The first round of surveys went better than I expected, but I still need more survey takers! (For more information on what the surveys are about, see my previous post. The previous links are closed; the new deadline using the links below (just click the names) is August 7, 2018.
If you view Yoochun favorably or neutrally in any way, please please PLEASE do his survey. He’s lagging behind the others tremendously (which is understandable), but it doesn’t look good numbers wise. Do not hesitate to forward this to any Chunsas you know who may be interested!
Want to proclaim your affection for Yunho’s Godcock, Changmin’s abs, Jaejoong’s chest, Junsu’s Duckbutt, and/or Yoochun’s voice? Want to write about what the members of TVXQ or JYJ would be like during sex?
Now that I have your attention…
I’m writing a book on masculinity and male sexuality in K-pop that focuses on TVXQ and JYJ. I created some surveys with pointed questions about sexual attractiveness, shipping, and whether any member of TVXQ or JYJ is LGBT+.
I try, really, I do (at least in my mind).
The survey answers will be used throughout the book to summarize ideas, support or refute arguments, or to drive further inquiry (academic speak for “further investigate a topic”).
What I need is for people to complete the survey of at least 1 (preferably more!) TVXQ and/or JYJ member. If some of you were to do all 5, that would be, in the words of SHINee, “Fantastic, Fantastic, Fantastic, Fantastic” and would help me out a lot.
Please do Yunho’s survey as well, Siwon!
Anyone can take these surveys- I want representation from all corners of the fandom, from TV2Q and JYJ3 stans to OT5s to Jaefans, Xiahpwas, Chunsas, etc. Even people from other fandoms can take these surveys as long as they follow the Golden Rule, which is…
ANSWER THE QUESTION. You can write as much as you want on any topic as long as you answer the question. If you want to write about Changmin or Yunho’s armpits, you can. If you DON’T want to write about Yunjae, you DON’T HAVE TO. If you’re not sure what a question is asking, please don’t hesitate to ask me for clarification. For the open-ended questions, you don’t need to fill in the entire box; just write enough so that I can get an accurate picture of your view.
Please pass the survey links on to those who might be interested. You can also repost the survey links on Tumblr (I haven’t been able to penetrate that site), Livejournal, Ao3, etc. I need as many people to take these surveys as possible!
The first round of surveys are due on May 5-6, 2018. Then the links will change and I’ll post the updated ones.
And the law making continues! Let’s get back to the basics-
2. Thou Shalt Not Derogate, Demean, or Disparage TVXQ without a valid reason.
Valid reasons DO NOT include:
As of 2011, the members in the group are Jung Yunho and Shim Changmin
The fact that Jung Yunho and Shim Changmin walk among us and continue to live and breathe
Decision of said persons to remain in their current company
Decision of said persons to renew their contracts with their current company
Decision of said persons to not disband TVXQ
Decision of said persons to not change the name of TVXQ
Said persons talking about their hardships in the immediate post-split period on national TV
Said persons vocal capabilities, when said persons have made efforts to improve
Guilt by association,i.e. “I strongly abhor a particular company’s management, practices, and/or policies, so all of the company’s employees must be corrupt.”
The fact that a two-member TVXQ exists
Ignorance based on biased, inaccurate, and/or incomplete reporting
A warning to those who choose to violate this policy:
They will be swiftly called out. In addition, they will not pass go and will not collect $200.
Let’s face it-In the year of 2017, a full 7 years after the split, the state of the fandom is in shambles. This series of posts is a list of policies to Make Cassiopeia Great Again.
Let’s start with the basics.
1. Thou Shalt Not Derogate, Demean, or Disparage JYJ without a valid reason.
Valid reasons DO NOT include:
The members in the group are Kim Jaejoong, Park Yoochun, and Kim Junsu
The fact that Kim Jaejoong, Park Yoochun, and Kim Junsu walk among us and continue to live and breathe
Departure of said persons in late 2009-early 2010 from the five-member group TVXQ
Said persons expressing that they miss their former group members
Said persons expressing that they would like to meet their former group members in person
Said persons talking about their continually blocked attempts to perform on public television after their departure from TVXQ
Said persons performing DB5K songs and/or dances in their performances
How said persons choose to spend their money (unless the money is used on something illegal)
Guilt by association, i.e. if one of said persons or an associate of said persons is accused or found guilty of a crime, the two remaining persons or said person must also be guilty of the same crime
Exposure of skin (excluding genital region)
Subjective opinions of said persons “relevancy” in K-pop industry
The fact that an entity known as JYJ exists
Ignorance based on biased, inaccurate, and/or incomplete reporting
A warning to those who choose to violate this policy:
They will be swiftly called out. In addition, violators will not pass go and will not collect $200.
It’s about to get so real right now-
3. Thou Shalt Not Derogate, Disparage, or Dismiss Those Who Support the Yunjae/Jaeho Couple In Any Form or Fashion, without a valid reason.
Valid reasons DO NOT include:
Personal aversion to the pairing of Jung Yunho and Kim Jaejoong, whether romantic, sexual, platonic, or some combination of these three
Personal aversion to the production and distribution of fanfiction, videos, pictures, banners, etc of Jung Yunho and Kim Jaejoong together in any capacity
Personal aversion to the production and distribution of fanfiction, videos, pictures, banners, etc of Jung Yunho and Kim Jaejoong together in any capacity AFTER the lawsuit filing
Ground Forces Festival 2015, in which Jung Yunho and Kim Jaejoong were SCHEDULED to appear at the event by the SOUTH KOREAN MILITARY, NOT AN ENTERTAINMENT AGENCY OR A YUNJAE FANCLUB
Ground Forces Festival 2015, in which Jung Yunho and Kim Jaejoong engaged in FRIENDLY, NON-HOSTILE INTERACTIONS with each other of THEIR OWN INITIATIVE
In light of points 4 and 5, Yunjae fans took pictures and videos of these moments and reported on it, WHICH IS WHAT ANY SHIPPER OF ANY PAIRING WOULD DO
4. The Yunjae/Jaeho policy and clauses 1-3 shall also be applied to the following pairings:
Yoosu/Junchun (Park Yoochun and Kim Junsu)
Homin/Minho (Jung Yunho and Shim Changmin)
Jaechun/Chunjae (Kim Jaejoong and Park Yoochun)
Jaemin/Minjae (Kim Jaejoong and Shim Changmin)
Minsu (Shim Changmin and Kim Junsu)
Jaesu/Sujae (Kim Jaejoong and Kim Junsu)
2U (Jung Yunho and Park Yoochun)
Yoomin (Park Yoochun and Shim Changmin)
Hosu/Suho (Jung Yunho and Kim Junsu)
Yunjaemin (Jung Yunho, Kim Jaejoong, and Shim Changmin)
Jaejoong/Yoochun/Junsu (aka JYJ as a threesome)
OT5
Any combination of Jung Yunho, Kim Jaejoong, Park Yoochun, Kim Junsu, and Shim Changmin not previously mentioned
The following is commentary from The Court:
The Court understands that some Yunjae shippers can be obnoxious and annoying (holding Yunjae signs at a TVXQ or JYJ concert). However, it is simply illogical to label all Yunjae shippers as such. We are sure that there are obnoxious and annoying shippers of every couple in the DBSK/TVXQ fandom-such is not limited to Yunjae shippers. More importantly, fanfiction and other fruits of the shipper are pure fiction. Even if one or more pairings happens to be true or “real”, that does not mean that writers of other pairings must cease and desist. Therefore, it is illogical to label Yunjae fans as “delusional” because almost all shipping is delusional to some extent. Furthermore, if Yunjae is a “manufactured” pairing, or a pairing that SM created to bring attention and revenue to DBSK and themselves, then the same could be said of HoMin. Before the split, HoMin was a pairing that SM largely ignored, leaving it up to shippers themselves to find moments and develop content. However, since TVXQ’s comeback in 2011, SM has constantly emphasisized Yunho and Changmin as the pair from antiquity by editing out the members of JYJ from old DBSK footage and insisting that an author not include a couple of sentences about TVXQ originally being a five member group in an intro-to-Kpop book (as well as having said author mysteriously credit pre-2011 albums to only Yunho and Changmin). Therefore when Yunho and Changmin became more comfortable with each other and their situation (“he’s all I ever need” couple dialogue, mutual touching, etc), it did not take long for some to conclude that HoMin was the REAL DBSK couple hidden beneath all the “fake” Yunjae. Broadly speaking, the JYJ threesome is also a manufactured pairing because it did not exist prior to the split, at least not in the form of “we’re suffering together, we’re best friends, and we’re a sexual threesome.” In other words, HoMin post-split and the JYJ threesome are circumstantial pairings.
In conclusion, The Court views all DBSK/TVXQ/JYJ pairings as valid creations inspired by the members’ love for each other. We find the bickering over whether or not a particular pairing is legitimate as pointless and counterproductive.
For Siwon
To add to the Court’s opinion, while there were some people in the fandom who harbored anti-Yunjae sentiment pre-split, those feelings intensified and spread more rapidly post-split. Before, some people objected to statements like “Yunho and Jaejoong are DEFINITELY dating and having sex!” in favor of “Bromance” and “They’re really good friends/Bros for Lyfe!” Now even Yunjae friendship is a no go. Not only is friendship between Yunho and Jaejoong a no go, but any connection (friendship, meeting behind the scenes, love etc) between the members of TVXQ and JYJ in the present is derided as a near impossibility. I feel that we have now arrived at a place where Yoosu, Jaechun, and HoMin, i.e. the major pairings of JYJ and TVXQ, are automatically granted a higher degree of legitimacy over other combinations between members of both groups (especially Yunjae).
The reason for these changes in the fandom landscape are due to what I call fandom politics. You notice that all of the pairings I listed (Yoosu, HoMin, Jaechun) are “in-house” pairings. You also notice that Yoosu is the only “traditional” pairing (Yunjae, Yoosu, Minfood or Changmin Forever Alone/Changmin with a Girl) from DBSK left in the current major lineup. This is because Yoosu does not pose a threat to either group like Yunjae does. Why? Jaejoong.
Jaejoong’s OT5 sympathies have been the bane of JYJ stans’ existence. They’d like nothing to do with Yunho and Changmin (and by extension SM Entertainment), but JJ expresses his undying love for both of them so consistently that some JYJ stans have thrown in the towel. Their new tactic is to pray for no DBSK reunion (coupled with a “this too shall pass”). Others use the good ol’e derailment tactic by focusing on the anti-Jaejoong comments made by TVXQ stans. Of JYJ stans internal criticisms of Jaejoong, “loves OT5” probably makes the top 5.
However, this is “small potatoes” compared to the danger that Jaejoong poses to TVXQ stans. JJ’s affinity for both OT5 and Yunho means that TVXQ stans have been working overtime to paint him in a bad light. Jaejoong is the corrupt, attention-seeking, and nasty slut that the moral, upright, pure, and outstanding Yunho should stay away from. Yunho CANNOT be dirtied by Jaejoong, regardless of his personal feelings. And since Yunho is too nice for his own good, TVXQ stans have to protect him from Jaejoong. When Yunho and Jaejoong met at the Ground Forces Festival in 2015, some blamed Yunho for being too nice, too polite, and too ill to reject Jaejoong’s offer to catch up. If only Yunho were like Changmin, DBSK and TVXQ’s resident Jimmy Firecracker:
For if Jaejoong can somehow convince Yunho to work with him to make a reunion happen, either TVXQ as a duo will be done for (Changmin sure ain’t going to continue as TVXQ by himself) or lose its pristine sheen. Even if they only share a stage with JYJ for a couple of nights, TVXQ will become dirty (just look at the comparisons that were made between TVXQ and JYJ during Yoochun’s sexual assault scandal).
Point is, under these frameworks that I have presented here, Yunjae CANNOT happen in any way, shape, or form. Yunjae is the force that destroys all that stans hold dear-purity from JYJ’s supposed moral and career failings, and purity from SME. That is why BOTH JYJ and TVXQ stans focus their hate on Yunjae- they fear the dirtiness that they perceive each side brings to the table.
That concludes this post. But in the words of Wolverine, “I’m…not…finished…yet” with this “How To Make The DBSK, TVXQ, and JYJ Fandom Better” Series.
Stay tuned…
Credits:
“Small Potatoes”: From “If Donald Trump Had Said All The Things You’ve Said He Said” by the Gregory Brothers
“I’m…not…finished…yet”: From X-Men The Animated Series (1992) Episode 13
A Skip Day is a non-holiday day when you decide to not attend one or all of your classes.
There are three keys to unlocking the magic of the Skip Day.
Why: You must first figure out why you are skipping class. Valid reasons include sickness, fatigue from staying up all night working on an assignment, family emergencies, death in the family, traveling for a job interview, saving the world (ala Spider-Man and the Sailor Scouts), being grossly unprepared for the class you’re going to skip, and finishing a major assignment for another class.
Invalid reasons include
Mall visits
Boxing matches (unless you have an athletic scholarship for boxing)
Modeling
Clubbing (for those people who have night classes)
Going to K-pop concerts
Dating/Spending time with bae
Getting in touch with nature (unless it’s part of your assignment)
What: What are you going to do on your Skip Day? (we basically covered this in the Why section).
When: When are you planning to skip? It’s best not to skip on a test/exam day (READ: DON’T DO IT), but you might be able to get away with skipping a quiz (especially if the teacher drops a few). It can be advantageous to skip the day before a three or four day weekend, but you should check your schedule (i.e. the syllabus) to make sure you won’t be missing anything important, like instructions for a project or writing assignment.
How: How do you intend to make up the material you missed and stay on pace with the class? Some suggestions:
Read the will-be-missed material ahead of time (or on time).
Ask a classmate to take lecture notes for you.
And there you have it- a Rough Guide to the Skip Day. Now you have all the tools to skip class with the least amount of damage (both to your grade and your ego).
Welcome to Translation Thursdays, where I attempt to translate J-pop songs and explore their meaning. As the title suggests, I will be posting the translations on Thursdays (though not every Thursday).
Here’s how it works:
I will translate songs that I like and that correspond to my Japanese ability, i.e. this is not a request service, so please refrain from asking me to translate such-and-such-song by such-and-such group. Therefore, my translations should not be the be-all-end-all translation of the song- it’s just practice.
Lyrical translation will rely on kanji 漢字 or Chinese characters, so that means NO ROMAJI (romanization of Japanese).
If you are Trunks and cannot read kanji, I will try to find a source that has both kanji and romaji.
Music videos will be posted with each translation. *There will be several translations of TVXQ/Tohoshinki songs, and the video posted will reflect the time in which the song was made. For example, the video accompanying “Somebody to Love” will feature Jaejoong, Yoochun, Junsu, Yunho, and Changmin. There will be no video of just Yunho and Changmin performing “Somebody to Love” at one of their concerts. If like SM, you don’t want JYJ to be featured in the same video, you can skip that translation.*
English lyrics will appear as they are, and translations of Japanese lyrics will appear in parentheses.
And now, on to today’s translation-
Spending all, spending,
Spending all my time
Loving you, so loving you forever
Spending all, spending,
Spending all my time
Loving you, so loving you forever
Spending all, spending,
Spending all my time
Loving you, so loving you forever
Spending all, spending,
Spending all my time
Loving you, so loving you I wanna do
Spending all, spending,
Spending all my time
So loving you, loving,
Loving you forever
Spending all, spending,
Spending all my time
So loving you, loving,
Loving you forever
Spending all my time
いつも君思いよ (I’m always thinking of you)
All my time
Spending all, spending,
Spending all my time
Loving you, so loving you forever
Spending all, spending,
Spending all my time
Loving you, so loving you I wanna do
Spending all, spending,
Spending all my time
So loving you, loving,
Loving you forever
Spending all, spending,
Spending all my time
So loving you, loving,
Loving you forever
Spending all, spending,
Spending all my time
So loving you, loving,
Loving you forever/ 信じてる (Believing)
Spending all, spending,
Spending all my time/君のこと (In you)
So loving you, loving,
Loving you forever
Spending all my time
このまま放さないで (Do not let go like this)
All my time
Spending all my time
いつも君思いよ (I’m always thinking of you)
All my time
Spending all, spending,
Spending all my time
So loving you, loving,/ 信じてる (Believing)
Loving you forever
Spending all, spending,
Spending all my time/君のこと (In you)
So loving you, loving,
Loving you forever
Spending all, spending,
Spending all my time
So loving you, loving,
Loving you forever
Spending all, spending,
Spending all my time
So loving you, loving,
Loving you forever
Spending all my time
このまま放さないで (Do not let go like this)
All my time
Spending all my time
いつも君思いよ (I’m always thinking of you)
All my time
See that was easy wasn’t it!
Okay, okay, I wanted to start off with something nice and simple.
Meaning
This song is very straight forward- have you ever found yourself spending an exorbitant amount of time thinking about something (can be a physical object, idea, or phrase) or someone?* For hilarity, these somethings and someones can be either good or bad. While you think about it, here are some sample answers for these prominent intellectuals.
Siwon
What God is Thinking
Exercise
How to help others
Changmin
(In response to the above set of gifs) Changmin, why you lying?
The Writer of this Humble Blog
Books/Reading, not TOP.
Nerd things
And X-Men in general.
Nature
Beautiful Religious Objects
What are you spending too much time thinking about? Release those feels in the comments section.
*Translator’s note: Kimi (君) is a pronoun that refers to a person, as in “you,” but I’m using creative license to expand the discussion.
Uh, yeah. Normally I would be doing Excel spreadsheets at some internship or entry-level job, but I’m currently in a Masters program (2 years!) and it’s already giving me 2 different tears…
Anyway, let me congratulate the recent graduates who found a job in this economy:
(Screeech)
Dancing over.
(Thanks, Changmin-didn’t want people to get too carried away there.)
Truth be told, finding a job is hard– you have to fill out countless applications, spruce up your resume, put money down for interview clothes, have a nervous breakdown, complete the interview, wait, get rejected, cry, spiral into depression, get out of depression, wait, go about your life, wait-
It’s tough. And South Korean have it tougher.
South Koreans looking for jobs post-university have to deal with specs (스펙) or credentials. Applicants obtain credentials to set themselves apart from the crowd- problem is, the crowd has them too.
“Shut the front door!”- Stacy London
Some examples of specs are foreign language proficiency (commonly a high TOEIC score or knowledge of Chinese) and computer skills. And the more the better.
Now let me engage your sociological imagination.
Imagine that you’re American college/university senior. Imagine that you needed to get a certificate showing that you are proficient in Spanish to have the best chance of getting a job (in this case, getting to the second interview stage), regardless if the job actually requires the use of Spanish. Employers don’t care if you’re “bad at foreign languages.” They don’t care if you’re an engineering major. They don’t care if you intend to live in the U.S. until the day you die. You want the job, don’t you? Then you better learn to habla español. In Korea, the idea of specs is similar: you may not need them to do the actual job per se, but you need them to muscle your way through the competition. [End of sociological imagination time]
Koreans employers usually also require applicants to put a picture of themselves on their job application. This is the famous Korean lookism coming into play – employers do take your face into account (brings a new meaning to the expression “put your best face forward”). Therefore, your face had better be on par. If it’s not, your local plastic surgeon will be glad to take your money to relieve you of your insecurities. A lot of Koreans have gotten plastic surgery to improve their chances of employment, among other things. In the United States (and most of the West), that application picture slams up against all the anti-discrimination (race, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, age, etc) hiring laws.
When combined with the “how-to-apply-for-a-job” description above, all this adds up to a nearly insurmountable summit (that’s some code talk that we academics use for “high threshold of entry”) for Korean job applicants.
I’m sure there are other things that make the Korean version of post-university job hunting different from that of other countries, but this is what I saw/read/heard while I was in Korea.
So for the rest of you tired and weary job seekers-
Credits: Article from the Korea Times about specs.
