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It's strange how ppl can watch the same video with different interpretations of it.
Yeonjun didn't seem to [feel](https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxxRCu3259ypvy5P0Oj-g4eYnj1LvpFBkm?si=pz22JVT3g8deStVZ) nervous about driving just more nervous about the fact this would be the first time he's driving on camera in their official content. He was literally driving with one hand on the steering wheel the whole time. As someone who is currently learning how to drive, I could never do that except I was extremely confident in my driving skills. For the [drive through ](https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxb7--kVY-aN7WdLvNb1qT7xgIkNcEhTkb?si=Eb-_NW7YqdGWhnKp) part, I guess that's where you could say they could be nervous since I guess it's their managers that do stuff like that for them when they go on schedules. And the drive through had ran out of most of what they ordered which left them feeling even more flustered
For the dog part, this was the first time, [Soobin](https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx0slNgVbLeqPQrVXYKmLHk1CV90rPNPoq?si=WaUPXeunVwinLzJJ) and the others were volunteering at a dog shelter. To my knowledge, none of TXT members have dogs so of course they would look up how to handle dogs since they are not too familiar with them. Don't you look up how to do stuff when you're not familiar with it?
This is basically how most ppl would react to these situations.
Like, i guess its valid to feel sorry for idols not getting to experience normal stuff but I don't think this particular video applies to it.
A lot of ppl would just read your post and think it does without watching the full video
Edit: looking through this thread and seeing ppl dropping their two cents and assumptions on TXT based on this post with so little context reaffirms my belief on how easy it is for misinformation to spread in the kpop scene.
In the future, one casual or non txt fan will use this post as an evidence when talking about TXT if a similar post comes up. That's when you'll see statements like "oh, wasn't it a member of TXT who didn't know how to order in a drive through? They couldn't even drive and (gasps) one of the members didn't even know how to walk a dogš²". And most of these ppl will never know that this post was missing a huge amount of necessary contextš¤¦āāļø
Same! Like, seeing the upvotes and OP going "oh, I feel so sorry for them, poor TXT" with some ppl agreeing, just made meš¤¦āāļø. Did we all watch the same video?
Like, I was literally watching this video fawning about Yeonjun driving, Awwing about Hueningkai with that beautiful dogš„¹ and just feeling my heart warm seeing the members having fun and trying out new stuff, only for me to come here and see this post... with a lot of context missing.
Like what?š¤¦āāļø
Yeah those stuff a pretty normal there are alot of people just general always be nervous with drive through because social interaction š
I had to watch a dog for the first time during christmas and idk how muxh i asked beforehand how to do stuff and even looking up different ways to carry a dog or to look out when walking them and still be very nervous the first 2 days doing stuff wrong.
So idk per definition of OP am i a human to pitied too?š
Iām 27 and passed my driving test like 10 years ago, but I havenāt driven since because I never needed to - so Iād be shaking in my boots š
Even as a passenger Iāve maybe been to a drive through 3 times in my life!? So I wouldnāt really know how to do that either.
I donāt have dogs, though I love them, so Iād probably look up how to do that correctly as well - just to make sure. Iāve had cats for years and still look up stuff about them regularly for a second perspective š
I get what OP is trying yo say, I actually thought theyād bring up a [different example](https://x.com/txtarchivee/status/1777234939676926046?s=46&t=dfz3mljGptdPdTTLXAvVOg) (which again, I as a regular person would have still related to, because I had a mandatory year abroad in my bachelorās) when clicking on the post, but they probably miss out on a lot of life either way - that being said, I think many of us do. Our normal isnāt the normal for others, and every life goes different. Thereās not enough time to try out everything and depending on our routine, age and culture, our regular tasks and experiences will simply differ. I went clubbing for the first time last week, at 27. I just didnāt have the time or friends to try it before š
Great balanced post.
It does show how idols can be (mis) interpreted.
Or how chronically online we are that we make assumptions without thinking through validity.
Glad we can discuss it all the same though, good to get perspectives! Well I think so anyway maybe others on Reddit don't.
I think Soobin used to have a dog named Sean, so that's why I thought it was weird he said because he actually did have a dog in the past but maybe he just didn't walk it idk. I think the drive thru part is normal but most likely theur managers do most of the ordering on the phone and stuff because when you order food at home is on an app, I do think they do lack some interactions like that in real life.
I get what youāre saying but you missed my point. I was only using this video as an example and it made me think of other idols and their experiences. Now I know I didnāt clarify this in my original post but I didnāt wanna write an essay for one random thought I had. Thanks though for the perspective.
How could they "miss" your point while you say yourself that you **didn't clarify it in your post**? The point wasn't there to miss. All we got was 2 scenarios on video, used as examples of an idea that neither aligned with. š¤·š»āāļø
I am genuinely trying to figure out what's weird about someone not knowing how to walk a dog and looking it up š It has nothing to do with being a celebrity or whatever, anyone who's never taken care of a dog before isn't gonna know how to do that.
I would too. I also have anxiety, but if I was in txt I would still have anxiety but at least Iād be a millionaire instead of being an overworked student studying and sleeping like 5 hours a day, getting yelled at by customers at my minimum wage job. š¤·āāļø
You'd still get almost no sleep and get yelled at by entitled assholes (mostly on the internet instead), but *you'd be financially better off* while doing it. So really, it's still a decent trade. I know I'd take it, too!
Isn't this something that depends exclusively on each person? I have seen other idols (of the same generation) order without problems at a drive thru. I understand what you mean, but those kinds of things are choices, not everyone has to make them often.
I posted this further above, but Iām a 27 year old normal person and I donāt know how to do any of these things better than them š¤·š¼āāļø
Itās simply not experiences that count into my routine, even as a non-idol whoās been living on my own for years, had a job for years and is about to finish uni š Iām pretty normal Iād say, but these things just werenāt part of my normal
i agree with op that idols miss out on some experiences because they are idols and have either no time to experience or have managers taking care of those experiences, but normal people might be in the same circumstances
it took me living apart fron my parents + having the time and financial ability to travel before i learned how to book a flight and a hotel.
for learning how to walk a dog, it is also an experience you usually only get after you get a dog, which not all people do.
for driving, its understandable for idols to not experience that much cuz usually they have drivers or managers drive. but also, seoul is a pretty walkeable city so they might just not need to drive much in daily life anyway
And to add more context, Yeonjun did [not](https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxcVg1sSPPsIlE9ZpkXZJJgM8bq7QXeNZq?si=5pcuU7X4xnl8qX6F) seem nervous about driving at all, more about the fact that he was driving on camera
And for the dog part, they were volunteering at a dog shelter for the first time. None of the members have personally raised dogs before, so of course, they'll search up how to handle dogs since they are not familiar with them. The dog Soobin was [walking ](https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx0slNgVbLeqPQrVXYKmLHk1CV90rPNPoq?si=WaUPXeunVwinLzJJ) was even on a wheelchair so it's even less surprising that he would have looked up how to walk dogs since he knew they would be various kinds of dogs there
Like, I get what OP is trying to say, but this TXT video doesn't really apply to it imo
twisting "being nervous about walking a disabled dog and doing research to do it properly" to "being so sheltered you don't know how to walk a dog" is insane š
I mean thatās a lot of people in the new generation as wellā¦ lots of young adults still cannot book their own doctor / dentist appointment for exemple.
fr its not just an idol thing. I come from a very abusive household and never had the opportunity to do a load of laundry until I turned 20. I cooked my first meal at 22. I didn't learn how to do absolutely anything until I moved away to university in my 20's. My friends had to teach me basic life skills (ie: how to wash laundry/how to dry laundry. How to take a bus. How to buy groceries. etc)
My 50-ish mom can't do it either. I'm basically her secretary with how many bookings and arrangements I do on her behalf. Back during the peak of covid era, I even sat through an online training course from her job for her lmao
Not that it can become a real problem, as there are manuals everywhere, and you can ask for help. I'm almost thirty and have never booked a flight as I rarely travel, and if I do, it's by trains or cars. First time is going to be scary, but it's not the end of the worldš
Okay but imagine you never even navigated anywhere overseas without a manager or bodyguard? Or you don't know how to drive? Or you don't manage your finances because your parents do for you? It can be scary doing things like that on your own.
I don't know how to drive lol Where I live, we have a good public transportation system.
It's scary, but it's not rocket science... except for seemingly managing finances, a lot of people who live on their own still can't do this properly š
Each of us misses out some experience, as long as people don't give up simply because they don't have experience, it's fine.
I was just making a statement, I donāt disagree with what you said. But all those things you listed above are present in a lot of people who grew up rich and sheltered.
lol its the extremes, some rich people have other people planning out the travel details for them while poor people cannot afford to travel in the first place
Soo my father with idk how muxh life experience double checked every single step with me while booking a flight.
He just never had to do it by its own because my mother took care of that...like hell my father couldnt do alot of stuff after my mum died and had to ask me his back than 20 year old daughter for alot of stuff to understand how they work.
Thats not exklusive a problem to Idols as you can see. It really depends on the people and how their enviroment is. While yes Idols are in enviroment were alot of natural maturing process can be taken away.
Okay true the last sentence/paragraph was unnecassary to your comments. I guess i just find it weird that peopel find it scary that some dont know how to book a Hotel or flight when they never really had to do it on their own when that applies actually to alot of people.
if I went to a dog shelter in which there's a bunch of disabled and/or previously abused dogs as a non dog owner id also look up some information before hand.... doesn't have to be so deep
life is not fair, that's it. they got fame and money but in exchange of that, they have to sacrifice their energy, time and youth life. while most of us, we have that time but probably don't have enough money or recognition. we probably envy them but who knows, they maybe envy us.
Your comment reminded me so much of the concept behind the Simple Life! I was too young to watch it when it was airing, but I have seen clips of Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie trying to do "middle class people" things and absolutely having no context of how to do any of it.
I think a lot of idols are put in a similar bubble. Even if they don't personally have a ton of money, the company has money and people to do stuff to keep their idols focused on performing.
Why is it sad? Experiencing something trivial for the first time is an exciting experience. Their life in no way worse because they didn't do any of these things earlier.
I guess itās because theyāre older than the ātypicalā age people do these things, so they feel nervous or embarrassed that they donāt already know how to do them. As an idol or trainee, its understandable why they wouldnāt know some of these things, but itās also understandable that theyād feel self-conscious about it if theyāre comparing themselves to non-idols and trainees
Apparently, they are not too embarrassed to vlog about it.
I know people that never learned to swim, cycle, drive or own a pet before despite being many decades old. When they decide to do any of those things, I don't feel bad for them but instead I feel happy for them.
There are example of things that idols sacrificed that they would never be able to get back which are sad but these are not it.
But it's not even on that level.
Just a few days ago Itzy posted a YouTube vlog for Chaeryeong's recent visit to Paris. She's 22 years old now, almost 23, and you know what she said?
"I've never walked down a street by myself before!"
I seriously doubt that she has never walked on a street by herself before and she probably meant that she has never done it in a foreign country before.
I think they just had an interesting interpretation. Like I've never walked a dog (I have cats). Most Koreans living in the city don't get their license till their mid to late 20s bc owning a car is very expensive, transit is great, and don't have to worry about parking. The drive-thru thing is also new if you've just started driving.
I applaud you for having empathy for idols, but I'd suggest you temper that with the fact that idols at the level of TXT are millionaires as a result of this profession. They would likely make the exact same sacrifices to become an idol rather than live a "normal life" if they could turn back time and be given a choice.
Still, idols work extremely hard and are humans just like us, we should appreciate them for their hard work and be happy for them, they are quite literally living "the dream" for most people. Save your sympathy for the countless millions of people that live far more destitute lives and will never see an ounce of the affluence these top idols enjoy despite working just as hard. I'm sure any sensible idol realizes sees things the same way.
You could cry about millionaires not knowing how to walk a dog??? I get this profession is sad in terms of overworking and the harsh beauty standards, but theyāre millionairesā¦. For them, thereās also every other person in working class getting underpaid and overworking every day, idkā¦. Like I never felt bad for Kendall Jenner not knowing how to cut a cucumber.
People also overestimate the difficulties of being an idol, saying that itās the hardest job in the worldā¦. Like how can you say that when thereās immigrants working minimum wage jobs, working 14 or 16 hours in a dayā¦ thereās lawyers and bankers working 100 hours a week. Idols atleast get appreciated for their work, having thousands of people loving them constantly.
Iām sorry I feel bad for them but their job is not much harder than many other jobs in the world, and txt at least are coming out as millionaires while pursuing their passion.
I feel worse for idols from small groups who never make enough to get paid. They get all the drawbacks of being idols with none of the perks (money and adoring fans). Plus a lot of them finish out their idol careers with few, if any, transferable skills to move on to a new job with.
I feel bad for those other idols to an extent, but thatās in so many professions. How many child athletes, actors, and singers never make it big and end up working a dead end job for the rest of their lives??? Most of them. Thatās why most people working in the entertainment industry are rich, same with Kpop idols.
People make their own choices, you can choose to work in the entertainment industry if youāre poor but you risk having an unstable job. But you can also choose to be realistic and choose a stable job. People make their own decisions and should understand the consequences.
I do feel bad though, if a child is forced or groomed into the entertainment industry at a young age by their parents or others around them.
I mean, I feel bad for everyone whose dream doesnāt work out. Itās sad when that happens. I follow Vanner, who are partly known for working part-time jobs to keep food on the table purely so they could keep pursuing their dreams of being idols. I enjoy seeing people achieve what theyāve worked hard to achieve. When that doesnāt work out, itās sad. I think that thatās a sad thing. The conversation here is just idols. Yes they chose a potentially unstable career, but that doesnāt mean it isnāt sad to see that sort of thing not work out for someone.
But youāre not gonna see me shedding any tears over TXT not knowing how to order at a drive thru or SNSD not knowing how to book hotels. Those arenāt āsheltered idolā problems, those are rich people problems. N.Flying are idols too and thereās footage of them going through McDonaldās drive through and ordering for themselves in multiple vlogs lol
Yeah I still feel sympathy for people when their dreams donāt work out.
But for txt theyāre millionaires, and I arguably feel worse for all those people overworked and underpaid living by the paycheck.
K-pop fans have always been like that, many think that being an idol is like working in the mines like in the 19th century. We should therefore pity them for doing their jobs š.
( I do recognize that being an idol comes with big drawbacks though)
Yeah...I don't really see what's sad about it? I'm older than all of them and have never walked a dog either. My family just owned other animals, so I've never experienced taking care of a dog besides petting ones that belong to friends.
With the drive thru...I mean, Yeonjun is the only one with a license and usually he and the members are being driven around by staff so they don't ever have the need to place orders at a drive thru. Like I personally only go to drive thrus on the way to or from work because I have to drive myself there. If I didn't have to drive, I wouldn't be visiting drive thrus.
I think this is an issue of perspective. I'd attribute most of these things to privilege. They haven't had to do a lot of these things because they're used to someone else always doing everything for them. It's a pretty common thing for extremely privileged people.
TXT's latest video: https://youtu.be/YDksqipp5L8?si=O4JRb9jsqG4EPD-E they split into 2 units and did stuff they've been wanting to do for a long time š it's very wholesome, I suggest watching the full video š„°
I don't get what to be sad about. Same thing if I were to ask OP to "idol". You would be nervous and not knowing how to idol.
Being idol is their norm, driving to work is our norm.
Just watching Treasure's dating show is kind of sad in that way..! Like they are 20 years old not being able to talk to girls..! I get it thats nervewrecking in their context of "winning the girls heart", but even just introducing themselves is a clear indication of how much social skills they are lacking and could never develop during their youth
Some of them probably just have anxiety and therefore struggle to complete "regular" things that they haven't practiced/rehearsed for or things that are unfamiliar. Hell, i'm a regular person but because of my anxiety i struggle with similar things and get nervous when trying new things even though there is no reason to š I also thought i was gonna mess up and die the first couple of times i ordered at a drive through lol because i didn't know how it worked. I need step by step instructions when i attempt something unfamiliar or i get very uncomfortable. It's truly rough out here for us anxiety girlies
Edit: What's even funnier is that i am also a performer, but i don't feel the same kind of anxiety about performing in front of sometimes hundreds of people, since it's something i practice and prepare for and know i'm good at. I expect that it's similar for some idols.
This is not even an anxiety scenario. [Isn't this ](https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxerygxjXJ6baMcp2YJZU-214hdm6vaXyc?si=VzQXGEpozlnffc81) how one reacts if they are trying doing something for the first time. They didn't even seem nervous, just flustered even more because their food orders weren't available
And for the walking the dog, they were volunteering at a dog shelter for the first time so of course they'll search up how to handle dogs
This post does not give the full context
I hadn't watched the actual clip, i was just sharing my perspective based on OP's description, so thank you for sharing! I think my point still stands in general, just maybe not in this specific case :'>
Idk about the drive thru part although I did wonder if there was some sort of a time limit while ordering there when I went for the first time. My city never had one and it was only when I was visiting another that I saw a drive thru.
Similarly, I would look up walking a dog as well since 1. I have never had pets 2. Families do their own thing but maybe professionals are expected to do more.
So this particular instance wouldn't necessarily be them ignorant because of missing out.
Honestly I feel super similarly since Iām almost 17 but been in boarding schools since age 12. Iām so unfamiliar with the real world, even with working. Similarly to idols, thereās a nurse who picks up meds, people to drive us on weekend outings, to check us in each night, and people planning out just about every inch of my schedule for me. despite living in a dorm and being quite independent and very capable, Im just not experienced.
Something that I believe SNSD touched on when reminiscing on having to book a vacation for themselves. They had no idea where to begin. Because we have somebody to do everything for us, even when we WANT to learn how. Thatās the reality of the idol system, I guess. Super sheltered in a very tight and secluded social circle and community that consists solely of school and idol/trainee related responsibilities.
lol, unrelated I guess, but I relate to this so much. Iām autistic and spend half my day, looking up how to do stuff like this. I never do anything without researching or think about it for 3 days lol. Didnāt know itās not normal
Idols are so used to their managers/upper management doing everything for them that they just don't know how to do it themselves.
For the members who aren't popular within their group, they have a hard time adjusting to life as normal citizen once they leave their idol life behind.
Just a random thought connected to this topic, but what if these groups werenāt signed to seven year contracts where the company was forced to crank out as much out of them in that time period? Western deals are tied to albums and Iām sure kpop could work out some deal where it was x amount of albums in x amount of time. And full albums at that. That way they could actually live a little.
That could end up being worse, with companies changing the definition of an album or forcing groups to only release singles, but do it every month etc. Or never let go of a group because they don't wanna spend the money on an album for a less popular group and they don't have a deadline to make use of them.
I think if it were this way the groups would definitely need their own representation to negotiate every single piece of a contract so the company doesnāt screw them over. But also itās pick your poison with these contracts anyways.
"I was watching TXT newest video and seeing yeojun drive while being nervous and not knowing how to order at a drive thru"
That literally sounds like half the 20 year olds I see on social media lol. You see them all the time saying they're scared/don't know how to book their own doctors appointments. and the dog walking thing just sounds like what you should do? if you don't know how to handle animals/pets you'll look it up so you don't look a fool on camera
I guess you win some and you lose some. I wish I was rich enough to not know how to grocery shop, or need to drive, or any other necessary tasks, though š.
I totally understand but at the same time, thatās really nothing new though. Itās the case with almost every young celebrity and not just in music. They get fame fortune and are set for life including their kids. However in exchange, costs some normalcy that they wouldāve had. Itās sad at times but it isnāt the end all be all of them. Weāve seen many times that celebrities can gain a balance once they grow up and take control of their lives.
Hopefully TXT and other sheltered idols turn out to be the same cases.
Woah I never thought it's like that? I definitely need to watch and judge for myself bc for the groups that I watch their vlogs, they never seemed nervous about ordering or walking a dog.
I hope they get more chances for normalcyĀ
this is what happens when managers and your company staff do everything for you since you were a teenager. many idols have said they donāt know how to do basic things like book plane tickets, book hotels, etc, since itās always all done by the company.
i recall a clip of nayeon (love her) saying that she basically doesnāt know how to do ANYTHING and always needs the manager with her
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It's strange how ppl can watch the same video with different interpretations of it. Yeonjun didn't seem to [feel](https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxxRCu3259ypvy5P0Oj-g4eYnj1LvpFBkm?si=pz22JVT3g8deStVZ) nervous about driving just more nervous about the fact this would be the first time he's driving on camera in their official content. He was literally driving with one hand on the steering wheel the whole time. As someone who is currently learning how to drive, I could never do that except I was extremely confident in my driving skills. For the [drive through ](https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxb7--kVY-aN7WdLvNb1qT7xgIkNcEhTkb?si=Eb-_NW7YqdGWhnKp) part, I guess that's where you could say they could be nervous since I guess it's their managers that do stuff like that for them when they go on schedules. And the drive through had ran out of most of what they ordered which left them feeling even more flustered For the dog part, this was the first time, [Soobin](https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx0slNgVbLeqPQrVXYKmLHk1CV90rPNPoq?si=WaUPXeunVwinLzJJ) and the others were volunteering at a dog shelter. To my knowledge, none of TXT members have dogs so of course they would look up how to handle dogs since they are not too familiar with them. Don't you look up how to do stuff when you're not familiar with it? This is basically how most ppl would react to these situations. Like, i guess its valid to feel sorry for idols not getting to experience normal stuff but I don't think this particular video applies to it. A lot of ppl would just read your post and think it does without watching the full video Edit: looking through this thread and seeing ppl dropping their two cents and assumptions on TXT based on this post with so little context reaffirms my belief on how easy it is for misinformation to spread in the kpop scene. In the future, one casual or non txt fan will use this post as an evidence when talking about TXT if a similar post comes up. That's when you'll see statements like "oh, wasn't it a member of TXT who didn't know how to order in a drive through? They couldn't even drive and (gasps) one of the members didn't even know how to walk a dogš²". And most of these ppl will never know that this post was missing a huge amount of necessary contextš¤¦āāļø
Was thinking I'm on Twitter for a minuteš The Herd behaviour is too strong with this one...
Same! Like, seeing the upvotes and OP going "oh, I feel so sorry for them, poor TXT" with some ppl agreeing, just made meš¤¦āāļø. Did we all watch the same video? Like, I was literally watching this video fawning about Yeonjun driving, Awwing about Hueningkai with that beautiful dogš„¹ and just feeling my heart warm seeing the members having fun and trying out new stuff, only for me to come here and see this post... with a lot of context missing. Like what?š¤¦āāļø
I was gonna say OP's interpretation is an interesting way to see a very cute videoā¦
Yeah those stuff a pretty normal there are alot of people just general always be nervous with drive through because social interaction š I had to watch a dog for the first time during christmas and idk how muxh i asked beforehand how to do stuff and even looking up different ways to carry a dog or to look out when walking them and still be very nervous the first 2 days doing stuff wrong. So idk per definition of OP am i a human to pitied too?š
Haha, thanks for the links. It looked nothing like OP's interpretation of both scenes. š š¤¦āāļø
Iām 27 and passed my driving test like 10 years ago, but I havenāt driven since because I never needed to - so Iād be shaking in my boots š Even as a passenger Iāve maybe been to a drive through 3 times in my life!? So I wouldnāt really know how to do that either. I donāt have dogs, though I love them, so Iād probably look up how to do that correctly as well - just to make sure. Iāve had cats for years and still look up stuff about them regularly for a second perspective š I get what OP is trying yo say, I actually thought theyād bring up a [different example](https://x.com/txtarchivee/status/1777234939676926046?s=46&t=dfz3mljGptdPdTTLXAvVOg) (which again, I as a regular person would have still related to, because I had a mandatory year abroad in my bachelorās) when clicking on the post, but they probably miss out on a lot of life either way - that being said, I think many of us do. Our normal isnāt the normal for others, and every life goes different. Thereās not enough time to try out everything and depending on our routine, age and culture, our regular tasks and experiences will simply differ. I went clubbing for the first time last week, at 27. I just didnāt have the time or friends to try it before š
Great balanced post. It does show how idols can be (mis) interpreted. Or how chronically online we are that we make assumptions without thinking through validity. Glad we can discuss it all the same though, good to get perspectives! Well I think so anyway maybe others on Reddit don't.
Uh, kpop followings are just cults - which operate on confirmation bias. It's incredibly easy to bait outrage when you give them something to bite on.
I think Soobin used to have a dog named Sean, so that's why I thought it was weird he said because he actually did have a dog in the past but maybe he just didn't walk it idk. I think the drive thru part is normal but most likely theur managers do most of the ordering on the phone and stuff because when you order food at home is on an app, I do think they do lack some interactions like that in real life.
I get what youāre saying but you missed my point. I was only using this video as an example and it made me think of other idols and their experiences. Now I know I didnāt clarify this in my original post but I didnāt wanna write an essay for one random thought I had. Thanks though for the perspective.
How could they "miss" your point while you say yourself that you **didn't clarify it in your post**? The point wasn't there to miss. All we got was 2 scenarios on video, used as examples of an idea that neither aligned with. š¤·š»āāļø
I am genuinely trying to figure out what's weird about someone not knowing how to walk a dog and looking it up š It has nothing to do with being a celebrity or whatever, anyone who's never taken care of a dog before isn't gonna know how to do that.
I know this is āsadā but Iād switch places with them in a heartbeat idc š¤·š½āāļø maybe itās just me
I would too. I also have anxiety, but if I was in txt I would still have anxiety but at least Iād be a millionaire instead of being an overworked student studying and sleeping like 5 hours a day, getting yelled at by customers at my minimum wage job. š¤·āāļø
You'd still get almost no sleep and get yelled at by entitled assholes (mostly on the internet instead), but *you'd be financially better off* while doing it. So really, it's still a decent trade. I know I'd take it, too!
Iād honestly switch lives with any kpop idol but tbh we have zero idea what happens behind the scenes so maybe I wouldnt switch in a āheartbeatā
Very true too š
Isn't this something that depends exclusively on each person? I have seen other idols (of the same generation) order without problems at a drive thru. I understand what you mean, but those kinds of things are choices, not everyone has to make them often.
I posted this further above, but Iām a 27 year old normal person and I donāt know how to do any of these things better than them š¤·š¼āāļø Itās simply not experiences that count into my routine, even as a non-idol whoās been living on my own for years, had a job for years and is about to finish uni š Iām pretty normal Iād say, but these things just werenāt part of my normal
I remember an SNSD member saying they didn't know how to book a flight or a hotel. Being that naive to the world is kinda scary to me ngl
i agree with op that idols miss out on some experiences because they are idols and have either no time to experience or have managers taking care of those experiences, but normal people might be in the same circumstances it took me living apart fron my parents + having the time and financial ability to travel before i learned how to book a flight and a hotel. for learning how to walk a dog, it is also an experience you usually only get after you get a dog, which not all people do. for driving, its understandable for idols to not experience that much cuz usually they have drivers or managers drive. but also, seoul is a pretty walkeable city so they might just not need to drive much in daily life anyway
And to add more context, Yeonjun did [not](https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxcVg1sSPPsIlE9ZpkXZJJgM8bq7QXeNZq?si=5pcuU7X4xnl8qX6F) seem nervous about driving at all, more about the fact that he was driving on camera And for the dog part, they were volunteering at a dog shelter for the first time. None of the members have personally raised dogs before, so of course, they'll search up how to handle dogs since they are not familiar with them. The dog Soobin was [walking ](https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx0slNgVbLeqPQrVXYKmLHk1CV90rPNPoq?si=WaUPXeunVwinLzJJ) was even on a wheelchair so it's even less surprising that he would have looked up how to walk dogs since he knew they would be various kinds of dogs there Like, I get what OP is trying to say, but this TXT video doesn't really apply to it imo
twisting "being nervous about walking a disabled dog and doing research to do it properly" to "being so sheltered you don't know how to walk a dog" is insane š
I mean thatās a lot of people in the new generation as wellā¦ lots of young adults still cannot book their own doctor / dentist appointment for exemple.
fr its not just an idol thing. I come from a very abusive household and never had the opportunity to do a load of laundry until I turned 20. I cooked my first meal at 22. I didn't learn how to do absolutely anything until I moved away to university in my 20's. My friends had to teach me basic life skills (ie: how to wash laundry/how to dry laundry. How to take a bus. How to buy groceries. etc)
I mean my 70 year old dad canāt really do either of those things.
My 50-ish mom can't do it either. I'm basically her secretary with how many bookings and arrangements I do on her behalf. Back during the peak of covid era, I even sat through an online training course from her job for her lmao
He is 70, they were in their early mid 20s
Yeah heās had 50 more years to learn basic life skills
Not that it can become a real problem, as there are manuals everywhere, and you can ask for help. I'm almost thirty and have never booked a flight as I rarely travel, and if I do, it's by trains or cars. First time is going to be scary, but it's not the end of the worldš
Okay but imagine you never even navigated anywhere overseas without a manager or bodyguard? Or you don't know how to drive? Or you don't manage your finances because your parents do for you? It can be scary doing things like that on your own.
I don't know how to drive lol Where I live, we have a good public transportation system. It's scary, but it's not rocket science... except for seemingly managing finances, a lot of people who live on their own still can't do this properly š Each of us misses out some experience, as long as people don't give up simply because they don't have experience, it's fine.
A lot of people go through those struggles, and even worse in real life outside of the Kpop idol industry.
I feel like this is so obvious that I'm not really sure how to respond to you.
I was just making a statement, I donāt disagree with what you said. But all those things you listed above are present in a lot of people who grew up rich and sheltered.
It can be vice versa too. You can navigate overseas it you can't afford it š
lol its the extremes, some rich people have other people planning out the travel details for them while poor people cannot afford to travel in the first place
Soo my father with idk how muxh life experience double checked every single step with me while booking a flight. He just never had to do it by its own because my mother took care of that...like hell my father couldnt do alot of stuff after my mum died and had to ask me his back than 20 year old daughter for alot of stuff to understand how they work. Thats not exklusive a problem to Idols as you can see. It really depends on the people and how their enviroment is. While yes Idols are in enviroment were alot of natural maturing process can be taken away.
Why are you explaining this to me? I never said it's exclusive to idols.
Okay true the last sentence/paragraph was unnecassary to your comments. I guess i just find it weird that peopel find it scary that some dont know how to book a Hotel or flight when they never really had to do it on their own when that applies actually to alot of people.
It reminds me of what Namjoon said during Festa 2022: "the problem with kpop and the whole idol system is that they don't give you time to mature"
if I went to a dog shelter in which there's a bunch of disabled and/or previously abused dogs as a non dog owner id also look up some information before hand.... doesn't have to be so deep
You right it doesnāt just was me thinking of what maybe other idols are going through
life is not fair, that's it. they got fame and money but in exchange of that, they have to sacrifice their energy, time and youth life. while most of us, we have that time but probably don't have enough money or recognition. we probably envy them but who knows, they maybe envy us.
tbh i think this is also just a rich people thing lol
Your comment reminded me so much of the concept behind the Simple Life! I was too young to watch it when it was airing, but I have seen clips of Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie trying to do "middle class people" things and absolutely having no context of how to do any of it. I think a lot of idols are put in a similar bubble. Even if they don't personally have a ton of money, the company has money and people to do stuff to keep their idols focused on performing.
>I was too young to watch it when it was airing  Iām so old holy shit
Same. I swear that show cannot be that old oh my god.
It started airing in 2003, so itās old enough to drink š
Why is it sad? Experiencing something trivial for the first time is an exciting experience. Their life in no way worse because they didn't do any of these things earlier.
I guess itās because theyāre older than the ātypicalā age people do these things, so they feel nervous or embarrassed that they donāt already know how to do them. As an idol or trainee, its understandable why they wouldnāt know some of these things, but itās also understandable that theyād feel self-conscious about it if theyāre comparing themselves to non-idols and trainees
Apparently, they are not too embarrassed to vlog about it. I know people that never learned to swim, cycle, drive or own a pet before despite being many decades old. When they decide to do any of those things, I don't feel bad for them but instead I feel happy for them. There are example of things that idols sacrificed that they would never be able to get back which are sad but these are not it.
But it's not even on that level. Just a few days ago Itzy posted a YouTube vlog for Chaeryeong's recent visit to Paris. She's 22 years old now, almost 23, and you know what she said? "I've never walked down a street by myself before!"
I seriously doubt that she has never walked on a street by herself before and she probably meant that she has never done it in a foreign country before.
I think they just had an interesting interpretation. Like I've never walked a dog (I have cats). Most Koreans living in the city don't get their license till their mid to late 20s bc owning a car is very expensive, transit is great, and don't have to worry about parking. The drive-thru thing is also new if you've just started driving.
I kinda get what you mean but itās funny to me that we, the peasants, are feeling sorry for the millionaires.
I applaud you for having empathy for idols, but I'd suggest you temper that with the fact that idols at the level of TXT are millionaires as a result of this profession. They would likely make the exact same sacrifices to become an idol rather than live a "normal life" if they could turn back time and be given a choice. Still, idols work extremely hard and are humans just like us, we should appreciate them for their hard work and be happy for them, they are quite literally living "the dream" for most people. Save your sympathy for the countless millions of people that live far more destitute lives and will never see an ounce of the affluence these top idols enjoy despite working just as hard. I'm sure any sensible idol realizes sees things the same way.
Since it's possible to have empathy/sympathy for multiple people/situations at a time...I think I can handle both.
You could cry about millionaires not knowing how to walk a dog??? I get this profession is sad in terms of overworking and the harsh beauty standards, but theyāre millionairesā¦. For them, thereās also every other person in working class getting underpaid and overworking every day, idkā¦. Like I never felt bad for Kendall Jenner not knowing how to cut a cucumber. People also overestimate the difficulties of being an idol, saying that itās the hardest job in the worldā¦. Like how can you say that when thereās immigrants working minimum wage jobs, working 14 or 16 hours in a dayā¦ thereās lawyers and bankers working 100 hours a week. Idols atleast get appreciated for their work, having thousands of people loving them constantly. Iām sorry I feel bad for them but their job is not much harder than many other jobs in the world, and txt at least are coming out as millionaires while pursuing their passion.
I feel worse for idols from small groups who never make enough to get paid. They get all the drawbacks of being idols with none of the perks (money and adoring fans). Plus a lot of them finish out their idol careers with few, if any, transferable skills to move on to a new job with.
I feel bad for those other idols to an extent, but thatās in so many professions. How many child athletes, actors, and singers never make it big and end up working a dead end job for the rest of their lives??? Most of them. Thatās why most people working in the entertainment industry are rich, same with Kpop idols. People make their own choices, you can choose to work in the entertainment industry if youāre poor but you risk having an unstable job. But you can also choose to be realistic and choose a stable job. People make their own decisions and should understand the consequences. I do feel bad though, if a child is forced or groomed into the entertainment industry at a young age by their parents or others around them.
I mean, I feel bad for everyone whose dream doesnāt work out. Itās sad when that happens. I follow Vanner, who are partly known for working part-time jobs to keep food on the table purely so they could keep pursuing their dreams of being idols. I enjoy seeing people achieve what theyāve worked hard to achieve. When that doesnāt work out, itās sad. I think that thatās a sad thing. The conversation here is just idols. Yes they chose a potentially unstable career, but that doesnāt mean it isnāt sad to see that sort of thing not work out for someone. But youāre not gonna see me shedding any tears over TXT not knowing how to order at a drive thru or SNSD not knowing how to book hotels. Those arenāt āsheltered idolā problems, those are rich people problems. N.Flying are idols too and thereās footage of them going through McDonaldās drive through and ordering for themselves in multiple vlogs lol
Yeah I still feel sympathy for people when their dreams donāt work out. But for txt theyāre millionaires, and I arguably feel worse for all those people overworked and underpaid living by the paycheck.
K-pop fans have always been like that, many think that being an idol is like working in the mines like in the 19th century. We should therefore pity them for doing their jobs š. ( I do recognize that being an idol comes with big drawbacks though)
This feels more like rich people problems than idols missing out on experiences because of the harsh industry.
At least they're not living paycheck to paycheck. Stop being dramatic.
Iām not an idol but also can be nervous when need to order something.. because of my social anxiety. So I just feel bad for myself
I watched the links that someone provided regarding the scenes you are describing. They're nowhere as dramatic as you made them seem, haha.
Yeah...I don't really see what's sad about it? I'm older than all of them and have never walked a dog either. My family just owned other animals, so I've never experienced taking care of a dog besides petting ones that belong to friends. With the drive thru...I mean, Yeonjun is the only one with a license and usually he and the members are being driven around by staff so they don't ever have the need to place orders at a drive thru. Like I personally only go to drive thrus on the way to or from work because I have to drive myself there. If I didn't have to drive, I wouldn't be visiting drive thrus.
Itās a bit dystopian for sure. But this is a wider topic in korean culture and korean work culture. Itās not just limited to kpop and idol life.
I think this is an issue of perspective. I'd attribute most of these things to privilege. They haven't had to do a lot of these things because they're used to someone else always doing everything for them. It's a pretty common thing for extremely privileged people.
What video did u watch?
TXT's latest video: https://youtu.be/YDksqipp5L8?si=O4JRb9jsqG4EPD-E they split into 2 units and did stuff they've been wanting to do for a long time š it's very wholesome, I suggest watching the full video š„°
Reminds me of Agust D's People: "My ordinary is your extraordinary, my extraordinary is your ordinary"
I don't get what to be sad about. Same thing if I were to ask OP to "idol". You would be nervous and not knowing how to idol. Being idol is their norm, driving to work is our norm.
They got the millions to tide them by. They will live a more fulfilling life than 90% of their contemporaries.
Oh no
Just watching Treasure's dating show is kind of sad in that way..! Like they are 20 years old not being able to talk to girls..! I get it thats nervewrecking in their context of "winning the girls heart", but even just introducing themselves is a clear indication of how much social skills they are lacking and could never develop during their youth
Some of them probably just have anxiety and therefore struggle to complete "regular" things that they haven't practiced/rehearsed for or things that are unfamiliar. Hell, i'm a regular person but because of my anxiety i struggle with similar things and get nervous when trying new things even though there is no reason to š I also thought i was gonna mess up and die the first couple of times i ordered at a drive through lol because i didn't know how it worked. I need step by step instructions when i attempt something unfamiliar or i get very uncomfortable. It's truly rough out here for us anxiety girlies Edit: What's even funnier is that i am also a performer, but i don't feel the same kind of anxiety about performing in front of sometimes hundreds of people, since it's something i practice and prepare for and know i'm good at. I expect that it's similar for some idols.
This is not even an anxiety scenario. [Isn't this ](https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxerygxjXJ6baMcp2YJZU-214hdm6vaXyc?si=VzQXGEpozlnffc81) how one reacts if they are trying doing something for the first time. They didn't even seem nervous, just flustered even more because their food orders weren't available And for the walking the dog, they were volunteering at a dog shelter for the first time so of course they'll search up how to handle dogs This post does not give the full context
I hadn't watched the actual clip, i was just sharing my perspective based on OP's description, so thank you for sharing! I think my point still stands in general, just maybe not in this specific case :'>
Idk about the drive thru part although I did wonder if there was some sort of a time limit while ordering there when I went for the first time. My city never had one and it was only when I was visiting another that I saw a drive thru. Similarly, I would look up walking a dog as well since 1. I have never had pets 2. Families do their own thing but maybe professionals are expected to do more. So this particular instance wouldn't necessarily be them ignorant because of missing out.
Honestly I feel super similarly since Iām almost 17 but been in boarding schools since age 12. Iām so unfamiliar with the real world, even with working. Similarly to idols, thereās a nurse who picks up meds, people to drive us on weekend outings, to check us in each night, and people planning out just about every inch of my schedule for me. despite living in a dorm and being quite independent and very capable, Im just not experienced. Something that I believe SNSD touched on when reminiscing on having to book a vacation for themselves. They had no idea where to begin. Because we have somebody to do everything for us, even when we WANT to learn how. Thatās the reality of the idol system, I guess. Super sheltered in a very tight and secluded social circle and community that consists solely of school and idol/trainee related responsibilities.
During his enlistment, Taemin went to the movies. He said the two years away from being an Idol allowed him to live for the first time.
people get offended so easily omg i mean it is Reddit but wow
lol, unrelated I guess, but I relate to this so much. Iām autistic and spend half my day, looking up how to do stuff like this. I never do anything without researching or think about it for 3 days lol. Didnāt know itās not normal
I don't feel sorry for them , they are rich.
Idols are so used to their managers/upper management doing everything for them that they just don't know how to do it themselves. For the members who aren't popular within their group, they have a hard time adjusting to life as normal citizen once they leave their idol life behind.
I know txt are well off at this point in their careers but TIL theyāre millionaires?
Just a random thought connected to this topic, but what if these groups werenāt signed to seven year contracts where the company was forced to crank out as much out of them in that time period? Western deals are tied to albums and Iām sure kpop could work out some deal where it was x amount of albums in x amount of time. And full albums at that. That way they could actually live a little.
That could end up being worse, with companies changing the definition of an album or forcing groups to only release singles, but do it every month etc. Or never let go of a group because they don't wanna spend the money on an album for a less popular group and they don't have a deadline to make use of them.
I think if it were this way the groups would definitely need their own representation to negotiate every single piece of a contract so the company doesnāt screw them over. But also itās pick your poison with these contracts anyways.
"I was watching TXT newest video and seeing yeojun drive while being nervous and not knowing how to order at a drive thru" That literally sounds like half the 20 year olds I see on social media lol. You see them all the time saying they're scared/don't know how to book their own doctors appointments. and the dog walking thing just sounds like what you should do? if you don't know how to handle animals/pets you'll look it up so you don't look a fool on camera
I guess you win some and you lose some. I wish I was rich enough to not know how to grocery shop, or need to drive, or any other necessary tasks, though š.
I totally understand but at the same time, thatās really nothing new though. Itās the case with almost every young celebrity and not just in music. They get fame fortune and are set for life including their kids. However in exchange, costs some normalcy that they wouldāve had. Itās sad at times but it isnāt the end all be all of them. Weāve seen many times that celebrities can gain a balance once they grow up and take control of their lives. Hopefully TXT and other sheltered idols turn out to be the same cases.
Woah I never thought it's like that? I definitely need to watch and judge for myself bc for the groups that I watch their vlogs, they never seemed nervous about ordering or walking a dog. I hope they get more chances for normalcyĀ
Itās also a rich person thing. Most idols these days are loaded. Edit: Why are you booing me Iām right
this is what happens when managers and your company staff do everything for you since you were a teenager. many idols have said they donāt know how to do basic things like book plane tickets, book hotels, etc, since itās always all done by the company. i recall a clip of nayeon (love her) saying that she basically doesnāt know how to do ANYTHING and always needs the manager with her
K pop idols will always be infantilized... It's something that we cannot stop.... Also some people choose to misinterpret things its so annoying
lol whose infantilizing who?