I want to share what I'm read
Here i just want to share what I read. Quite reasonable.
Warning: This is going to be very long. I am aiming for COMPLETE coverage of everything that has been said and argued.
Please read carefully and discuss civilly. If you disagree with any point, please thoroughly explain why. My intention here is not to turn people against SNSD8 or to cause conflict. I am admittedly speaking from Jessica’s POV because my only intention is to battle the smear campaign SM is so desperately promoting. Most of what we’ve heard has been from a multi-billion dollar corporation that is trying to protect their image along with the image of one of their most profitable groups. Their constant barrage of media play through Dispatch and other media outlets has been, and will continue to be, very successful.
What does Jessica stand to gain from saying she was removed by her members rather than blaming SM? SM would have been an easy scapegoat to point fingers at. If Jessica wanted to play the victim, what better way than to claim to be the victim of a giant company who has been involved in multiple scandals involving their artists this year? A company who is known to violate human rights and treat their employees as products rather than human beings?
Jessica was notified the day of or before their Sept. 30th China fanmeet of her expulsion from the group. Jessica posted her message on Weibo less than 24 hours after realizing she had been forced out. Her emotions are high, her devastation palpable, and her judgement clouded. She is not thinking in terms of her reputation, which has been tarnished, she is speaking from her heart from a place of hurt and pain. Whether true or just perceived, she feels betrayed.
The word of one versus the word of eight with the backing of their company. It is quite obvious that Jessica’s statement would lead to the vast majority of SONEs condemning her. KSONEs have completely forsaken her. Majority of ISONEs are supporting OT8 as well. (Remember, OH and other discussion forums are not a proper representation of actual SONEs. People from multiple fandoms with varying motives also post here.) Those showing support for Jessica are only Jessica fans, a small number of OT9 fans, and members of different kpop fandoms. Obviously most SONEs will continue to support SNSD8 because their biases are still in the group or because they’re loyal to SNSD as a brand. Again, what does Jessica have to gain from all this?
So what is true, what is unverified rumor, what is speculation, and why did this happen? Let’s discuss.
1 – Blanc
The claims in SM’s official statement do not make any sense. “However, in the midst of insufficient negotiations regarding conflicts of differences in priorities and interest, Jessica started her fashion business.”
Blanc was launched a month ago, but Blanc was in the works months, perhaps even years, before the actual launch of the company. Businesses do not launch overnight. SM and SNSD8 had to have be aware of Jessica’s plans. They even acknowledge that they knew. Some of Jessica’s Blanc preparations were even included in Jessica & Krystal, her reality tv show, months before Blanc’s launch. According to Jessica, she had SM’s and her members’ permission to launch Blanc. This is unverified, but logical. How could Jessica have launched Blanc without their permission? It must have been discussed in her contract. Jessica had already discussed and planned to launch Blanc before contracts were signed.
Because there is so much overlap in discussion points and rumors, I will further investigate the center of conflict in point 2 – Group Priorities vs Personal Priorities. Blanc will also be discussed in nearly every other main discussion point.
2 – Group Priorities vs Personal Priorities
By both SM and Jessica's statements, the core of conflict seems to be that SNSD8 feel that Jessica is prioritizing Blanc over SNSD, or at least not prioritizing SNSD as much as they would like.
You can very easily be the face and head of a company without being involved in its day-to-day operations. She has business partners and management teams to handle her website and the daily operations and distribution of her fashion line. She is likely taking care of the overall direction and giving input on designs. Most of her work can be done through the use of cellphones and computers that provide easy communication and the occasional event appearance.
There is no proof that Jessica wasn't meeting group obligations, even while she was the busiest member for the first half of the year. She hasn't missed any actual events like Sooyoung/Yoona/etc. have. We cannot say that Jessica has been shirking her duties in favor of her business when you have no receipts to back it up yet.
Could she have been missing rehearsals we don’t know about? Yes, that is a possibility. Could she have been affecting their future scheduling attempts because of conflicts with her personal schedules? Yes, again, that is a possibility. Are either of these speculations verified? No, not yet. Furthermore, it was recently said by TTS on the radio that Sunny was currently the busiest member. SNSD constantly has to schedule around every other member’s individual activities such as Sooyoung and Yoona’s drama filming, Sunny’s radio hosting, TTS’ promotions, etc. What makes Jessica’s endeavors with Blanc so different?
And if for some reason she was truly unavailable for certain schedules, why not let her skip a few of them like other members have? Or why not give her the option of a temporary hiatus like other SM artists have been given? Jessica has stated and proven that being a member IS a priority for her. If she is struggling to juggle both group and individual activities, why does she not deserve more than a month to regain her footing? Where are there not more options being considered? (Discussed further under heading 6 - 15 Years)
As for the schooling rumors, they are completely baseless at this point. It could all be a complete fabrication. But if she is/was planning on going to school overseas, she could've been applying for online courses or trying to set up a long distance program more able to accommodate her needs with the cooperation of a school (celebs sometimes do this). Or maybe she was only just looking at her options for after their next album cycle. We really have no clue so there is no point jumping to conclusions.
Another argument I’ve seen from fans is that SNSD8 and their parents were against Blanc because of potential conflict with their future CF deals. I really have no counter to this point because I am uninformed in how advertisement deals work, but it would make me incredibly sad if true. Does this mean money is the foremost motive behind their decision to oust Jessica? If this is true, why did they agree to let her launch Blanc in the first place? Right now Blanc is only selling sunglasses and plans to expand are tentatively set for 2015
3 – Contract? Quitting? Mutual Agreement?
Jessica says she wanted to stay a member of SNSD. She just signed 3-year contract. Yes, it’s a contract with SM Entertainment and not necessarily as a member of SNSD, but why would Jessica agree to be trapped for 3 years under SM if not as a member of SNSD? Obviously it doesn’t need to be said that she was signing under the impression that she would remain a member.
In SM’s official statement they said Jessica approached them in the spring about wanting to only stay on for one more OT9 album promotion. If what SM has said is true, because it is only their unproven word, and they had come to an agreement for Jessica to do one more promotion cycle, that is further proof that Jessica did not want to leave yet. She is confirmed, by SM’s own claims, to have been committed to do at least one more album cycle, if not more. And SM specifically said SPRING. SNSD signed their contracts in late summer or early fall. Negotiations must have been thoroughly covered by then. An agreement WAS reached.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but the only time I know of that Jessica has ever referenced wanting to quit was in one or two interviews where she said the fleeting thought had crossed her mind when she’s tired and stressed, but that she’s never given it serious consideration. (OT personal note: Just like I’ve flippantly thought about dropping out of school a million times.) Everything else about Jessica wanting to quit have been unsubstantiated rumors fueled by drama instigators and the fact that she is perceived to have been putting less effort into performances.
Jessica will now sit as an unused and unpromotable resource in SM’s dungeon after very recently signing a 3-year contract.
4 – Jungsis Unit
It has been reported that a Jungsis subunit was getting ready to promote. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure how reputable the sources for this claim are, but it is said that Jessica and Krystal already have songs recorded and that an MV and Jessica & Krystal season 2 were in the works. Everyone knew it was coming eventually. Jungsis themselves have admitted to working on music together. OnStyle’s Jessica & Krystal was advertisement and promotion for the upcoming subunit, just like SM working with OnStyle on TTS’ reality show for their Holler comeback.
Again, if true, this is further proof that Jessica was not planning on leaving yet and that music and promoting was a main priority for her.
5 – Tyler Kwon
How does he fit into all of this? What we know for sure is that he is somehow involved in Blanc. As far as how involved, we don’t know. Is he an investor? A partner? A consultant? It also does not seem to be highly relevant information, but is often mentioned in articles, likely to upset people because of his reputation and to reiterate marriage rumors. He is a central device in SM's smear campaign and media play.
As for their personal relationship, it seems to be likely that Jessica and Tyler Kwon are romantically involved, but it is still unproven. For the sake of discussion, let’s assume they are dating. Tyler himself has denied engagement rumors. The “confirmed wedding in May 2015” rumor was a central component of SM’s smear campaign. Even if the rumors were true, getting married is not a crime. SNSD members said themselves they would support any member who wanted to get married. But SM has spun it as Jessica being selfish and putting her personal life before SNSD. Even though 4 other members are openly dating celebrities and have been involved in bigger scandals.
But also consider this, what if Jessica and Tyler aren’t actually dating? As I said before, it does seem likely that they are romantically involved and I fully admit that, but if they aren’t, there is really no way for them to prove that they are only friends and business partners.
SM has also been spreading that Tyler Kwon “follows Jessica everywhere”. People seem to forget that he actually has his own job and that he is a very successful business man. Is it logical to think that he has the time and desire to do so? If they have been dating for over a year (unverified but assumed by many) and he follows her to all her schedules, how are there zero pictures of them together at any of these schedules? (I’m not talking about the actual event they attended together when they were both invited separately, but the claims that Tyler follows her to recordings, meets, performances, etc.) The PD of Jessica & Krystal, who has no reason to lie, has publicly stated:
“When asked about whether or not Jessica’s alleged boyfriend, Tyler Kwon, had accompanied her to a filming in New York for “Jessica & Krystal”, he denied it. He revealed, “I don’t know what happened during or after filming, but when Jessica was with us, I did not see anything of that sort.””
6 – 15 Years of Dedication and Friendship
This is tricky to discuss without sounding like you are trying to place blame on one side or the other. Please note that I am not trying to hurt the rest of SNSD8. I’m sure they thought what they were doing was in their best interests both personally and for the group. That being said, I believe they acted too hastily. It was myopic to ask her to make an impossible decision, whether they were bluffing or were genuinely forcing her choose.
The following discussion is based on the assumption that SNSD8 did ask Jessica to choose between abandoning Blanc and staying a member of SNSD or voluntarily leaving the group. This is unverified but seems to be implied by SM’s official statement and explicitly stated in Jessica’s statement. There are 3 options: 1) All of the members gave her the ultimatum. 2) A few members instigated and the rest reluctantly agreed/did not protest the ultimatum. 3) SM influenced or coerced SNSD8 to give her the ultimatum.
As mentioned before, Jessica was notified the day of or before their Sept. 30th China fanmeet of her expulsion from the group. Jessica posted her message on Weibo less than 24 hours after realizing she had been forced out. SNSD still used her backing vocals, they didn’t use new dance formations, they didn’t memorize all her lyrics and parts. Either the ultimatum was a bluff or they didn’t expect her to react so quickly because it seems like her expulsion wasn’t planned for that day. SM was surprised by her Weibo post and had no statement prepared yet.
Jessica has been a part of the entertainment industry for 15 years. All the members have known each other for a maximum of 15 years and a minimum of 10 years. She has given up her youth and nearly 2/3 of her life to be a member of SNSD. If that is not dedication, I don’t know what is. I choose to believe that their friendship is (was?), for the most part, genuine. Even if they do not consider themselves to be close friends, they have still spent 15-10 years together.
There are so many options that could have been explored. As previously stated, maybe Jessica was struggling to juggle her group and personal priorities, but after 15 years of servitude, you would think that she would deserve more support. Blanc has only been around for a month. She deserves more time and consideration. Other groups have accommodated their members in different ways. Letting them miss certain events, entire tours even, or giving them temporary hiatuses. There have been members from different groups that have gone on hiatus to study overseas, members that did not promote for over a year due to injury, members that have pursued solo careers that have halted group activities, the list goes on.
How can they (or SM?) expect her to “quit” a company after it has already been launched? She has put in a significant amount of money and love into building her business. She has legal obligations to her partners and investors. Apart from SNSD, this is her only dream.
In conclusion:
I am not saying that Jessica is completely innocent in all of this, but she is a victim. To what extent is what is unknown. And who else is victim to this situation, we don't know yet, but most likely everyone involved. I’m sure there have been mistakes made on both sides. Hopefully we get personal statements from the other members that are independent of SM’s influence soon.
Please feel free to post this elsewhere. Don’t let SM’s side be the only side that reaches people.
(Edit: To reiterate:
I don’t think Jessica's statement was advisable. But what some people fail to consider is that she was highly emotional at the time of its posting. It was verbal word vomit from a place of pain. I also disagree that what she did was purposely underhanded and intended to paint SNSD8 as villains or herself as a victim. I mean, probably to an extent, but she had to have known that nobody would actually interpret it that way.
Think about it logically. She is one person in a group of nine members. The vast majority of SONEs support their biases first before OT9 and would still support SNSD8 over just one member they perceive to be selfish traitor. Whose side do you think SONEs will take? Nobody in their right mind would think “hey, i'm gonna tell the world the most popular girl group of being unfair to me” and believe they’d come away looking the good like guy. Look at how KSONEs have reacted. You can’t tell me that was an unexpected result.
What was the other option? Jessica stays quiet, let’s SM media play, continues with Blanc while SNSD promote as 8 and everyone’s reputation remains somewhat intact. It would’ve been a wiser decision, most likely. Instead, SNSD8’s reputation might take a small hit, but Jessica is person non grata in Korea and the SNSD fandom. She is the one with a ruined public image. But she's not thinking about it logically, she's hurt and upset.
I do agree that there is definitely information we're missing. Obviously we're not getting the entire picture which is why I really hope we get personal statements from SNSD8 that aren't influenced by SM. However, the chances of that are slim to none. I don't think people should be "choosing sides" at all, I just don't want Jessica to be thrown under the bus like she is.)
credit to: Grace
I'm also not siding any side. Just terribly upset when Jessica fate in SNSD end like this.. from her previous quote in Win Win, she want to end as SNSD beautifully. Maybe my bias is Jessica but I'm not looking forward to her in SNSD as beautiful face or character but I'm really love her voice. Everytime SNSD comeout with new song, the first thing I do is trying to detect which is Jessica voice. Maybe some will disagree with me and said that Taeyeon, Seohyun, or Tiffany much better. But for me Jessica is the best. Jessica voice not husky or hard but just slow and high sweet.
Seeing Taeyeon comment that they just want to protect SNSD from the beginning really make me wonder what Jessica did to harm SNSD??
maybe its also the time for me to retired to become a KPOP fan. I'm old enough to fangirling over KPOP and just focus on my family and job.
Now just hope the best for SNSD and Jessica in future. hope they happy in what they do. Fighting!!
Comments