Behind the Scenes: The Apalling Truth of the K-Pop World

          Following the recent release of K-Pop Idol Group BTS's full length album, Wings, and the international success of their title song Blood, Sweat and Tears, the K-Pop craze has taken hold of millions of people across the globe. K-Pop fans know everything about their favourite idol or idol group- their likes, dislikes, birthdays, personalities, and nicknames - but do they know what kind of conditions they work under? Do they know of the inhumane way in which the idols are treated by their own entertainment company? No.

          Every year, the K-Pop Idol Factory produces new flawless, dancing, singing, rapping machines ready to be packaged in smiley face wrapping paper and delivered to your nearest electronic device with a disclaimer, 'No human beings have been harmed in the making of this machine'. We blindly believe this disclaimer, conveniently ignoring the smaller line at the bottom, 'Idols are not human beings.' If we are aware of the plight of numerous hungry children in Somalia, why not the plight of celebrities we quite literally worship?

          We are all living under the assumption that slavery has been abolished in most parts of the world, but I'm sure it will come as a shock to know that your favourite K-Pop idols are the victims of slavery in one of its more imperceptible forms. Over the past decade, there have been numerous lawsuits filed against popular entertainment companies by the idols that work under them. A term that makes its appearance in all of these lawsuits is "slave contract'. Due to these cases, some of the clauses in these highly confidential 'slave contracts' between an idol and an entertainment company, have been brought to light.

       

Han Geng from Super Junior

One of the more popular cases is that of  Han Geng, a member of the successful idol group, Super Junior, who was working under SM Entertainment, a company known best for the number of lawsuits filed against it. Han Geng filed his lawsuit against SM, asking them to free him from his contract.  An article published in 2009, stating the reasons for his departure from the company says:

'The contract had provisions in SM Entertainment’s favour, the 13-year contract length was unlawful, it would take an unfair sum of money to end the contract, he was not allowed to request to revise his contract, he was forced to do things that were not in his contract, he was forced to do things against his will, he was fined if he disobeyed the company, missed any events or was late, and there was unfair profit distribution. Along with this, it was disclosed that because of SM Entertainment’s refusal to give him a day off in over two years, he had developed gastritis and kidney disease.'

          Furthermore, he revealed that he had only been given 4,000 yuan after his first year of performing. Imagine having to work so hard, putting your own health on the line, just to be paid such a meagre sum at the end of the year, which is barely enough to take care of your own basic necessities, let alone that of your family.

          K-Pop Idols are picked up by talent scouts at the young age of 13-14. The guardians of these children are then made to sign a trainee contract with the company, that, again, is no better than any full length contract. They are placed under rigorous schedules in which the words 'rest and 'sleep rarely make their appearance, their hours filled with dancing, singing, and variety show training. The horrifying working conditions of trainees and full blown idols, is a violation of Articles 23, 24, and 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that set out the rights of those under employment.

          Trainee contracts, are, in fact, much worse than regular contracts, as trainees are unsure of whether they will ever really debut. If the company decides that they are not good enough, they are released from their trainee contract. Usually, when the trainees are abandoned, they have already wasted their formative middle and high school years, and are left with no clear future. Trainees are sometimes required to sell their bodies to influential people at clubs, just so that they may get ahead in the industry.

         Perhaps the most controversial clause of the 'slave contract' is the dating ban. I say controversial, and not wrong because the reasons for this restriction, as put forward by entertainment companies, actually seem to be quite reasonable. I'm sure every single time one of your favourite Western singers is rumoured to have a girlfriend or boyfriend, you do feel a pang of jealousy no matter how supportive of a fan you are. Korean companies rightfully claim that allowing the idols to date may spoil the 'always available' image they portray to the fans, destroying their fans' fantasies, and thus, dealing a huge blow to their popularity. Another reason stated is that the other person involved in the relationship is often subjected to intense hatred from fans of the idol group.
       

Minami Minegishi Before and After Shaving Her Head

On the other hand, however, idols we sometime forget, are also human beings and deserve the freedom to be involved in relationship like any other mature adults in their 20s. Minami Minegishi, a core member of Japanese group AKB48, had something quite similar to say in her YouTube video when she was demoted to the status of trainee after spending a night at the house of a boy group member. In her YouTube video, she sported a shaved head, pitifully crying and apologising for her 'thoughtless deed of being a normal 20 year old'.

         In the western world, fans are the people who support your career and inspire you to work harder. However, in the K-Pop industry, some fans take their obsession to new heights. Sasaeng fans, as they are know in Korea, are the fans that dedicate their entire lives to stalking their preferred idol group. Some even drop out of school and sell themselves into to prostitution just so that they can hire cabs to constantly follow their favourite idol. They have been known to hack into cameras, break into their idol's apartments, kiss them in their sleep, and check their mobiles to see if they have been in frequent contact with any girl.

          As if that wasn't enough, idols deal with the antics of anti fans as well, who in some cases resort to violent methods to stop the career of their hated idol. In 1999 Gan Mi -Yeon from Baby VOX received a letter filled with razor blades and hate mail with photos of her with her eyes put out. In 2000. Yoon Kye-Sang from G.O.D. had his drink adulterated with bleach and laundry chemicals, which unfortunately, his mother consumed, The drink landed her in the hospital,

          If the same had occurred in the western pop industry, strict actions would have been taken against the fans. Yet, entertainment companies backing these idols have turned a blind eye to all of this, refusing to sue the wrongdoers for violating Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, instead requesting idols to put up with their crazy fans, Is this fair? Why must K-Pop idols have to put up with this encroachment into their privacy?

          All of these crimes are only those that have been revealed. Who knows what horrendous atrocities are yet to be discovered? Next time, when you watch a K-Pop video or live performance, remember that the idols are usually starved, sleep deprived, and exhausted every time they climb onto stage to perform the dance routine they were forced to sacrifice their sleep for to practice and perfect. Yet, they always appear to be the epitome of energy, enthusiasm, and excitement. Why? It is because they have come on stage to inspire you, their fans, with their music. They work so hard for us, so why don't we do something to improve their lives? Spread awareness about their plight and support them. Only then can you call yourself a true fan.



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A Letter We Should All Write

Movie: Dear Zindagi
Director: Gauri Shinde
Producer: Red Chillies Entertainment, Dharma Productions
Language: Hindi
Actors: Alia Bhatt, Shahrukh Khan
Release Date: November 23rd, 2016
Length: 2 hrs 30min
       
           My interest in Dear Zindagi sparked after watching the trailer one day while I was flipping through channels on TV. I began viewing the promotions Alia Bhatt did for her movie on various TV programmes such as Jhalak Dikhla Ja and Koffee With Karan, and something about the way she spoke about the movie resonated within me. So, when my mother asked if I was willing to sacrifice my homework so that I could watch the movie, I said yes. I am proud to say that after watching the movie, I do not regret my decision.

           Dear Zindagi is the story of an average 23 year old girl named Caira. During her pursual of her dream to be be a cinematographer, she meets Raghuvendra, a man well connected in the film industry. Caira secures a filming job in New York with his help, and they develop a bond. However, things between them don't go too well and she travels back to her hometown in Goa.

           In Goa, she stays with her friend Jacqueline because she cannot stand living with her parents. One day, she chances upon a mental health program where she hears psychologist, Dr. Jehangir Khan, speaking about who requires mental help. She tracks him down and asks him to help her with a sleeping problem she developed after her break up with Raghuvendra,

           The rest of the movie deals with how he helps her overcome obstacles in her life. He assists Caira in solving problems in her love life, teaches her how to handle her rocky relationship with her parents, and unearths things about her personality that she herself never realised.
 
           Her journey of self discovery is heart warming, and very much relatable. I could see myself in Caira, a girl trying to sort out her own emotions, rebelliousness, prejudices, and ghosts to find her place in the world, all the while having to deal with the judging eyes of society. I thought the director picked the right person for Caira's role. Alia Bhatt has been the target of many criticisms over the past year, so I felt that the movie was a way for her to tell the world her own story of self discovery.

           The growth of Alia Bhatt as an actress, from Student of the Year to Dear Zindagi, is no less remarkable than her character's growth as a human being and woman. Her acting in previous movies seemed forced, fake, and unrealistic, whereas in this movie her emotions were open, heartfelt, and absolutely natural. In the scene where she discloses her childhood trauma to Shahrukh Khan, her pain was raw, undiluted, and filled every inch of the big screen, bringing me to tears.

           It is very rare that we see a female centred plot in the male dominated Bollywood industry. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised to see the limited role that Shakrukh Khan played in the movie. It was necessary for him to be sidelined for Caira's role to truly shine. The subtle humour that we sometimes experience in our own daily lives was captured beautifully, making you smile knowingly. The song, 'Go to Hell Dil' is going to be playing on my iPod for a long time now.

          Dear Zindagi inspired me to rethink my life and try understanding who I really am. It made me want to embrace my life and look ahead, with no baggage from my past. A letter to our own life is something we should all try to write, so why not a happy, joyful letter?

          However, not many will like this sweet story, as it lacks what Bollywood movies are known for - action, masala, and a sizzling romance. Some would even say that the movie lacked plot and a solid story. In my own family the movie received a mixed response. My highly logical father thought it was too slow and boring, but my emotional mother loved it and related her entire life to it,claiming that it solved all of her problems.

         For those of you who, like my father, look for a more suspense filled, action packed, eventful movie, Dear Zindagi would not be the right pick. If you are in that time period of your life where you are unsure about many things, it should be next on your list of movies to watch before 2016 ends. The movie follows a pace that resembles that of a book and the development of the character from the beginning to the end was also much like those in books, so book lovers, don't forget to watch it!

        The bare simplicity of the movie was endearing to me, and I am confident that Caira will stay with me for a long time to come, along with Jag's advice and one particular dialogue that I loved, "Don't let your past blackmail your present to ruin a beautiful future." So please, book your tickets immediately and go watch the movie, so that you too can write a letter to your own unique, beautiful zindagi.


         

EXPECTATIONS

They overwhelm you and eat you up and order you around. Being the person that I am, I try so hard. I lie, I cheat, I do anything to ensure that I fulfil everyone's, the teacher's, the society's, my parents' , my friends' expectations, but I lose myself in the process.

Sometimes, I think what am I doing? Why? What does it even give me? Will my life be different if I let people down? I know I will never be able to live free of these expectations. They drag me down and change me, they chain me, but they also give me purpose. If nobody expects anything from you, what are you worth? What do you do in life?

It's this paradox that confuses me so deeply. If we stopped having expectations in people, they would be free to do whatever they wanted, be themselves, but they would feel worthless, as though they weren't worthy enough to place any expectations on. I've experienced both the crushing weight of too many expectations placed on me, and the self hatred of having none.

When you do really well in something, people expect you to constantly excel at that something. Expectations. And then if you don't, you feel horrible. Utterly devastated. But if nobody expects anything from you anyway, you lack the motive to excel at anything.

The idealistic way to deal with this is to have your own expectations set for yourself and be unaffected by what the world wants from you, but is that even possible?

Humans depend on each other. We're afraid of being ostracised. No matter how carefree the person, I believe the world leaves a permanent mark on all of us. We can't help but be changed. It's instinct. A survival instinct. Much like camouflage.

I'm being burdened by so many expectations. Expectations set for myself and expectations put on me by others.

My parents expect me to show my love for them and care for them and spend family time with them and make them happy.

My friends want my attention. They want me to be fun loving, interesting, and nice.

My teachers expect me to participate in class, ask HOT questions, be hardworking, and excel at my studies. They want me to be honest, innocent, and pure.

I expect myself to be a moral, ethical person who lives up to all of these expectations.

I want to be free, happy. I want happiness and peace. Long lasting happiness and peace. And expectations seem thoroughly confusing and paradoxical to me. I'm wondering whether doing anything is worth it?

Expectations increase, trust increases, burden increases, guilt increases, and at one point you think it's too much and then you're lost.

And sometimes, after this point either the blame game begins, or the self hatred begins.

Why Fair Trade Goods?

For my first post(that isn't an introduction) I'm going to be writing an article about why young people should check labels to ensure that they are purchasing Fair Trade Goods.

Why Fair Trade Goods?

     When we walk into a store, most of us just look at the To-Buy List that our parents gave us and blindly pick up the products on the list, sometimes checking the price of the good, and sometimes not. Do we ever stop and think of the people who made these goods available to us? Are they receiving enough money for the resources that they are providing? To ensure that the products we buy are being bought at the same rate as the cost of production, the concept of Fair Trade was created and the British Association of Fair Trade Shops was formed.

      Fair Trade is essentially a trading partnership between producers in less developed countries and markets or consumers in more developed countries. Fair Trade goods are those which make sure that the producers receive exactly what their product is worth. It also plays a major role in decreasing poverty,contributing to the upholding of the human rights of the producer, and increasing the market for the producer's good. The environment is verified to be conserved during production in whatever way possible and the working conditions of the workers are verified . The equality in pay regardless of gender, race, class, etc. is also ensured for the workers.

      However, why should we, as the youth, support this venture of Fair Trade? What good does it do to us? The implementation of Fair Trade ensures the stability, fairness, and sustainability of the global economy, which is undoubtedly beneficial for us, the future adults of the globe. Furthermore, by making the working conditions better, people are obliged to work better, therefore increasing productivity, wages, and the living standards of those living in poverty. For all of these reasons, please do verify if the good you are buying in the store next time has a Fair Trade stamp on it. You may be helping some poor worker in a factory across the globe feed his family.

A True Experience

My great grandpa was the head of a few villages in Andhra Pradesh and sometimes used to travel even very late in the night, to other villages. At this time, he only had a bicycle, so he would cycle on a lonely spooky path between villages. These horror stories that are supposedly his own experience have passed through the generations in my family. I heard these stories from my dad.

It was a dark and mystic night. The air seemed to be thick with suspense and a promise of bad experiences. I was alone on my rusty bicycle, cycling hurriedly to the next village at 12:00 in the night. There was some urgent business that required my immediate attention.

As I continued to cycle I saw a silhouette in the distance and as I went closer, I realised she was a woman, decked from top to bottom in only a pure white. She had her hand out, asking for a lift. I stopped and asked her to please get on the back of my bicycle. She did so, and I proceeded on my journey with her company.

After an hour, she told me to stop for this was her house. I looked around wildly and didn't see any building of any sort nearby, and asked her where it was. She told me to take another look and there it was. A towering manor adorned in cobwebs. I rubbed my eyes and assumed that I must be going mad due to the lack of sleep. She asked me to rest at ther home for a while and I agreed.

She led me into the manor, where I met her two twin sisters and then moved to the washroom to freshen up. There, I heard voices coming out from a small window at the top of one of the walls. It was the sisters! They were discussing something. One said, "Ah we've found ourselves an excellent meal tonight! His arms and legs are so healthy. They look positively delicious." The other sisters agreed and began arguing over which one of them would get to eat which part of my body.

I shuddered and began to sweat. What was I going to do? I forced my mind to think clearly and planned a way to escape from the cursed manor. There was a knock at the door. I forced my expressions to not betray me when I saw the woman at the door. She asked me to follow her if I was hungry. I went with her to the living room and say before the fireplace and then noticed that instead of wood, there was human bones in the fireplace! My body threatened to faint, but I kept it under control, asking the three sisters to each get a different food item for me.

They readily agreed and left into the kitchen. When I heard them making a lot of noise in the kitchen, I slipped out of the house silently, running directly for my bicycle and pedalling at full speed to save my own dear life. I didn't stop pedalling until I reached my destination.

The next day, I returned to the same spot in the afternoon an found that there was no manor, and no sisters.


So that's it. This is only one of his stories though. I will share more when i have the time!

Me

Hey everyone!
I'm Lahari and I'm 14 years old.
I'm writing this blog as a part of an English assignment that my teacher gave me.
I've never written a blog before, so I honestly don't know where to start, but I think I should tell you a bit about myself. The important things.

I like books, a lot. I'll read pretty much anything, but I prefer fiction, I guess.
My favorite book is Pride and Prejudice
My life consists of reading, sleeping, going to school, arguing with my little sister, studying, and reading manga/watching anime. Not necessarily in that order.
At school, math is my favorite subject!
Although I really really want to study Global Politics and Foreign Policy, I have no way of doing so.
My dream is to go to a really good university, preferably in the US, that offers me a way to do all my favorite subjects together no matter how diverse they may be. As of for my dream profession........ Honestly if reading was a profession I would sell my soul to get that job.
But......as it isn't a profession, I want to join the Indian Foreign Services as a diplomat.

Although there is one dream that I've had since I was a kid. I've always loved singing and if it can be taken as me accepting my own capabilities and not boasting, I can say I'm pretty good at singing. So I really want to be a western music singer.

Just a warning: This blog is going to have a lot of my own literary work.

Everybody who is reading this blog, thanks for reading it!