#every culture has examples of theatre/performance/storytelling as cathartic communal experiences and kpop IS an evolution of that

[sanstropfremir]

but speaking of early shinee, that's actually part of what draws me to kpop, esp older kpop: the artifice is the point, it's another level of the art, not something the audience and the creator both pretend isn't there. there's a clear understanding that idols are the front-facing portion of a larger creative team and that you are witnessing spectacle. idk if it's just b*s' fault or part of a larger cultural shift away from that kind of art but i feel like you don't really see that anymore

l;aksjdf the reason you don't see it anymore is because nobody goes to the fucking theatre. i don't mean to sound like a repetitive lunatic but you literally just described the core basis of what theatre is and has been for thousands of years. the artifice is the point. the reason why there's very few famous historical theatrical figures is because it was acknowledged to be a communal practice. and it is, fundamentally, spectacle entertainment. kpop is a modern genre of theatre. idols are actors: every comeback is little play where they do a little song and dance for you in different concepts and outfits that are meant to tap into different feelings. there's a director, there's designers, there's countless staff making it all possible so the public can enjoy this moment of (usually) positive cartharsis. it's all the same.

also it's not just bts' fault this time, it's all capitalism's. and moderism's. there's a bunch of reasons actually, but at the core it's all because of capitalism.