I’m not one to read Allkpop news anymore but recently contagion, a AKP writer posted this editioral article relating to airport experiences which I came across through omona. The article summaries how fans get too crazy and should behave in a proper manner when they go to the airport.
I’m sure it’s exciting to see your favorite idol in person, but they are not at the airport to entertain you. There’s a reason most of the big stars don’t look at nor interact with fans in the airport- they don’t want to encourage more people to hassle them. They’re not getting paid for their time in the airport, so they shouldn’t be expected to entertain us.
Honestly, I believe what they say for most of the article is right. The airport is a public place so fans and idols are not the only people there. Fans need to also realise that idols must have been very tired from travelling and just want to go their hotel rooms. I can understand what they say about fans behaviour because even I have had an experience of UK fans at the airport. And usually with less fans, people believe they will have a bigger chance to take better pictures and get fan service more. From being at the airport for United Cube, it was like watching bees to a hive. And it’s quite terrible how not only at airports but other places, you begin to see who are the worst fans now who are repeatedly known for their actions e.g. my friend told me she saw a girl squeezed Key’s butt when SHINee came to London in November.
But what the writer should realise is two things: difference in fans behaviour and lack of security.
A fans behaviour:
We all have to remember that not all fans are like that though. I have friends who go to the airport and act respectably to the idols. Usually, it is my friends who are a bit older than an average Kpop fan and when there are hardly less fans.
cairistiona: Not everyone has the opportunity to do either of those. An example is when IU came to London. Those fans wouldn’t have got a chance to see her otherwise. There were more people for Lee Seunggi, and again he wasn’t in London for a concert or a fanmeeting. When could people see him otherwise? Plus overseas fans generally don’t get fanmeets to go to, and not everyone is old enough to go to or can afford to go to their concerts. A friend of mine was forbidden to go to see the K-Pop festival in London, so she followed EXO around London. It was all she could do to see her oppas. I don’t agree with the mentality of going crazy when you see your idols, but sometimes seeing them outside of paid allotted time is all you have.
The commenter from omona is right. I-fans can act just as badly as the ones in Asia but the experiences we get are way less and there is usually a lack of security but it depends on what people get too cocky and think they can do anything, I’m sure there are many UK fans who have never seen an idol in front of their many UK fans who have never seen an idol in front of their eyes and some of them can’t go to concerts, events etc. which are usually held in London – and if some fans have a bit more of money, travel to other parts of the word, preferrably Paris. This also interested me too:
megustaelmoney: I seriously can’t with how Korean fans (not all, obviously) treat their idols. They can see them everytime and yet they always crowd the airport and stuff. I ~KINDA~ understand international fans, but even so, it has to be organized. Look at how MBLAQ was received in Peru last year:
Lack of security:
What’s another problem is that the companies make a scheme and post up the flight information for fans (and most possibly for the sasaengs) so it gives fans easy access to see them as much as possible and have no boundaries. And the more I think about it, it works as a way of publicity when they go overseas to other countries and make Korea see how popular they are in so they probably decide to send them back to bring in more money. Think about it!! The company allows their flight information to be public and fans are able to tell others and it spreads quickly so anyone who aren’t going to the concert/fanmeet/photoshoot or whatever it is, can see them at the airport.
And it’s always been bad at the airport for these idols. You can get so close to them and they can’t do anything about it because it comes with the job of being an idol. The managers are named bad people for trying to get the idols out of the way. They don’t necessarily have to be so harsh to fans by pushing them but it’s their job to keep the idols safe. I really don’t blame some of the managers or idols for doing so when they lose their temper e.g. Yoochun at the airport.
What I don’t understand is why the companies aren’t giving these idols bodyguards to stop these fans. Sure, they probably can’t get the same bodyguards as say Nicki Minaj but give them enough so they don’t have to be the ones to fight off the fans. Fans in the UK are now represented in this way that we don’t give idols privacy especially from fancams of being around EXO in London and at their hotel (but it seems everyone forgot about 4minute and Norazo no?)
So if you ask me, the fan behaviour and the management of the idol’s safety plays a big role. I don’t agree with the mentality of going crazy when you see your idols, but sometimes seeing them outside of paid allotted time is all you have at the end of the day for international fans. Here’s a little message to fans: calm down at the airport and do not rush at the idols in their own personal space. And to the management with their lack of security: get some more instead of making the idols and managers defend themselves.
Source from NyNyOnline, a London Kpop fan blogger.
