Luhan is allegedly leaving EXO, due to health concerns. In the wake of this new announcement, hordes of people have began springing on the Allkpop comments section and Koreaboo forum threads and started the predictable harangue against SM.

"SM is the devil!! SM why do you do this!! I hate SM, it !" 

Do people realize that SM is the reason why their favorite groups exist? And that SM Entertainment is a business? 

SM is like the God of SNSD, DBSK, Super Junior, f(x), etc: it literally created these groups, and you cannot attack SM for the components of its creations making personal decisions. In the grand scheme of things, idols are only components of a company's creation. They are a part of a product designed to sell and make revenue for the company. Your idols are utterly replaceable. There are millions of people who would kill to be in Jessica or Kris or Luhan's positions. Yes, some claims made are justified: SM (like every other Korean entertainment company) pushes its artists extremely hard. But to all you YG/JYP/LOEN/etc. stans who are screaming "this is why SM ! [name of entertainment company] all the way!", you do realize that those companies are just as hard on their idols, right? They try to cover this up with allowing their idols to write a few of their song lyrics, do a few solo activities. But in the end, all entertainment companies view idols as employees who exist for the company to make profit. There is not a single company that is there just to make people smile and be happy or to "just make music and have fun!!!". No. This is a capitalistic society, and people have to make a living. And they're doing it by taking advantage of a large market in South Korea for generically pretty faces who have some singing or dancing talent. Because let's face it. All kpop idols are practically the same. Yeah, sure, this girl has an amazing voice, and yeah, this guy can rap pretty well, and omg this group is so cute they love doing aegyo!! But these idols are practically carbon copies of each other- same roles in the group, same kinds of songs, same bull responses to PR questions (looking at you, Sooyoung, although it's not your fault- your company, looking at what would be the best for their image, probably instructed you to be discreet and vague about the Jessica scandal). That's honestly why idols are so utterly dispensable: if one screws up or quits or gets in a scandal, there will always be 13 more trainees who are ready to jump into their place. 

Like I said about Kris: when one enters a contract with a company- even if it's an entertainment company, which has different sets of rules and regulations for its workers- he or she enters a formal legal compact with said company as an employee. They're famous idols, yeah, but they're just the same as the makeup people or hairdressers: people hired to further the gains of a business. Mostly, people tend to sympathize with idols when they get in scandals. By watching a person in music videos, live performances, and interviews, one gains a sense that they know the person. Therefore, they develop a deeper and more intimate relationship with the idol. Entertainment companies have got this all figured out- that's why idols go on variety shows and talk about themselves. It strengthens the fan-idol bond. However, this is a double-edged sword for the entertainment company- this bond will cause people to turn against the company in the case of a scandal between the idol and the company, as demonstrated by SM Entertainment. The only time all people don't side with the idol is for 2 reasons: one, if the idol gets into a scandal, dating scandal, or another scandal that infringes upon the fan-idol bond. We like to have this idea in our head that our idol sort of belongs to us, and we're their friend. Seeing them enter relationships with other idols ascertains a (true) notion that we aren't on their level and probably will never be, and we have to be of an equal status to get to know them like that. This causes resentment in fans (shown by the reaction when it was announced that the members of SNSD or practically any other idol couple were dating). 

The second reason is because of ism. This reason makes me so angry on so many different levels. Let's face it: ism exists in every single country, and is especially magnified by those countries' music industries, where female and male standards for behavior and marketing approaches differ solely based on their genders. South Korea especially has a ism problem, as admitted by the Korea Times, The Economist, and the New York Times. That's why when Sulli and Choiza's relationship was announced, Sulli ended up going on hiatus because of the harsh criticism she was receiving. Was this SM's fault? No. Blame the inherent ism of South Korean society. The whole double-standard for males and females are so prominent in Kpop- y videos with shirtless guys lathered in oil are salivated over by hordes of people, while female artists such as Hyuna are degraded as trampy s: simply for wearing slightly provocative clothing. The scandals that plague female idols are centered around dating and outfits during performances. The publicized scandals about male idols that really gain attention are huge and really horrible, like scandals (Seungri) and abuse scandals (KHJ). Even then, Seungri's scandal was laughed about by many and eventually forgotten. What was a simple giggle over Seungri's career would have destroyed a female idol's career if it had happened to them. 

Don't even ing get me started on Kim Hyun Joong. I despise him. And what I hate even more was how so many fans still stood behind him, crying that "it was a mistake!!!!" and "he didn't mean to do it!!" and buying his bull cover up story. Oh, yeah, sure you broke your girlfriend's ribs while you two were """"playing around"""". What, does nowadays involve hitting your partner with a ing metal baseball bat? 

The main point I'm trying to make here is that it is your idol's fault, too. Companies can be COMPLETELY and UTTERLY disgusting, like the company which ually abused female trainees and coerced male trainees into harrassing female trainees as well. But unless your idol has been under considerable duress, where we can understand and reason out why the company is at fault, don't be so quick to attack entertainment companies. 

Also I just want to note that I am definitely not trying to act like I know everything about South Korean society/the kpop industry. Furthermore, I'm not trying to dehumanize idols- I am merely explaining their position in the grand scheme of the kpop industry. Thanks for reading! :D