So, can I say something real quick about Kpop idols?
This has been a thought on my mind basically since I joined the Kpop community, and I know some people might react weird or not understand what I’m trying to say but that doesn’t matter to me. Putting this out there does.
*ahem* NO KPOP IDOL IVE SEEN PEOPLE CALL CHUBBY IS ACTUALLY CHUBBY.*ahem*
Like for real. I see posts talking about how Suga’s cheeks get chubbier on break, and how Haechan’s cheeks have gotten chubbier, or “before” and “after” pictures of idols who have gone on a diet and people saying “I miss when they were chubby” like…. They never were and they aren’t. This is just what they’d actually look like if they got a normal amount of sleep, ate like a normal human, and didn’t dance for 4-12 hours a day. That’s not chubby, that’s how they’d naturally look.
Chubby, to me means that a person is slightly overweight, or that they’re a healthy weight but naturally softer and can look more fuller. Which is all beautiful. And I’m aware this can be a culture difference because of how idols are expected to be thin and perfect but sometimes when I look at them I just think about how unhealthy some (not all) of them must be physically.
Because on a mini tangent: when someone eats so little amount of food for so long and is they are always in a caloric deficit (so let’s say youre recommended amount to maintain your weight is 2000, but you constantly eat 1500, or 1200-1400 calories a day) their metabolism adapts so that it’s natural state of burning to maintain IS 1500 or 1200-1400. So they’d HAVE to eat less to lose weight, or fix their metabolism by slowly increasing their food intake so their metabolism can adjust to a normal amount of food again. But to do that their weight would plateau or they’d even gain a little bit. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with an idol gaining weight or doing any of this, except for the fact that they’d be called “fat” by the media. Nobody actually seems to care about an idol’s health. And imagine what calling them “chubby” does to them when it’s just them eating normally. Why do you THINK idols always go on strict diets before a comeback? Because they know that if they eat normally people would know and call them chubby. And I’m not saying this offends them, but I know that I would feel so pressured and judged subconsciously to eat less and lose the “chubbiness” because the media must see it too if fans do.
And I know some idols don’t care or even just say they don’t care (but trust me, they probably do), and I know some of you guys don’t mean to hurt their feelings and just mean to say it innocently, it still encourages this unhealthy mindset that all idols MUST be borderline unhealthy, and just BARELY a healthy weight or diet amount. This gives their employers a reason to make them do those crazy restricted diets (ice cube diet, or the IU diet for example) and force them to lose weight because they KNOW and SEE what you do as well, and can see when you comment on it.
To put this into a different perspective as well, as someone who’s been struggling with an eating disorder, looking at really thin idols like Jimin, Suga, Haechan, etc who all weigh less than me and are taller than me and to see them called “chubby” kicked my mind into comparison mode and said “then I must be HUGE.” Or “I won’t ever officially be skinny or pretty until I weigh the same as them or less” because that’s how a sick mind works. So not only does this infect the idols minds and encourage the bad mindset, but it can infect their fans minds to think that they aren’t good enough.
I’ve never wanted to point fingers at this because I love it so much, but I can’t be a fucking liar anymore and hide behind it because I want to get better, and I’m tired of believing that I’m too big, or that I’ll always be chubby until I’m 90lbs like all the female Kpop idols. But sometimes the Kpop fandom can trigger my eating disorder. There, I said it. Fight me. Because you call thin idols chubby, and you implant this way of thinking that how they eat is okay, and that weighing 90lbs and eating 1200 calories a day is a lifestyle or that constantly restricting and not focusing on nutrients or what body type I am is how life works because IT ISNT. Some people may be that naturally, but the fact that some idols noticably change a little bit when they eat normally on breaks shows that how they are on stage isn’t natural.
And to end this off as a disclaimer again, I know people don’t mean to be triggering, and they don’t think there’s anything wrong in what they’re doing (which I understand), but you also have to really take a second to think about what you’re saying a little bit. Chubby is a word that is either black or white to people. Either they think it’s cute, or they think it’s an insult. That all depends on culture and self esteem and blah blah blah. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with being chubby, or that it’s a bad thing to be because it is definitely NOT and I think everyone is beautiful how they’re meant to be. So of you’re 90lbs or 140, or 180, or 200+ or anything in between naturally you’re all still beautiful and have your own necessary standards to consume to be healthy that will be different from everyone else. However, that is where the issue lies. Because most idols weren’t born as thin as they are, they are usually forced and conditioned to be that way. But to help you decide whether it’s okay to make these comments, ask yourself this when you’re about to call an idol chubby:
1: am I calling them chubby because they’re “eating well” (a normal diet) and they’ve started filling out?
2:Would I like it if someone I loved, respected or whom I cared about their opinion called me “chubby” after finally getting off of a restricted diet and just eating healthy but normal amounts of food?
3: If I was a Kpop media outlet and saw that they gained weight, what would I write? (Really put yourself in their shoes and be honest.)
4: Am I calling them chubby cheeks because they’re just puffing them out and being cute? (Then okay, it’s fine)
5: when I say this, are they really chubby? Or has my mind been twisted to think they are just like their critics?
And I know that may seem extreme, but that’s how it is. You all preach about how self love should be more important in the “toxic” Kpop industry but still subconsciously encourage its toxic behavior. So instead of comments like “omg your cheeks are so chubby now! <3” or “awwww look at his tummy he gained!” Say: “Omg, you look so healthy! ”, “ You’ve been looking extra cute recently 😍” and stuff like that. Because it still gets the point across that you like seeing them healthier, but it doesn’t use possibly triggering words like chubby or thick because they are neither.
Anyways that’s my mini rant. I don’t mean to trigger people, or point fingers because I used to do it too. But I think we all need to collectively recognize this as part of the issue, and say, “huh, maybe that could hurt their feelings a little but EVEN IF I DONT MEAN TO, OR ITS NORMAL WHERE IM FROM TO SAY AS A COMPLIMENT”
Because as one of my favorite quotes puts it in words perfectly “You don’t get to decide whether you hurt someone or not.” So yes, people like me are sensitive, and yes, it may not seem like a big deal to you. But honestly I’ve sat by and respected all of your guy’s opinions and words for a while now, and I think it’s now okay for me to say “hey, this kind of bugs me a bit.” Without being looked at as weird or annoying.
So in the nicest way possible, say what you want, but I’m not taking this down. I’ve made myself clear and as understanding as possible. But people like me who have an eating disorder, had one in the past, or are on the road to developing one, or someone who is about to start one of the insane Kpop diets, needs to know that this isn’t normal. And they shouldn’t compare themselves to the unhealthy kpop standards like it did.
Anyways, thanks for listening to my rant.
