The Army Blues - Celebrity Enlistment

It's already been one year since Gang Dong-won (my current obsession) entered the army. I am getting so depressed over this. How I miss my oppa... Oppaaa! Come back to me quick!!!

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Oh come on, how can I not joke about this? It's begging for it! And since I have been thinking about the issue of army due to this "anniversary" and what with others now enlisting as well, I thought I'd make a little article about it. My blog version of this is a bit more Gang Dong-won oriented (a few more paragraphs on that), but I'd like to mainly talk about the issue here.

See, I get a fan being sad about such a thing. Or rather, displeased. You know you won't have any new works of the actor you admire for a while and then there's the issue of how long it will take before they find, film and release a project after the army. It's a big pause and an uncertainty to boot.

But actually getting depressed over some guy you don't know going into the army, that's going into the "mental issues" territory of the fangirl realm again.

You look at celebrities' enlistment "events" and you see hordes of crying wailing girls, lamenting over this as if they're at the man's funeral. Just because he'll be enjoying some peace from their kyaaing (screaming) for 2 years. All these girls do, for days upon days and probably months after the enlistment, is talk about how much they miss their oppa and how painful it is for them.

I would understand and accept such reactions from people with depression or maybe personal issues that manifest as crying, but either every hardcore fangirl is suffering from depression or the problem is much more complicated.

Scariest of all, perhaps, is the fact that this is not limited to teenagers. One would expect such reactions from them. Their logic is not exactly at its prime and hormones are a very powerful thing; one that tends to override logic, even when it's there. But these reactions come from older women too. Women you would think have lived long enough to see the bigger picture and comprehend the issue for what it is, which is certainly not something to cry your eyes out over.

The issue here is that such "fans" don't operate on logic. To them, the celebrity is their imaginary boyfriend. They are losing the man they "love" for 2 whole years. Unfortunately, the fact that the imaginary person they are in love with is not the person whose image they like escapes their damaged heads.

There is also the influence of the masses. These reactions are often the cause of mass hysteria. But just because it "happens" does not make it right. Being so deeply influenced by others and losing total sight of the weight and seriousness of the situation is not something we should be proud of as people.

It's also another sign of fangirl arrogance. They overestimate their importance to the person. Hons, did you think about the man's parents? His girlfriend? They are the ones who have the right to complain and be depressed because they actually mean something to the man other than being his next paycheck and audience.

But wait. I am judging by real world rules here. An "oppa" does not have parents. They are the "imaginary in-laws" and no fangirl would want them in her fantasies. And I said the "g-word" too. No no. An "oppa" cannot have a girfriend! He's "mine"!

And so, the internet is filled with cries begging the man to come back, as if that will somehow make the 2-year mandatory service shorter. The cries subside and then we have the anniversary, which is just another round of woes and "poor lonely me".

Depression over military service is just one of the ways through which the instability of fangirls becomes obvious. Crying is one thing. Everyone cries. There is no shame in that. And someone might cry at such an event for a number of reasons. I'm not holier than thou here. If I ever met my at-the-time celebrity crush, I'd probably cry too, afterwards. But it would be because of the shock or perhaps the relief of something so nice happening to me. I would be crying for personal reasons, not because I saw some stranger up close. I would also be aware of those real reasons.

But these girls and women devote their days and nights to idol worshiping. They prepare signs and clothing especially for such occasions. Furthermore, they actually believe that the reason they are crying is because they genuinely love and miss the person enlisting. At least that is what they express. And that is why I consider this a problem. Because, yet again, that line between reality and fiction is blurred beyond recognition.

So, instead of applying crazy rules of censorship in entertainment, which has been quite a recurring theme in Korea, maybe facing the real issues would be more helpful. Maybe funds should go there and the way the entertainment industry hooks these people should change, because it sure as heck isn't the content which is doing the most harm here. Hiding the dust under the carpet does not make your house clean.

As for me, I will celebrate this anniversary by posting some pictures on my blog, maybe watching a couple of Gang Dong-won movies and by wishing him a good second half of his service and health, above all. And I sincerely hope the cook over there is working their wonders. No crying here. I guess I don't "love" him enough.

For more on my subjective views, unmoderated swearing and kooky behavior, you can visit my Blog: http//orion21.blogspot.com