The Kpop "IT Girl" Phenomenon

[@Taejiu]

Check out Ergotune here: www.ergotunehq.com/

[@chiquibombom1460]

What boggles my mind about Kpop is how its fans want their favorite groups/artists to succeed and hope the worst for others. I know it is technically a competition, but in the West, the amount of support certain artists give to others which can be reflected in their fans is such a great thing to see. An example would be the Holy Trinity: Celine, Mariah, and Whitney might have had fans that preferred one over the other, but everyone and the artist had such respect for each other's craft and art, creating beautiful moments in which the three of them sang together. I don't get why that can't be a thing in Kpop, putting these women against each other over such a superficial title that they themselves might not even care for is just stupid. LET THESE WOMEN BE WOMEN!!!!

[@evybabe_]

Because most of the kpop Stan are minor and immature

[@HopeeInk]

It's by design of boy and girl groups even in the west look how NSYNC and Backstreet boys fans fought literal streetfights back then. The fan is trained to always wanna see their idols on top no matter how much they need to overstep. Kpop is not just competitive it gives the illusion that there are just not enough seats on the table, by constantly putting importance in numbers and even the year end awards that happen.

[@sb-jp2vw]

​@@evybabe_I mean not really, alot are just immature adults. You have probably heard abt the chanel "sojang". She was a chanel that was famous for hating on idols, mostly wonyoung and taehyung. She would put groups againt eachother and spread false dating rumours and this went on for 2 years straight. Just recently in May, starship entertainment threatened to sue her, as well as hybe bc sojang were constantly harrasing their idols. Just a few weeks ago, her chanel got deleted and she claimed it got "hacked" and she put out a apology and it turned out that sojang was a woman in her mid 40s spreading malicious things abt kpop idols. Ppl still don't know why she did this for so long, she claims she did it for "income". Im just saying this bc not every toxic kpop fan are kids but are envious adults 😭

[@Yorbelize]

​​@@sb-jp2vwshe deleted her channel because Starship is actually suing her. They threatened to sue her back in May but just recently they have filed a lawsuit against her and that scared her into finally deleting her channel. Serves her right, I hope Starship does not back out.

[@evybabe_]

@@sb-jp2vw I never heard about that Chanel but that sucks honestly. Unfortunately there are many adult who are immature in the kpop community. But if we look deeper it’s kinda the company fault because by debuting minor idol they indirectly target very young kids (9-14y) as listeners so I’m not surprise about how the fans act. If you compare to the western singer it’s kinda cheating bcuz the industry is 4x more varied . Also if we take the situation of Mariah, Whitney and Celine most of their fans are really music lovers/old school they don’t listen their faves because they are visuals but because they have real/rare talent. Most of the main vocal in kpop group are underrated compared to the visual) so obviously the kpop fan are going to be shallow and mean . Sorry for this long ass essay💀 and I’m French so my English is not that good.

[@fwaria2544]

Exactly! Wonyoung deserves the world and a trophy for being able to handle the hate since she's 14, give her a break.

[@manuelmateo3392]

I doubt she's even aware about the most or any of it. Even in her free hours, she has no time to deal with the prattling of randos online.

[@vixxexo6855]

That racist piece of plastic does not deserve the world with her disgusting attitude. See how she treated that small boy who wanted to meet her. The way she looked at him with disgust shows a lot about her true character. Also Wonyoung ignoring and cutting of other idols on music shows like she ignored Lee Know and some NCT members bowing to her and also IVE are exposed by other idols for being rude to seniors. Everyone knows the group they talked about is IVE, but they had to lie and say it was not them because IVE fans hating on them. Also IVE said racist stuff about some native people and she also said indian people smell disgusting. Wonyoung also did bad features against Black people. That plastic creature deserves all the hate.

[@fimbulvetr6129]

@@manuelmateo3392she’s literally the meme of that person in the car as a person is trying to bust down their window 😂

[@sanriobambi]

the 'it' actually refers to the 'it factor'! the term was used a lot with models in the 90s- that they just had 'it', and 'it' being like charisma, beauty etc., rather than them being an 'it'. i hope that makes sense and clears things up; great video!! :))

[@manuelmateo3392]

This is why I've never given a shit about the moniker. I could never imagine myself caring about something so nebulous. I simply care about the work of the celebrities I do follow, and the same goes for K-pop.

[@manuelmateo3392]

This is why I've never given a shit about the moniker. I could never imagine myself caring about something so nebulous. I simply care about the work of the celebrities I do follow, and the same goes for K-pop.

[@jadend9757]

Yes, wanted to say this, thank you. Idk how someone can make a video about it girls and not know what the "it" means.

[@emperesque1218]

The problem with Kpop fans is the "my fandom vs. the world" mentality they have. You stick to one group with your life, and EVERYTHING has to be a fight to prove your favorite group is the best. Kpop is supposed to fun. It's supposed to be a good time, but fans just suck all the fun out of it by making everything a arguement and just being so sensitive to the idea of their faves not being on top for once.

[@SourLemonPie]

I’m in the same boat as you regarding how I started to like wonyoung lol. I wasn’t interested in her until the hate train she got for eating a strawberry with two hands. A hate video of her eating the strawberry showed up one day on my TikTok timeline and I decided to defend her. But then that comment suddenly got me involved in a 3/4 day “fight”💀. I have been in K-pop since 2016, and this was the first time I actively participated in a fight for an idol (this is probably due to the fact that I’m not on twitter lol). I tend to ignore things. Yeah so couple days later after that I became her stan 🗿.

[@thesevenkingswelove9554]

Ig fighting for people and defending them can make us like the person even if they didn't care for them in the first place..?

[@SourLemonPie]

@@thesevenkingswelove9554 yeah, that made me like her cause honesty it helped the entire situation was just blown out of proportion by her antis. A lot of pity. I should’ve just deleted the comment and went on my day lol. You can’t change peoples opinions when they are dead set to hate on others, even if it’s for something nonsensical.

[@sb-jp2vw]

For me, I was a stan since her debut in IVE, and I was always getting into fights with ppl just bc I was defending wonnie for eating a strawberry and throwing a ball. I recently logged into my old yt account and when a wonyoung video pops up, I go to the comments and I was there fighting for my life lmao 😭😭😭 anyways wonyoung 🔛🔝😻

[@dracol2399]

Yeah that's how I felt about Yuna, Jennie, aoa jimin, garam, wonho, etc. The type of hate, harassment, b*llying, and threats they got was the kind you would except some of the WORSE offenders (people who are ACTUAL bullies, racist, xenophobic, homophobes, pr*dators, sexist, misogynistic, etc.) to get, but it wasn't, they got THAT level of hate and threats over things that can be fixed, false rumors, or things anti's and even fans fixated on which caused me to feel bad and want to defend them. Especially Jimin, Garam, Wonho, and Idol's who were in similar situations. They're careers were ruin and till this day people still believe they're bullies despite the evidence showing otherwise and often times like in Garam and Jimin case the actually bullies face little to no consequences for there actions. It just caused me like them and show them that they're still people who support and don't believe the lies

[@DumiNihi]

Same at first I didn't really care about her but the strawberry thing was ridiculous

[@via45]

Wonyoung is pretty much the definative 4th gen it girl based on dumb hate alone. Also the title of it girl is meant for girls with the most influence (to the public) and are iconic its completely separate from it boy, people get confused with these and use it wrong. Sadly due to that they get the most hate from jealous people.

[@GleeChan]

I think you're right about xenophobia when it comes to Korean beauty standards. I think the only one that sort of broke her way through all that was Tzuyu from TWICE, as she's constantly ranked high on "most beautiful" lists. I know there are other foreigners who are popular that many of international fans would consider top beauties but they hardily are ever propped up by K-netz. They tend to stick to home-grown Korean hotties like your Jisoos, Irenes, or Miyeons.

[@stvliana1107]

but the thing is no Western person gives a toss about those lists that kpop fans think are important. when it comes to preference the reality is a kendall jenner, bella hadid, will always outdo a tzuyu within western society because they fit hollywoods perception of beauty

[@multifan6679]

Kazuha is from Japan and also surprisingly gets ALOT of support from Koreans for her visuals

[@margarete5920]

@@multifan6679 please knetz are still crying for the fact Zuha is not Korean when Zuha's visual went viral. They love her but not fully cuz she's not Korean

[@cassiopeiatheconstellation]

The ideas, editing, research, and everything thing was great! And the sponsership!?! Taejiu really knows how to make a comeback! If only kpop companies could put just half this effort or care about their idols into their projects😂

[@naifahtaskeen7278]

😂

[@burban7986]

As somebody that grew up idolising it girls, I feel like in the 4th gen there’s only one idol I see that encapsulates the it girl essence and that’s wonyoung, she has the endorsements, she has the influence, gets hated on for absolutely nothing other than existing, is elegant and carrys herself with confidence and femininity, the other idols you’ve listed I wouldn’t consider them it girls at all if anything is just say they’re influential but it girls no, not at all.

[@auespaa]

Completely agree with you. Also Wonyoung beauty, energy and "it factor" can be seen by internationals as well, something global it girls need to have. Even if you don't share or like korea's beauty standards, no one can deny Wonyoung has "it"... other idols can be beautiful in their country but not worldwide so being an "it girl" is almost like an aura. Not only beauty, popularity and talent. another example could be Jisoo and Jennie... Jisoo is not considered as "beautiful" for some international fans but she is one of the most gorgeous faces in her country, but Jennie's IT girl energy its translated immediately to everyone regardless of what their idea of beauty is.

[@ravenmindful673]

I agree with you. So far I have not seen any idol in this fourth generation who's at wonyoung's level. I can say maybe Karina? but even her influence is not yet there. wonyoung legit reminds me of the time when suzy, iu and jenny (and maybe irene) were taking over the industry for YEARS in their prime. I don't see the others doing that. They are just pretty and have great stage presence. They don't really have the main It girl factor which is MASSIVE influence. caring the fame on your own.

[@expensivepink7]

wonyoung works so hard it is insane she is SUCH an IDOL and does SO MUCH OTHER STUFF TOO!! girlie deserves a break

[@2FullMoons]

Absolutely loved this video. I’m gonna start off by saying that IMO ‘it boys’ are not a thing, the discourse around these two ideas, it boys & it girls is SO different and on such different scales that it makes one of them absolutely irrelevant, it doesn’t even compare. But if we are to insist that it has to be a thing, I’d say that it’s between Yeonjun & Hyunjin. *To me* an ‘it girl’ is someone who the public has an irrational obsession with, both positive & negative. As an IVE fan, I’m going to be very objective when I say that the SCALE of both the positive & negative attention that Wonyoung gets is irrational. All the positive attention is irrational because she’s not the most talented idol we’ve ever seen ( that doesn’t make her untalented but let’s be honest, she’s on par with a lot of other idols in the industry ), & yes while she is extremely beautiful... at the end of the day, HOW MUCH hold can that really have on people? She is not the only insanely beautiful idol out there so the idea that she’s the ‘it girl’ just because of her beauty at some point becomes a stretch and too hard to believe. All the negative attention is also irrational because she’s one of the least problematic idols out there and all the framing will never make her the mean girl the haters want her to be. It seems to me that the obsession both her fans & haters have for her is extreme and rooted in some kind of fictionalized motive that realistically, is not supported by anything particularly segnificant on both the positive & negative side. I could say the same thing about Jennie & Suzy. It Girls are somehow bound to oscillate between these two extremes where they received way too much love & way too much hate to be properly justified. It seems to me that being the ‘it girl’ is not about anything tangible but rather the pure fascination that a female idol for whatever reason manages to stir up with people. Mystery could also be a factor, if you think about it, we know so little about Wonyoung, she is so incontrol of what she wants to show that it almost ‘forces’ people to start creating their own narratives about her, good ( ever heard of Wonyoungism? that whole movement is based on the fictional lifestyle that Wonyoung represents to her fans... it’s not Wonyoung, it’s the IDEA of her as a lifestyle ) & bad ( the Regina George of kpop... again rooted in the delusional narrative her haters wrote for her ). That also explains why people get SO attached to both loving her and hating her, it becomes somehow personal, it’s not all Wonyoung, it’s also those people’s personal projections. I also think ‘it girls’ just happen... you can’t manufacture them, you can’t predict it or force it on the public, it just happens naturally and the Korean public decide it, not western fans. I know this answer kinda sucks because it doesn’t really *answer* the question ‘what really makes an it girl’ but it’s the best one I can think of. I also believe that while being an it girl can be a blessing, overall, it’s more of an awful curse. As a dive, seeing all the irrational hate Wonyoung gets for simply existing and how that falls on the other members and overall group is heartbreaking, I absolutely hate it. I see kpop fans fight over this title all the time and how ‘Wonyoung is not the it girl of the 4th gen’ and I just want to ask why do you want it so bad? Why would you want your favorite artist, who you love, to go through all of the mess Wonyoung is going through? So you can stroke your ego on twitter everytime you fight someone? It’s not worth it, the defending against all the lies, the framings, the misinformation, etc it takes a tool on fans too not just her. Twitter is nearly empty of active dives, they literally leave because the hate is unbareable. As a fan of her & IVE, I wish Wonyoung wasn’t the ‘it girl’, all the negative attention is not worth it... my greatest wish as a fan of the girls is for them to be left alone but that will never happen because of this dumb title that Wonyoung never asked for, but as I said, naturally was handed to her for whatever reason. IMO it’s more dirt than glitter.

[@c._.lover.]

The original IT Boy was G DRAGON. For 4th gen, I would say Yeonjun is the IT Boy and Hyunjin is 4th Gen Prince.

[@2FullMoons]

@@c._.lover. See, I can agree with G-Dragon being an actual It Boy

[@c._.lover.]

@@2FullMoons Right, GD is the epitome of what IT boy is. But, armies keep saying Jimin is the IT Boy, maybe if they added 3rd gen I'd be like ok your opinion. But, there's no way Jimin can compete with the literal 1000 year idol, GD

[@burban7986]

An it girls isn’t even about their talents at all… it’s about their influence and pull, which is something wonyoung has unlike the other “it girls” listed, if we’re being honest the only it girl that was listed this entire video is wonyoung.

[@delia8162]

I think to me personally, wonyoung is a strong feminine girl who doesn't need to have any masculine traits to be empowering, nowadays it's rare to find someone who has that to the extent wonyoung does, it is very attractive to women and most people i see defending her and looking up to her unwavering confidence are women. People who hate her cannot bring themselves to understand this and the only way for them to make a logical conclusion out of it is to label her a typical mean girl and start looking for "proof" of said projection.

[@eangal]

there’s literally a position called “face of the group” like these companies don’t even at least pretend to hide it 😭

[@via45]

Yh it's called proper marketing. You can't afford to promote every member and some are better at variety show than others. See how many groups you can identify by group pic alone and see all the faces you have to know.

[@eangal]

@@via45 and that’s fine. it’s fine to use one member to promote the group and gain money that way. but the fact that there’s an entire name for it is just lowkey unnecessary. companies can have members they choose to use to promote without putting a whole ass title on it.

[@celinemyshoes_]

Being an IT girl means Influence too , actually more of influence and less of talent got gotta be influential that one thing you do creates buzz in Korea as well as internationally , and this is why Xiatong , Yuna,Yeji aren't IT girls ...You should see Hyeatifuls vid on it

[@silververnallbells191]

Xiating isn't even the famous one in Kep1er. Bahhiya is the one who trends on Twitter.

[@burban7986]

@@silververnallbells191 bahyiy would never be an it girl if we’re going to be real here

[@burban7986]

Also real

[@heylilpissbaby2099]

…Yuna and yeji have plenty of influence especially in china and Korea, yunas sold out hella bags with one being named the “Yuna bag” and yeji has a whole Starbucks drink named after her in china like

[@celinemyshoes_]

@@heylilpissbaby2099 I did not know that.. thanks for telling though.. but IT girls influence should be on a higher level than that.. like Bae suzy , Wonyoung, Jennie if you understand what I am saying ..

[@arjunchatter218]

kinda feel sad that jennie's hate has now become a standard measure of extreme hatred like any video or post about her or wony and you'll find thousands of people being pissed for absolutely no reason

[@tanielented4773]

I would also like to add that when it comes to make idols, Jimin is the one that's considered as an IT BOY. And surprisingly he is the one who gets hated on the most among male idols too. Not just that most of the hate stems from him not being manly enough, comparing him to girls, r@pe threats, se*ualisation and more. Even the hate the "it boy" receives is rooted in misogyny. It's like anything that have to do even a little with any aspect of womanhood will bring you hate..sigh.

[@abodeof7537]

And that hate comes from gg stans only who SWEAR they are "feminist" but then turn around and hate jimin for being confident in his both masculine and feminine side. The hate jimin gets is ROOTED in misogyny but these dumbfck gg stans will never agree.

[@thesevenkingswelove9554]

​@@abodeof7537 sorry but you guys don't understand the meaning of association. Someone who is actually feminist and in support of people and against hate isn't going to hate Jimin Or other male idols. People who already hate women and are against them are more likely to hate Jimin for being "feminine" as well. These people are also likely to hate on Wonyoung, Yuna etc for being cringy "females"

[@sheonyx]

​@@Can_think_of_a_name gd is absolutely the it boy of 2nd gen, though imo 3rd gen is a bit dubious. cha eunwoo absolutely has the it boy energy, the expensive vibe and the fame, but i think jimin still takes the title, simply because of bts' influence. it's a bit like yuna vs. wonyoung. yuna fits the criteria perfectly, but she's overshadowed by wonyoung's popularity whenever they're compared.

[@sheonyx]

@@Can_think_of_a_name i agree with both points. since the "it girl/boy" discussion is happening primarily online, international popularity is a huge part of it. if we're talking top idols domestically, yuna and eunwoo are absolutely both up there. (off topic, but yuna's cover of u go girl was such good promo for her). again, i feel they're both the embodiment of kpop perfection as taejiu pointed out, but if they're not promoted properly that doesn't really matter to the wider public.

[@8luvbug]

​​@@sheonyx3rd gen it boy was Kang Daniel. I was around when he exploded in popularity and his name all over Korea

[@sangwoossnacc9959]

The fact that at the Age of 13/14 Wonyoung receives a lot of hates and bully!ng ever since up to date. Her mental states is literally strong. If I was on her shoes I will lose my mind and will quit this industry ASAP. Stan Wonyoung!! She's literally Won + Young!!! 🌸🌸🌸

[@cymo7344]

The 4th Gen IT girl will forever be JangWonyoung.

[@Quon]

In my Iz*one stan phase my bias was Chaewon but i found myself glancing at Wonyoung a lot. Once they all debuted separately Wonyoung became my ult and Chaewon is my bias in LSRF. Being an It girl doesnt seem to be about an object, but having the 'it' factor, it being charisma.

[@Chuu_Vault]

What can take from the video? That being an it girl is a double edge sword, the Korean Beauty standard are INSANE, that Kpop stans likes putting idols in huge pedestals for them to take them down only for Fun and that Wonyoung is really pretty. Also Side note: Wonyoung wrote Dreamlike while she was in Iz*One, great song btw

[@emperesque1218]

One thing that plays a big role in deciding a generation's "It girl" in Kpop is their popularity with the general public in Korea. You can see this with previous "It Girls" like Miss A's Suzy, Blackpink's Jennie and now Wonyoung, all of whom are very well-known all over South Korea. Which means 1.) No matter how much overseas fans want to push someone to be the "It Girl", it is ultimately not something they can control, and 2.) It will never be a non-Korean due to the Korean public's preference (and xenophobia) for full Koreans.

[@silververnallbells191]

Lisa IS top rated & she's Thai. She also gets a lot of xenophobic hate, though.

[@babyanie4673]

I was always a Wizone but Eunbi was my bias, I of course checked IVE out. I feel like Wizone did not expect for Wonyoung to blow up the way she did. After witnessing the hate I got more biased towards Wonyoung. It gave me whiplash to see her go from being a beloved maknae to the most hated 4th gen idol.

[@amethystpaice1451]

I agree that the idea of an IT girl can be somewhat harmful. Why do people feel the need to call someone more beautiful, more special or more *something* than everyone else. We end up pitting women against each other based off these things, and I think it is fueled by misogyny in part. I much prefer the idea of (g)i-dle's Queencard over the IT girl. There's no need to compare people; we are all beautiful and special in our own way.

[@via45]

It girl is not for comparing it's literally just the title of a influential girl. And because if the title parole hate on them. People will always compare.

[@Welchs-Fruit-Snacks]

Ngl, Stans only play the, "Oh, Why is only ___, ___?? Why can't we all be ____!" whenever it isn't their favs. 😶 Like, IT's not even comparing, It's stating facts. Only children would get mad at the fact that Wonyoung is the 4th gen it-girl. Being an it-girl doesn't mean you're the most "special", It's just stating facts. (G)i-dle's ver of an It-Girl is selfish. Why must EVERYONE be an it-girl just so that other people can feel better about themselves?? It doesn't make any sense. This is the same topic as "Why is ____ a main dancer and not my favs??? IIIIIIII THINK HE CAN DANCE JUST AS WELL AS THEM SO HE SHOULD BE A MAIN DANCER TOO!" bs, Stans love to post videos about on tiktok. There's a reason why there can be only one it-girl/it-boy of each gen and all this hand-holding is only going to make stans more delulu. Not to mention it's discrediting all of Wonyoung's hard work. Also, How is it misogyny??? Stans always cry when they see someone getting something they believe should have rightfully gone to their favs. Especially, GG stans. It's not a shocker that most GG stans nowadays are women and women always envy other women.

[@mjeeriw]

​@@Welchs-Fruit-Snacks I AGREEE

[@theanti-veela-leprechaun]

Wonyoung is the forever 4th gen IT GIRL 👑

[@Yooniverse35]

I really enjoyed the video! I never understood the purpose of it girl within the kpop fan community like why is it such a flex to be the most popular? Shouldn't talent, hard work and determination matter more? But I am also very aware of the concept of self insertion. We grew up to believe that if you're popular you got it all. And so you self insert yourself into these idols lives and live your dream life through them. Which is also why I think it girls are talked about more than it boys, because most fandoms are female dominated. Female fans self insert in female idols.

[@vinhie-ok2yq]

The editing has definitely improved in this video, I enjoyed it very much! I think that It Boys are also talked about less because girl groups tend to target the GP, whereas boy groups target the fandom, so girl group members are naturally more influential on the public.

[@Matthew-ei8hp]

thank you for including Xiaoting 😭 youre so right about her! she has HUGE it girl potential!

[@Insert_Name_Here99]

As a boy group stan who just so happens to be scrolling through video essays to listen to, I wanted to throw in a thought I had. As I prefaced, I'm first and foremost a boy group stan, specifically an ASTRO stan, specifically a Cha Eunwoo bias (also JinJin bias but that's besides the point) and I was just reminded of how many people absolutely hate Eunwoo's guts for LITERALLY no reason. He's not the center of astro, that was moonbin, but I'd easily say Eunwoo climbed the ranks for be an It Boy for 3rd gen. He's CONSTANTLY struck with haters saying he "hates astro" and "should just leave" or "he only cares about acting, not singing" and it's nice to just be comfortable in the fact that haters and antis just don't know ANYTHING they're talking about. Eunwoo specifically wrote so many lyrics for astro songs on top of EVERYTHING he was going as Fantagio's main money-maker. So, just, anyone who is really concerned about the It Girls you're a fan of getting hated, just take heart in the fact that haters don't know ANYTHING they say about them. I know it's hard to escape the "my fandom vs the world" mentality, but it's so much easier to enjoy the groups when you just enjoy the music

[@fimbulvetr6129]

Wonyoung is kind of… everything? Because of being the talk of the town in more ways than one. Under positive comment, she’s a visual, a talented idol, an ambassador. she’s kind, comedic, sassy, and of course beautiful. However, under negative comment, she becomes a punching bag. But as Huh Yunjin eloquently wrote “she takes the hit but never shows you where it hurts / hits back stronger than before”. And with how hatred leads, she effectively becomes a sort of underdog. I remember watching a video of memes featuring JYP (Not the company, the man the meme the legend), and a comment along the lines of “how does he keep being himself despite all the stuff said about him?” And the worst connection my mind ever made was done. She’s a younger, prettier, Jaywhahpee~

[@Thispotatolikekpop]

I dont know if this really has anything to do with it idols, but maybe it can be applied. Recently, I have noticed that many kpop fans are trying to paint female idols as untalented, lazy and just visuals, but never seem to do to male idols, even if those male idols are similar in skill to those female idols that are hated. Obviously im not saying they should be receiving this hate, neither should, I just think its a prominent example of the misogony in kpop that the fans present, and its become way to normalized. I think this may apply to the it girl/boy phenomenon, like you said, it boys are not as prominent as it girls, but the ones who are are so incredibly loved that many people don't notice the hate they get, while for it girls, the hate is so prevalent that there are whole news articles written about it, which I don't see alot with male idols, heck, many stans say that hate is something that is guaranteed when being an it girl.

[@kelseylelei]

the reference of centers to the z fighters was actually so spot on it hurts

[@etherealstrawberry9873]

i used to be ugly when i was little- not much, but i was a chubby kid and people bullied me a lot. when i transferred to a new school and quarantine hit, i started to glow up a bit and put more effort into myself. i trained my body to move elegantly, my face to make pretty expressions because that's the only way i got people to like me, or pay attention to me. so when people hate her for acting pretty and cute, it really doesn't make any sense because no one is 100% genuine. even if my words are honest, i am putting up an act with my appearance. and not even their fav idols that they like to claim are genuine and raw, are not. i think that's the reason i like wonyoung so much, because she puts effort into everything she does and slays. she's such a hard worker and she DESERVES all the success and fame she has. such a lovely girl

[@devraajmoran5969]

My genuine did people started liking you??

[@etherealstrawberry9873]

@@devraajmoran5969 yes, you'd be surprised how much.

[@Ifuckinghatehumans4ever]

Same tbh I got rejected n people would call me fat but after I started to take care of myself people started to call me pretty🤷

[@laurad4277]

The editing in this, the writing, it's immaculate!! Your hardwork really shines through ⭐

[@ilovecats0406]

The amount of hate Wonyoung receives is insane. At first, I also didn't like her because I used to get videos of her being "mean" or "spoiled", but after watching normal content or content where she is not portrayed as a villain I really started to like her because she looks like genuinely nice person that just loves to be an idol...

[@FrostyPlayzYT]

amount of research that this video needed on top of editing is insane!! amazing video as always

[@jenme2390]

Wow!😄What a great video ☺️Hope you are doing well. I’d just like to say, Wonyoung has gorgeous hair. Lol I honestly don’t think I’ve seen a K-pop idol past or present with such gorgeous hair…which tends to hold her back cause she was always adjusting it/fixing it while performing🫤idk if she has changed that now. Not really watching as much of there stuff as I once did. Wonyoung was also literally #1 on that competition program. AND Wonyoung is super thin. Honestly I feel like Wonyoung set out and ASPIRED to be the “It Girl” and achieved it.

[@HopeeInk]

I think the lipsync incident is actually the only time where criticism made sense. Because yeah these other groups get a pass because they do crazy choreo. It's insane to expect a human to jump, twirl, dance and spin for multiple minutes while hitting every tone despite being out of breath because the choreo is demanding. Maybe it's a problem in design within 4th Gen, but even companies know that that's why we have lipsync in the first place in kpop. So the audacity to sit your ass down, don't move at all and still don't use your vocal cords as a singer is beyond. It's not the girls that should be blamed, but acting like this was an incident like every other lipsync scandal is really nonsense imo.

[@Taejiu]

To be honest, I really don't get this logic. I mean I understand "well the other idols dance so at least they are doing something", but what differentiates those performances, both idols are getting on stage, and their purpose is to sing, if neither sung, one shouldn't get punished more than another. Especially when lets be completely f*cking real, it wasn't even her choice to sing. People really think idols are the ones who choose to sing? It's the companies, if you really think Wonyoung and Leeseo got up on that stage and themselves chose NOT to sing a single note, then you underestimate what the industry has in store.

[@aroree]

@@Taejiu I personally agree with both. I see the take for why people would criticize lip syncing when there's no choreo, but imo I just wish everyone would sing live more, regardless of stability. We get live vocals less and less, so it makes sense for people to be disappointed that a company will shaft a live performance when one is expected. It's also why IVE was so celebrated for singing live for so many I AM performances! Never will I agree with the hate, but I think being disappointed is fine. I also think that criticism should never be towards the artists, but should've gone towards Starship themselves. Also the argument of "why doesn't x get the same criticism as y" doesn't work as well when X has something Y doesn't, which is dancing. It has an added factor that the other is missing. I say this as a Wonyoung supporter too ): it also feels industry standard that ballads are sung live, so lip syncing a ballad is just a step too uncomfortably superficial. There's also the endless circle of "fans drool over visuals ⇄ industry prioritizes beauty ⇄ vocal talent on the backburner" that ramps up each time it goes around, so all we can really do is continue to praise non-visual abilities and celebrate talent+live performances and hope the companies hear us.

[@sb3937]

Agree but tons of groups did the same and didn’t get the same hate.. like at all. I remember Lsrfm going viral (not as much as IVE) for lip syncing while sitting and everyone defended them. Most people don’t even know this happened. People are extremely selective on which groups to give “fair criticism” to.

[@sheonyx]

amazing video. i remember everglow-up having a similar take on specifically the wonyoung hate, but it's been very interesting exploring the history of the phenomenon. i'm very much excited for your agust d essay, but please do make sure you're taking care of yourself in the meantime. much love, so glad you're back :)

[@Thesilentvoice...]

I've noticed everyone looks the same too or goees for the same look. It's only until one group does something different from the masses, and becomes popular everyone else copies that look. For example new jeans, they come off as very natural and have a chilled style/vibe that's unique (they mixed a tomboy look with a girly look well).

[@sdm9019]

When you Call a girl an It girl The it is not talking about the girl. It's talking about what she has. What she brings to make people look at her, it's not calling her the it.

[@yawnzzn1206]

Yeonjun 4th gen it boy and Wonyoung 4th gen it girl!!

[@johnv4866]

I agree 100% about being more of a Wonyoung fan because of the way she is picked on.

[@johnsthetic]

XIOTING deserves to be more popular that girl is so cool and fr I hope she goes worldwide coz she is good in her job. Jang wonyoung is the 4th gen it girl for me like no one does it like her . I used to wonder what is the factor about her that made her so fabulous ; now that I stan IVE I know why she is the IT girl.

[@sliverhalo9286]

She does but she will never get it Kep1er is too poorly managed. I wouldn't even call her an it girl because it is primarily based on popularity and Kep1er doesn't have that. I also don't think she has the charisma for it

[@johnsthetic]

@@sliverhalo9286 XIAOTING has the charisma and if Kepler was managed properly I bet she would go into great heights. Saying she doesn't have charisma is actually funny 😂😂

[@Smoses_senpai]

I'm with you on that. Often times i'm a fan of the more unpopular members of a group because i think they do just as great so they deserve some love as well

[@rayanaloufi7214]

the only kpop it girl who got called an "it girl" by famous magazines and websites is jennie. she's the only one which i believe deserves the title. The other girls are called it girls or it boys bu their fanbases. u go to any video of current it girls and somehow jennie is on the list. however, i don't take this concept seriously because i admire jennie for other things as well.

[@via45]

Wonyoung is the it girl now though and that was not decided by fans but the media.

[@supershyshyshy]

Other female idols have also been called "it girl" by magazines

[@danielgabriel370]

Speaking of someone who’s attractive that I don’t get is RV Irene. Like I know she’s a goddess but my eyes aren’t agreeing for some reason.

[@ally-22]

same i don't see what others see

[@8luvbug]

For me she's a run of the mill beauty. I feel the same about SNSD Yoona

[@MadaraxUchiha]

Wonyoung is the best IT Girl in my opinion even if a lot of people hate her she is still successful and the DIVES still support and cheer for her

[@chichilafemme6336]

To me an it girl is someone who is attractive, has a magnetic personality and curated image and fashion that directly ties to monetary gain. (Brand deals sponsorships) the public is obsessed with both negative and positive. Either way when they get hate, it makes a lot of noise, when they are praised, it makes a lot of noise. They have to have influence, they trend, they create trends, they cause things to sell out. I think those are the deciding factors. The image is bigger than their talent. The only one I see fitting that truly is wonyoung. It’s a sad thing bc the amount of hate and parasocial relationships, it’s dangerous however they get the most deals, most jobs and usually have the longest careers in their group and/or generation. 2nd gen, Krystal and Suzy are the only ones in their groups still getting pretty big jobs in South Korea, and thus longer careers. Jennie even tho all of blackpink is successful, and Lisa had the biggest personal fanbase, Jennie got the first major brand deal in the group but she’s the one who’s really making connections in the west the most besides maybe rose and Lisa but hers is the only one that resulted in a job (the idol) tho the show sucks it’s a step in the right direction exposure wise. That unfortunately does matter to the idols themselves that being said it doesn’t matter as much as fans make it seem and I feel bad that wonyoung went through all of this so young. They cannot choose it, the public is in control, it’s a curse but it’s also a blessing if they can remain strong and use it to their advantage while the iron is still hot.

[@8luvbug]

What about Yoona

[@sliverhalo9286]

The term "it boy" will always be weird to me. The culture around male idols is just so vastly different it doesn't work. I can't see it as a concept when it comes male idols.

[@naruske97]

Great video. I think the IT boy being love while IT girls only get hate also comes from the fact that most of the K-pop audience are women,so as you say,these women hate in the female idols who have the qualities that they want but think they don't have,just to feel better with themselves; while the boy is just like an 'ideal boyfriend' That also takes me to the self-insert aspect. It happens a lot that women audience have an idol who they use as self-insert (they want to admit it or not) and that can create fanwars between self-insert idol1 and self-insert idol2 fans. I have seen on Instagram fanfics like that were you supposed to be X BLACKPINK member and the villain of the story tends to be a TWICE member (usually Nayein or Tzuyu) who wants to steal your boyfriend Jungkook. Probably that foments the anger towards other idols who they see as the enemy,even if in real life these idols may be besties

[@lavinia648]

That's a thing I hate so much like why would someone use a real person for a bad character? Like for example in one story there was jennie the villain and the comments were literally hating her and it was just so unreal and wouldn't get in my mind because why are you hating someone because of a fictional story? I think people should just stop with it and use names they thought up.

[@matchapatissiere5146]

0:50 Not the Kendall's Tupac Shakur video clip 🤣😂

[@norabeckwith6893]

Suzy is the 2gen it girl

[@8luvbug]

I thought it was Yoona?

[@DelfiBarrount]

i'm currently wonyoung stan, i even have her as my lock background lol. but before i hated her because i saw videos taken out of context. wonyoung is very kind and hardworking, she doesn't deserve the hate :(

[@johnkim6574]

Only wonyoung is the true 'IT girl' of 4th gen. I'm sorry to other girls, but they may be very popular, gorgeous or very talented. BUT they ain't the IT GIRL none of them. Also stop with this 'misogynist' shit , like none of them get as much HATE as compare to wonyoung. 99% of idols get hate for one reason or another, both male and female.

[@via45]

Agreed. It's pretty undeniable.

[@slowtassium]

me at my wedding: 🧍‍♂ me at Taejiu's new era of content:🕺 great video !!

[@kellyhsu9390]

I would love to hear your thoughts on XG after their album comes out, or at least be included in your monthly round up🎉

[@moriko-chan1059]

For me my it girl would be Jeon Soyeon of gidle. She is a great rapper, music producer, dancer and has a great stage presence.

[@minju5014]

why is xiaoting even on the list, she has made no impact to be even considered an it girl

[@NootN00t]

so right about xiaoting. you can actually see some comments here who are proving you right.

[@asarokaa5925]

appreciating the deeprock galactic music in the back fr🙏

[@miavictor2944]

and yet the ultimate IT girl is Jennie Kim cause it's determined on your fashion impact which she's the Asian with the *MOST* fashion impact you cannot deny that

[@TheMaryLoo]

I havent really caught up on kpop esp the 4th generation and even i can agree that wonyoungs hate has reached jennie level

[@rickylc3923]

I'm a big fan of Ive. But I think woonyoung deserves the lip sync hate. If you're dancing and performing live lip syncing, I get it. It does not matter. But if you're sitting there to perform and sing with no choreo, it's to show off your vocal talent. I don't think lip syncing was the best idea and criticism is justified. I'd criticize anyone who did that. Ashlee Simpson's career literally ended because of a lip sync scandal. So I don't think wonyoung deserves a pass either. Just a thought.

[@greenthinggg]

Critism not hate either way blame the company I don't think they had a choice either way its not like she killed a man

[@DelfiBarrount]

She deserves criticism, not hate. Likewise, Wonyoung doesn't choose to do lypsinc.

[@lbfilms-nq5hj]

Fans of Korean Idols are so attached to the idols it's crazy. It's like an obsession I thought Americas attachment was bad

[@-bloom-9267]

I really hate how the Kpop industry and its fans holds female idols into a very unrealistic standard and tend to coddle male idols more, it's annoying to see all those boy groups be given more spots in award shows and other kpop events compared to girl groups despite them being 10000x more popular and interesting than the other

[@lalalalal5304]

The it girls is influence. How much you can influence people and set new trends. In Kpop is mostly who’s a hot issue and cause trends and sell more for brands. That’s basically it.

[@expensivepink7]

true also wonyoung supremacy

[@mmmk6793]

they're punching bags, poor girls. you know what happens any time there's a gg renaissance,, impending economic collapse probably. good luck yol

[@naifahtaskeen7278]

The music of minecraft behind the video 😮😮😮😢

[@misha21olivia]

Tejiu, I Love your video essays so much, you can tell how much effort you put into your videos and how passionate you are about the topics you choose IN your videos, but one thing that bothers me is your mic peaking. it might just be me, but sometimes when you speak, I hear very highpitched click sounds in the audio and its very uncomfortable, so I have to turns down the sound when it arrives. it's such a shame bc your videos are litterally everything i've been looking for in a ktuber (even tho you wanna do other stuff) and it just sucks that such a small thing can ruin a viewing expierience. this really isn't hate, but just a heads up to hopefully better the viewing expierience of your amazing videos.

[@Taejiu]

I agree, I’ve had issues in the past with audio balancing and correction, mainly because of the fact I don’t have time to shoot everything in one day. I didn’t think this video was too bad with it but I’ll keep improving in that aspect, thanks 👍

[@AndyLopez-kr3wi]

I think you forgot another important factor of what makes an IT girl/ It's setting up/popularizing fashion trends or just trends in general.

[@lunerouge7745]

not only you, her videos kept on trending even the hate train videos so wonder who is this girl and why so much hate, then I started defending her while checking and knowing more about wonyoung so yeah, IM A FREAKING DIVE NOW AND WONYOUNG STAN LMAOOOOO BTW IVE DISCOGRAPHY IS JUSTSO DAMN GOODDDDDD im glad to know more about IVE thanks to wonyoung lmao

[@char5297]

incredible video as always and not that it really matters but karina is pronounced as car-rin-ah opposed to car-ree-nah! looking forward to whatever u post next. easily one of the best!

[@ilymahi]

i think it girls are more prevalent than it boys because they also have the aspect of being aspirational to women, young girls want to be them, meanwhile demographically boys don’t really look for aspiration in male pop stars in that similar way. only one i can consider influential in that way even internationally is jimin

[@devraajmoran5969]

And this is the problem, K-pop indirectly tells young girls that if you as a woman wants to have some worth you need Good looks = Popularity = luxury K-pop markets Male idols as perfect boyfriends and females as Woman whom you want to be No wonder why bg stans have delulus and gg stans have beauty and luxury obsess people 🥴🥴

[@ilymahi]

@@devraajmoran5969 i agree with u to an extent, this is a general phenomenon tho outside of kpop as well

[@ccsbm208]

I 100% agree with you. I feel like it boys aren’t really a thing. The main appeal of it girls is having other girls want to be like you which isn’t the sort of appeal male idols tend to produce since their fans tend to be younger girls. The whole “wonyoungism” movement speaks for itself, as controversial as it is there is no male equivalent to that at least in 4th gen. The closest thing to it is probably g-dragon but I feel like the term “it-boy” is rather juvenile and doesn’t reflect the “too cool for school” attitude that g-dragon gives off.

[@melanydonna]

I nedeed this video. Ive been so annoyed by the fact of all the hate wonyoung recieve. It makes me really sad.

[@zee9345]

Your editing is 🔥🔥

[@via45]

Wonyoung has written on songs before in izone and she was a lead dancer. She has a lot of talent that people dont care to find out. (Sadly your comment of saying so and so is more talented than another is directly the issue u complain about). Ive fans know of wonyoungs talent and its only haters who are suprised. Also i disagree with your take about It girl, for me its inspirational. Wonyoungs brands are celebrated because these are contracted jobs which she has earned from many years 4+ of modeling work(which yes relies on beauty but modeling a actual profession which requires skill to be good beyong looks). Recently these brand ambassadorship have been deminished due to some companies buying their way in. Because usually you need to work with the brand for a number of years. I think your view if it girl is due to the negativety it sometimes used for but the title is not given in malicious content. Even in the song nicki released for the barbie movie, its a celebration for having the "it" factor. Also i know you said you are a fan on wonyoung, but i emplore you to watch some of their other content, because being debrainwashed from all the hate propaganda ive have got is not easy. And even those who say they like her dont do so in full justice.

[@Lekos_1]

justin bieber was ``boosted`` from behind by P. Diddy - IYKYK😁😁😁😁😁😂😂😂😉😉😉

[@brigc7755]

As someone who's been into pop culture since I was 12 in both the West & Korean industries, the concept of there being almost NO IT-Boy is not solely in K-POP. Culture has almost always been popularly seen as what the women of a country / group do, think cultural clothing being worn more by women than men in countries around the world, cultural dance, etc. Therefore, IT-Girls are stalked, preyed upon, pressured into being perfect, and told to be a good role-model because women have always carried the burden of putting up a front to advertise the culture they're a part of. While men get let off the hook easier, have longer careers, etc. they aren't EVER as popular as IT-Girls. IT-Girls are desirable to both hetero men and women as fantastical girlfriends or as versions women can try to emulate, they often garner strong female fanbases which tend to have more power to lift them into global super-stardom and therefore into more public scrutiny (think Taylor Swift), while men are only valued really for the work they put out, women are more valued for their personal lives, creating a cult following and intense intrigue.

[@kevinkim7601]

Bro the Minecraft music in the background is a massive W

[@alinsofan501]

Haerin is the it girl for this generation.

[@burban7986]

No she isn’t 😭😭 it’s wonyoung

[@originalsomecloud3349]

LMFAOO

[@etherealstrawberry9873]

ain't no way you just said that

[@alinsofan501]

@@etherealstrawberry9873 how dare you? it's my opinion. if you don't like it i don't need you here, go start your own comment. bye!

[@JO-qn8gy]

It girls get lots of hate for nothing. Haerin does not get hate so...

[@starry_impression]

I thought this had something to do with Information Technology

[@smurfoasis1288]

Nineteen seconds in im seeing xiaoting i hope this is a good sign edit: It was

[@manuelmateo3392]

Wony doesn't sponsor Samsung.

[@Dasiah_Gaming]

It was the sitting down lip sync although people misused the concerns sitting shouldn’t be too sad asa reason to Lip sync

[@paragonca9736]

I'm so happy to be a member of the least problematic fandom in Kpop: InSomnias 😊😊

[@chefmatcha]

26:30 just like me fr

[@PeachyPechx]

2:37 this has nothing to do but I remembered when Biden fell from his bike

[@cantolope3322]

Great video, but I wish you credited the zelda lofi songs you use

[@Taejiu]

Zelda & Chill trilogy 👍

[@eardrummed]

Great video

[@bleepbleeep]

not you with the sponser omgggg

[@Faceon6790]

Wonyoung we love you ❤ the real it girl ❤

[@redwitxxch1148]

You haven't seen the bts ml stans fighting over the "it" title I tell you.

[@nope1273]

Pls tell me more about wonyoung, just read her name everywhere being hated like Jennie and she's also an it girl so kinda curious about her

[@scro910]

I just wanna say it’s crazy how ole girl from IOI….Doyeon? Was never it girl status cause she was wonyoung blueprint no shade

[@mfundotshabangu7499]

no fr like??? i'm still so upset that her company didn't promote her properly

[@scro910]

@@mfundotshabangu7499 weki meki’s concepts just never worked in her favor tbh….like aesthetically they were a group cool unique looking shorties like mostly yoojungs height and then there’s Doyeon n Lucy….tall model like top tier visuals….they always stuck out even if they were acting like everybody else…the childish concepts were not met for them, like Doyeon WOULD HAVE ATE KITSCH….Lucy too. The general sound/concepts of Izone or Ive would have made her n it girl.

[@via45]

So you now you insulting wonyoung now huh? No one is a blueprint for an entire person bffr. 'no shade' you are one of those people who hate on the it girl for apparent jealously ignorant of the hate that comes with it including people like u.

[@necrosoma]

I feel like Miyeon falls into that kinda borderline "it girl" status where she's the "center" or "face of the group" and definitely gets the most brand deals but not the kind of hate you see for other it girls. I'm thinking it might be a mixture of gidle's distinctive attitude towards the industry and the way the members highlight their own individuality. Hate towards gidle tends to be directed towards Cube and their mismanagement of Soojin, or spread amongst the members for various reasons. Miyeon's "princess" role is played as a running joke within the group and fanbase, and she seems to handle it with amusement. The other members will make fun of her in a loving way, which to me seems like they're all mocking the notion of being an it girl, and simultaneously preventing her from totally stealing the spotlight from the rest of them. It might be a huge selling point for Miyeon to be the pretty princess of the group, but with other members that shine just as bright (hell, Soyeon is still the most recognized of gidle) I don't think Miyeon attracts the hate that comes with people wanting to dog on whoever is the most popular of a group.

[@sliverhalo9286]

I can see it but no one calls her that and she doesn't get that type of hate

[@beyzas.6461]

I like yuna but she can’t be it girl because she is not influential

[@madhavisheldiya7817]

where is jennie here tho, she was the girl who invented it girl in 3 rd gen

[@Kitty_missss]

Bruh the it girl term existed way before Jennie thought of being an idol, Lee hyori was the first gen it girl of K-pop , she even called Miss Korea, then came bae Suzy the second gen it girl . Plus this video is about fourth gen IT Girl not third gen

[@lalitpradhan541]

Nice video

[@via45]

11:06 their stylist alqays highlights one member but when it was this one time with wonyoung it know becomes only her. There is a reason why you cant fill up eveb 4 other examples 😞. Hate this misinformation.