Idols: Looks Only?

There are many people who question the talents of the idol stars.  Many think that all idol stars are, are pretty faces with somewhat decent personalities (if that much).  They don’t seem to realize that idols are extremely talented, hardworking, personable and then good-looking. 

                Then the question arises, “What about SM?”  True, it is a known fact that SM only hires “good-looking people” (for the most part). Even the idols under the company will admit that.  But even with that, look at who they produce (in terms of idol stars).  Let’s take for example the cash cows of SM, Super Junior, DBSK and SHINee.  These three boy bands are immensely talented.

 Let’s start with Super Junior since there are so many of them.  They can all dance, excepting Heechul. They all have extremely loveable personalities.  They can all sing (including Heechul). As a matter of fact, they have three of the top idol singers in Korea in that group (yes, I am referring to KRY [Kyuhyun, Ryeowook and Yesung]), and you can tell anyone that I said that, because it’s the truth. They have very successful radio personalities in the person of Shin Dong, Heechul, Eunhyuk, and Leeteuk. Many of them play instruments, including Sungmin (who can do everything), Donghae, Heechul and special member Henry Lau.  They have a number of actors, such as Kibum, Siwon and Donghae. They are all good-looking, including Shin Dong (despite his weight) and Ryeowook (even though his good looks are a bit creepier than the normal).  To add to their marketability, there is no dull member in the 14 member boy band.  Even the quieter members have some quirks that make them fun to watch and all the more loveable.

DBSK, as five or (even though I hate to say it) as two, is another exceptional idol group that sets the pace for all of their hoobaes.  They can sing and dance at the same time (without sounding all breathy and tired).  Their music is exceptionally well written, which shows that even if they don’t produce or write their own music, they know how to select songs that suit their voices and capabilities.

SHINee, is probably the most mediocre boy band in SM, yet, their talents are still very good.  All around player, Kim Kibum, better known as Key, can sing, rap and dance.  Baby faced Taemin, is an amazing dancer, and has recently improved his vocals, so much so, that he has more lines in the Japanese remakes of their Korean songs.  Rapper Minho can at least carry a tune on key.  Leader and main vocalist and the lead vocalist, Onew and Jonghyun are both exceptionally skilled singers.   This group has the widest range of personality, from the diva Almighty Key, to the competitive and charismatic Minho, to the innocent and adorable Taemin and the clumsy, loving leader Onew, to the masculine Jonghyun, each aspect of every personality is present, thus creating a talented and loveable boy band.  It’s no wonder this group is the pet group of the company and the founder Lee Soo Man himself.

Other super talented idol stars include, but are not limited to:

Big Bang – choreographer, dancer, music producer, lyricist, vocalist, rapper

Beast – dancers, writers, producers, actors, vocalists

Bang Yong Guk – producer, lyricist, rapper

SNSD - dancers, singers, actresses

T-Ara – actresses, singers

SS501 – Vocalist, businessman, rappers, dancers

Note:  I used SM artists because SM Entertainment is the one that is known for choosing their artists based on looks.

Shin Se Kyung and Jonghyun Break Up

I was sitting down ALL day at work thinking of what to write about.  I considered writing about the training processes, the lack of rest that some idol stars get, why some idol stars are so popular as opposed to others...but nothing really seemed quite right.  And then, I came home and went on AKP only to find out that Shin Se Kyung and Kim Jonghyun had broken up.

So, of course, since this is kpop imo, I'll give my thoughts on the whole thing.

Eight months ago, when the news was released that they were dating, there was a whole lot of mixed emotions.  Some of the more rational fans thought it was good that they had both found someone they liked and were bold and strong enough to go public.  There were some who believed that it was a cover up by SME to divert attention away from the JYJ vs SME scandal.  Other fans were heartbroken because I guess in their crazy little minds, this lessened the chances of them being with SHINee's lead vocalist (even though the chances were already close to non existent anyway.  However, everyone (with the exception of those who thought it was a cover up) had gotten used to the thought, and many had even accepted and approved of it.  And now, this.  Sad right?

Honestly, I couldn't care any less about whether or not they're together.  Then again, that might just be my personality.  I'm one of those people who wishes that celebrities (from everywhere) were able to have more of a private life.  Why should they have to answer to us, the fans, when they decide to date (and in this case, break up?).  After reading some of the comments under the article, I've gathered that many people are undeniably happy that the union has ended and that just as many people are sad.  My question to both groups is why?  It IS their lives.  Apparently, they're fine with the split.  The reason they broke up is because they're both too busy. They probably haven't even seen each other much over the past few months anyway, which means that the relationship wasn't really growing, so what was the point of being in one.  They decided to remain friends; if this is true, then there are no hard feelings.  Anyone who's ever been through a break up knows that when you harbor any strong emotions for the other party, there's no such thing as remaining as friends, right?  So yeah, I doubt anyone's heartbroken.  Of course, this is only MY OPINION.

Still, though, as a fan of both parties, I wish them all the best in their respective careers.  I hope that this doesn't have any negative effect on either of them, because we all know how some, and I stress the word some, fans can become.  I also wish for their happiness, and if that includes a boy/girlfriend, then I hope they find that right person that can complete them and all of that good stuff. Peace.