The "secret" weapon to ARMY is something that may or may not seem obvious depending on how long you've been with the fandom and, most importantly, how much you actively paid attention to the NATURE of our fandom evolution over the years.
Exactly how DID ARMY go from a very small fandom to an absolute collective titan?
In my opinion, the secret weapon that made it possible was this:
Our terrifyingly efficient ability to absorb, adapt and evolve.
I've struggled to try to put this observation into words (...resulting in several rewrites), but the best way I can explain it is this:
ARMY consumes a breathtaking amount of media and information.
We then, collectively, begin to adapt in order to ensure the best possible strategic outcomes.
Considering the global nature of our fandom, the many languages we speak, the various walks of life.
This is damn near miraculous.
It is hard to get on the same page as someone who is in the same room as you, speaking the same language.
But ARMY manages to get it together and keep adapting and changing, even though so many of us are spread across an entire country and around the world, and will never meet.
If there is something we don't know, either we collectively learn until we master it, or if there are people within the fandom who know, that information gets passed around until we master it.
The third alternative outcome, which is perhaps the most impressive, is that if that knowledge or need doesn't already exist within the fandom...WE WILL GO FIND PEOPLE WHO HAVE THAT KNOWLEDGE AND SOMETHING SOMETHING, THEY ARE IN THE FANDOM NOW. 🤣
Now, why is this secret weapon so amazing?
Because it allows ARMY to function in the completely opposite way of most other fandoms of a similar size, fandoms ruled by gatekeepers actively opposed to change who habitually and enthusiastically attack all newcomers!
Gatekeepers often are found at the center of fandoms and they are heavily resistant to two things: change and growth. These fans do not want the artist/group to change and they don't want new fans to "take over" and assume newer fans are all bandwagoners and insincere.
(This is especially true of male-dominated music spaces, but that's another topic for another day).
At a point, newcomers get driven away and for whatever reason, there stops being that new lifeblood that keeps a fandom active, growing, and, most importantly, CURRENT.
ARMY avoided this trend and approach because it never served us. We are not interested in keeping out new fans and stagnating. We do have our behavior norms and code of conduct.
We're not a fandom that favors gatekeeping, cliques, and stagnation; we remain open & flexible.
CONCLUSION
I can understand why ARMY is hugely intimidating to an industry that's used to bullying and buying its way into getting what it wants.
No matter what is said about or done to us, we pretty much resist and have everything we need to counter these toxic efforts.
I also hope that ARMY can appreciate that with all of these things going for us, we are each part of an amazing community.
Also, remember that it took many years and some really tough growing pains to get here.
Don't take anything for granted, but also know that at the end of the day, our best and biggest resources are each other.
You're never truly alone as an ARMY and if you ever feel that way, just know that you have a whole community rooting for you.
/END
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The Price of Projection: Is The Music Industry Finally Feeling The Effects Of Fakery And Fuckery?
DISCLAIMER
These threads are speculative and theoretical at the end of the day. Feel free to take it with a pinch of salt and a heaping pile "alleged." 🤷🏾♀️
PART I: THROW THE "BOT" AND HIDE YOUR HAND
Not to kick a man when he's down in the seventh circle of hell (having been stomped the entire way down), but the "bot" claims that Drake (allegedly) made against Kendrick were obviously laughable.
Hello! If you are worried about the recent negativity, there are a few things you can do.
1.) Buy + stream BTS and member music. That is the biggest thing you can do right now. It is the one thing people are actively trying to stop us from doing every damn year.
2.) Spread links and tweets to projects in support of buying and streaming goals. There are plenty of positive projects going on right now. I will also spread them as I can.
3.) Curate your timeline. Only YOU know what you want to see and what you don't. If people have shown themselves okay with throwing BTS and ARMY under the bus and you don't want to see them...mute/block as needed.
HYBE: The House ARMY Dollars Built (That K-pop Stans Demand We Tear Down)
INTRODUCTION
It is undeniable that BTS is the most successful group of artists to emerge from South Korea.
Their influence is such that it will take a long time for any group to match, let alone surpass, their impact.
While it is true that HYBE, formerly Big Hit Entertainment, fostered the sort of supportive environment that let BTS flourish as artists, what is truest of all is this:
TOPIC: WHOSE BEHIND THE DESPERATE BID TO REWRITE ARMY & BTS HISTORY?
DISCLAIMER:
None.
If you're mad, you're just mad.
I do not give a damn.
INTRODUCTION:
So, if you didn't know, I'd somewhat taken an extended hiatus. So I wasn't aware of an ongoing issue with people attempting to rewrite BTS and ARMY history.
Also, can I just say how PROUD I am of Namjoon? He's still so young and yet he's so wise, so insightful, so understanding and he has matured SO much.
The way he speaks about things, the advice he offers, and how he validates and acknowledges us as diverse people?
Like, so many people in the industry merely see fans as wallets. Or as fodder for their egos. There is an emotional gulf or a psychological sheet of glass at times that makes it impossible for many fans to feel any genuine connection.
They do not take the time to empathize with the emotional struggles that fans go through and harassment they might experience for liking them, honestly, because they're often ashamed of their fans themselves and have a 5-step plan to ditch them for a different demographic.
Okay, so to explain this tweet, the Grammys this year is poised to be a nightmare for multiple reasons and even sitting BTS front and center probably will not save them.
+ Some people are actively boycotting because it's really messed up that MULTIPLE MEN accused of SA are being honored and will be present. This from a show with a now long and horrible reputation of disrespect towards women in general.
+ Some stars are either openly boycotting for other reasons or are just passing on the show altogether. Famously the Weeknd, but Drake withdrew his nomination and others are "too busy" to go. The relocation to Las Vegas was not well-received.