#toxic taekookers

[arsonkoobi]

taekooker to jikooker: my personal experience.

this is merely how i felt and all the things i saw while being a hardcore taekooker for almost a year and a half. if you get offended, im sorry but the unfollow and block button is right there, i dont mind. i love taekook themselves, but i can no longer look at them in the way i used to. now they genuinely look like best friends to me. people change, and their perceptions and views on different aspects of life change. thats what happened to me.

I first joined this fandom 5 years ago in mid january 2018 through my friends. taehyung was my first ever bias, so most of the bts related yt recs i had were mostly of taehyung and ot7, and occasional ship videos among which taekook was the most prominent. me being a curious lil unsuspecting lamb, clicked on one, it also helped that my friends were taekookers as well so i dived pretty deep into the rabbit hole of taekook. im gonna be writing my thoughts and experiences on shipping taekook at different times of the year. i dont remember every single detail clearly (like this was 5 years ago) so forgive me if i sound vague at times plus this will only be a summary. without further ado, lets start, shall we?

february-march, 2018

by this time, i already watched quite a few taekook analysis videos, i also came across a few tkk_lives' videos(i think i came across her vids like much later but i just included it here) as well as other deluded channels. i fell even deeper into the rabbit hole. i thought taekook were the epitome of boyfriends silly in love, i felt like they had the best chemistry and that they were the ones whose ship actually made sense. i feel so embarrassed to admit this but one of my rather major reasons for shipping them was how good they looked tgthr🤦‍♀️(im a changed person now i promise). now i realise many tkk analysis channels tend to heavily edit things to make it look like theres something going on, overanalysing things to no end, it made me see them as if they were closer than they actually are, and as if theyre hiding something, but it was really just heavy and clever editing that forces your mind to get convinced. it was quite literally manipulative. plus back then, i was rather immature and hadnt even been in a rltnshp yet, so i blindly believed whatever they said. i believed every narrative and every theory they put out even if i knew lots of them didnt even make sense. they constantly also put out the jealous jungkook/taehyung whenever the other breathes next to another member..as i now realise, thats one of the biggest toxic traits a person can have. they were always pushing tkk as a toxic relationship without even knowing it(or just ignoring it). i also do not like jikook analysis vids where they are portrayed as the same territorial mfs who cant stand the other interacting with anyone else but himself. bc thats literally pushing their relationship as a toxic one and making them look toxic, and i would rather not do that.

march/april-september, 2018

i only watched taekook vids and funny bts moments for a long while as a baby army. i didnt watch official content very much, i ddint even know how to watch official content..i didnt know bangtantv existed yet💀 this tkk analysis watching continued for around 4 or so months after i became an army before i took an unintentional break from them(analysis vids) and i went on twitter. twitter, was so much worse(as i now realise). i didnt have an account at that time and learnt to browse on twt without one(it doesnt really let you do that anymore). at first, i found nothing weird or unusual and i enjoyed lurking on twitter, but slowly i started to see the ugly side of the community. i found multiple accounts directly or indirectly hating on jimin. i was weirded out. very weirded out. i was quite conflicted but..i only thought of it as jimin haters who were coincidentally tkkrs, maybe i refused to see tkk shippers in a bad light? probably, unfortunately i cant remember much and as i said, i was immature.

october-december, 2018

i stumbled across gcf in tokyo somewhere in october, i think it was in a fanwar on twitter and a jkkr said "at least we have this" or sumn along that line and put a link to gcft . idek how i didnt see it earlier. immediately after watching it, i felt..weird, conflicted, insecure. insecure about my ship. it seemed so romantic to me even then. but ofc i didnt let myself give up immediately, and i searched interviews + info about it, i found tkkrs saying vminkook were supposed to go tgthr and jikook only went bc they had a few days off and tae didnt. that gave me a lil bit of security and i held onto that thread of security and refused to believe or even hear out the actual fact(which i will come to later). as you can see, i was a stubborn mf. inside i knew that even if tae not having time off was the "only" reason behind jikook's japan trip, it was still unusual and suspicious to go on a trip with only your "bro" when said "bro" has told you and the world multiple times that they wanna go on a trip alone with you, when the hotel room you're staying at with your "bro" has a see-through glass wall for the bathroom and when you make a whole love confession in the guise of a travel log for your "bro" while your boyfie is waiting for you at home.

in conclusion, i was very insecure.

did i give up? no, not yet. we're getting there.

so as a masochist and out of curiosity caused by insecurity, i searched up jikook videos on yt, thinking "there's no way they could ever have more chemistry than taekook 🙄" - when i tell you i was wrong as fuck, i mean it. i was HUMBLED. the chemistry and tension between jungkook and jimin was undeniable. i felt uncomfortable watching some certain moments, felt things that i didnt feel while shipping taekook, saw things i didnt see in taekook.

i was confused plus the sinking feeling you get when you've been too loud about what you think and your opinions but then it turns out you were a stupid ass bitch.

there was a plethora of jikook vids, and i think my first jikook video was from Made in Busan, ig it was the "serendipity" analysis? back then it made lots of sense to me, but now it looks slightly overanalyzed (i still believe "serendipity" is very much connected to jikook tho). i slowly got more introduced to jikook in general. this mainly occured in like the first week of october and december as i had my boards in november.

december/january-february, 2019

so its been more or less of a year since ive become a tkkr, gcft is still in the back of my head screaming at me. and then jikook drop another bomb. that is, 2018 MMA.

this..was just, just..i cant explain it in words. jungkook had every bit of his attention directed towards jimin, they were giving each other loving glances, jimin giving jungkook a flying kiss, jungkook giving jimin a finger heart, jungkook subconsciously massaging jimins nape..it was just so domestic and coupley. i've never third wheeled so bad in my life. i felt like i was interrupting something by watching them. imagine how hyunjae next to them felt😔✊not to mention how it very much looked like jungkook was saying "남편"[ nampyeon] meaning "husband" and "형의 남친"[ hyung-ui namchin ] meaning " hyung's boyfriend" in their conversation after jimin pointed to himself and jungkook (forgive me if the spellings/romanizations are not accurate enough, im not fully fluent in korean). plus, after jungkook said it, jimin smiles and shyly looks down..LIKE??

watch from 31:00 to see for yourself. im not kidding.(p.s i love this video so much)

i was bamboozled. i was shocked. i was frustrated. i was feeling stupid. i was begging for taekook to drop something mindblowing or sumn that would regain my secuity in the ship and i found some moments during other award shows but, it didnt feel the same. to me it was really looking like taekook had boundaries and limits between each other, the limits that apply when you're good friends. but with jikook, i couldnt see how their gazes towards each other could be passed off as anything platonic, how their actions+body language could ever be seen as platonic.

so what did i do? did i give up? oh hell no im stubborn as fuck. but we're getting there.

i ignored every jikook moment and brought my focus back on taekook, i started watching analysis and moments again. in a span of a few weeks, the security around my ship had improved after pretending that i didnt feel like a stupid mf after MMA 2018. haha. it sorta worked lol. sorta.

march-may, 2019

these were my last months as a taekooker.

after all that shit, all i wanted was more taekook moments to make me feel better about myself. and i did get quite a few. however, as i said before, they looked like they had boundaries. i couldnt look at them exactly the same.

i was busy in april with my class tests, i doubt i had much time to catch up with the boys. so when the tests ended, it was most likely in the last week of april or the first few days of may.

we all know what happened in the first few days of may, don't we? in case you don't, this is what happened.

surprisingly, i clearly remember the first time i got to know about it.

it was in class, i just arrived and then one of my friends and i start talking and she goes [this convo is all translated from bengali]

"hey did you see what jungkook did at the latest concert?"

"no, i didn’t, what did he do?"

"he went and literally sucked on jimins ear!"

i was shocked once again, my eyes went wide, my heart did a backflip..all that shit. i didnt believe it at first.

"don't joke around like that, you're being absurd" i said.

"im not kidding bro, he sucked jimins ear in the rosebowl concert last week, ill send you a link too"

when i got back home, sure enough, the link was there and i saw jungkooks ear nibbling in all its glory, albeit a bit low quality. but no doubt he took that ear into his mouth and i knew it.

surely i must've given up now? no, but im this🤏 close we're almost there i promise

i went online and found lots of tkkrs denying that jungkook ever took jimin's ear into his mouth and that jimin's ear only got caught on jk's chin. but..if it got caught on jk's chin then that means his chin was behind jimin's ear, and his lips must have been at least kissing jimin's ear, given that we couldnt see them very well. the lip we could see was the upper lip, which again lead me to be believe that jungkook did indeed, suck jimin's ear.

yeah, my faith in tkk was crumbling into millions of pieces. because i couldnt see how jungkook, being in a supposed relationship with taehyung, could do that with tae's best friend. i sure as hell wouldnt let my partner get away with that, nor would i ever do that myself with someone else other than my partner. even if its to comfort them. it just goes way over platonic boundaries.

i was seriously considering shifting over to jikook by now. but before that, i searched lots of shit up abt jikook.

there i saw an interview where jimin talked about the tokyo trip with jungkook. what i believed until now was that vminkook were supposed to go tgthr but jikook were the ones with time off, and tae didnt have time off. jimin said he told taehyung and jungkook that he wants to go on a trip to Japan. he didnt say he wanted to go on a trip WITH taehyung and jungkook. yall, ive told my wishes to go to japan and turkey multiple times to my friends, does that mean im taking their asses with me? no. mind you, jimin has said he wanted to go on a trip alone with jungkook multiple times in their rookie era. on jimin's bday of 2017, jungkook tweeted a pic of him(jimin) with the caption "Its not over yet.." and shortly after, we find out jikook went on a tokyo trip by THEMSELVES with no staff, no managers and no other members. dropped off at the airport by jungkook's dad and brother and jimin's dad. jungkook paid for everything and put a hell lot of time into making the masterpiece that is gcf in tokyo WITH a bgm of a gay fucking song by a queer fucking artist and showed the fucking rainbow colored ferris wheel at the line "love is a road that goes both ways".

also

its clear who the main model of gcf is.

you can deny the trip being only for jikook, but you can not deny the symbolism and significance shown in gcf in tokyo. saying "jungkook didnt understand the song, hes not fluent in english" - is so small minded and belittling.

saying he didnt show jimin on the parts "boy, im holding onto something, wont let go of you for nothing, im running, running just to keep my hands on you" on purpose is not only straight up denial but also understimating jungkook's intelligence and artistic capabilities, saying that jungkook isnt smart enough to get the meaning behind these words. and just because hes korean. thats fucking racist if you ask me.

then i discovered the iconic osaka vlives, i was convinced. it was my last straw along with rosebowl.

alas, after around a week of denial, i gave up and became a jikooker in mid may of 2019. ive never looked back. over the years they've only given us more and more evidence and i doubt my beliefs will ever change soon.

i hope this was kinda fun to read, i had been planning to do this for a long time. im glad i finally got to say my thoughts out here. thank you for taking the time to read this<3

#Youtube #bts #kpop #kpop icons #kpop layouts #jungkook #jimin #bts layouts #jjk #jikook kookmin #jikook #kookmin #mingguk #mingukkie #minkook #toxic taekookers #taekooker to jikooker #jikook headers #jikook icons #jimin and jungkook #jeon jungkook #bts jungkook #park jimin #jimin bts #bts jimin #jimin gcf #gcf in tokyo #jikook is real #jikook is real go cry abt it

[mariajmajesty]

All of the narratives that tkkrs pushed onto Jimin are just falling back on them and it's hysterical.

The world is ending only when it’s 10 seconds of jikook. the rest are allowed to do whatever ya'll..promos, premieres, songs, hugging, drinking, lives, name dropping, talking, breathing, getting drunk together - and it's not weird, fan service or a predatory behaviour, only love and rainbows always

Not for Jikook.

Interesting

#jikook #taekook #toxic tkkrs are the worst #cult

[theangryjikooker]

Jimin supports Taekook 🎉😂

And Jungkook supports Vmin while Taehyung supports Jikook.

They’re all friends with one another, why wouldn’t they support the different dynamics among them?

Stop being weird.

#TAJ asks #toxic taekookers can gtfo #not jikook #bts shipping

[teenagegardengladiator]

I don't understand why tkkrs can't just ship them as friends or at the very least act civil and rational in their theories. All of them contradicting the others at the same time!!

Taennie can't be real because Taehyung&Jennie are hanging out in the open but Taekook are real because they are hanging out in the open and also Jikook can't be real because they are only keeping in contact in private and on social media but Taekook are real because they are keeping in contact in private and on social media but Taennie keeping in contact in private and having their pictures leaking from private times they shared together proves they aren't real because privacy only proves a relationship to Taekook and Taekook alone but only some of the time. So everything that Jungkook or Taehyung are doing with other people is forever platonic and everything they are doing with each other even the most basic thing is a proof of a romantic relationship. The rules never apply to Taekook and everything confirms a romantic relationship to Tkks because they covered all bases. You see how they eliminated any possibility of them ever being wrong by holding all the other ships to the highest standards yet holding Taekook to none? a phonecall is a proof of a romantic relationship but a hand to hand walk in Paris on a free time off work with the same woman he has been linked to for over a year isn't

and that's how you know shipping them romantically is irrelevant now more than ever because even their own shippers are forced to contradict themselves and acting like they are happy with it. I really don't understand why they are like this and not opting to ship in a more casual calm way without all the shenanigans but it is what it is

#taekook #taehyung #taennie #bts #jennie #jungkook #jimin #blackpink #jikook #vmin #toxic behavior #toxic fandom

[butterflyinthesky10]

The members relationships is for the camera, only tkk relationship is real isn't gonna fly anymore and it's something that needs to be left in 2023 by tkkrs because it's getting too embarrassing watching them saying it every time something they don't like is going on and i'm talking only about the toxic shippers and how damn disrespectful and harmful it is

Do you really think it's helpful to crop out other members from an interaction to claim it as something private that only tk shared when it's false, hoping the fandom won't noticed just because you want it to be? Do you realize the damage you are causing to both Taehyung and Jungkook names by acting like children with a selective memory continuing to disrespect their bonds with others claiming they are fake even in the military or in during private time but only tk is real at all times even in the official content you claim is fake from the start with? time to stop with the mind games and manipulative content. It's really not that hard to respect the members relationships with Jungkook while still shipping tkk. It's really not that hard to respect Jungkook decision to enlist with Jimin in the buddy system without keep making the most ridiculous comments how that can't be true because he hates jimin and making yourselves looking desperate. in 2024 I wish for more maturity and critical thinking skills for this fandom. more respect and kindness from everyone. let's leave the toxicity and clownery behind because the members don't deserve to come back to this in 2025

#and if there are normal healthy rational tkkrs out there I would be happy to be friends with them #please #bts #toxic shippers #jeon jungkook #kim taehyung #vminkook #vmin #taekook #taehyung #jimin #park jimin #jungkook #namjoon #hobi #suga #jin

[cocamalfeta]

I've been less than a year in BTS shipping fandom and oh my! How much I regret being a Jikook shipper over this past summer.

I've been sitting on this blog, silently, for a while now.

Thinking how hard is for me to even re-read my own reposts on this ship. How hard is to stomach reviewing these so-called fans disparaging Taehyung, and their unleashing in so many of their posts all kinds of misleading and ill-natured data and context.

How long It took me to actually try and connect with Taehyung's side, his relationship with Jungkook, his ship. So many things I lost I wasn't even aware!

And I need to do so much washing on my timeline now I want to cry!

p.s. for my (many) Asks complaining, accusing, blaming Taekookers for hating (?) Jimin, I've yet to read any derogatory comments made against him on their end.

#bts ships #bts taehyung #taehyung #bts vkook #bts v #bts jungkook #bts taekook #jikook #taekook #bts thoughts #toxic fandom

[stormblessed95]

Good morning Storm.

I think TKKrs have ruined Taekook for me. The cute pic that just posted of them with someone at Hobi’s party, or that video that surfaced of them dancing next to each other, I think to myself “so cuuuute”. And then its followed by “eeeesh, what are they going to explode this into”, and then the amount of hate that gets slung by both groups. I hope people know that both Tae and JK would pick Jimin over anyone, including each other. Let the guys have their moments and enjoy it rather then it turning into a freaking war.

Thanks,

J

Good Morning J,

We've interacted on here quite a few times and you seem like a nice cool person from those few interactions. So I'm going to hope that you take what I'm about to say to heart and know I mean it with kindness. 💜

I saw these pictures this morning. And my only response was to gush over their pretty smiles and be jealous of their producer getting 4 entire selcas with them all to himself! And honestly, anything more than that, anything where you feel like anyone is ruining taekook for you, is too far and not okay. When you find yourself starting to resent or not enjoy or only think of the backlash when ANY of the members interact, you need to check yourself and your behavior as a fan. Maybe take some steps back from everything while you process why and how you are feeling that way. And until you can come back to it with the understanding that NOTHING shippers do have any bearing on what the relationship and interactions are between the members. And not enjoying ANY of their bonds (regardless of if said bond is your favorite or not) will have you start bordering with the edge of anti behavior and is how those people you claim ruined a bond for you started out too. Don't go down that path.

You end your comment by saying let the guys have their moment and enjoy it. But can you say that you are giving advice that you yourself need to take as well? You aren't letting taekook have their moment. You yourself are coming here to a blog and bringing jimin into a taekook moment yourself and saying they would pick Jimin over each other. That's really just.... not cool. Let taekook have their moment and enjoy their moment as it is. They aren't responsible for their cultists being lunatics. I 100% understand the frustration tkkrs bring. Because they are horrible people who say horrible things about the other members, especially Jimin. But a reminder post here about how taekook and tkkrs are completely different and your reactions to them should be as well

Would it help if I remind you that ALL shippers can at times suck? If you can enjoy vmin despite the fact that I've seen some vminnies say some really shady awful shit about JK and Jikook, then the same should apply to taekook. Same for if you can enjoy jinkook despite the bullshit they too have said about JM and jikook. Same for some jikookers and the vile shit I've seem them say about Tae and taekook. If you want to DM me, I'd be more than willing to share those things. They aren't as big as a ship group or as loud. But they are there. Just check out report accounts for ALL the members and you can see it. I've even seen namjiners say shitty things about jikook before.

Every shipper group has its bad apples. They aren't all the same and tkkrs are a HUGE major problem. The things they did today are a HUGE major issue and problem. It's disgusting. Something should be done. I hope one day they feel great shame over their whole tkkr experience. But NONE OF THAT has anything to do with taekook, nor should impact how you see or interact with taekook content. If it does, then that's honestly on you and only you. You letting taekookers ruin taekook moments is on you, not them. Let them ruin their own fun. Be outraged at their bullshit. But don't let them impact BTS and your experiences with them. Block them. Curate your timeline. Report them to the company if it's needed and to various SM platforms when that's needed. But STOP searching for what they will say. STOP giving them the attention and reactions they want. Read up about how one should engage with cults if you must too. Lol but don't let their shittiness impact how wonderful the members friendships with each other are.

Sorry if I was harsh. But honestly, with all jkkrs talk about how taekook would hate this and would always pick Jimin. Jimin would HATE seeing this type of message about anyone not enjoying the cuteness of his babies for any reason. Those are his people. He ADORE them. Bet if he saw that selca at some point just adored how happy his babies looked. So can we just refrain from this sort of stuff PLEASE. Can we recognize the difference between ship and shippers. Can we enjoy without bias and without any blockages in our hearts? Please!

Again, sorry if I was harsh. I promise I do understand the frustration we all have with tkkrs and how horrible they usually are. I promise I do. Just please make sure we always keep that seperate from our members.

Thank you. Sorry, but I'll always want to defend taekook too here. And this felt like a needed reminder for EVERYONE. I'm not singling anyone out.

#taekook are jms babies #tkkrs are toxic it just is what it is #tkk are not responsible for their shippers #show only love its what the members deserve

[echoesofadream]

could not stand jikook as a couple cause they'd be too sickly sweet. they are not toxic enough to me. where's the hating each other where's the hatefucking where's the dreaming about killing each other and the sexual implication of putting a knife into someone. theyre like siblings. theyre like we grew up together in the same dorm and even when the world is at our feet we still hold onto each other because..we really like each other a lot?? yeahhhhhh no thanks not for me

#fuck it im posting this #edit afraid im not thinking big enough cause jikook can be toxic too #secondly this is not the reason cause i love sweet fluffy taekook too #but keeping this #bc #i do agree with the main point of love-hate

[yoonflvr]

bts hcs

#bts #bts x reader #bts fic #taekook #yoonmin #namjin #best #bts jungkook #jungkook #jeon jungguk #toxic traits #toxic fandom #toxic behavior #relationship #bts jin #bts jhope #jeon jungkook #jjk

[arsonkoobi]

to,

tkkrs,

if the hug really meant nothing then why the fuck are yall so pressed? do the world a favor and get a life. if you dont think jikook are a couple, dont, i dont care but PLEASE stop hating on jimin for having a healthy relationship with someone he's been very close to for the past decade. its not even ship wars anymore, this is just looking for an excuse to hate on jimin (an unreasonable and fucking stupid excuse at that)

ive also seen some certain tkkrs portraying jk more or less as a cheater, it really seems like you care abt the idea of your ship more than the actual ppl you ship, assholes.

jimin hugs jk and you bitches go haywire and babble bs abt how they're forced to do this bc of fanservice. WAKE TF UP. no one looks this happy while doing something they were forced to.

the crinkle in jk's eyes? yeah, hes smiling so hard under that mask.

you have to be blind to say this is forced, theres genuine happiness radiating off of this picture.

in short, jikook are jikooking and they dgaf abt your irrelevant nasty opinions.

sincerely,

a fed up zeyvi.

edit: i am talking abt only some specific tkkrs who dont really care abt the grp at all and are mostly focused on their ship or the tkkrs who anti jm. this is not directed to all tkkrs or to generalize all tkkrs ik most are ppl who respect the members equally. I hope i made that clear!

#bts #kpop #jimin #jungkook #hoseok #bts jin #jin #namjoon #taehyung #yoongi #jikook #jikook icons #kookmin #mingukkie #taekook #toxic taekookers #park jimin #jeon jungkook #jimin and jungkook

[mariajmajesty]

What jk said exactly? Why tkkrs think that jk didn't know that jm was in USA (months ago)

Tkkrs say stuff without providing any proof when something they don't expect with evidance happens to stop it from escalating. they try to cause confusion by spreading false information mixed in with the real information as much as possible to gain back control on the narrative by hoping it will stick and more people will pick it up and the lie will be turn into a fact. it's a form of control like how propaganda networks work. If enough people see it in the first attempt the tactic works no matter if deep down they are struggling with doubts and insecurities they only share in their PG chats to each other. Some examples

"Set me free was for Taehyung but was given to Jimin" Lies. Jimin wrote it for himself to himself and we all can guess why they want it

"GCF Tokyo was suppose to be with Taehyung and JK setteled". Lies. JK did it for Jimin's birthday and never once mentioned any other member

"BTS never goes out without managers and bodyguards so this means Taennie is a PR relationship". Lies. JK and Jimin did it in Tokyo and I imagine when they all travel with family and friends for holidays or in private they do it too

"He isn't in Paris with Jennie, he is in Nice". Lies. There's a video, pictures and enough information for that

"That's a cosplay gang". Lies. Nobody can arrange that in such short time and Taehyung himself doesn't say it wasn't him and his manager

"Jungkook never support or promote Jimin's songs". Lies. He's basically the only one who consistently do it and even dedicated an entire live for him

"Taehyung and JK celebrate birthdays together every year" bla bla..the list goes on. It will become harder and harder to keep this up tho because things change and nobody has full control of the situation (enter Jennie) that's why they are forced to keep changing what they say about them as people

So to answer your question anon, JK didn't say that. (that's why the person who wrote that to me didn't answer when I asked for a proof). Was JK even active much? I don't remember..

#toxic shippers #taekook #taennie #jikook

[theangryjikooker]

Yalll fight argue over jk mentioning jm ..it is proof of their bond and all that but when tae mentions jk every single time yall curse debunk it??? Why this behaviour ?Isn't this unfair?? Tae has been mentioning jk from a long time since break . They have been together ...but yall always try to hype jikook jikook whenever tae mentions jungkook ?? Is there a reason to decieve their bond?? Why do you all dislike taekook ?? As recently tae on weverse said he had a talk wid jk and they will meet to eat ..taekook were trending ...people were talking about it..and at that very time yall come up with "jm and bam " thing in jk 's convo in a live ??? Yall started hyping jikook and jk live , bam etc Suddenly after taekook trending? Why ?? To prove what point??

I love Taekook. They’re fantastic friends.

Taehyung is 99% with Jennie without an official announcement. Sorry to burst your bubble, but it is what it is.

The sooner you pull your head out of your ass, the better off we’ll all be. (But we will never know peace because shippers like you are… crazy. You’re crazy. 💯)

I don’t have collective control over Jkkrs, so stop talking at me like I’m their representative. Wish I did so I can tell some of them to shove a sock in it.

Go outside more. 🥰

#TAJ asks #toxic taekookers can gtfo #bts shipping

[teenagegardengladiator]

Why tkkrs are so into lies seriously

*Taennie being spotted in Paris spending a week together looking very romantic and holding hands* tkkrs: they hate each other it's all fake!!!!!

*Vmin: interacting and wanting to go back from the airport together being cute* tkkrs: they hate each other it's all fake

*Jikook are being the same hugging or spending time together according to K-army and hyping songs * tkkrs: they hate each other it's all fake

Taekook: Tae is talking about Jungkook in his vlive* tkkrs: THEY ARE SINGLING TO US THAT THEY ARE MARRIED AND IN THE CLOSET AND HAVE BEARDS AND ARE TRAPPED IN A CONTRACT THAT FORCE THEM TO INTERACT WITH JENNIE AND JIMIN WE SHOULD HATE JENNIE AND JIMIN AND NEVER BELIEVE A WORD ANYONE SAYS UNTIL THEY ARE FREE AND NO INTERACTION IS REAL UNLESS IT'S BETWEEN TKK

Are we surprised?

#taennie #taekook #vmin #jikook #lol #toxic behavior #toxic fandom #blackpink #bts #jennie #taehyung #jimin #jungkook

[britishhusbands]

Hey! Really sorry to disturb you but what fanfic are you talking about in the tags of this post?

https://www.tumblr.com/britishhusbands/722800511495061504?source=share

Thank you! Have a good day/night! <3

you're not disturbing me at all 😊, you can read must be sunny here but please READ the tags. the fic is dark and toxic so please keep that in mind. having said that, it's so really really well written specially the sexual tension and smut so i would recommend it.

#but taekook's relationship in it is very toxic #but it's sooooo good idk what fic i can compare it to in the 1D fandom #BUT I CANT RECOMMEND IT ENOUGH #also it's a 'wip' but really only the epilogue is left so you can read it as a finished fic lol #anon #asks #ANYWAYS THERE'S SO MANY GOOD BTS FICS SO JUST LMK IF U WANT MORE

[kookslastbutton]

Guilty Pleasures ༓ jjk, kth (m) | Series M.list

✒ Summary: Three years of being Seoul's power couple earns you nothing but a big fat divorce settlement and your face plaster on every gossip column around town. You're angry, hurt, and desperately want to move on, but worst of all? You're still in love with the man who started the whole mess, even though the most he can ever see you as is a friend. The renowned actor you've hired to be your company's new endorser seems to have a soft spot for you though. He's easy on the eyes, you'll admit, but who actually wants a divorcee like yourself? It's unrealistic really.

pairing: ex-husband ceo!jungkook x ceo!reader, actor!taehyung x ceo!reader (not poly!)

genre/AU: angst, smut, fluff, loverstoexesto ?, coworkers2?, unrequited love

word count: tbd

Warnings: oc and jk are both 30, Taehyung is 32, swearing, alcohol consumption, sexism in the media and business world, morally grey characters, toxic relationships, mentions of therapy, abandonment issues, and explicit sexual content (specified per chapter)

playing: Unkiss Me, Apologize, Hate That I Love You, etc.

a/n: ik what you're thinking! This header is low effort but it's what i got for now 😫 forgive me pls! Also yeah its another fricken taekook love triangle-ish bc I can't let this scenario go. Was supposed to be a oneshot but here we are...i hope you enjoy! 🌹❤

Chapters

༓ chapter i —

"I lie to my heart 'cause I thought you felt it" [3.3k]

༓ chapter ii —

"You can't light a fire, if the candle's melted" [4.5k]

༓ chapter iii —

"No you don't have to love me"

༓ chapter iv —

"Don't act like I mean nothing"

༓ chapter v —

"Untake this heart"

no reposting, copying, or translating my work– © kookslastbutton

#jungkook angst #jungkook smut #jungkook x reader #jungkook fanfic #jungkook imagine #taehyung fluff #taehyung smut #taehyung angst #bts x reader #bts fanfic #bts imagines #fic:guiltypleasures #kookslastbutton

[roo-bastmoon]

IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF THE CULT'S DYNAMICS

Disclaimers: Sensitive topics are discussed below the cut; please do not incite drama, speak hate, or engage in bullying. I am not a mental health professional; I make no claims of expertise (in anything). This is a collection of my thoughts about what is currently happening on the Taekook side of ARMY, in the hopes that it may help us as a community respond more effectively to the toxic parts of our fandom. If you click below this cut, you are assuming responsibility for your own behavior and agreeing to engage with my blog respectfully, or you will be blocked.

THE NARRATIVES AT WORK

I submit that shipping Taekook is both an evolving conspiracy theory and a living cult.

There are various narratives within this subgroup, but in general, to ship Taekook, one must believe Kim Taehyung and Jeon Jungkook are in a closeted gay romantic relationship.

One also likely believes that their company (both BigHit and Hybe) and everyone around them have always actively hid their gay relationship.

Initially, Taekook (the “real” gay couple) was being hidden by Jikook (the “fake” gay couple) because Jikook was somehow more popular in Korea and therefore considered to be more profitable.

And this was the main narrative for years. It got Jimin dragged and hated online and in real life, to the point there was even a credible shooting threat at a concert.

Now, the narrative is being modified in light of the video footage revealed this week involving Taehyung and Jennie.

If Taekookers accept at all that Jennie and Tae were indeed photographed holding hands in Paris this week, then they likely believe both their companies are using this as a PR Relationship stunt to hide their real gay relationships before military service and comeback projects.

This belief includes:

1) assuming Taehyung and Jennie are not being honest;

2) believing Taehyung and Jungkook have no agency or power within their own companies; and,

3) all of their members and managers are also in on this nefarious plot.

Whether they believe Taennie is just cosplayers in an orchestrated smear campaign, or two actual idols in a PR Relationship, regardless, a large segment of this subgroup still believe that Jimin is the company favorite who gets special treatment.

Therefore, things that should be Taekook’s (such as songs and subunits and couple-like interactions) are instead given to the company’s king of fan service, to the point where Jimin “assaults” Jungkook with “unwanted” attention and physical contact.

THE LOGICAL FALLACIES

As amazingly popular as our Korean It Boy is, I have serious doubts about Jimin being the “company favorite” ever since Hybe took over two years ago.

As the “company favorite,” I’d love it if he got more lines in group songs, or was allowed to film as many music videos as he wanted, or could be given more than 10 days of promotion time for a project he spent a year working on. It would be stellar if the “company favorite” had in-ears that worked correctly during live broadcasts, or was invited onto IU’s show, or could host streaming parties or sell exclusive merch. To say nothing of the “company favorite” getting far more reality show appearances and magazine interviews and a Disney documentary with behind the scenes footage! Heck, I’d settle for his songs not being split on Spotify, his views not being culled on YouTube, and maybe just one congratulatory statement to the press or even just a CAKE celebrating his historic Hot 100 #1.

At least Jimin was “allowed” to include a hidden track with Jungkook (that wasn’t advertised or available to stream, so not fan service) and he was allowed to queer code his Like Crazy music video. So I believe he has some agency and say over his projects. I’m not sure he’s entirely understood or appreciated by his company—frankly, I think his potential was underestimated—but I don’t claim he’s a victim. Victim narratives play into cult dynamics.

But I digressed. I was talking about logical fallacies.

Let’s entertain the idea that for more YEARS, Jungkook and Taehyung have been horribly abused by their management and forced to hide their relationship.

They never thought to address this issue when they were renewing their contracts?

Also, what’s up with all the footage during RUN episodes when they are standing together, or on the same team, or hugging and cuddling, or leaning their heads on each other’s shoulders and legs?

Why were they allowed to flirt and dance and do skinship on stage—and all that stuff even made it into official footage?

Now let’s entertain the idea that Taennie is a PR Relationship.

So… two rival companies, just coming out of a bitter failed deal around a music industry monopoly, are now working together to make people believe Jennie and Tae are dating?

Even though idols LOSE popularity and company stocks take a DIVE when couples are revealed?

So Taennie is the strategy to promote solo albums and upcoming projects?? And both companies’ PR teams say “We can’t confirm it as it is their personal lives.” So no PR statement is the PR strategy??

We know it’s bullshit. It makes about as much sense as Hillary Clinton running a child sex trafficking ring out of the basement of a pizza parlor that doesn't have a basement.

But many in the cult believe it’s Absolute Truth.

The question is why?

The answer is in the dynamics at play here.

CULT DYNAMICS

It starts with a MISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN.

Baby ARMY get curious about BTS, hop on YouTube or TikTok, and are bombarded by the algorithm that claims Taekook is real.

Unless they go searching for original content (which takes up dozens and dozens of hours to sift through and much of which sits behind a paywall), they will not have much to contradict these claims.

Most older ARMY are understandably so sick and tired of the ship discourse that they don’t go into Taekook spaces and duke it out in the comments. Plus, content creators know that Taekook content gets hits and likes, which translates into passive income, so they keep making it.

See this video where a cult leader shows you she made over $109,000 in a year just from her Taekook edits:

So in the din of all this nonsense and noise, it’s up to Baby ARMY to seek out other voices, other input, to form an opinion. They have to be proactive. And sadly, a large segment of the population lacks critical thinking skills and do not WANT to seek facts.

We live in a very busy, post-fact world, where “credible messengers” (i.e., someone you know and trust) tell you their opinions. Then you try those opinions on for size, and they eventually become your opinions. It’s faster, it’s easier, and…

It lets you be part of the IN-GROUP. Next thing you know, you're part of a group chat with 400 indoctrinated members, spitting conspiracies like gospel truths.

In today’s globalized, fast-paced, hyper digital world, most people cannot tell you the names of their neighbors or local butcher or even their state’s politicians, let alone what all they stand for. But they can tell you how the Kardashians feel about organic salad in a plastic bowl, or what Trump believes about election results.

There’s a lack of real-world relationships that tether people to a shared reality.

And yet, there is a human need for Tribe.

A cult uses that instinct for TRIBE by constantly re-enforcing the notion that People Out There don’t understand, aren’t very nice, will even persecute you for knowing the truth.

But People In Here, the IN-GROUP, they appreciate you, they are reasonable and open-minded, they will be there for you when everyone else turns their backs on you and puts you down.

All you have to do to belong to the IN-GROUP is subscribe to these CONSPIRACY THEORIES.

First, you should think about becoming Anti-Establishment.

You cannot trust the Authority (company, government, scientists, whatever). The Authority is corrupt and will lie to you because it wants something from you (money, votes, microchips in the vaccines, whatever).

Do not trust what your eyes show you and what your ears hear. Believe your in-group. Be loyal to your found family. Your found family is SPECIAL.

Second, you need to begin to wake up to the Signs and Wonders.

Once you’re willing to see the truth, suddenly there are all these hints. All these little “Q-drops” of information. Like Taekook touching face moles during a song. Or seeing slowed-down, edited videos of facial expressions that look like evidence of jealousy. Or maybe hidden meanings behind tattoos of tigers and green mics. Or making a secret handshake or symbol with their fingers. These Signs and Wonders are FOR YOU.

*Now, I’m inclined to give Taekookers a bit of a break on queer couple coding because, culturally speaking, similar clothing and jewelry are couple-coded in Korea. And there are just as many if not MORE theories about Jikook using similar black and white clothing, matching jewelry, related tattoos, using special numbers in songs and timestamps, and even changing up lyrics as secret messages.

The issue here is that Jikook ACTUALLY DOES SOME OF THOSE THINGS. They actually deliberately type out specific numbers on some of their social media messages. They actually have dressed in the exact same outfits or worn each other’s clothes. They actually have changed up lyrics and sung them to each other.

Even so, any reasonable Jikooker will say “all of this is suspicious as hell, but not proof.” Like when Jungkook says his J tattoo stands for Jungkook—the placement over the M is suspicious, yes—but all sane Jikookers accept that Jungkook has spoken about that tattoo and he did not say it was for Jimin. We don't sit around calling Jungkook a liar just because we preferred our theory.

Taekookers, however, want what Jikook have so badly, even as they scorn it for merely being fan service.

Half the time the hints they claim are completely made up.

They see sandal footprints in the sand, and their leaders say it’s proof that Jungkook went on a secret beach date with Taehyung. Even though Taehyung went out with a friend and his parents that night.

Taekookers will see a photo of shoes all neatly lined up and say it’s a secret ski date with Hobi. Even though Jimin owns the exact same pair of shoes and there were no photos or accounts of them ever being at a ski lodge the day after Jin went into service.

Taekookers will swear they hear Jungkook’s voice off camera during Taehyung’s vlog and insist he was hiding in the trunk of the car during the drive to film. As if JK would hide in the trunk for hours instead of just… go in a different car that didn't have a camera??

All of these Signs and Wonders require a huge leap to arrive at the conclusion that Taekook is a romantic couple.

Meanwhile, evidence of Jikook spending birthdays together and couple holidays together and going on trips alone together and having integrated families and inner circles (stylists, tattoo artist, boxing coach) are ALL fan service. Every single person is in on the conspiracy.

Yes, even when JK’s mom screams “I love you!” to Jimin and makes her son eat seaweed soup on Jimin’s birthday, (JK was clearly FORCED to make up that story) it has to be fan service.

And when Jimin’s dad posts a photo of JK’s old dog on JK’s birthday (a birthday where Jimin visited him in the middle of working on his album, but Taehyung did not even though he wasn't working on anything), it's fan service. And when Mr. Park hosts a give-away event at his café where JK’s music is playing and cap and photo are proudly displayed next to JImin? Absolute fan service; he’s a money-hungry, attention-hungry cad, don’t you know? Even the charity he and his son do are fan service!

But JK went bowling with Wooga, so, Taekook are married. (Legally married. Not in Korea. But you know. They ARE married. Coming up on their third anniversary already!)

It’s all there, if you’re just willing to see the Signs and Wonders. And believe your cult leaders when there's nothing to see or wonder about at all.

Third and perhaps most important, is the Star-Crossed Lovers angle. The VICTIM CARD.

You see, it’s not bad enough that openly gay couples face pure hell in conservative countries anyway—losing their jobs, their families, sometimes their will to live because the stigma can be so bad. But on top of all that, for years and years, Taekook have been forced apart.

They’ve been just tortured by Jimin’s attention-whoring greedy nature, and made to endure fabricated fan service skinship!

(When Tae and JK look happy to be around Jimin, it’s just because they are professionals and such good actors!). Darn that Park Jimin, the abuser and sexual predator!!

And after so long being forced to hide, now in solo era, poor abused victimized Taekook can be loud. So loud. So very loud and wild and free!!

After all, during the Vegas concert, Jungkook sat on Taehyung’s lap!! He's NEVER sat on any other BTS members' lap (except for all of them).

And when Jungkook came online and said “Keep being jealous, I’ll keep holding Jiminie!” and that Jimin was HIS! Then fans kept asking him about Taehyung, so he also said Taehyung was his. It was totally his own organic idea (except for how it wasn't).

When fans kept pestering Jungkook during his camping VLive about Taehyung, he said he was forced to admit that Taehyung was attractive, he’d never seen a man so attractive! (FORCED to admit it! So romantic!)

Meanwhile, as all this shakes down, there’s this scandal in the press that Jimin didn’t pay his insurance premiums because his mail was omitted by the company. News of this dropped EXACTLY the moment his first OST With You came out, and he went totally quiet.

And then, Jungkook also went quiet for a while too. He deleted all his previous Insta photos that were personal and changed the layout to be totally professional. He went to the White House. He did a collab. He partied for JitB. He went on a Meat Tour of Korea. He did a concert with his members. He headlined World Cup. But mostly he was getting quieter and quieter.

Eventually Jungkook deleted the app entirely. Sometimes he stayed in his home for six days at a time. He stopped working out or going into Hybe; he started drinking whiskey. And nowadays he doesn’t even want to look at the comments on lives. Not because he was sick of the Taekookers or anything, but because “the company is forcing them to hide!”

Of course.

And all throughout 2022, Taehyung and Jungkook are paired up for things, and Tae's talking about a fortune teller saying he and Jungkook were “fire and water.” And rather than be taken as cute moments between friends, these are just VERY LOUD SIGNS AND WONDERS.

Then there are leaks online of all these photos that involved Tae and Jennie.

And thus begins tons of lives where he mentions Jungkook.

I'm not saying Kim Taehyung had an agenda to throw fans off the scent of his actual relationship, but I'm also not NOT saying that.

Whatever his motivations, the cult interpreted this as a direct message for Taekookers to keep the faith!

And indeed, Taekook do hang out—sometimes openly. (Sometimes where there’s press that make them hold up signs while cameras are going off—but that’s not for work, that’s a date, because the security team there wasn’t Hybe’s, and it was a friend’s premiere.) Sometimes quietly, where they share photos of hanging out afterwards.

But it cannot be just two friends hanging out. It’s Signs and Wonders!! SO LOUD!! SO FREE!!

So many reveals—mostly coming from Taehyung, but Jungkook doesn’t often deny them. And it’s mostly Taehyung stroking Jungkook’s hair or laying his head on Jungkook’s thigh or whatever—but Jungkook doesn’t stop him. And Jimin seems totally unbothered by all of it, which is strange because it sort of debunks years of his efforts at fan service.

Yet, clearly THIS cannot be fan service or misdirection.

It can’t just be friends playing games, or a TikTok made for work. It can’t be recording someone without their informed consent for attention. It can’t be going to a concert with other members and sitting in separate rows as friends. Or going to a musical or movie to support friends. Unlike all the things Jungkook has done with Jimin, this has to be Real Love!!

So just to recap:

When the cult had no evidence of Taekook hanging out, they were a private couple.

When the cult had ever-increasing evidence of Taekook hanging out, they were being loud.

When the cult had evidence that Jikook hang out outside of work, that was just fan service.

When the cult had no evidence that Jikook hang out outside of work, that was just fan service getting exposed.

When the cult has evidence that Taehyung has a girlfriend, that’s a punishment.

MARTYRDOM

You see, Jungkook and Taehyung would go on WeLives without permission, remember? And Taehyung set up a dual live chat on Insta and JK didn't seem that into it but he was persuaded. Then they giggled and couldn’t find much to talk about for ten minutes. And Taehyung said he would take full responsibility for it.

And the cult now believes that “taking responsibility” means pretending to be in a heterosexual relationship. Even their insider sasaeng accounts predicted it!

Never mind how mad all of this seems. And it would be one thing if just one or two ideas were far-fetched, like looking at a pair of shoes and making assumptions. But all of it is far-fetched.

Facts do not matter. Because you cannot trust the Authority. You can only trust the In-Group.  

And the In-Group sees Signs and Wonders. So the In-Group knows the Real Truth.

The In-Group DECIDES TOGETHER what is real.

They can make entirely fake edits; cosplay; post false witness statements; harass models, coworkers, brands, businesses… they can hire trucks to circle the building with loud speakers, protesting and shouting their truth!!

And anyone who doesn’t believe the Real Truth is a Fake Taekooker.

No disbelievers allowed. Get out of the tribe. Only the faithful can stay in the Tribe.

Right now, you might be asking yourself: Why would you stay in a tribe like this??

Because the dynamic is ever-evolving, which is titillating, and participants get a sense of power, because they are able to help craft the narratives—by being so smart as to see the truth where others are blind sheep—so they can bond over how unique they are.

Plus… TAEKOOK NEEDS THEM.

The boys absolutely depend on their support. You see, Taekookers are the real HEROES here.

They understand the boys like normal people never could. If you know you know, and they are steadfast against any and all lies presented as evidence. They are loyal.

The whole world is against their baby bear and baby bunny!! They are the boys Only Defense. Just take a look at this video of their rallying cry:

If you've got martyrs, you've also got... CRUSADERS.

Yikes, right?

So, here are millions of fans who were lied to, misled, misinformed… They developed relationships over time with people who also believe this misinformation… They get a sense of power in crafting their own reality, in which the objects of their affection are victims and they are the heroes… And the only way to prove themselves worthy of the group is to stalwartly ignore anything that contradicts these narratives.

This is a literal, textbook cult.

Cults use deception, isolation, peer pressure, group-think, and suppression of critical thought. To varying degrees, all Taekook spaces do this too. (And yes, other ships and solos and mantis ALSO rely on these tactics. But I've never seen anything quite so open or pervasive in ARMY like the Taekook cult tactics.)

I feel I should make one thing should be made clear: a LOT of people sincerely believe in Taekook.

But there are also a lot of Taekook content creators who sincerely believe in the money they make off people believing in Taekook.

Like all cults, at the end of the day, it's a scam.

Now there’s evidence of a real relationship, and of course anyone who has invested time and money in Taekook is going to be pushing back—hard.

So how do we navigate this chaos?

Well, most cults end in one of two ways: an FBI raid, or everyone drinks the Kool-Aid and dies.

But more often than not, cults don’t really end so much as fizzle out over years.

Plenty of cults are still alive and well despite amble debunking (Scientology, Q-Anon, Illuminati, flat-Earthers, Larries—what they believe doesn’t really matter; it’s how they believe that makes them a cult.)

 Cults are a bit like hydras—you cut off one head, three stronger ones pop back up.

They won't stop. They have to BE STOPPED.

HOW TO DEPROGRAM A CULT

Well, back in the 70s, in the early days of deprogramming, the only thing that was effective was to separate the individual from access to the cult (by kidnapping if you had to), then bombard them non-stop with facts (using imprisonment or restraints if you had to) and eventually they are coerced into re-integration. But none of that is humane or legal by today’s standards.

It also leads to relapses.

Really the only way to deprogram cult conditioning is for a mental health professional to slowly and methodically discredit the cult leader(s) and gently present contradictions.

(How can Jungkook really be in a relationship with Taehyung if he’s always mentioning Jimin? How can Jimin be hurting Taehyung and yet they are on FaceTime for hours, trading fan art and watching tv shows? Why would the two most rich and famous pop stars in the world need a publicity stunt?)

And even then, the cult member has to be sort of able to question things for themselves, and it just helps to have other supportive people echoing their own questioning sentiments back to them.

It can take YEARS until a cult member reaches the breaking point and begins to listen to Out-Group ideas. (On average, five years, to be exact.)

And then they may begin a journey of self-expression, where they openly voice doubts or complaints against cult narratives. They may even engage in transference, jumping off the Taekook ship and onto another (the need for tribe is very real). This is an extremely vulnerable stage and should not be taken advantage of.

At this critical moment when someone is tittering on the fence, trying to figure out what reality is, you need to REWARD THE BEHAVIOR YOU WANT.

You want them to question. You want them to express their grief and doubts. You want them to look for real sources of information.

This is NOT the time to kick someone when they are down, or look for “gotcha” moments to shame them publicly.

If you see a Taekooker wondering if they’ve been lied to this whole time—they HAVE. And that is abuse. And abuse victims need to be handled with care.

I know that Taekookers have dragged Jimin to hell and back for years so I’m not about to preach love and acceptance.

But it’s also fair to say that Taekookers have been gas-lit and realizing that can be traumatic.

Wounded animals are dangerous. A traumatized human lashes out. And you know who the prime target always is. They are already starting to take it to Jimin directly.

I strongly recommend you take a very cautious approach if you engage with them right now. Especially if you’re thinking about arguing with them.

People who defend Jimin or Jikook end up doxxed, suspended, harassed--and someday, I fear a wounded cult member will get physically violent.

Be especially careful because plenty of big accounts are closeted Taekookers. Here's a thread exposing some "mystery cult" members:

THE MOST EFFECTIVE RESPONSE

I normally don’t try to police people or preach too much, but I’m going to give you some unsolicited advice if you managed to read all this:

Don’t go into Taekook tags or spaces. Don’t debate them. Don’t talk trash about them or the members. Don’t slam-dunk or spike the ball with snarky words or memes. Don’t give them a taste of their own medicine. Don’t be cruel.

First of all, don’t do any of that because Jimin and Jungkook would be mortified by it.

But second of all, don’t do it because it just makes them dig in harder; it adds weeks or months to the deprogramming timeline.

The goal is to get the cult out of ARMY fandom. Because they thrive on a victim/hero complex, attacking them reinforces cult dynamics.

I believe there is a better approach.

First, you can and should go Gray Rock whenever possible.

Starve them of oxygen. Don’t acknowledge them. If you do, be generic in your responses—boringly bland, detachedly polite. Ignore them completely; their hot takes do not matter.

Block and report if warranted, but never engage. On some level, they really want to be persecuted for their beliefs. It's why they keep coming into Jikook spaces looking for a fight.

But their beliefs are so ridiculous that they aren’t worth our time. Instead, direct your focus on what you want, which is to promote and celebrate Bangtan.

Second, you can provide what’s called a Graceful Exit.

It doesn’t always work if they know that’s what you’re doing, but it is perhaps the most effective technique, especially if they are already questioning the cult narrative.

You see, a shamed human being gets defensive, doubles down, won’t listen. But a human being offered a Graceful Exit Out of a Bad Place gets to reinvent themselves in a way that allows them some dignity while they change direction.

A Graceful Exit has a few components to it:

“Hello, Taekooker. I also saw a lot of misleading content when I was a baby ARMY. The algorithm feeds you Taekook content almost immediately. Then you make online friends, and they all believe in Taekook. Suddenly everyone is telling you really complicated theories about how Taekook is being hidden. Once you believe that, you have to also believe that Taekook are lying by omission, that Jimin and the members are also lying, that the company executives and translators and managers and staff are all lying, that Korean ARMY is lying, that fellow I-ARMY is lying… and that’s a lot of people spreading a lie for no real gain. Now that you have some evidence that Tae is happily in a relationship with someone else, it’s only natural to question your beliefs, because YES, Taehyung and Jungkook absolutely love each other. But are they IN love? NO. For my part, I trust Taehyung. I love and support Taehyung. I don’t spread the idea that he or Jungkook engage in fake relationships. If you support them, then you’ll accept what they are showing you. When you’re ready to stop shipping Taekook, ARMY will be ready to welcome you back. We can stream together and vote together and help our boys achieve their dreams. We can watch their content and go to concerts together and enjoy fan-works. But what we can’t do is make up really complex stories around BTS’ reality. Our place as fans is to appreciate their music, and let them live their own lives in their own way. It’s time to let go of old ideas, and embrace the new things they share with us.”

This tactic allows the cult member to feel sympathy for being human. It provides understanding that they’ve been deceived. It appeals to their higher nature and love for the objects of their affection. And reassures them they could have a place in a bigger tribe if they let go of the in-group.

It invites them in, instead of calls them out.

Now, you guys might not be willing to do that. Especially considering the hate trains and rape jokes and death threats they gave Jimin for years. Believe me, I get it. I GET IT.

So if you see someone spewing vitriol, now is not the time to call them in. Now is the time to block and report.

However, if I take out my anger on them, it’s serving my own feelings.

And I’m here to serve Jimin, Jungkook, and BTS, not my own need to be right.

So I believe the best way to do that is to Gray Rock the Die-hards and provide a Graceful Exit for the Questioners.  

Many cult members are not going to believe in Taennie unless Kim Taehyung makes an announcement directly--and even then, he’ll have to do it in such an emphatic way that they buy what he sells.

So we should accept that the cult is going to be around for a long, long time. Conserve your energy, my dears.

But for the ones who just got fooled but don't intend any harm, we can either hope they let go of their own volition, or we can try to make room for them as part of true ARMY.

What we shouldn’t do is get down in the mud and start slinging. Everyone loses ground that way.

THIS WAS THE LONGEST EVER POST; I AM SORRY!

But these have been my thoughts over the last few days. I’m okay if you want to comment, but I would like to ask that you DO NOT reblog to tag Taekook and that you don’t weaponize this post by spreading it around specifically where it could cause drama.

Drama is the exact opposite of my intention.

My desire is to provide some better understanding around how cults work and how to disband them.

In conclusion: Keep it classy. Ignore assholes. Be gentle with people recovering from gas-lighting. Stay true to the principles of BTS and ARMY. Apobangpo.

Love, Roo

#jimin #jungkook #jikook