Top 10 Reasons Why the K-Pop Industry is Horrible

While I like some K-pop artists and songs, I don't listen to them that much anymore because the industry is extremely toxic. We need to shine a light on this harmful industry and the pain it causes the artists involved.

If you still want to listen to K-pop, try to listen to it less. You can also check out covers. JANNY makes good English covers, and Listen SOMIN creates awesome Korean covers.
The Top Ten
K-pop artists are forced to get plastic surgery and promote it to kids and teens in Korea
It has caused depression and even suicide

In 2017, a member of the boy band SHINee committed suicide. In his suicide note, he revealed that one of the main reasons he took his own life was pressure from fame, which caused depression. Another case was with Blackpink member Jennie, who was often in the spotlight and received most of the attention from her company. She was frequently bullied by fans who told her to leave Blackpink. While Jennie did not commit suicide (thank God), she has shown signs of depression and anxiety.

K-pop artists often live in cramped dorms and have barely enough for one meal

Why can't they just go out and eat whatever they want? It's not like they're going to go to jail or something like that for eating how you're normally supposed to eat.

Artists often lose a shocking amount of weight in the name of beauty

OneKet from Global Icon only consumed one bottle of soy milk per day. The girl group Nine Muses reported following the "Paper Cup Diet," where they only ate things they put in a paper cup (rice, fruit, anything but sugar).

A lot of musicians are liked for their looks, not their sound.

Being underweight is just as unhealthy as being obese.

Artists and trainees have to work 18 hours a day
Executives have far too much control over artists' personal lives
Artists are forced to follow extreme food diets to become skinny
There is no creative freedom for artists

The idols usually cannot show their own ideas, or the company may reject them. Usually, it's the company that decides what should be done, from the music, visuals, hairstyles, outfits, stage names, etc.

Artists cannot eat whatever they want
Managers blackmail artists to keep them from breaking contracts

The Newcomers

? Idols are not allowed to date or get married
? Idols cannot be overweight or even slightly curvy
The Contenders
Idols with darker skin are bullied
The industry takes advantage of rising trainees
Idols are treated like slaves by their companies
Being LGBT is considered taboo

That's sad. Idols should be able to love whoever they want/be the gender they want to be.

In Asian cultures, being LGBT is considered a taboo subject. Because of this, many K-pop stars find it difficult to come out, although some have come out.

The music is often uncreative, repetitive, and sounds the same

There should be more variety and creativity in there. What about a Down syndrome idol? Or a half Italian, half Korean idol who looks like a mob boss? Or what about a very silly and weird idol who got plastic surgery to look extra goofy? What about a fat and curvy idol? There are so many ideas!

The industry promotes misogyny

Male stars get away with scams more often than female stars do.

There is racism towards black people

Wait, racism played a role there?

There's a lot of racism towards black people in the K-pop industry, such as appropriating their cultures and making fun of them. I don't think the idols hate black people. I'm just saying that it's stupid to make fun of black people while using their styles.

There are crazy, stalker fans who overreact to the smallest bad detail
Sasaeng fans invade idols' privacy

The obsessive K-pop fans, putting the idols under stress.

Female idols are forced to wear heels to the point that their feet become deformed
The aesthetic is overly bright and sparkly
Female idols are forced to wear summer-like clothing even in cold weather
The industry can be very addictive to some people
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