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lantern-hill · 1 year

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"In an era of “girls-supporting-girls” and “let-people-enjoy-things”, having distinct tastes or opinions is tantamount to social suicide. There is no room for good-spirited teasing or critique or gossip or even interpersonal dislike. As much as I despise the phrase, these things are human nature. We possess the human range of emotions, which includes being annoyed or petty or mean-spirited—to pretend anyone is above it is not only moralistic but biologically false. When we don’t like someone or something, we scavenge to find a political or moral reason to critique them, instead of owning up to our honest truth: sometimes, you just find someone annoying.

Our crisis of niceness is both insufferable and detrimental to our artistic output; the films, art, and music we make are expected to promote pleasantness and punish everything else. We don’t see culture as a vehicle for artistic expression, but instead for moral expression, and as such our capacity for connoisseurship is at an all-time low. A film can be visually uninspired, a song can be derivative, a book can be poorly written, but as long as it espouses some rhetoric of universal justice it will be lauded as “important”. This is boring. It is uninspiring. If you even critique the mechanisms of the culture industry and its monopolized outputs (Marvel Movies, Taylor Swift, etc), you are deemed at best a hater and at worst a misogynist/racist/classist/homophobe depending on the day and the detractor.

It is a vague and meaningless form of pleasantry and niceness that does little more than create social codes of conduct concerning our language and discourse. It is Redbubble “Treat People With Kindness” stickers on MacBook Airs, it is a mass produced t-shirt with a slogan like You Matter <3 sold as mental health awareness. It feels suffocating, a cloying Yankee Candle atmosphere that gives nothing of substance yet demands a smile and a quiet wave.

We have confused pleasantness with kindness. Pleasantness is plasticine and sanitized, florescent lights over pastel bulletin boards. Kindness is human, old hardwood floors and fresh fruit.

Kindness is bringing your neighbors a bowl of chili, or sitting quietly with the people you love to reflect in the morning. Both actions somehow sparked mass outrage online and the individuals who shared their moments of quiet kindness were either called privileged or evil or any of the -ists that internet commentors love to toss around… classist, ableist, et cetera. The people who attempted to bring some joy into their own lives and the lives of others were called ugly and annoying in hundreds and thousands of replies within the same cultural space that insists that it is materially violent to say that you don’t like K-Pop or Taika Waititi."

-meditations on meanness - charlie

#commonplace book #org

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roo-bastmoon · 6 days

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Off My Chest

Rant about Hybe under the cut. I give you my word I will try to post a majority of positive content, because the world (and my mental health) doesn't need more negativity, but sometimes you just gotta vent.

Folks, if you've known me for a hot second, you've realized I am a Jimin-biased Jikooker... but I am OT7, and I sincerely love and support BTS.

I believe Jimin is a grown man who can advocate for himself and I believe Jungkook absolutely supports and adores him, whatever their relationship status is.

I always try to accentuate the positive and avoid online drama and negativity as much as possible, but I need to get this off my chest.

I will never be gas-lit into believing that the way Jimin was treated in solo era was fair, or equitable, or even made any kind of business-sense. I've genuinely tried to entertain other people's points of view and listen to people who claim to have industry expertise, but...

I will never forget his mail being tampered with four times, his leaked insurance information, denial of more music videos, overlapped solo release, only 9 days of promotion, split title tracks, no radio or play-listing, no bio for his Spotify for months, no restock of his single CD for months, hundreds of thousands of frozen and deleted sales, millions of culled streams, shady articles in WeVerse and Billboard, insulting dialogue in In the Seom, failure to submit to RIAA certification for months, only a paywall documentary on WeVerse, zero official acknowledgement of his Hot 100 #1, 1 billion streams on Spotify, or wins for The Fact, MAMA, and two Webbys, plus broken in-ears, anemic little balloons and a sad background tarp as decorations for his fan events… and the company telling him how doing more would just be impossible.

I compare all that to the push that other members and other groups got, and I know it just isn't true. It wasn't impossible.

Hell, Jeon Jungkook put in more effort to promote Jimin’s work and showed more respect for Jimin as an artist during his at-home lives than that whole company did, which honestly makes no sense from a profit standpoint.

I will never forget it, and I will not entertain arguments that say I’m a solo or an anti or jealous about it. I have eyes.

I am not out to shade any other members nor put forth any conspiracy theories. I simply want all our boys to get everything they justly deserve.

And yes, other members have suffered mishaps and neglect, but nothing of this scale, this consistently. It baffles me, I cannot understand it, and I'm done trying. Something strange was going on behind the scenes and we may never be privy to the details.

In trying to put this awful feeling behind me, I will say I am elated that Jikook are serving together and can support each other. I am glad there will be a Jikook travel show. I'm continually impressed with all of Jimin's success (in the military and professionally) despite all odds. I will always love and support all of BTS with my full heart.

And I sincerely hope the company has been taking notes and course-corrects for PJM2, even if it rubs some higher ups the wrong way if they had a different vision. Considering Jimin’s unique talents and his amazing star power—even his ability to bring Paris and New York to a screaming standstill just for the opportunity to see him exit a car—I would hope the company will “do their best to promote all labels and artists without discrimination” going forward.

But what happened truly sucked, and I needed to get that off my chest. I am not interested in further discussion or debate. I am now going to do my best to shift my focus and energy on to the things I want to manifest, instead of the things that enrage me.

So let me end on a positive and hopeful note: I put all my trust in Jimin, who signed a new contract with Hybe and who unfailingly adores all his members. There can be no love without trust. I will always do my best to trust BTS.

But I'm watching carefully. For Jimin and all our boys.

Love, Roo

#jimin #jikook #park jimin

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lick-me-lennon22 · 6 days

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Beatles X Model!Reader Headcanons

(this prompt was requested by the lovely @sugaredlavenderhearts 💕 hope you all enjoy this one!!)

John

John is incredibly (and perhaps a bit overly) protective of you, always reviewing gigs before you take them on to be sure they aren't exploitative or suspicious in any way

he basically acts as a second agent/manager

your career as a model tends to bring out the jealous and possessive aspects of John's personality

despite this, he really enjoys exploring different aesthetics and getting to play around with art and photography with you

he appreciates your artistic side and loves to collaborate with you on creative projects and experimental photoshoots, adding some excitement to your portfolio

you two mesh very well, your modeling skills blending seamlessly with John's own artistic vision

he also won't pass up the chance to brag about your looks and talent in conversation with the other lads

Paul

Paul takes a genuine interest in your career, offering encouragement every step of the way

he attends every show and photoshoot to show his support - and to see his gorgeous partner in action, of course

he'll often coordinate his outfits to match yours when the two of you go out on dates or to events

he loves nothing more than to show you off and wants everyone to see the two of you together

he can't help but shower you with compliments whenever possible

you're 100% Paul's creative muse and artistic inspiration

he's written countless love songs inspired by your elegance and beauty, expressing his admiration for you through his music

George

George deeply admires your ability to express yourself through fashion

he respects your dedication to your craft and you provide him with a deeper understanding of the art form

he loves to offer his perspective and insight on different shoots and projects you take part in, not afraid to speak up when he feels strongly about a creative decision or idea

during interviews, he often shifts the focus of the conversation to you and your accomplishments, beaming with pride as he speaks about you

he promotes you whenever he gets the chance, using his influence to propel you further into the limelight

Ringo

Ringo would be your biggest cheerleader, attending every show and shoot you book

he enjoys acting as your companion at events, reveling in the excitement and glamor of the industry

he likes to joke around with you between takes, using his humor to get you to lighten up and to dispel any nerves that may get to you

he's fascinated by your experiences in the fast-paced world of fashion, listening attentively to every story you share with him

when you're alone together, Ringo loves to take his own headshots of you, making silly faces behind the camera to get more genuine smiles and capture some candid shots of his gorgeous partner

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jmdbjk · 4 months

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Episode 4: Disconnected

Beyond the Star, produced by HYBE Media Studio

Namjoon gives a brief recap of their rise from debut, through the struggles of the next few releases and then they take off with Wings, Fire, Blood Sweat & Tears, Fake Love, and Idol and all their accolades and awards.

They open this episode with behind scenes from filming the ON MV at Los Angeles' Sepulveda Dam. It was hot that day.

[did you say something Jimin? ahem... anyway]

Regarding the previous years to this point in time, Namjoon says he may not have made the best choices all the time but he believes he made the best choices he could at the time. Yoongi says they compacted 20 years into 7 years at the expense of their physical well-being.

Namjoon says he tried to prove himself to the world but now sees that what he's left with are the choices he wanted to make at the time with all his effort and he learned a lot from them.

Jungkook says he lived a life fit for himself, that if he had forced himself to do something that didn't suit him, it would not have been good. He did what he wanted to do and experienced a lot. All decisions he made for himself and which helped him grow.

In other words, they chose to work hard and run full speed ahead and we know that led to an almost burnout situation.

Namjoon states the lyrics of the song ON are what they mean: they've been through it and are on the other side, they made it to the other side together. Bring the pain, bring it on, it will only make us stronger.

It is heartbreaking to hear them talk about how much work they put into the MOTS tour, how involved they were with equipment and production decisions. Yoongi said it had been a while since they'd been this excited about preparing for concerts.

Things were planned that we never knew about. A large-scale gala for TV promotions?

And then the news early 2020. Jimin was asking if there was any chance the concert would ever go ahead as planned...

During the two years or so of the pandemic, each member dealt with the social distancing, self-quarantining, loneliness and lack of live performances in their own ways. They did a lot of nothing during this time. The footage shown here was not of them during the first months of the pandemic. There were no cameras set up during that time. They used footage from times when they COULD film safely to help represent how they were during isolation. Looks like Hobi and Jungkook in the hotel suite after the Grammy Awards and footage of Jimin in his apartment in late 2021, etc.

There were long periods of time when everyone, including you and me were asked or required to abstain from going outside, to isolate away from others, to not socialize with more than 5 or 10 people at a time, even with our families.

Bang PD reflects that BTS were at the peak of their careers, they lived to perform, and had to overcome the feelings of helplessness and that's how he believes they've grown as humans.

So they innovated...they produced the first online ticketed concert: Bang Bang Con. Over 750,000 viewers watched.

It was reported on the news that BTS was once again changing the industry.

And then on August 21, 2020, they released a song to enjoy with the fans:

If The Most Beautiful Moment in Life was the turning point, Dynamite was literally the explosion that shot them into the stratosphere.

Dynamite broke records of every kind: on Youtube the MV set a new record of over 3 million peak viewers during its premiere, almost doubling the previous record, and set a new all-time record for the biggest music video premiere on the platform and the most viewed YouTube video in the first 24 hours, earning 101.1 million views and setting three new Guinness World Records.

In the U.S., Dynamite debuted a #1 on the BBHot100, and is BTS' first #1 single in the US. The song became both the longest-running number one on the Digital Songs chart by a Korean artist and the longest-charting song by a Korean artist on the Hot 100, when it spent its 18th non-consecutive week at #1 the Digital Song sales chart and 32 weeks on the Hot 100, three of those weeks at #1.

Hobi said it was overwhelming that their sincerity had reached all parts of the world. Jin said it was a song to simply enjoy with fans.

Bang PD said he knew what this would mean for their future and what a positive impact it was.

Yoongi said they did the song in the hopes of giving everyone strength during the trying times of the pandemic. Namjoon says because of the situation (the pandemic) they lost so much (cancellation of the MOTS tour) so during that time, the strength of music and performances were their way to give comfort and support to the fans.

With the ongoing pandemic, they had to adapt. In October 2020, they produced Map of the Soul ON:E ... two online concerts that had a record-breaking 993,000 paid viewers from a total of 191 regions across the globe. It was performed at the Olympics Gymnastics Arena. It was elaborately produced. It was expensive. Lots of man-hours went into it.

They said they enjoyed doing it, they worked hard but it was a challenge because the missing element was a live audience... Army was missing. It would never replace a live concert's energy but they were still thankful they could even do it to begin with. It would be another year before BTS was in front of a live audience again.

Overnight on Nov. 24, 2020 they gathered in front of the television in their dorm to watch the 63rd Grammy Awards nomination announcements. Only four of them were there: Jimin, Namjoon, Jungkook and Tae. I had heard the others had schedules the next day and needed to sleep.

They had never known how the Grammy nominations were announced, this was their first experience and when BTS was announced you could feel their astonishment through the screen. The first Korean artist to ever be nominated.

During the Grammy Award broadcast (done remotely), they also performed their own song, Dynamite.

Alas, they did not win but they'd made so much history and broke so many records in 2020, the year of deep lows and the highest highs.

They felt motivated, knowing they still had room for success and had something to strive for.

They were proud to show the world that there are singers like them from Korea and that Army and BTS exist.

#bts beyond the star #jimin #jungkook #hobi #yoongi #namjoon #jin #taehyung

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yunyebai · 1 month

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Hello! my name is Page [21+, PST/UTC-8] 🎔 I wanted to get something posted! First of all, hooray for opening! Secondly, I'd like to plot! Like that's sort of the main thing. I am totally willing to try and make Tumblr messages work if that's your preferred method of communication, but I'm definitely more responsive on Discord! If you want to plot, like this post and I'll hop on over to your DMs! I've got an embarrassing number of muses I'm bringing in and didn't want to make a thousand different intros to be totally honest, so I've got my first batch with some information below the read more, and I'll post for the second group over the next day or so! Click the banners to see their profiles if you want more info.🎔

Yebai moved to Korea when he was a child after his mother remarried. His mother is great, and his stepdad is a sweetheart, but nevertheless, as the leftover kid and with a pair of younger half-siblings, he has always felt like a moon in orbit, wanting nothing more than his feet on the ground. He's done well enough for himself, going to school for graphic design and digital art and getting a foot in the door in the industry, doing jobs here and there on top of doing the art for an indie games studio, but he's never stopped wanting more friends and more validation and a little more adventure.

Plotting Points: Yebai is a huge NewAve fan, with a Twitter account devoted to posting chibi comics and occasionally more fully-rendered fanart of his biases. Tweets at least once per month about the two fancalls he's had with his fave. Once collaborated with a fansite to design a plush doll of said member. School friends? Or school enemies. Coworkers? He loves to go out into public and sketch scenes and people. Frequents cafes and parks. Very outgoing.

Hyeji was very nearly an it girl, placing second on a popular idol survival show in 2016. A rigging scandal brought her two year-old group (and a planned franchise) to an end, and for a while, it seemed as though her career had fallen victim to his as well for a time. Her company debuted her as a soloist, but they were ill-equipped, and perhaps hesitant to promote her. She languished in lack-of-release limbo for a few years, picking up a few bad habits in her downtime during overly long hiatuses. She's sober now, if only barely, and has in the last year or so signed to Canvas Labs after her contract with her last company expired. As she puts together her debut album, she's also in the process of piecing together her identity. She's not sure that she knows who she is, if not a party girl.

Plotting Points: She's fairly well-known amongst a certain demographic of young people (especially women) in their 20s and international Kpop fans and does a lot of CFs and promotions even though her musical releases have been scarce, occupying a niche somewhere between Sunmi and Chungha and Somi. Canvas Labs employees and idols. She has crawled half of the clubs in Seoul by this point. Exes? Situationships that got a little complicated? Friendships that got messy? Maybe more than that, if there's chemistry?

Katrina lives with her grandmother in Seoul while she attends school, aiding the increasingly less-mobile woman with her chores. Originally from San Francisco, her mother is the charismatic pastor-president of a luxe, modern church, and her father is a plastic surgeon. Growing up, she's known nothing but strict rules governing femininity, womanhood, and the role she was to play in the world if she was to be saved. Korea confuses her. Here, a lot of those lessons ring true, and yet, freed from the covenant eyes of her parents and church community, her previously well-defined sense of self, and of the world, has begun to fray about the edges.

Plotting Points: Volunteers at animal shelters and community food-security orgs semi-regularly. People she's met at school? Someone who frequents the same thrift shops and tea shops she does? Has tried to attend several different churches in Korea and been weirded out by each one. Has an interest in musical theatre and is secretly obsessed with a couple of 40 year old musical actors. Has done some modeling for random little clothing brands.

#jongno:hello #;;ooc

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aita-blorbos · 4 months

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AITA, for choosing to chase my own dreams instead of my friends' dreams for me?

I (40s M) recently lost my two oldest and dearest friends over this argument so I want to know what other people think. Basically, me and my best guy friend, C, (40s M) used to be creative partners. We were pretty successful in the industry we started in, but he never wanted that success because he felt like we were selling out. Near the end of our partnership, I had moved on to other things but was still working with him because I cared about him and he seemed to care about me. The last straw with him was when our other best friend, M, (40s F) arranged for us to have a TV interview to promote our work, and during the interview, he freaked out and aired all of his grievances with me on live TV. Apparently, while I loved him so much that I was taking my dreams slower than I needed to to keep working with him, he was thinking that I was a money-grubbing asshole with no creative integrity, that all I cared about was money and fame. It's true that I had been migrating to spending more time on what I realized I actually want to do, producing movies instead of writing music. I hadn't given up on music entirely because and only because of him. Him calling me out like that on national TV was the straw the broke the camels back for me. For years, he's been making backhanded comments about my dreams and what I want, but I ignored them for the sake of an old and dear friendship. But doing it publically? That was just too much.

After that incident, I didn't speak to C again. He kept working on his career and is extremely successful in his own right, and I became a successful movie producer. I have money, multiple homes, and, until last night anyway, a beautiful wife. Last night, I threw a party for my friends to celebrate the critically successful premiere of my latest hit movie. There were a lot of people from the industry there, including the star of the movie, who I have been seeing admittedly behind my wife's back although that has nothing to do with this story. I invited my other old friend, M, because she's been one of my biggest supporters and is truly my best friend in the world. At the party, she got very drunk and started insulting me for many of the same things that were brought up by C in that interview and picking fights with the other guests. She insinuated that my choice to move on from making music was not only a mistake, but some kind of betrayal. We got into a fight, and she ended up giving a toast that was blatantly insulting and rude to both me and the other guests, and then stormed out. We have not spoken since, and I do not think we will.

In my eyes, I have done nothing other than chase my dreams, the very thing that brought the three of us together in the first place. Just because my dreams didn't stay perfectly aligned with who I was when we met, when we were all barely 20, they seem to think that I did something to hurt them. So, AITA for choosing to chase my dreams instead of staying "true" to who my friends assumed I still was?

#aita #am i the asshole #unreality

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lunetual · 1 year

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♡ HAPPY CHANGKYUN DAY ♡ happy happy birthday to monsta x’s forever maknae, who despite turning 27 years old and fully being an adult, is still undoubtedly regarded by his hyungs as not-quite-grown-up yet. wishing him a lovely day and an even lovelier year as he so very much deserves!!

quick cc note: hehe here we goooo! buckle in we’re in for a long ride etc. you’re all used to this by now! changkyun is so very dear to me in such a specific way where i can’t think about him for too long or i’m at risk of crying. you know? he occupies such a particular place within the group and in my heart.

i definitely don’t claim to know what’s going on behind the scenes or pretend to exactly understand anyone’s state of mind except my own... but doesn’t changkyun seem lighter these days? i think in general changkyun loves the stage and loves music, and you can always tell that. he’s always been happy when he’s out there under the stage lights all mic’d up. but this past promotional period he has seemed so relaxed and happy and comfortable like he has been GLOWING!! that impossibly charming silliness that sometimes shows itself has been spilling out of him!!! and it makes me so so happy because he deserves that! like doesn’t it do your heart good to see him thriving!!

i have such a soft spot for him for a myriad of reasons but one of them is that it’s because i know that so much of this job kind of goes. against his instincts?? alkf;alsk. changkyun is by nature, so reserved a lot of the time and a lot of an idol’s job requires you to have your on switch flipped at all times. he himself has talked about it, how it doesn’t seem like a job suited for him and yet... it IS his job and it DOES suit him. and in a lot of ways, i think how introverted he is helps at his job, in that he is able to expend his energy when needed and ride that high, and then knows how to regroup and recover within himself. he’s talked about the come down from the rush of being on stage and how it’s a peculiar and acute loneliness, and how actually, he doesn’t mind it. that it’s something that you need to feel.

changkyun is just so thoughtful and introspective. i think he’d be such a good conversation partner. from now on when people ask that icebreaker question that’s like. which three people dead or alive would you want to have dinner with... i’m naming changkyun as one of the answers. i really admire the way that he can sit with his emotions and acknowledge them, and at the same time, the way that he’s like. fake it til you make it!!! like. so true king. me too. sometimes you just have to keep telling yourself that you’re fine and you just keep saying it and keep saying it until it’s true.

he’s a bundle of contradictions. he gives off this cool and fierce image while being so, so sweet to the bone, the group’s resident romantic. he quietly watches his groups antics from the side except for when his goofy sense of humor bursts out of him. he cares fiercely, so fiercely about what his people think of him — and nothing at all for his naysayers’ words. he’s incredibly introverted but loves standing in front of the crowd under the spotlight. :):

i think all the time about how changkyun really maintains a strong sense of self in an industry where it can be really hard, really brutal to do so. here are the things that stand out to me, especially: he is considerate of others, and endlessly patient with those he cares about. (thinking of: him sleeping in his studio for kihyun’s solo debut to make sure he didn’t disturb the sparse amount of sleep kihyun was getting. the way he always indulges hyungwon when hyungwon asks him to check his eyes.) he was raised with an appreciation for music and art and it shows so clearly in his identity as an artist. and along with that, growing up in a few different countries when he was younger gave him maybe a more international mindset than he would have had otherwise. he is honest in his music. he knows his worth and will make the decision that’s best for him, even when those decisions may not come easily.

i’m so excited for the future for him. like changkyun, i also believe that good times and bad times must both exist, and that one will naturally follow the other. but i hope that for him the good times always last longer than the bad ones, and that inner light that’s been shining from him keeps on dazzling us all.

im changkyun!!! i admire who you choose to be every day!! i’m really proud of you and the way you’ve had your cake and eaten it too, leaving the company and staying committed to the group and the members you love so much. i can’t wait for your solo ventures to come, i can’t wait for the group activities to come, i just can’t wait to see what comes next. this year i hope you stay happy, stay smiling. i hope you keep on betting on yourself, because you will never, never lose when you do. with all the love and support, always. rooting for you, cheering for you. with you every step of the way.

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cara-delaney-author · 2 months

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Author brands 'n shit, I guess

So I somehow managed to lose a post I really wanted to reblog to an unexpected re-log. The post was about a Vox article talking about how the concept of a personal brand and a platform is poisoning artistic industries, particularly writing and music. So we're just doing a new post instead.

The article makes some really good points, especially about how now more than ever, authors (and musicians, but I write books so that's what we're mostly looking at) can't just do the thing that's in their job description. We have to do the marketing as well. And that is such a wild concept to me, who grew up convinced that I would one day land a publishing deal and be a famous author. I had this idea of how the traditional publishing industry worked, and for a long time, that idea was fairly accurate. Now?

If we now also have to do most of the marketing for our book to even stand a chance.

If advances are shrinking to the point where even successful authors are forced back into day jobs.

If print-on-demand means that nobody has to shell out thousands for a print run anymore without knowing that they'll even sell a fraction of the books.

What do we even need the traditional publishing industry for anymore?

Midlist books and authors are disappearing. The focus is on bestsellers, on "the next big thing", to the exclusion of almost everything else. That's not a sustainable plan. Sure, in theory, producing nothing but bestsellers would make you thrive. But you can't. You simply cannot guarantee that 100% of your books are going to be bestsellers. The vast majority are not. Even big pre-existing audiences don't guarantee that. Just look at these incredibly funny numbers provided by the New York Times, about celebrity books that "flopped". And I'm using that word loosely - tens of thousands of copies sold are GREAT, actually. But when you calculated your sales potential based on an audience of millions? It's nothing.

This really pokes a lot of holes into the idea that big platform = big sales, but here we are, being asked to flap our arms about and make silly voices in funny little TikToks to promote our work. When that should be the publisher's job. So, again - what are they even still good for, if you aren't coming to them already famous?

Though the article also comes with some questionable takes, albeit when it cites other writers. Specifically when it cites Defector writer Israel Daramola about music criticism, and how more and more professional outlets are closing or get incorporated into other publications. How this means that the ecosystem of criticism is shifting to "a loose collection of Youtubers and influencers", and how "This has all helped produce a mass of music fans who don’t understand the value of criticism and outright detest being told the things they like might suck." Which is just so baffling to me. Of course they don't like that! Do you?! If you think the point of criticism is to forcibly explain to people why the thing they enjoy is bad, actually, you really suck at criticism. Criticism is meant to give you an idea before you engage with something, of what the quality might be and whether or not you'll like it. It's not meant to make you go "oh, well, if this artist I love is bad, I should probably not listen to them". Stop doing that! Let people enjoy things, it doesn't matter if you, personally, think the thing in question is "objectively not good". People are allowed to enjoy "bad" things, for fuck's sake. This is the exact kind of elitism that drives people away from professional, thoughtful and educated critique.

I find this particular citation odd, because Daramola does make a point much more related to the subject of the article - that the reduction of music criticism to subsections and listicles is a symptom of a similar problem as "author brands" in the music sphere. If you don't already have a big platform, a successful brand, you won't find support. Budding artists struggle the same as budding authors, where the industry whose entire business model is built upon taking risks on new talent and building that talent up is now refusing to do that, and shifting all of that work onto the artists. This has very little to do with the audience, and everything to do with the business people calling the shots behind the scenes.

There is a whole lot wrong with my industry these days. Art gets more and more commodified. The content doesn't matter anymore as long as you, the author, can sell a lot of it. Once you have proven yourself, the publishing gods might decide that you're a guaranteed success, and deign to give you the kind of support they should have given you from the beginning. Only now, there is no risk for them anymore. That risk was all taken by you, the person with the most to lose.

One last time - if that's how traditional publishing works now, what is it even still good for?

And I haven't even gotten into how this entire system is also rigged heavily in favour of the (white, attractive) Anglosphere, while the platforms themselves have global reach. So the Anglosphere is actively sucking the air out of the room with its ever-growing cultural hegemony even on the level of individual artists. The article touches on this, too, though it brushes past that pretty quickly, and one of the linked articles in the section basically just says "if you're from a different culture, consider simply ignoring that and doing it the American way". Fabulous.

I don't have any quick, easy fixes for this problem. I don't think anybody has. But if you're a reader, if you're a music lover, maybe next time you're looking for something new, consider looking past the big hits. Ignore the huge platforms, and maybe go and find some indie artists to try. There's a lot of gold to be mined here, even if it's getting harder and harder to find. It takes a little more effort, but it would mean the world to the indie artists on the other side.

#writing #books #publishing #self-publishing #publishing industry #music industry #author marketing #author branding #American hegemony #long post

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fashionlandscapeblog · 8 months

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I was recently introduced to Alec Leach's work, which I find so incredibly important, especially now that our planet is on fire.

In one of his most recent articles, Alec questions whether we need new ideas in fashion and makes a very valid point arguing that longetivity in a garment is far more important than how groundbreaking it is (in reference to Peter Do's debut collection for Helmut Lang, which was harshly met by critics calling it 'Helmut lite' for not offering enough subversion to the garments as HL typically did). I do agree largely with his point, but I am not sure I think this is an absolute.

To support his argument, he mentions that 'nothing is new anymore' and that 'Brands don’t sell new ideas anymore, they sell remixed versions of old ones'. He further argues that 'a totally original idea doesn’t count for much anymore.', because the industry should instead focus on solving the climate emergency. It's the part in bold I have a problem with.

First off, saying that there are no new ideas anymore and that everything has been done is kinda suggesting that fashion hasn't changed much during the past decade, when it massively has (IMO for the better). Or worse, is he suggesting that designers influenced by others, like Peter Do who has clearly been influenced by HL, do not offer something refreshing and different to their mentors? And no, it's not just marketing or aesthetics. He fails to understand that art has always evolved through inspiration and 'remixing version of old ideas' with new ones as does music.

Furthermore, I think creativity and longevity are not opposites, they can go hand in hand. I personally own several garments with a subversive twist which I've had for nearly a decade and which I still love and wear (I was one of the only influencers rewearing years old pieces of clothing). Not everyone wishes to wear uniforms or look 'normal'. I think that space fashion offers us to express our differences is incredibly important for us humans. It promotes diversity and tolerance. I think Alec is right in his concern , but he underestimates the importance of being different in a world where sameness is the norm.

Clothes need to steal your heart, and that is where the longevity comes in. It’s then when you will repair that hole and reuse it for years, and for a lot of us, basic, razor-sharped tailoring won't cut it

What needs to change is not the design of the clothes per se (longetivity?, definitely), it's our mentality regarding consumption or worrying about our clothes being on trend or not. I could not give a rat's ass whether my 7 year old cropped puff sleeved Tomé jacket is so 'passé', because it expresses who I am.

The attempt to create new things should always exist. After all, designers will continue releasing new collections and they might as well offer their creativity. I follow Peter Do since 2018 for his unique point of view. If he offered me what everyone else offers me, I wouldn't follow him. What shouldn't really exist is our mentality when seeing these new things and 'needing' to buy them. It is possible to see beautiful fashion without that impulse. It is possible for it to exist without destroying our planet. It's the way and quantities in which it is produced what really needs to change.

Finally, I truly believe there is a place for everything on this planet. While not everyone wants to wear avantgarde fashion and basic clothing is what is mostly needed, I think there should always be a space for new ideas, even if minimal. Not everyone can build like Zaha Hadid or Frank Gehry, nor should they (our planet doesn't count with the resources for every building to look like the Guggenheim de Bilbao, plus this would lead to countless other problems). However, I believe these buildings deserve their place in the world, as does anything different, including fashion.

#sustainability #fashion #fashion industry #climate crisis #originality #creativity #peter do #helmut lang #subversive minimalism #minimal fashion

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zot3-flopped · 4 months

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It’s true that a lot of Larry-type thinking is about people (for whatever reason) not wanting Harry and Louis to have their own romantic lives, but it’s so much darker than that. They don’t want them to have any life that they don’t know about. Everything is up for investigation: their love lives, their random shags, who they party with, who they stand next to at a party (immediately those people become ‘friends’ - come on), their families, their friends, their families’ friends, their friends’ families, their music business dealings, their other business dealings, their promotional strategies, their homes, their gym, where they walk to and why. It’s exhausting.

And when the information isn’t forthcoming - which for the most part it isn’t because either that’s their private lives, or it’s business sensitive, or it’s nothing at all of significance, then they just lie lie lie and draw conclusions about things they have no understanding of. They don’t accept, or perhaps they can’t imagine, that they have absolutely no control over any of this, and they only see about 1% of Harry and Louis’ lives, most of which is not explained to them. So they bake things into the ‘canon’ and decide for these adult men that certain things were motivated by certain needs: not a shred of evidence or even fact but now they can spread those things as ‘reality’.

And what is it for? Some of them were maybe discovering they’re queer at that young age when romance seems very important - young teens - and they were sold a really potent story of forbidden love. I get it, but they have got to grow out of it!

Some of them are older women fetishising gay sex between young men (but let’s not forget Harry was a boy at the beginning of 1D; this is not some easy fantasy, it’s bloody dark). Those older women seem to want to shepherd the younger ones in some way, which is fucking creepy.

All of them seem to be really invested in fan fiction, like to a worrying degree. I wish they’d funnel that creativity in a way that didn’t perpetuate these fantasies for others.

Some of them just hate beautiful women, I think. I come from the UK and for me, the idea of shagging around a bit in your late teens/early twenties/late twenties is just kind of fine, some people do it and others don’t. I can see that if you come from a country where that’s a no, or a deeply conservative family in the US, say, then drivelling on about ‘stunts’ might make some warped sense. It’s phenomenally misogynistic, but they don’t seem to ever be able to analyse that for themselves. (I always think of Letdown nasty mod as one of these.)

But you know what’s saddest of all? That Harry and Louis are not even close to being special, throughout all this. Chris Evans fans are the same. Benedict Cumberbatch fans are the same. Outlander fans are the same. Supernatural. Name almost any male actor/tv series that appeals to online fans and the loneliest, most online of those fans are quietly generating a shit ton of crap. It eventually somehow becomes so intrusive that the object of their disrespect has to either say something, or conspicuously do nothing to pander to it. Cue more meltdowns every time. Larries are just another sad little group, out of a whole load of sad people who visit this disrespect on people they claim to love, but don’t know at all and never will. None of it is original. And then they wonder why famous people put on a bit of a persona: it’s to keep people like them away from their real lives 😖

Thank you for this! I agree with every word.

Many Larries do seem alarmingly puritanical. They believe that when Louis accidentally got a woman he'd only known a few months pregnant it was some deadly sin, but their notion that Louis is employing a child to fake being his son (which is illegal under child labour laws) is somehow fine because 'that's what happens in the entertainment industry.'

#larries #louis tomlinson #harry styles #liam payne #1d reunion #is larry real #larry #larry stylinson #ziam #zayn #niall horan #shawn mendes #conspiracy theorists #fandoms #👏👏👏👏👏👏

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iamnotyourbabe · 1 year

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On niceness, kindness, and the difference between them:

We have confused pleasantness with kindness. Pleasantness is plasticine and sanitized, florescent lights over pastel bulletin boards. Kindness is human, old hardwood floors and fresh fruit.

-meditations on meanness - charlie

this post was originally from @lantern-hill. they were getting unwarranted hate from swifties with no reading comprehension and understandably turned reblogs off on the original post.

essay from @wildsagebythemountaingoats

#posting #wildsagebythemountaingoats #niceness vs kindness #tumblr #twitter #discourse #marvel culture #anti intellectualism #consumerism #identity

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cathy-gabby · 1 month

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No More Dream

March 22, 2024

Boybands are essential members of the music industry. For a time, they would become trendy and come a dime a dozen; other times, one boyband defines a generation �� from the Beatles to the Backstreet Boys. The music lives on for generations but sadly, boybands come and go. When one member becomes too greedy and decides he is too famous to be just a member of a group; or when a member thinks he could be more than just a back-up singer with a few lines and very limited screentime and tries his luck as a solo artist – the band disintegrates and nothing is ever the same.

The globally phenomenal business that is kpop thrives because it follows a time-tested formula. Personalities come first; music comes second. The center member gets most of the lines and screentime; all the other members have to prop him/her up, whether they like it or not. They all have distinct roles to play to make the fans happy regardless of their own preferences. The music is generally crappy – sometimes a HIT but mostly a MISS - but the stage performances are insane; the stage antics and fan services are cringey at best and bordering on abuse at worse but the fans are happy; and the members play out their roles and personas to the hilt even if they are fictional versions of themselves.

Take for example the different personalities BTS members have projected on screen and on stage. (Intro: Persona by RM)

Jin is ONLY handsome; he is lazy; he only games a lot; he is a princess; he is a scaredy-cat.

JHope is another scaredy-cat; his only role in the group is to laugh a lot.

Suga is a genius; he is savage; he does not speak a lot but does not mince with his words.

RM is the leader; he has a very high IQ; he is a great lyricist; he is the muscle guy; he is a workout junkie.

V is cute; he has his own world; he always checks the vibe.

Jimin is CUTIE. SEXY. LOVELY.

JK is the ultimate muscle guy; he is an adrenaline junkie; he is very competitive; he is manhood personified.

For years, members play out their roles as best they can but since they are only portraying a make-believe persona, cracks appear here and there and they unwittingly show bits and pieces of their real selves. How many times have we seen Jin show his highly calculating intelligent mind in all those Run BTS episodes; or of Suga being soft and kind while Jimin is being assertive and scary when angry. Sadly, business is business so the script and the roles remain; hence, staged personas are magnified to obscure these snippets. And the members do their part.

But the military – an entity all its own – bursts the rose-tinted bubble that shrouds the kpop members. In a snap, the makeup and the hairstyles are gone; the glitter and the glamour are matted by the reality that all men in Korea have to go through. Boys become men to defend the sovereignty of their country. There is no script, only reality. No More Dream.

And so Captain Korea Jin excels superiorly in the military. For someone who is supposed to be the lazy and cowardly princess, he advances in his military promotions like how he moves up in his game levels – with his physical and emotional strength, calculating strategy, highly intelligent mind, and deep empathy.

Jhope who was originally chosen to be BTS leader now commands an entire army of trainees – his leadership skills shine through. And it’s not a laughing matter.

V who seemed passively placid carves his own path in the Special Duty Team (SDT) of the Korean Army Military Police. His competitive self stands out and he is now truly in a world all his own.

Cutie sexy contemporary dancer Jimin is assigned in the artillery that “requires good knowledge in mathematics and physics, as well as good judgment.” And that is so sexy of him.

And of course there is RM.

Muscle guy slash workout junkie RM is in the military band. Fans thought that his IG posts of himself exercising – sometimes half-nakedly sexy – were a prelude to what should be expected of him once he would enlist. But no. RM is a musician through and through. Whether he is in a state-of-the-art music studio or in the military field playing his saxiphone, his musical genius is serving.

And JK?

Ultimate muscle guy slash adrenaline junkie fiercely competitive Jungkook is in the kitchen. And he is very proud about it, he even posts it on weverse himself, confirming that he is cleaning and cooking in the military. Did I expect it? No. Am I surprised? No. Because JK has shown many times his domesticity – during Bon Voyage when he would do the laundry, during In the Soop when he would cook together with Jin, during his weverse lives when he would wash the plates, vacuum his place, wash and fold the laundry, and cook and share his recipes even in the wee hours of the morning. How many times has he opened his live only for his fans to watch him watch a youtube cooking tutorial? Did JK condition us for what he wanted to be while in the military? Maybe. Maybe not. But what is assuredly definite is that he is very happy with where he is right now. JK brings dignity and glamour to what would have been a thankless job (and butt of jokes for many). I am so proud and happy for him.

This, for me, is the real Chapter 2 of BTS. They have chosen, on their own, where they are most comfortable and the happiest. No script. Just serving.

People are complex; celebrities even more. Despite the hours and hours of footages in different platforms, whether staged or personal, we are only shown a glimpse of the complexity of their lives. We are only spectators, but hopefully without the rose-tinted glasses, so that we can truly see what THEY (not the company) want us to see.

PS. Yoongi is still Yoongi - off the grid but surely making wondrous music.

#jin #seokjin #bts #bts army

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roo-bastmoon · 8 months

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With 17 versions to buy and 8 versions combined for 160 streams per Spotify account, plus Melon and FLO streams now counting, of course Jungkook’s Seven is charting high and sweeping awards. Firstly because it’s Jungkook of course, and secondly because it’s been given every possible advantage.

My (perhaps controversial) opinions about that are below the cut.

Honestly? I really can’t feel good about any “first” or “most” or “fastest” records achieved by this single—catchy as it is—which wasn’t written or conceived by Jungkook and has nothing much personal or deeply meaningful about it. It’s a fun feel-good summer pop song, for sure, but no more groundbreaking than, say, Bad Decisions (in my opinion… I have no musical expertise.)

But I can’t feel super great about all the records and awards because this many versions immediately restocked and shipped and auto play and promoted to radio and ads and leadership hyping only this while Jungkook says he wants to be the one and only artist to conquer kpop and pop for the next thousand years… it all just doesn’t really sit right with me.

When compared to the 10 months Jimin forewent sleep, food, and showers to have a hand in every aspect of his first (and deeply personal and symbolic) album, which was never sent to radio or restocked, got split tracks and delayed playlisting and shady articles, plus not one kudos or congratulations from leadership even after he made history for South Korea and stocks soared…

Forgive me, but it all leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It is ruining the song for me.

Some things like culled streams and sales are out of the company’s control. But the things I mentioned above were all possible for Jimin’s Hot 100 #1. Even if every Tannie has total say in their projects' sales and marketing, and everyone was on board with only Jungkook getting the Hybe America "red carpet" treatment, I can’t lie and say the stark difference feels fine. It doesn't, and I confess I leave the headphones in every time Seven comes up in the playlists now.

I’m not jealous. If anything, I have a warped sense of pride that Jimin has done so fantastically well despite so many, many obstacles stacked against him. I love to champion an underdog and I’m glad I never need to doubt his success was organic. I actually feel extra admiration for how humble and hardworking he continues to be—no resting on any laurels for the It Boy. I'm so glad he is my ult-bias.

*sigh*

Listen to me.

I know Jungkook and Jimin are both genuinely good people. I know they are sincerely talented and hard working. I know they truly love each other. I know all members are legitimately happy for each others' success.

I know what’s important to me may not be important to them, nor what they want for their careers. And even if I feel their company’s making shitty decisions, I know my place as a fan.

So I trust them. And I simply hang in. I hope lessons were learned for smoother, fairer future releases. Because neglecting assets makes zero business sense, and perceived favoritism can erode the group’s bonds and tear ARMY apart. It is, frankly, just plain stupid.

So I may dislike things about their solo era rollouts and I can't bring myself to sugar-coat it; but I mostly try to keep my negative thoughts to myself and find things I CAN celebrate with other fans on an open timeline.

I never want another Tannie to feel anguished and misunderstood the way Hobi did about JitB’s physicals.

Watching Jungkook’s face here on his London live when he talks about people hating him just haunts me. It guts me. I can't stand it. That kid was going through it and I don't believe he has a malicious bone in his body, so it just really upsets me seeing him like that.

There’s so, so much about this company, this industry, this culture that I just don’t understand. But I trust Park Jimin completely. As long as Park Jimin loves and supports his members, God knows, I will too.

So!! On that note...

We have Jungkook’s birthday to celebrate next week and Taehyung’s album to support the week after that. I’m going to do my best to rest up and gather some good energy for these things!

And of course, we must congratulate our Jimin, who made history again today, and no matter what, will always set the standard. I just know he's cooking up something else for us with all these weeks of silence, and I cannot wait to go BERSERK for it whenever it drops.

I’m not really sure I had a point to this post. It’s just that I have been mulling all this over for a long time, and finally felt well enough to sit up long enough to come online and type up my thoughts.

I guess what I mostly wanted to share with my friends here is that it’s okay to feel really disappointed and even enraged at the way some things play out over the (hopefully life-long) careers of BTS members. Don't let folks gaslight you. Call it like you see it. (Maybe keep sensitive things behind a cut or in the DMs--and of course, please change your mind if you get better insight. In the end, only the Tannies really know what's going on with the Tannies.)

But while I’m still side-eyeing the company so hard right now, I’ve decided to love and support the boys as people and artists. I'm trying to believe the best in everyone. I’m still an OT7 Jikooker.

You don’t have to agree with me, and if you need to unfollow, I understand. But I figured I should just tell you guys (especially the new followers) where I am at with all this.

Love, Roo

#jimin #jikook #jungkook

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mimikoolover · 9 months

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There’s nothing wrong in acknowledging the difference in how the company managed jm’s comeback Vs jk’s. And there’s nothing wrong with admitting that jk got a huge push that helped him achieve all these numbers while other members didn’t. That’s not diminishing, that’s stating facts. Idk why army keep calling people “solos” “antis” whenever we point out that a lot of shady things have happened with jimin and face. Yes we don’t know what’s happening behind the scenes but we are also not blind. We can see that face CDs are not restocked, we can see that hype did not acknowledge jimin’s number one, we can see that hype approved that shady article about jimin (the Weverse article ), we know that hype said no when jimin asked for a visual album (he literally told us) , we know that the fans were not informed about bbd new rule and that caused a free fall for LC. we also know that the promotion period was too short for a debut album. These things have happened and have affected LC’s potential and it’s ok to acknowledge that and question why they happened. If some fans want to ignore and focus on the happy things then that’s ok but please don’t accuse those who care about jimin as an artist of being akagaes or whatever you call them. Some of us want to the best for jimin and the rest of the group and we would be happy for all the members and their achievements as long as no one gets sabotaged on the way.

no.

to clarify: you're a solo/akgae because you harbour irrational hatred for other members. not because you care about jimin. caring about jimin doesn't involve hating on the people he's closest to and actively sabotaging them.

tell me your motivation behind comparing jimin and jk's solo debut. where are the comparisons involving the hyung line, if you think of yourself as so fair?

jimin's promo is not fans' job. how the members' promos are handled is not fans' job. you don't know what happens behind the scenes. stop pretending you do.

you list several things that you perceive as sabotage and for some reason you think this, which is business, is somehow your job to demand better for.

let me say this again: the members' careers are business.

hybe is not attacking jimin as a person if they say no to an idea he brings to the table. as a fan i want jimin to do everything that he wants to. at some stage that stops being realistic as a business decision and jimin knows that. it's still more than valid for him to be upset about the decision and to voice that. but when he tells you, he's not also saying to you that he wants you to burn the company building down.

it's baffling you expect fans to be informed about billboard rules by the company.

as a fan, you should enjoy the music and the content that your fave creates. at some stage in this fandom this will have to be said:

it's not fans' job to spend thousands of dollars in order to make their faves chart.

it's not fans' job to stream 24/7 from multiple devices in order to increase streams.

it's not fans' job to monitor the company, billboard, scooter, the entire industry.

it's not caring about your fave when you spread hate against other members. it's not caring about jimin when you team up with other fandoms to try to make a racist American man or two chart above jungkook. you're not justified hating, comparing, sabotaging jungkook because the company doesn't do for jimin what you want them to do.

it would be naive to claim that the fandom's frankly bonkers 'support' as they call it did not put bts and the members where they are today. it did.

but bts never ask you to do any of that. when they say they love army, it's not because of the monetary support or the endless streaming.

when jungkook tells people to care more about themselves than him, and that fans are the main characters' of their own lives, you can wonder why he says that.

(side-note: i seriously side-eye every single artist that has seen what bts fans do, and now encourage their fans to do the same and buy and stream endlessly. several tweets and posts asking fans if they're streaming. all of that. bts have never done that).

be honest with yourself and really think about how what you listed above in your ask makes you feel. then think about whether jimin would want you to feel that way.

people gotta understand that what fandom says isn't rooted in reality. the reality is bts do their job and we don't know what the company does, we don't know their personal lives, we don't know feelings they only share with the people closest to them or maybe with no one at all. the reality is you cannot take every move, act, breath, word of a member as gospel and base your entire experience around you and twitter's assumptions over what they mean. there's gotta be some grey space where people take things at face value and just enjoy the damn music.

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cutiedwaekki · 1 year

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Mukbang livestream ideas lives in my brain rent free. Just imagine Chan starting out only doing shows once a week but as tips and donations pour in, he goes from once a week, to twice a week, to daily livestreams. Then there’s the rest of skz, all of them Chan’s loyal fans that keep upping their donations in the hopes of getting him to eat even more.

At first, he’s oblivious to the weight gain. But then, one day he pops his pants button during a live. He wants to stop it there, but he’s realized the meal was paid for by one of his followers, plus he’s still hungry. He powers through the meal. He notices an uptick in donations at the moment he burst his pants open, so he decides to keep wearing small clothes and will just rip off his shirt if it gets in the way.

yes.

Nothing more to say THIS IS PERFECT

Anyways thank you for your request i hope you'll enjoy it like i did enjoy writing it ^-^

CHANNIE'S ROOM

- "Is it on ? Okay!" Said the brunet before turning his gaze towards his camera to get a return of the screen. He was currently recording his first live show and despite the good lighting and soundproofing, it was clear that he didn't know his way around.

To give you a quick summary, Chan had finished his studies and had a small studio in town, he was making his debut in the music world and was helping to compose songs for different artists. He had not yet composed for anyone famous, but he believed in his dreams and was not afraid to try. He was still a beginner, freshly graduated, it would take time for him to make a name for himself in composition. The problem was that he was having a hard time getting recruited and the part-time jobs weren't helping him pay the rent, and he didn't want to depend on the help of his friends who had obviously supported him from the start.

So came the thought of doing live streaming, after all he was often told that he was attractive and someone you liked to listen to so why not do that but get paid for it.

But back to the point. The brunette sighed for a long time as he waited for at least one or two viewers to show up on his live, but it seemed that today was a good day as in less than ten minutes at least thirty-five people were watching his live, which was a small number but for the Australian it was a lot.After a few minutes of silence he finally decided to speak and start his live show

- "Well ... heu .... hello everyone ! It's your boy Christopher ! You don't know me for sure and this is my very first live show here so I hope I'll be treated well and that you'll appreciate me!" He started shyly before reading the comments that defiled, all were filled with love and encouragement making him more confident to start talking

.He spoke again and again, he talked about himself, his dream of becoming a producer, he even promoted 3racha, an underground band he had formed with two of his best friends: Changbin and Jisung who were watching the love too and encouraged him throughout the live show with "CHEER UP HYUNG" "DON'T FORGET YOU'RE A NICE GUY WHO JUST HAVE A LOT OF MONEY !!!" "IF THEY DON'T LOVE YOU SHOW YOUR ABS"

He chuckled at their comment and did not hesitate to chat for long minutes with the tchat.

-"By the way, if you have any ideas of what I could do in my lives, tell me, I guess it must be weird that I'm just talking and do nothing more" he added, turning his eyes back to the comments to read the various proposals. "Mukbang? You want me to make mukbang?" He questioned after seeing this idea several times in the chat.

He had nothing against the mukbang, it's just that with his meager salary he could not afford to buy rich or pretty food aesthetically and that he quickly understood "apart from industrial ramyeon I do not think I can make real mukbang , like ... these live served me a little to that too , i ain't someone really wealthy" he confided nervously before scratching the neck. This gesture made the heart of some people capsize and they hurried to flood the comment section with their hearts.

Then suddenly *ding* was heard showing on the screen that someone had just made him a donation.

"@P1RATE-K1NG sent you $20: with this you can buy some food for your next live ;)"

The brunet hallucinated a few seconds before thanking politely his donor and promising a mukbang for his next live.

- "Wow it's been 2 hours already? Time goes by so fast! It's getting late guys I'll leave you but we'll meet again ... let's say next week? Thanks a lot I had a lot of fun today! For your all guys big hug!" He concluded before standing up and hugging the camera for a few seconds before sitting back down and greeting the viewers with a peace sign and a wink before turning off the live show.

Wow for a first live he had done well! He had already gained almost a hundred subscribers and received his first donation, it was definitely a sign for him to continue, but how far?

------♡------

Here is about 3 months that Chan had started his lives , as promised he made every week a live at the same time and discussed with his community that grew day by day , during his live there was only good vibes , people this confided and Chan gave them advice as much as he could acting as a virtual friend for all these people

Of course he was entitled to donations but it never went beyond 50$ and it was mostly to buy food. He thought he was only doing mukbang from time to time, but he ended up by only doing it for several reasons:

-he had more visibility and visibility so he often had more chance to receive donations

-It was his favorite way to live because he felt really comfortable and didn't have the need to act like he was wearing a mask and could show himself without a filter as he wanted to

-but it was also the favorite type of live shows of his viewers who always asked for more live shows from him.

In order to support his artistic projects, he opened a utip at the suggestion of one of his viewers and often received some tips and in exchange the viewers had the right to exclusivity like demos or explicit versions of songs like "Drive" that he had co-written and performed with his boyfriend Minho, even though neither of them assumed the meaning of the lyrics, creating an embarrassing moment for them and a funny one for the internet users.

So after the first month, Chan finally gave a name to his live shows that he named the Chans Room because he was doing his live streaming in his room and his name was Chan!

His rhythm of live although regular was less and less often and sometimes it had fmd him emanate a week or to make a live a day after, the reason was that he had not enough income and that the little money he received was used for food.

Then came one particular live show, he was quietly eating chickens wings before complaining towards the end of the show that he felt so full that he had trouble getting up, yet he didn't hesitate to get up and do the famous big hug that he used to do at the farewell to his viewers, except that the framing made that those who watched the live show could see the little bulging belly of the Australian that was hanging out of his crop top.Since then he received more and more donations reaching astronomical sums up to 300$ !

Not to mention his viewer count had doubled in the last few weeks leaving no choice but to make his live shows frequent up to three times a week.More live shows meant more mukbang and surprisingly more donations.

But how much more could it be?

------♡♡------

-"Ugh come on!" Complained the brunet turned recently blond who was squirming all over his room , why? Well the poor Australian was trying takt well as he could to put on a pair of pants that had become much too small for him.

And yes this stuffing of fast-food and other food during weeks had consequences on his silhouette formerly muscular. Now instead of abs as smooth as chocolate bars, a double belly had appeared creating a muffin top with every pair of tight jeans he put on or normally just heavy love handles. His thighs and his ass had also had the right to their share of fat since he could not take a step without his thighs rubbing and shaking against each other, and for his ass ... Let's just say that Minho couldn't take his eyes off it and spent his day slapping it or grabbing it.

But how to talk about weight gain without talking about his face too, surely the cutest part, now he couldn't talk without looking adorable with his full cheeks that had managed to surpass Jisung's, not to mention the slight double chin that was starting to become permanent.

At a glance, one could think that he had certainly gained between 20 and 25 kilos and it was quite justified considering the number of calories he ate every day, without counting the wonderful meals of his lover who seemed to cook more and more for them, he could even see that he too had gained some weight, just by looking at the way his thick thighs were getting looser while his spongy belly was shaking with each step he took.However in spite of that, the autralian was totally unconscious of all this weight, he meant for him if these pants did not go up higher than his thighs it is because of Minho who makes badly the laundry but never he was going to say to him in face it would be to sign his death warrant.But in short after a few minutes Chan gave up and put on his best black jogging suit with the only oversized sweater he had left which now was not so oversized as that ...

Minnie ❤️ :

I'm going to Felix's do you want me to bring you something?

Channie ❤️:

Yes I would you know how much I love his brownies!

Plus it'll be extra food to eat during my live show.

Minnie ❤️:

You are so invested in your live shows I'm so proud to see this!

Eat well big boy ~

I'll bring you the brownies in 15 minutes

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So as usual, he adjusted the lights, put on his microphone, deposited the food before sitting heavily on his chair, these days he became very easily out of breath for the slightest movement but moving on! He turned on the camera and the live show could finally begin!

-"Hi guys ! It's your boy Christopher ! Welcome to this new edition of Chan's Room !" He introduced before cheering the chat that was animated from the first minutes of the live. "So today I'm going to eat various things, as you want it's a lot but I promise you to eat everything without leaving any crumbs! He assured by raising his right hand as a sign of promise.

-"So here we got some ramyeon, some tteokbokki, some bulgogi, and a bowl of japchae and the mythical chicken wings! And for dessert I have my dear friend Felix who made some great brownies that I can't wait to eat! Let's start, I'm hungry" he said before taking his steel chopsticks and starting with the bowl of ramyeon that he ate as if it had been months since he had swallowed something (which was not true, he had eaten a lot of doughnuts all morning)

It wasn't long before Chan was already finishing up with the ramyeon and discussing the fact that he had finally found a company that wanted him as a producer !

While discussing he tried to readjust his jeans which were so tight that he had the impresison it could popped at any moment, it was already a miracle that he managed to put it on and button it but his belly was stinging so hard against it and it was very obvious during his live show as donations were pouring in and people were complimenting him on his soft and plump body while remaining respectful of course.

- "And so after that my friend Changbin said-" he couldn't finish his sentence because a big *PING* was heard, the reason for the noise was the jeans of the Australian who decided to give in after he had eaten his bowls of ramyeon, a bit of japchae and exactly 4 chicken wings.

There was a long silence without Chan being able to say anything, he was just shocked, how could he have let himself go so much to become so fat to popped one of his jeans in live.

Yet deep down he liked it and then he had not finished his entire meal so he might as well continue he had solemnly promised to eat everything and he had never broken his promise!

So he continue as if nothing was wrong and continued to eat while one of his plump hands reached his belly that he kneaded leaving a nice view to the viewer on the extent of Chan's weight gain and once again the chat went crazy and the donations became even more frequent reaching higher and higher amounts

But Chan was not paying attention, no he was just feeding himself, not leaving a single crumb or sauce. Although the brownies were a little harder to eat, he finally ate everything on the table and proudly patted his bloated belly as hard as a rock.

-Woah ... that was a thing! I guess at this rate I'm going to turn into a little piggy" he said with a teasing smile as he looked at the camera, he knew how to turn a situation to his advantage and seeing the reactions and the comments about how plump he had become in a short time made him realize that this was what some had been looking for from the beginning, to make him so fat that he'll get too big for his pants.

But he didn't blame them, he was also responsible for being fed nonstop these last weeks, not to mention his friends who had been encouraging him to eat more, adding that it was nothing and that a little more wouldn't hurt him. (Plus Minho who sometimes use him as a food tester before starting to test it himself and get plump as his lover)

And they were right, now he had become in love with his body, how his curves made him both adorable and sexy at the same time.

At least with this body he had found a way to earn money more easily although most of it went to his food because he always wanted more and more that he didn't know how to stop.In the end it was not surprising that in his next live he wore tight clothes always looking for outgrew it, and when it happened he was not even surprised that it was the time when he had the most donation.

Because in the end Chan's Room was a cozy place, a safe place where everyone was free to express themselves, but if it is to say how adorable and plump Chan was then no need to say it, it was a collective opinion that he himself agree with.

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#my fic #my fics #weight gain #skz

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