Kpop is the second largest wave in the music industry after American Pop. The expense of millions they spend on debuting their bands and covering hefty costs of uber glamorous music videos aren't the only factors taking a toll on the industry and their idols. The impossible beauty standards the South Koreans endorse falls as a burden upon the shoulders of idols. Its part of their occupation to look flawless and comply with all the beauty standards imposed. Record labels will go to full lengths to ensure that their idols are absolutely flawless. This obsession with materialism and plasticity is not only mentally damaging for the idols but for the fans themselves. Fans, even if they don't mean to, they will most likely foster a desire to look like them. This is why plastic surgery is rampant, every 1 in 3 women in South Korea has had some procedure done, unlike where in the west it is 1 in every 5. Let's begin with the facial ideals.
They want the V line jaw and the small face. Larger jaw face types, would have to go through facial massages, weight loss programs, jaw shaving procedures and facial reconstructions to achieve that. They like straight eyebrows, to give a youthful look. So idols will have their eyebrows colored in straight. Lighter skin is accepted, darker skin is looked down upon. This launches the whole meticulous process of face masks and face bleaching. They like double eyelids, which they generally don't have genetically, so they will use eyelid glue or get double lids. Moving on to the body types. They prefer a tall, slim, female body. With a very unhealthy body fat. Female idols barely have any body fat, they don't have huge butts. Unlike the west, koreans aren't big on the behind. They have very skinny legs and arms, just look up their national ideal, Yoona.
The men are preferred to be slim, have a cutting edge jawline, broad shoulders, strong collarbones, and a muscular but not a bulky physique. There has to be a feminine, or "Flower Boy" touch to them. They should also be tall, well groomed and shaved completely like females and dressed in usually colorful and playful attire.
These incredibly skinny body types are unattainable without extreme diets. Many idol bands have mentioned their stressing diets, such as the "paper cup" diet. Where all meals eaten have to fit in a paper cup. The "watermelon diet," which consists of only eating watermelons, similarly there is the yam diet and lettuce diet. The brown diet, is switching all white breads, rices, pastas, for brown ones. The high protein low carb diet, where cuts of lean meat and vegetables are the main focus. Some boy bands have even admitted to training for 15 hours a day and getting their first meal at 12:30 pm, midday. These diets are accompanied by extreme exercise and dance routines every single day. These harsh restrictive diets and lock down lifestyles, soon lead idols into a spiral of depression, health related problems, and suicidal tendencies.
Most idols face hair thinning with these extreme life styles, some fall into depression or have anxiety attacks, some lose their self esteem, many lose their enthusiasm and charisma being grated so much under pressure. They end up losing themselves, that ambition prior to debuting dies, and it takes down the artist within them, turning them into singing-dancing colorful machines. These beauty standards not only bring down the idols, but the fans as well. After being a long time fan of Kpop myself, it is very easy to say, negative self thoughts from the influence of Kpop is inevitable. Even if you have a strong backbone and aren't influenced easily, when spend so much time delved into a culture, a whole different world. It starts to become a part of you. The small self depreciating thoughts start creeping up the edges of your mind. Many Kpop fans have gone through some self esteem issue, or image issue, or some have even endured anorexia and eating disorders. Its hard to avoid, and its even harder changing the mindset of a foreign culture. Being a Kpop fan in that sense is a blessing and a curse. Its all about willpower in this situation.
Never compare yourself to these idols, who have essentially been manufactured to be this way. They have trainers and crews clocking their every step, that is why they are "flawless." We as common people, do not have that. We live very normal lives as fans, so deprecating ourselves over this is unnecessary. At one point, we have to come to terms with the materialistic and idealistic trash we ingest. Kpop should be a fun hobby, not the basis of your ideals or judgement. Don't ever end up losing yourself in an obsession. We all do it to often, it much harder to find yourself once you've lost you. I will always love Kpop, my top bands have always been Bap, Exo, and Bts. Thats my Kpop trinity. But never ever destroy yourself over what you see. Not everything you see is as glamorous as you make it out to be.
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