Many people want to ‘play the role’ of celebrities’ families to decide who they should date and marry.
On August 3rd, YG Entertainment confirmed that Jisoo is in a relationship with Ahn Bo Hyun.
On August 12th, the management company ambiguously responded with “unable to confirm” regarding the relationship between Lisa and the French billionaire’s son.
Within a week, two members of the world’s most famous girl group have each been reported to be in a relationship. Divergent opinions have emerged, but the most prominent are a series of questions and harmful comments.
“How can Jisoo be happy with someone like Ahn?” “The billionaire’s son is indeed rich, but how can he date a goddess like Lisa?”… SCMP quoted some comments about the dating news of the two stars who are part of the globally influential music group.
Ahn Bo Hyun is being evaluated by many as not being a suitable match for Jisoo. Morganatic
Just one week after Jisoo and Ahn Bo Hyun captured media attention by confirming their relationship, while fans expressed excitement and support for the journey of the couple, others appeared less friendly.
“I wonder if Jisoo will be able to hold onto Ahn Bo Hyun because she has never publicly revealed a boyfriend before,” a comment on Nate questioned the Kpop star’s choice.
“I don’t understand why people say, ‘if Jisoo is happy, everything is fine’,” @nvc789 stated on X (formerly Twitter), “How can Jisoo be happy with someone like Ahn? She could be happy with more famous stars like Cha Eun Woo and Seo Kang Joon,” “Jisoo has lowered her life by dating this man”… are some of the other negative comments.
According to SCMP, it’s not surprising that celebrities prefer to keep their romantic relationships secret. A-list stars are aware of every action, especially dating matters, which are gossiped by millions. Kpop stars are among the most judged individuals.
Lisa and the billionaire’s son boyfriend are no exception.
The South Korean media and Jisoo’s fans delve into Ahn’s past, passing judgments on the actor’s online activities and who he follows.
Some criticize Ahn Bo Hyun’s attitude after a behind-the-scenes video surfaced showing the actor asking backstage staff to hold his script. “I hate Ahn after seeing these things. I don’t understand why Jisoo date this man”… a series of other resentful comments appear.
Another user compares Jisoo – Ahn to Jennie and V, stating that Jisoo and Ahn Bo Hyun are “mismatched.”
Meanwhile, even though Lisa and the French billionaire’s son have not confirmed their relationship, many “heroes” wanting to save BLACKPINK’s member, claiming that the French heir already has a wife and that marrying into a wealthy family would be miserable…
Notably, Lisa has never shared any plans of marrying the billionaire’s son.
Charles Cheung, an associate professor of the Faculty of Arts at Hong Kong Baptist University, China, believes that online culture promotes changes in societal perceptions, especially in how fans interact with idols.
“Celebrities are closely tied to the social media system. They are not only selling their talent, but also their entire image. Relationships are a crucial component,” says the expert in popular culture and media power.
Social media platforms provide fans the opportunity to interact with celebrities and discuss their idols with other enthusiastic fans. The expert argues that this amplifies fans’ emotions about other people’s relationships.
Combined with the increasing trend of short-term breakups and divorces, fans are becoming “judges.”
Jisoo and Lisa are not alone
This trend is not limited to the Kpop industry. In Hong Kong, China, the relationship between pop diva Vincy Chan and Ronald Cheng has long been criticized due to their 11-year age gap.
Internet users also criticize the relationship of pop singer Justin Bieber and model Hailey Baldwin. Married since 2018, after 5 years, they continue to receive hateful comments.
In a comment on Hailey’s Instagram post, user @kyliesucxss writes, “You’ll divorce literally. Bieber doesn’t like you, don’t even think about him loving and spending a lifetime with you.”
Actress Florence Pugh is a rare star who dares to speak up about the public’s treatment of celebrities’ romantic relationships.
“Within about eight minutes of the photo going up, 70% of the comments were just hate and bullying, and that’s disgusting. It’s so sad to me that people are so mean to people they don’t know,” Pugh said about the backlash she faced when celebrating her boyfriend Zach Braff on social media.
Florence Pugh faced criticism for being younger than her 21-year-older boyfriend.
In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, criticism continued as Florence Pugh spoke out about keeping her breakup with Zach Braff secret. “I think it bugs me that it’s all right for people to publicly show hatred in that way. I think it’s just unnecessary,” the 27-year-old actress said.
According to Associate Professor Charles Cheung, fans’ criticisms of celebrities’ dating lives are often driven by emotion and irrationality. This trend is inevitable as social media continues to grow. The expert explained that this is a trend in social media in general and affects not only English speakers but also people from other languages.
“Unless social media is taken down, it will just continue. So, the best solution for the public and for the fans themselves is just to try and think before responding or publicly commenting on anything,” the associate professor added.
SCMP points out that it cannot be denied that dating a celebrity comes with many risks. The challenges of public relationships in the Kpop industry, where idols are often prohibited from dating, still exist.
