The K-PopJustice Forum Reader's Poll 2020
- Thread starter aux
- Start date
she/her
What am I supposed to have done this time?
Oh never mind, it's just stans shitting the bed as usual. I don't care.
I'm much too busy being a disgrace to humanity.
he/him
Honestly I almost knee-jerk defaulted to GFriend too - not that they’ve ever been less than great, but you can still improve on excellence. The way they steamrolled everyone in their path in 2020… we’re gonna be talking about this for years, girlies. Also helped that it came after a quieter 2019, and how they ramped up the stakes as 2020 went along, so I understand where the win came from.
Luckily I saw sense before submitting and voted for LOONA instead kii
Luckily I saw sense before submitting and voted for LOONA instead kii
2. NCT
3. MAMAMOO
4. (G)I-DLE
For this one we combined all individual song votes cause it just made more sense and YooA SWEEPED deservedly so. Oh My Girl have already been under fire for cultural insensitivity in the past, as most K-Pop groups are, but YooA took a step further in 2020 with her solo debut, Bon Voyage. Musically the song has a tribal element to it which would be pretty innocent if it wasn't combined with the visuals it ended up with. The video was seemingly inspired by varying Studio Ghibli films, but YooA with white markings on her face, turquoise jewelry & a simple nude Pocahontas style two piece were... insensitive to the say the least. She doubles down on this look when the video reaches it's climax, having now painted on black marks on her cheeks, geometric shapes on her fingers and surrounded by wolves. While there is nothing seemingly racist about these looks, there is a lot of... ignorance behind them. And it definitely didn't help that Oh My Girl haven't been the smartest when it comes to cultural sensitivity. But in saying all that.
NCT were under fire this year for their ignorant display with their comeback single Make A Wish (Birthday Song), which had 7 of the 23 boys dancing in a generic Mediterranean/Desi inspired mosque-like building. This was further played upon when their visuals for their performance actually featured a famous mosque. I've seen some conflicting reports, but a lot of people have stated that dancing or performing in front of Islamic holy sites like a mosque is super offensive and just a big no no... So tell me why SM ignored all the criticism and started to see cards & pins of the boys in mosque-like settings? Mess.
MAMAMOO... were doing so good for a while. They got through 2019 relatively safe, they didn't really encroach on anybody's cultures with their comebacks, but 2020 was different. Hwasa in particular saw a lot of criticism for her appearance on a variety show dressed in traditional African garments while imitating a famous Korean comedian... Which is already a whole can of worms. This was driven home even further when Hwasa's dancers appeared on stage with her all wearing durags, something the fans are insisting was a last minute decision made by a problematic stylist... Yeah, sure. The group then released a comeback in November titled AYA, which was heavily Mediterranean inspired. In fact, their performance at an end of year show was titled "Agrabah version", which is the fictional land where Aladdin lives, so I guess technically they aren't appropriating a real culture!
Poor (G)I-DLE still got a few mentions, most likely because Soyeon literally invented Ethnic Hip. They kept it pretty cute in 2020, and their first comeback of 2021 with HWAA is very Chinese inspired, but I think it's done quite gracefully, especially since they have Chinese members. So kudos to them! Keep up the good work!
eccentricsimply
Staff member
they/them
I voted for NCT because Make a Wish is a bop and it was different to see a boy group being ripped to pieces for cultural insensitivity instead of a girl group for once even though they are just as guilty of it but stan twitter is too my poor little meow meow to accept it!
Is Best Ethnic Hip the best song in that category or the most culturally insensitive one?
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he/him
It's the best song of the year that's got questionable elements.Is Best Ethnic hip the best song in that category or the most culturally insensitive one?
Ms. @aux said my ARTPOP could mean anythingIs Best Ethnic hip the best song in that category or the most culturally insensitive one?
I honestly think the latter makes more sense and is funnier in terms of irony nnIs Best Ethnic hip the best song in that category or the most culturally insensitive one?
he/him
Upon second thought, I think it’s this one to be honest ddd. It wasn’t my idea to include the category, so I probably shouldn’t have answered while my co-hosts are asleep. Oops.
Also, @superloves, where was your ballot?
I may have forgotten when the deadline wasUpon second thought, I think it’s this one to be honest ddd. It wasn’t my idea to include the category, so I probably shouldn’t have answered while my co-hosts are asleep. Oops.
Also, @superloves, where was your ballot?
he/him
In no particular order, our next reveals will be:
Your Favourite Moment In The Sub-Forum This Year
Best K-Pop Slasher Moment
Best Comeback That Isn't Popular Enough To Win Best Comeback
Best B-Side That Isn't Popular Enough To Win Best B-Side
Most Overrated Song
Most Overrated Video
Any guesses for the winners in these categories?
Best K-Pop Slasher Moment
Best Comeback That Isn't Popular Enough To Win Best Comeback
Best B-Side That Isn't Popular Enough To Win Best B-Side
Most Overrated Song
Most Overrated Video
Any guesses for the winners in these categories?
At least everyone else voted for actual songs...
I voted for Mamamoo...
I voted for Mamamoo...
