'K-Pop is for teenagers': 8 lazy takes fans are tired of hearing

I’m always a bit stunned when someone raises an eyebrow and says, “Oh, you’re a K-Pop fan. I’m always careful about what to say to people like you.”

People like us? It’s not complicated. Just treat K-pop fans like any other fandom, don’t lump everyone together, and definitely skip tired lines like, “They all sound the same.”

The truth is, loving K-pop, getting emotional over a band, finding joy or comfort in music, that’s universal. It uplifts people, helps them heal, and gets them through tough days. So, when it’s casually dismissed or mocked, it stings more than you would think.

So, here are a couple of guidelines. FYI.

Tell that to the 35-year-old streaming BTS on the treadmill and the 50-year-old crying during Taemin’s solo stage. K-pop is an emotional rollercoaster with no age limit, just ask the grown adults re-organising their lives around comeback schedules. A look through YouTube comments and tweets will help.

Ah, the classic elitist trap. K-pop spans everything from R&B to trap, rock to jazz, often within one song. Don’t mistake glitter and eyeliner for lack of substance, those bops have layers.

K-pop idols train for years — singing, dancing, rapping, even learning multiple languages — before they debut. That takes serious dedication and resilience, often under intense pressure. And yes, like any industry, K-pop has its darker sides, but constantly using that as a conversation starter? Not it. Even BTS leader RM has addressed this, urging people to look beyond lazy assumptions. Talented, hardworking artists deserve more than a dismissive label.

Plot twist: They might. And even if not, there’s a joy in learning something new and actually understanding what the idols say during broadcasts.  Also, fans do meet them. Check the fancams.

Sigh. Even if it were, why say it? How do you know, anyway? Let people enjoy what brings them joy. Life’s too short to judge someone else’s playlist. ‘Why are you crying over people you don’t know?’

Actually, they’re one of the best parts of a concert. Fan chants bring energy, unity, and electric excitement to the stadium — they’re pure passion, not creepy.

ARMYs are for BTS, BLINKs for BLACKPINK, CARATs for SEVENTEEN, and MOAs for TXT. Not every fan is an ARMY — and assuming so might earn you some serious side-eye, or a polite education via thread. Fandom names matter. Use them right.

That question makes it sound like a silly phase — and it’s not. If someone ever grows out of it, they will on their own. No need to question their joy in the meantime. Let people love what they love.