K-POP Lover

Long Khong - uncensored scene #2

Back when BTS' Holiday Dynamite Remix MV came out, we struggled a lot with notions of queerbaiting in Kpop. What does it mean to queerbait in Kpop, and is it even possible given that it's a term generally applied to fiction, where a creator has control over the arc of a character's life? The consensus (I'm generalizing) seemed to be that yes it's possible but we can't paint a broad stroke across Kpop with this term.

Taken at face value, the separation of Jimin and Jungkook, and their cute interactions, linked them to the celebration of Christmas as a couple's holiday in South Korea. If we assume that was the intention, which we can't confirm because it hasn't explicitly been said, the HDR MV was some G-rated, wholesome homoromanticism. BTS has never been a group that uses overt eroticism, nor have they engaged in anything remotely queerbait-y. Instead, they've supported queer artists in their own ways. It's hard to believe they'd start now with a new brand of homoromanticism.

What I've been wondering is if there is more queer representation existing in mainstream Kpop, and whether it overlaps with the audience's ideas of fan service. Of course, Holland exists as the only out gay idol in all of Korea. Yet, he's sidelined because of prejudice, unable to perform in the arenas that other groups do. And fan service is a very murky term; at times it seems to detract from art and reduce onstage performances to simple tick-box exercises aimed at titillating.

Enter Libido by Onlyoneof. You may have already seen gifs of this performance and thought, wow Kpop's up to its old tricks again. Well, what if there were a bigger message? And what if some of the old tricks were actually subversive, to begin with?

In the Libido video, gay relationships are depicted. They aren't suggested; they are clear as day. And, a BDSM-inspired dance routine that is, indeed, very homoerotic is the "center stage" performance. There's no room for questioning here; this is queer.

The dance was choreographed by the members themselves. In case you wanted to worry, they're not minors; they're all fully grown adults. And, there's verbal acknowledgment as to what the video is depicting. This style of concept is not new to Onlyonof, from what I've read. According to fans, their message has been one of sexual liberation since they began.

So, how can fans write off such concepts, art and performance as "fan service" or "queerbait"? I don't think they should. I've said it before, but I think fan service is a detrimental term that's become overused and almost meaningless for the genre. It's time to let it go and start respecting artists by talking about their art and performance.

And, I think at some point, it might be worth revisiting certain Kpop performances to look for subversion. What if what was deemed "fan service-y queerbait" was actually a subversive way to infuse a performance with queer under/overtones? Without explicitly stating their intentions, artists leave the judgment up to the audience. And of course, the audience skews heteronormative and makes their feelings known. He did that to titillate and please me! Well, what if he didn't?

Cho Seungyoun

Lockscreen/Wallpaper x1