Filipino K-Pop fans voice prejudice, safety concerns after KMJS aired merch addiction episode
Filipino K-Pop fans are raising prejudice and safety concerns over an episode of Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (KMJS), which allegedly put their community in a bad light.
Last March 5, the news magazine program aired its case study of a young woman who is an avid fan of K-Pop groups. As an expression of her love and admiration for her idols, she spends money to buy and collect dozens of merchandise.
However, the practice will soon reach extreme heights when she resorted to stealing from her grandmother to fulfill her hobby. KMJS narrated she looted more than PHP 2 million in cash, a revelation that had raised the eyebrows of many casuals.
Following a medical consultation, KMJS later disclosed that the young woman could be suffering from an impulse control disorder. Experts define the condition as a chronic problem in which the lack of self-control triggers disruptions and dysfunctions in a person’s life.
Filipino K-Pop fans voice prejudice, safety concerns after KMJS merch addiction episode
After the controversial episode of KMJS aired, local K-Pop fandoms are ailing how it impacted people’s views about them. On Monday, a tweet summarizing their concern has gone viral on Twitter with almost 25,000 likes and over 870,000 views.
A user wrote, “To (KMJS), not only did you make people view us negatively. You also risked our safe community.”
Meanwhile, many other K-Pop fans agreed that the episode blackened their reputation rather than spread public awareness.
In particular, the focus on a single case of merch-collecting addiction prompted the public to generalize Filipino K-Pop fans. Now, there are rampant testimonies of the demeaned fan culture image, which is arguably not always unpleasant as the media have portrayed.
Moreover, what’s alarming is the increasing claims of fans getting robbed in public places or transport. The KMJS’ coverage seemed to have caused misconceptions among non-fans that all merch items like photocards are expensive. As a result, there is a threat of compromising the safety of the fans.
As of writing, multiple keywords related to this topic trended on Twitter, garnering 54,000 tweets and counting. Filipino K-Pop fans and merch collectors appeal for immediate action from the team behind Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho.
On the other hand, the program is yet to respond to the controversy.
