The 'grandma fandom' that resurrected the 'trashed idol,' Jaebum
"No matter which idol, they must carry their fandoms on their backs. Fans create the star's star quality. That's one of Jaebum's advantages."
That is the quote of Yonsei University's culture/society laboratory's researcher, Kim Sungyoon. Jaebum has been able to sell over 20,000 copies of his single album
He returned to Korea last month on the 18th for a Korean American joint movie project,
"Fans create the star's star quality. That's one of Jaebum's advantages."
Although it is still early to be judging his success, the 'Jay Effect' that Jaebum has been showing us is the fruits of the labor of his fandom.
Lee Dongyeon, professor at the Korean National University of Arts, stated on the 21st through
They are the ones that raised Jaebum's youtube video counts, bought his digital songs and albumes, and participated in various polls. His fans have been continuing to show their strength in a variety of ways. The most representative case is Jaebum's album sales. Jaebum's first single, 'Count On Me,' was produced as a form of fan service. The album holds 3 songs, not enough to be using the term 'first official solo album.'
However, 'Count On Me' ranked #9 in the nation's yearly sales within two days. It was a way of proving the strength of Jaebum's fandom since it has not even been two years since his debut, nor does he have a year's worth of experience under his belt. No one else is able to 'catch up to' the strength of Jaebum's fandom.
Not just a passive consumer but an active prosumer is what the fandom has become.
If an idol is something that is chosen by a company and 'controlled,' Jaebum was 'hit' by his company in February. Whoever's mistake it is, he was, in simpler terms, 'thrown away.' Thrown away with the tag of 'a private life that cannot be said.'
This is when fans desperately began to realize that they must establish Jaebum's marketable potential. They had to show the world that the 'trashed idol' Jaebum still had 'value' and that he was still 'selling.' Of course, Jaebum himself has his own 'star quality,' with Professor Lee Dongyeon elaborating, "The reason Jaebum approached so many management companies after his withdrawal from 2PM was because he knew that even after he withdrew, he still had worth."
The worth of Jaebum became that much stronger with the combination of his fandom. The results of such efforts are exactly like Jaebum has stated, "The reason I'm in this place is because of all of you, and whatever good opportunities come my way, it's all thanks to you." Jaebum has earned the chance to sing once more. The fandom that was once nothing more than a 'consumer' of pop culture now plays the role of the 'producer' of the 'trashed idol.'
Professor Lee states, "Fandoms are no longer passive consumers. They are active prosumers. For Jaebum's case, although he switched companies after being terminated from 2PM, fans came together for the past leader that they all loved in order to help him back on stage."
Calm but practical, the 'grandma fans' help a lot more than thought.
The reason Jaebum is able to achieve such results is because the average age range of his fandom in comparison to other fandoms is rather high. Jaebum fans voluntarily call themselves 'grandma fans' as opposed to 'fangirls.' On the 21st, a survey held for Jaebum's Seoul fan meeting revealed that the age range for those that have reserved tickets are as follows: 58.1% in their 20's, 22.3% in their 30's, and 11.% in their 40's. It might be because the tickets cost $50, but only 8.6% were recorded as teenagers.
JAY WALKERS
0~23 Baby Ma
24 Ma
25~32 Grandma
33~39 Founder Grandma
40~ Ancestor
Professor Lee Dongyeon stated, "Fans in their 20's don't think emotionally like fans in their teens. They're able to think about what's more practical and what will help Jaebum more. They 'fangirl' in a way that helps such as actively buying albums, participating in performances, or promoting individually. They're calm but practical. The 'nuna fandom' that began with 2PM shows that they have jobs and the ability to make money, allowing them to further create a market (for Jaebum)."
Although the fandom has began to show their strength, it is hard to ignore the strength of the company. Professor Lee Dongyeon stated, "The influence of the fandom was huge in the beginning but you must realize that Sidus HQ has their own hidden strengths. The capital of such a large entertainment company and its influence will help the Jay Effect." Sidus HQ has been in contact with Jaebum since before his return to Korea.
"Would Jaebum have received such an explosive response if he had contracted with another smaller company? It's hard to call the Jay Effect as something made entirely out of just his fandom. It may be the fans that will be putting food on Jaebum's plate but the company is the one that acts as the insurance for Jaebum's future promotions and stages. What company he's contracted in is extremely important."
"Every day, I just want to tweet that I'm so thankful~"
That is a thankful message he left on his personal Twitter in his awkward Korean the day after he returned to Korea. A strong fandom, a large company. That is what he has earned 9 months after he was chased out of Korea. The possession of the 'ball' is now back in Jaebum's hands. What kind of 'content' will he show us now?
CREDITS : OHMYNEWS (SOURCE); hazyfiasco@2ONEDAY.COM (TRANS)
Post a Comment