Love Me Tender

Sorry for the lack of posting. My trip to Asia was great. I got to have a lot of family time and spend time with my grandmother. I enjoyed it very much. Big thanks to Kazuma for posting while I was gone.

So someone tried to leave a comment on my seemingly popular post about Tiffany from SNSD by leaving a link to an online petition for Tiffany anti-fans for SNSD to disband. What the heck? Seriously, people need lives. If the commenter is reading this, your comment went into my spam folder where it belongs. I personally don’t care about Tiffany or SNSD and while I am an advocate for free speech, I do not want to endorse childish stupidity or bullying when there are so many more serious issues that need the efforts of petitioning.

In other news, has anyone else noticed the increasing reunion tours/concerts/album productions by old disbanded groups? First it was the Spice Girls, and then it was Jewelry (yes, I’m jumping across nations here), then it was X-Japan and now it’s New Kids on the Block. When the Spice Girls first stated that they were going to have a reunion tour I thought to myself, who would be stupid enough to go see them. Well, I found out that there were many stupid people in the world including some of my friends. All I have to say to that is oiy! I didn’t care much for Jewelry and I found their debut song really annoying and sickeningly catchy. I was looking forward to the X-Japan tour and I was hoping to see them in New York if I could get tickets. So much for that. NKOTB…I actually came to Canada just after their craze had died down so I wasn’t really there for their initial hype. Their song Summerdays is really catchy (damn those catchy pop songs!) and I wonder if they will have the same success as the Spice Girls. Anyway, that is all. =)

For quite some time I wondered what SM Entertainment thought of all the E.L.F. protests. Well, I don’t have to wonder anymore. They have released a message recently with regards to the protests from E.L.F. members who have made four demands. I actually thought it was quite hilarious and a slap in the face for these fans. I am all for protesting and free speech, but choose wisely because frivolous issues like an additional member to an already crowded group just makes free speech look like a joke.

E.L.F. Demands:

1. That SM Entertainment withdraws its plan on a Super Junior China unit.
2. That SM Entertainment officially announces that it will not remove any member from the group or add a new one in the group.
3. That SM Entertainment apologizes to Super Junior fans and people in general for releasing the concept that Super Junior is just a project group.
4. That SM Entertainment apologizes to Super Junior’s fan club E.L.F. for the mental/emotional strain the issues have caused them.

I don’t even know what emotional strain they are talking about since their actions don’t really scream normal. I’m sure if you asked the majority of SUJU fans around the world, they are more stressed out by these E.L.F. members than they are about the sub-groups of SUJU that are forming.

(Read on …)

I’ve been thinking about the numerous protests by E.L.F. lately and I’ve realized something. It is exciting at the thought that consumers can directly enforce their wants on a company. Some might see this as illogical, but I think it is revolutionary (somewhat). I love the idea that regular people can make a difference, even if it is for something as stupid and frivolous as preventing sub-groups of Super Junior to be formed. Companies should be accountable to members of society and their customers. Doing so would prevent them from exercising too much power in society and prevent the cultural, environmental and societal genocide that so many corporations have previously and are currently doing. There should be more protests against companies (although I would prefer that it wouldn’t be for silly things like adding more members to an existing boyband).

Exercising the right to free speech is something I value regardless of whether or not I agree with what that speech being expressed is. Even though I think E.L.F. members who are involved in these protests need something better to do with their lives, I respect them for exercising their right to free speech. Now if only the same motivation could be used towards protesting against environmental genocide, poverty, martial abuse, and other causes that require protesting, this world would be a better place.

And now for a little rant: JYP is having a concert tour in the States (LA and NYC). Why of all artists does it have to be him? Remember how I ranted about SUJU not coming to North America? Well I guess I have to settle for JYP *cringe*. Life is not fair. =(

Links:
1. ShenYuePop: E.L.F. latest protest
2. ShenYuePop: JYP concert information