letters saying it was okay and we support him in everything he does. NO! Of course we don't support him in getting a DUI wtf?! He should definitely take his punishment and reflect and act better in the future.
/steps off soapbox. Actually I was going to rant about how I hate jumping to negative conclusions because it just feels like a jinx (#Koyama) but uhhh clearly that wasn't what came out of my fingers.