Final Essay

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Alisa Pena
Dr. Cynthia Aradillas
ENGL 1301-114
September 13, 2022
Korean Pop Stans
As of recently Korea has become the root of popular culture in the Middle East and is
now taking over the U.S, the music genre K-pop has acquired a lot of popularity
worldwide and the internet has contributed a lot to this growth (Sue Jin Lee -85). I am
what is commonly known as a “K-pop stan” or fan. A stan is simply an enthusiastic
active member in this community, and now that K-Pop is a huge phenomenon in America
the fandoms have grown immensely. Typically, people who are fans of multiple groups
are fun to interact with as they know of so many and can give you a variety to choose
from. Above all, the K-Pop community is very welcoming and a lot of stans are open to
new friendships and can provide information if there is any confusion with names of
members or depending on the group you stan, frequently there is always someone willing
to explain and help you become a well-informed fan. On the other hand, there are some
fans that can’t respect their idols privacy and become obsessed. People especially
teenagers have more time and spend most of it watching music videos, variety shows, and
choreographies, instead of enjoying other hobbies. Consequently, they become obsessed
making K-Pop their main priority, they take it to the degree that brings harm to their
idols. According to Soompi (2013): Some fans in Korea crashed the wedding of a
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singer’s brother just to get photos of the member during such a private moment. Apart
from this there is a competition among fans to get more attention from the idols by
discovering private information to boast that they are different from other stans.
Nevertheless, situations like these occur in every fan base but since K-Pop is in the
spotlight we get all the attention, fortunately, not all stans are the same and we tend to
distance ourselves from fans like these. Real stans just want to support their idol in every
way and keep a good image for them and their fandom as well. Besides all that, K-Pop is
a genre that offers a large variety of music and concepts. To put it simply, K-Pop groups
often follow a concept and that becomes the group’s identity, for every comeback its
usually like a story and it continues with each song they make. Take the group ATEEZ
for example, their concept is pirates, but not the cheesy pirates that are commonly known.
This group takes it to the next level as they look for “their treasure, the meaning of life”
(Wiki Ateez 2018). Each music video and performance so far has been the
representations of what their journey has been to what they are looking for and it will
continue until they have reached their goal. In addition to all this you become inspired to
learn how to dance choreographies and sing as well. This genre of music involves a lot of
focus on choreography and with such a catchy rhythm most fans can’t help but move
along to the music. Many stans create dance groups to perform these choreographies or
even post them on social media for others to see, they also upload dance practices to
break down the moves so others can feel included as well. Apart from this, this
community is a definite mood booster, K-Pop groups are always active and throughout
the day they will release content or post photos on social media so there is always
something to look forward too especially if we’ve had a rough day. Lastly, the Korean
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culture, its completely unavoidable and without knowing you become knowledgeable in
their culture, their greetings, the respect they have for elders, and even the types of food
they eat or holidays they celebrate. This all comes included when you join this
community, and it’s nice to learn and respect the differences of each country so, this is
one of my favorite things about being a stan. Meanwhile, I personally am a very active
stan and have learned a lot from all the people I’ve met. When I first joined this
community, I was very immature and wasn’t used to the language barrier I thought was
there but, I was taught and guided by all the friends I’ve made to be open to something
different and now I do the same for new fans that join or people who judge our
community. Being able to feel like you belong and enjoy similar interest with many
people can bring a wonderful feeling even if it’s just watching choreographies or a music
video. I really enjoy this community and it brings me so much joy to watch these idols
grow and become successful, being a stan is definitely hard work but it’s totally worth it
and I recommend others to be open to it too.

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Works Cited
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K-pop
https://kprofiles.com/ateez-members-profile/
https://www.vox.com/culture/21258262/k-pop-essential-playlist-guide-for-beginners

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Dr. Cynthia Aradillas

September 13, 2022

Korean Pop Stans

what is commonly known as a “K-pop stan” or fan. A stan is simply an enthusiastic

choreographies, instead of enjoying other hobbies. Consequently, they become obsessed

and I recommend others to be open to it too.

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