[Controversial Topic] How beneficial are fanwars for a group?

[satoori]

Just now, Pyron said:

Yeah, I'm very pedantic about it. I will try to be more concise.

I do agree that companies will purposely seek loyalty and obsession to fans. There are lot of back door deals as well. But at front they can't really support this particular activity. I think sasaeng behavior is a different thing from fan war. They partake in that and are source for a lot of that I imagine, but it seems a different issue for me. They would just be happy if their fandom would play friendly with others and still spend tons on them. I don't think companies go about like a zero sum war.

Fandom can be individual too. Of course, if you name yourself part of an organized one or just giving yourself a label, sure it will become part of that group. I'm fan of groups and have bias, but I don't wanna identify myself to a named fandom. We are a quiet minority, but we exist.

I do agree with your points. That's a feature of fandom/tribe in general. However, I'm more specific about the group behavior fueled by this. I know it's inevitable in general, but at the same time I think as we are becoming more aware of the impact of social media and this particular form of tribalism behavior, so maybe it may not become inevitable.

There were papers about tribalism behavior in the past. However, I think the discussion of how to counter/control/avoid this is quite new and fueled by the alarming rise of nationalism for instance, so maybe as we become more aware, moderation may actually be more common in fandom as well no matter how much obsession and loyalty factor in. I may be wrong, but I wanna be optimist about it.

I can see fan wars be "fun" activities. In the past I partook in console fan wars and soccer rivalries and so on. I don't see it just as negative. However, for today's Kpop I don't see gains from that per se. It seems like a symptom or an after thought that may not be properly used for gains for the artists. Maybe a group/company may show up and be upfront about talking shit about other groups. Who knows. It would be unique.

 

Lol it's fine. I'm just always in a rush You always make many good points. I remember you from my last controversial topic~

I agree companies, do not support fanwars at the front door. In a ideal world fandoms playing together would be nice.

Yea that type of fan are a minority. For some of them, they might as well just call themselves a individual stan too lol

I feel, sns is making group behavior and/or mob mentality even worse. Not just with the Kpop industry but all over the world. For example: This generation, the whole "cancel culture"  nowadays

Optimism is always good. Fighting!

Lol yea it would be very unique for a company to talk about it upfront. The only time I personally can remember one getting involved... When a YG staff left a comment about the whole BTS plagiarizing Big Bang stage mess. Which ended up not even being Bighit but Gaon award  decision to use that vcr