“The Hollywood Reporter” Faces Backlash For Mentioning SHINee’s Jonghyun
The Hollywood Reporter is receiving heat from K-Pop fans, following the release of their October edition.
On October 2, The Hollywood Reporter revealed their latest issue, featuring BTS on the cover and within its pages. Many fans who had looked forward to the article were left angry and disappointed after reading it.
ARMYs are accusing The Hollywood Reporter of spreading misinformation about BTS, misquoting RM, and perpetuating stereotypes of the K-Pop industry, but they aren’t the only ones up in arms. Shawols, as well as fans from other K-Pop fandoms, are also expressing their outrage.
The Hollywood Reporter describes K-Pop as “part Motown, part Hunger Games” and its trainee programs as militant “training camps”.
Thousands of wannabe K-pop stars compete at regular American Idol-style cattle calls. Those lucky enough to make it to the next level spend years learning their craft inside secretive K-pop training camps, where they’re sometimes subjected to dangerous diets, strict social rules (no dating), grueling rehearsal schedules and mandated plastic surgery and skin-whitening procedures.
— The Hollywoord Reporter
Following the above passage, the tragic passing of SHINee‘s Jonghyun was used as an example of just how brutal the industry can be.
Only the best of the best wind up in an actual K-pop band — while some don’t survive at all. In 2017, the industry drew intense scrutiny after a member of SHINee, another popular K-pop band, took his own life, writing in his suicide note that he felt “broken on the inside.”
— The Hollywood Reporter
Many Shawols feel that mentioning Jonghyun in this context was not only unnecessary, but disrespectful.
Fuck @THR how dare you disrespect jonghyun like that he deserves better
— chris 🇮🇱 (@angelmingcf) October 2, 2019
ACTUALLY FUCK @THR there’s no need to bring #jonghyun into your dumb ass article that wasn’t even all that accurate. just bc it’s what you see on the outside about the kpop industry doesn’t mean shit . yes some of it was tru but that doesn’t mean you generalize the industry !!!
— gracie 곰 🍜 #CNS (@lovelyyoogi) October 2, 2019
Some claim that Jonghyun’s mention in the article, as well as the article’s stereotypical portrayal of the K-Pop industry, is an ongoing trend in the media that needs to end.
i stopped reading as soon as he mentioned *. like how fucking insensitive do you have to be to use that as your reasoning for the kpop industry “slave contract” narrative that western media keeps trying to push honestly fuck off @ hollywood reporter
— heba (@ksjshero) October 2, 2019
news media companies have Been shitty at their job when it comes to kpop but never in my life have i seen any that were as blatantly disrespectful as the rolling stone and hollywood reporter
— isha 🦅 (@triviatouch) October 2, 2019
At present, The Hollywood Reporter has not issued an official statement to address the backlash.
