J.Y.J versus Avex and SM: Who’s at fault?
by kensai (allkpop)
這是我看完這篇文章的感想=]
“We can’t shake off the thought that Avex was using the three of us as tools to make more profits instead of treating us as artists.” – J.Y.J
With that single sentence, millions of fans around the world were incited into a frenzy about how the evil, greedy workings of Avex were preventing their beloved J.Y.J from continuing promotions.
Now if that scenario sounds familiar, it should, as it’s eerily similar to the one played out with SM Entertainment a little over a year ago.
Both times that J.Y.J came under fire from their companies, fans quickly came to their rescue and defended their actions in overwhelming numbers, proving that the international K-pop community is well anchored on the side of the idol trio.
Despite the seemingly unanimous disdain for SM’s and Avex’s respective roles in this controversy, I have to step back from all the emotional reactions, and reflect on whether the two companies actually deserve these horrifying depictions.
After all, it’s easy for fans to paint their idols as martyrs in the cut-throat world of the music business, but it’s just as easy for them to lose their rational thought process.
The biggest argument against the companies, particularly SM, is that they stuck TVXQ with “unfair” 13-year contracts, that they worked TVXQ to exhaustion without adequate compensation, and that the companies didn’t listen to contract requests.
I suppose to the layman, those things do sound ridiculous, but by and large, I think it depends on the vantage point.
In my opinion, it’s important to remember that these companies invest hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars, as well as precious time, to develop and train these idol groups. As a result, in order to secure a return, they must come up with contracts that assure their potential profit margin. Consequently, a lengthy contract and a large share of the group’s profitability are what they need to take in order to guarantee a return for themselves and their shareholders.
Everybody focuses on the underdog stories, but remember that the company still has to eat all the costs of training and promoting even if the group bombs; their risk is always significantly higher, so why shouldn’t their rewards also be high when they have a hit? And it’s not like these companies only shell out the money for trainees: even for successful groups, the companies pay for everything. Plane fare, meals, hotels, car rentals, promotions, recording, writers, producers, drivers – whatever the group needs, they’re paying for it.
When it was announced that Avex would continue to sell J.Y.J products after they dropped the trio, it just reinforced to fans that Avex was doing this because they are money hungry, or “stealing profit”.
Again though, it’s not as if J.Y.J are just about the music. After all, they originally wanted to renegotiate their contracts after they filed the original lawsuit against SM, so in essence, they were just looking for the best deal, like any company would.
While the story of the admirable trio who stood up for themselves against the big, bad, evil corporation is a good tale, I’m not sure the disparity in perception deserves to be as wide as it is.
It’s also absurd to me how fans believe that their favorite singers would be successful without these companies. After all, who would they be if not for the companies that trained and recruited them? The Korean music market is extremely saturated, and indie artists don’t find the same financial success that they would in a more expansive music culture like America. Without SM, and to a lesser extent, Avex, who would TVXQ and J.Y.J be? Anybody at all? Probably not, and that goes without saying for a great majority of idols.
A consistent reaction from J.Y.J to the legal proceedings and dropped promotions is an attempt to rake in sympathy from their fans. The key for them is to spin the situation into a woeful story in which it always appears that a greedy company is forcing the poor, innocent talents to do things that they don’t want to to do. They want everybody to believe that their only goal in life is to please the fans and to make music for the art of it. For example, J.Y.J demanded 2.5 million dollars from the lawsuit, even though they said they were worth 10 million. Why the lesser amount? Again, it’s to create the perception that although they were demanding a lot of money, they weren’t being greedy, because they only demanded 25% of what they thought they deserved.
So why do they utilize this spin? Because it works.
While both sides are partially at fault for this mess, there has been overwhelming blame placed at the feet of SM Entertainment and Avex.
The cold, hard reality though, is that people do seek to gain financial profitability. Companies are not run by heartless machines hell-bent on destroying the dreams of young idols; they are run by motives of self-interest, both for themselves and their shareholders.
Additionally, idols are not ‘perfect angels’, despite what fans may believe. Like the corporations, but on a small scale, they do have their own interests, their own success, and their own money at heart. J.Y.J, despite the image they attempt to play up, are also humans who desire monetary returns for their work. Again, there’s nothing wrong with that, but both sides are essentially trying to accomplish similar goals, so why the vastly different reactions?
I expect the response to this article to be negative, mainly because it takes the opposite stance of what most fans of K-pop want to hear. After all, this isn’t a stance specifically about J.Y.J, it’s really about all artists (especially idol groups) and the reality of their situations.
I know people will cry out in anger about bias and other commonly made excuses, but the point of this entire article is to get people to even consider both sides, and that both sides can make mistakes. Because presently? Fans are treating both the companies and the idols as if they are non-human entities fighting a war of good and evil – but the reality is that they are both a collection of humans looking out for themselves.
The word of idols is not the word of God. They are not flawless, and their intentions are not always pure. In that same vein, all companies are not evil machines hell-bent on preventing your favorite artists from becoming rich and successful. I’m not asking fans to side with SM and start becoming antis, I’m just asking for rational thought. I’m asking to remember that J.Y.J and other idols are also human, something that I think a lot of fans lose sight of.
What are your thoughts on the issue? Tell me in the comments.
Note: This article does not reflect the opinions of allkpop, only of the author.
＊credit from: http://www.allkpop.com/2010/10/j-y-j-versus-avex-and-sm-whos-at-fault
ALLKPOP 又一篇文章，剛看完的大意是:
以現實社會/一些相反的觀點去看這件事，即是說其實沒有公司 ，本來就沒有他們了，
公司也是花了很多投資在他們身上，才能有今天的成就， 要懂得平衡 不要真的一味兒
盲目相信。
其實 有看我blog的人都知道我的觀點，我是感謝 一直幫他們的人，
日本跟韓國的所有音樂人,工作人員，沒有他們真的沒有東方神起。
我也曉得這些道理~ 所以我有感謝也有無奈 ，是真的恨嗎?!
我其實沒有，只能說看清了社會的現實而已=]
綜觀這篇文章 一定會有人吵架 筆主都預計到，但給一些沒有這種想法的fans 看，
其實是好事來的，對著不同的事情都應有不同的觀點角度，
這才能真正的看透事情的基本，太多的個人情感，只會增加偏激感。
我相信他們，不因為他們是完美的人，只是在一路而來，看著他們的成長
，會有很大的感觸，對於一些像我本人一樣，非常追求夢想的人來說，
是一個伴隨，相信只 是一個信念，沒有說這是必然的"道理"，
信念對於每一個人來說都是不同的，也沒有對錯之分，這才是自己的信念吧。
如果是大伙兒都覺得有理的，那才是真正的"道理"了，對吧=]
他們的路，會更艱辛，因為他們嘗試突破，為自己創出一條不同的路。
這條路是一條窄小的泥石路，很容易會陷入迷茫，怎樣才能找到分支的
平穩的小石路 ，或是更大的公路，他們還在尋找。
一路上他們帶著泥漿的腳印，一步步的前進，留下他們一路的辛酸。
但當你到達終點後，回頭細看你的腳印，就會明白當中的意義。
一直以來，神起對我來說不是明星偶像，而是一個人生路途上讓我有更多想法，
了解更多現實的遠方友人，他們的努力，我看在眼裡。
他們的成長，就如同看到自己朋友的成長般，會有情緒的波折，
會想幫他們一把，會想給他們一個鼓勵，說一句安慰的話。
送上一首對我自己一直以來的信念，非常切合的音樂 給大家。
我每次失意後去聽這歌 都會淚流不止...它也是其中一首支撐著我度過
很多不安時期的歌......希望大家會喜歡。
Voice within - by Christina Aguilera
Young girl, don't cry
女孩呀，別哭
I'll be right here when your world starts to fall
當妳的世界開始崩落瓦解時，我會在這裡陪著妳
Young girl, it's all right
女孩呀，一切都會好起來的
Your tears will dry, you'll soon be free to fly
妳的眼淚會乾 很快的妳將可以自由的飛翔
When you're safe inside your room you tend to dream
當妳安全的躲在自己的小房間裡，妳將做太多的夢
Of a place where nothing's harder than it seems
在那裡一切的事情看起來都如此簡單
No one ever wants or bothers to explain
沒有人會理妳或解釋給妳聽
Of the heartache life can bring and what it means
這個令人心痛的人生將帶給妳什麼以及生活的意義
When there's no one else
當妳孤獨一人
Look inside yourself
請看著自己的內心
Like your oldest friend
把自己當作是老朋友
Just trust the voice within
只要相信心靈的聲音
Then you'll find the strength
那麼妳將得到力量
That will guide your way
那將會引導妳的方向
If you will learn to begin
如果妳願意開始學習
To trust the voice within
去相信自己心靈的聲音
Young girl, don't hide
女孩呀，別躲藏
You'll never change if you just run away
若只是逃避妳將不會有任何改變
Young girl, just hold tight
女孩呀，妳要保持堅強
And soon you're gonna see your brighter day
很快的妳就會看到光明的未來
Now in a world where innocence is quickly claimed
在這個天真快速消逝的世界裡
It's so hard to stand your ground when you're so afraid
當妳害怕時將會難以承受
No one reaches out a hand for you to hold
沒有人會伸出援助的手
When you're lost outside look inside to your soul
當妳孤立無援時請望向妳靈魂的深處
When there's no one else
當妳孤獨一人
Look inside yourself
請看著自己的內心
Like your oldest friend
把自己當作是老朋友
Just trust the voice within
只要相信自己內心的聲音
Then you'll find the strength
那麼妳將得到力量
That will guide your way
那將會引導妳的方向
If you will learn to begin
如果妳願意開始學習
To trust the voice within
去相信自己內心的聲音
Yeah...
Life is a journey
生命是一場旅程
It can take you anywhere you choose to go
它將會帶妳到任何想去的地方
As long as you're learning
隨著妳的成長
You'll find all you'll ever need to know
妳將會了解所有妳該知道的事情
You'll make it
妳辦得到的
You'll make it
妳辦得到的
Just don't go forsaking yourself
只要別背棄自我
No one can stop you
沒有人可以阻止妳
You know that I'm talking to you
沒錯，我說的就是妳
When there's no one else
當妳孤獨一人
Look inside yourself
請看著自己的內心
Like your oldest friend
把自己當作是老朋友
Just trust the voice within
只要相信自己內心的聲音
Then you'll find the strength
那麼妳將得到力量
That will guide your way
那將會引導妳的方向
If you will learn to begin
如果妳願意開始學習
To trust the voice within
去相信自己內心的聲音
Young girl don't cry
女孩呀，別哭
I'll be right here when your world starts to fall
當妳的世界開始崩落瓦解時，我會在這裡陪著妳
一首一直以來 說出我一直堅信的信念的歌，相信自己...你自己的心聲是最重要的，跟著自己的心走....
.....
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