ZB1’s Kim Jiwoong under fire for allegedly cursing during a fancall

[Astro]

ZB1 member Kim Jiwoong is under immense fire right now, as videos have spread that allegedly show him sighing and being uninterested during a fancall, then muttering “fuck” to himself when he thinks he’s disconnected with the fan. It’s going viral to say the least, with almost 100k retweets on this at the time and being on all the major portals.





This is real as hell, I’m not gonna lie.

Completely fucking stupid to do because it is literally his job to pretend he enjoys it like every other idols does, but also very relatable (allegedly).

Like I cannot imagine remotely enjoying being lined up like factory animals and being made to talk into a camera as fans get passed through like an assembly line*.

*To each their own, but that’s why as somebody who buys way too much K-pop shit and gets a lot of fancall chances, I simply … decline it. I don’t want to bother them, I just pay the money for the shit I want to support and move along (the music! collecting!).

Look, I’m not necessarily defending what he did (allegedly), as it’s obviously just part of the gig, but I do … empathize, I guess. That shit just looks like my literal anxiety-filled nightmare.

——

While we’re on this topic, it’s been interesting to see the recent discourse on fan culture. We’ve recently had a rash of fans overstepping boundariesduring interactions with idols, as well as criticism for idols like Mirae’s Jung Yubin for getting caught selling a fan’s gift or even aespa’s Ningning not remembering a fan after 12 video calls.

When it comes to this stuff, I’m basically of two minds. On one hand, it’s absolutely smart of the idol and good business practice to do these little things for fans since they are consumers and it’s their job to basically develop creepy parasocial relationships with them. Not to bring her into this, but IVE’s Wonyoung is who I think about nowadays when it comes to managing one’s image and being a pro’s pro, so to speak, as JYP himself has said. On the other hand … I mean, I think fans need to be normal about this shit as well. They need to get away from this entitlement that because you indirectly or directly give somebody money you actually know these idols or are their friends or that they owe you special treatment. Like you gave them the clothes and they’re poor, it’s theirs and let them do what they want. You bought a bunch of stuff so you expect to be greeted like a friend and not a consumer? Come on, man. Yeah, they sell the parasocial shit, but it doesn’t mean you need to become consumed by it. Like at some point the kind of attitude where fans think they own a part of them becomes no different than other arrangements that people loathe. It’s their job to pretend, but everybody has bad days at work or in life, I don’t see the need to like ruin somebody’s career over an incident, I guess.

Source

 

[sm maid]

we need kpop to move on from fancalls right now

 

[Seunghee's Eyebrows]

Yeri needs to teach him how to cuss properly xD

 

[mimenet]

Man if you've seen some of the fancalls these idols do, I'd be doing a lot worse when I think I got disconnected. We need to start shaming idol fans for being cringe and overstepping boundaries because I guarantee you the idols get awful calls back to back during these things.

I always end up liking idols more whenever they "slip up" like this and don't seem like unreasonably perfect robots. Reminds of Saerom talking about how she wanted to go home on that vlive lol

 

[Kudo]

I would do the same

 

[jellokitty88]

The thought of doing fancalls makes my anxiety I’d probably slip up and swear too

 

[inari]

He's still fine af and the fancalls are like the #1 contributor to obsessive fan behavior. It feeds into the "my fans are my girlfriend" bs.

So, Jiwoong, you can cuss when you finally step on me.

 

[Mina]

And he is right for it! If you make your idol curse after a fancall you prob deserved it

 

[strawberry cake]

His agency already responded and denied the allegations and will reveal the truth via digital media forensic

ZEROBASEONE’s Kim Ji Woong Denies Cursing During Video Call Fan Signing Event

ZEROBASEONE’s Kim Ji Woong Denies Cursing During Video Call Fan Signing Event

www.soompi.com

 

[babyv004]

While we’re on this topic, it’s been interesting to see the recent discourse on fan culture. We’ve recently had a rash of fans overstepping boundariesduring interactions with idols, as well as criticism for idols like Mirae’s Jung Yubin for getting caught selling a fan’s gift or even aespa’s Ningning not remembering a fan after 12 video calls.

i clicked in the link but i dont get it. is this about who?
at 1st i though the fans caused Jin & Meisa divorce like it happened with the skater, Yuzuru Hanyu but then i read and there is more stories there but they dont go into deep what really happened in none of the topics. is this about BOYNEXTDOOR? what happened with them at the airport?

Anyway it seems that his company denied but then the fan came to defend herself.
i dont think him cursing (whatever bc of the fan or bc of other motive) is such a big deal but i dont fully buy what she said.
Like, she only posted a 3 sec video. she could quite well had manipulated it. we are in the age of AI so is even more easy to try to ruin anyone you dont like but just the fact she could had cut the video and there is more either before or after is enough to be considerate a manipulation. either she did smth that pissed him off or it could have been a situation where he hurted himself and cursed.
if she have proofs, like she claims she have, just post the whole fancall. so much talk but so far nothing of the full video so is kinda sus. if it was me, i would had released the video together with the message

i also hope the companies are also recording those fancalls and if they aren't i hope they learn from this mess and start to do it in case some crazy sasaeng or a hater wants to ruin their artists.

i wish they stop with those fancalls bc if the artists genuinely want to talk 1-on-1 with their fans they would do it in free apps like IG (example one ok rock's taka tends to do them occasionally). i get is not as private but since the fans tend to record those calls and release them on social media, it end up being the same

 

[Beefy]

I don't think either party was necessarily in the wrong here (Jiwoong could've had a shit day that had nothing do with the fan, and has a right to express himself)

+ there's 0 proof that this fan did or said anything wrong/weird and I find the pushback be odd. like why are people aiming such terrible attacks at a fan who shared a bad fancall experience? fan culture will always go in either extreme for no justifiable reason.

 

[GoldynScallop]

I don't think either party was necessarily in the wrong here (Jiwoong could've had a shit day that had nothing do with the fan, and has a right to express himself)

+ there's 0 proof that this fan did or said anything wrong/weird and I find the pushback be odd. like why are people aiming such terrible attacks at a fan who shared a bad fancall experience? fan culture will always go in either extreme for no justifiable reason.

I was just about to comment something this. Sometimes it isn't always the fan's fault. All idols aren't victims of fans all the time.

And its funny that people love when things like this happen as 'proof' an idol is human(as if needing to be professional in a professional setting means you aren't), but another part of being human is being polite to people who support you. Either way, this is kinda unfortunate as he seems to keep it together most of the time(at least from what I've seen). He should apologize if this one's on him.

 

[Po'etry]

Maybe he had uncomfortable gas during the call.