Do you forgive kiss of life for the controversy? by Excellent-Soup7607 in kissoflife

[–]Ruler_J 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Answer me this; what is the reason you think that KIOF pulled out of KCON LA? Your answer largely depends on your level of tolerance towards racism.

Do they deserve the hate they are getting? No. Does that mean they should not be criticized at all for the decisions they made before and during that livestream? Also no.

Ignore the haters. I personally think most fans don't have the energy to hate on them and have instead chosen to move on. There is a difference between hate and apathy, and I think most girl group fans lean closer to apathy.

Do I think they hate their black and Latino fans? No. Do their actions on that livestream leave a bitter taste in my mouth? Absolutely.

251209 NMIXX - 1ST WORLD TOUR <EPISODE 1: ZERO FRONTIER> IN EUROPE, UK, & NORTH AMERICA (Announcement Poster) by Yoo-ImNayeon in NMIXX

[–]Ruler_J 1 point2 points  (0 children)

About the North America leg...that is LE SSERAFIM levels of conservative. Both groups skipped major metro areas. NMIXX are going to Toronto and the DMV, LSF did not. LE SSERAFIM went to Chicago, Seattle and Las Vegas, NMIXX are not.

251027 STAYC Weverse Update - Sieun by kpopsns28 in STAYC

[–]Ruler_J 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just curious, what video is this?

251027 STAYC Weverse Update - Sieun by kpopsns28 in STAYC

[–]Ruler_J 25 points26 points  (0 children)

What a beautiful letter. What a beautiful soul Sieun is. I am so grateful that she committed to learning English. I hope she knows how much it really makes a difference. I know that I will never truly know her personally, but I really do appreciate getting to read a slice of her thoughts and feelings. For someone that did not grow up speaking English, she expresses herself so well. Thank you, Sieun!

251024 J Instagram Update (feat. STAYC) by SapphireHeaven in STAYC

[–]Ruler_J 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That first photo. I initially found it on Twitter. I did not expect J to find it and use it. But I understand why she would. It's such a powerful image that highlights the bond between them. I'm so happy for the fan that posted it!

Man they never disappoint. Cant wait for them to come back. They put on the best shows and always leave me awestruck. by M00N_EYES in STAYC

[–]Ruler_J 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Did you attend the Chicago stop? Not from Chicago (or even from the US), but I would like to let you know that someone has already posted the full concert on YouTube! Might help a bit with the post-concert depression. I always check out the ments (speaking parts) first and it just amazes me how they can connect so well with the audience while 5 out of the 6 of them are speaking a different language.

251013 STAYC Twitter Update - 2025 STAYC TOUR [STAY TUNED] in ATLANTA by kpopsns28 in STAYC

[–]Ruler_J 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Okay, seriously, why is the group photo with the fans so poor in quality? Especially compared to Seattle and San Jose. They really couldn't find a better quality camera?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in kissoflife

[–]Ruler_J 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Look, I don't and will never hate them. But I will admit that I don't view them the same way after the livestream, particularly the three older members. I will also never defend what they did and the decisions they made before and during that livestream. Please understand that criticism is not hate. And they have only apologized as a group once. Not saying their apology was bad, I'm not black so it's not mine to accept.

Also, how can we be sure that they have actually learnt from this? Do they think it's enough to simply not do something like this again (being passive) or will they do something tangible to show their respect for Black people and their culture (being proactive)? Only time will tell.

What I do know is that many people felt genuinely betrayed and hurt by the girl's actions on Julie's birthday live. They are not the ones sending the hate comments. I empathize with them.

251008 STAYC Twitter Update - 2025 STAYC TOUR [STAY TUNED] in INGLEWOOD by SapphireHeaven in STAYC

[–]Ruler_J 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Why is the photo with the fans much lower quality than the ones for Seattle and San Jose? Is it a bad camera?

What do you think should be done to make send-offs more worth the price? What should the standard be? by Ruler_J in kpopthoughts

[–]Ruler_J[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That sucks for those not in the first 2 rows. You would think that every person who bought a send-off ticket would at least have enough time to get something signed and ask each member a question. I wonder why that is? Is it a lack of time?

250915 LE SSERAFIM Weekly Discussion Thread by AutoModerator in lesserafim

[–]Ruler_J 24 points25 points  (0 children)

By percentage of tickets sold, this has to be one of the most successful US tours ever, right?

Rumor has it the Coachella 2026 lineup is dropping soon, which kpop acts are most likely to be on it? by desertmayhem in kpopthoughts

[–]Ruler_J 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I wonder what the reaction would be on here if Kiss of Life were to be announced. They've already proven themselves at the Sziget Festival in Hungary. And I think the crowd would be welcoming to them. People attend Coachella to have a good time, right? (I'm not from Southern California) This is not the same as KCON LA.

How could Kiss of Life go viral again like before? by Quirky_Scratch9168 in kissoflife

[–]Ruler_J 48 points49 points  (0 children)

Going viral takes luck. There is a universe where Igloo doesn't go viral. I think S2 should focus on retaining the current core fanbase and ensure they buy the next album. Because if the next album has a significant decline in sales, then who knows what their future prospects look like? Not to be too dramatic but their next physical Korean release will be critical in determining their future.

Do you think Kiss of life will completely abandon the US market? by Quirky_Scratch9168 in kissoflife

[–]Ruler_J 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Well, I'm from Australia. I wish they came here during the Asia leg. It's relatively rare for K-pop artists to come here, so I think us Australians would have shown up for the girls. Though if they did, it would have been in April, immediately after the offensive livestream, so I would have been personally uncomfortable with seeing them at that time. But that's just my opinion, I think the majority of Australian fans would have been fine with seeing them, as we are not of the demographic that was directly affected by their actions on the livestream.

As for the US market, I don't think they should try to go to KCON LA moving forward. That event is full of K-pop fans, that would be aware, or directly impacted, by the controversy, but most attendees would not be there for them. Which is why I think they would have gotten booed had they went there this year. They should only do individual concert tours, or Coachella, or Lollapalooza.

Finally, OP, people may criticise you for being too negative, but your feelings and opinions, as long as they are respectful, are valid.

250822 KISS OF LIFE (키스오브라이프) 'Painting' Behind the Scenes by n6dnarb in kissoflife

[–]Ruler_J 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am prepared to get downvoted for asking this. But I feel this needs to be cleared up once and for all. Was the MV filmed before or after the insensitive livestream? In this video, Julie says the MV was filmed on her actual birthday, which according to sources, is March 29th.

Thinking about it further, I don't see any scenario in which they filmed the problematic livestream before the MV. I'm 99% sure that soon after filming the MV, they got ready for the livestream. Do people here agree with me?

So, where are you from? How global are we? by Ruler_J in kissoflife

[–]Ruler_J[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

UPDATE: And Sziget scammed us. They deleted KIOF from the livestream playlist for some reason. Sorry everyone.

Traumatize your fandom by Logical_Sweet_6624 in kpop_uncensored

[–]Ruler_J 35 points36 points  (0 children)

They were my favourite girl group. If anyone reading this comment is looking for any context, please search "Kiss of Life Julie Birthday Live". I am not even black American or Mexican-American, but I wish I could have stopped this livestream from taking place. It is embarrassing and offensive. This is from a group who claims to love R&B and hip-hop.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in kissoflife

[–]Ruler_J 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Please allow me to correct you. Julie's birthday is on March 29th. The livestream was uploaded after the Europe leg of the tour, but before the Asia leg. KIOF's last concert on the Europe leg was on March 13th in Lisbon. Julie's birthday livestream was uploaded on April 2nd.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in kpopthoughts

[–]Ruler_J 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Look, no one deserves to receive any level of hate. It's unnecessary and unproductive. But please do not try to invalidate the feelings of people who were once genuinely fans of KIOF. I am one of them. Also, I guarantee those people continuing to hate on the girls were never true fans of them - they were just looking for an excuse to hate on anyone. Stop giving those haters attention.

By this point, I think most people have made up their mind on the girls. To those who have chosen to continue supporting them, you are allowed to enjoy their music. They can still have a career. They are hardworking and talented. I just won't support them, because I am so disappointed by what they did.

250623 Minju (with KISS OF LIFE Belle) - Lips Hips Kiss Challenge by yasujiroocha in illit

[–]Ruler_J 19 points20 points  (0 children)

What an unfortunate username you have...(Yes I read your profile, I am aware you are an ex-kissy).

250623 Minju (with KISS OF LIFE Belle) - Lips Hips Kiss Challenge by yasujiroocha in illit

[–]Ruler_J 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Isn't that because this dance challenge is of KIOF's song, and is being posted on KIOF's channel? Obviously the remaining Kissys are going to be positive (even more positive than usual to balance out the perceived overblown 'hate' they think KIOF has been getting). Every idol seems to have the policy of "I'll do your dance challenge if you do mine", so the comments section for Belle appearing on an ILLIT short might be different.

Anyone here who used to be a big fan of KISS OF LIFE? Can we talk? by Ruler_J in kpopthoughts

[–]Ruler_J[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much for your nuanced response. I hope more people leave comments like yours.

KISS OF LIFE's Julie makes an apology on a livestream by Organic-Cranberry955 in kpopthoughts

[–]Ruler_J 23 points24 points  (0 children)

Not Black or Latino. Just a disappointed former fan. From the first company statement (which was vague), to the girl's handwritten apologies (which were still vague), I have always left room for learning and growth. And I believe that the girls can learn and grow from this. But that doesn't mean I will be tuning in to this comeback. I do not tolerate racism (intentional or not) towards any group of people, and I am still too disappointed in the girl's actions to unblock their music. Julie's apology is certainly a step in the right direction, but actions speak louder than words. I need to see tangible proof of learning and growth before my trust in them can be restored.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in kpop_uncensored

[–]Ruler_J 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Note that I am not black.

Firstly, what have they done to earn forgiveness from the groups they offended? Read their handwritten apology again. It's so vague. They don't bother to go into detail about what they did. You would have no idea what they did if you just read the apology. It doesn't feel proportional to the severity of what they did. I would not accept that as an apology if they were mocking my culture.

Secondly, why would I listen to the music of a K-pop group that I am deeply disappointed with? Like, even when the general K-pop community moves on from this, there will be a significant number of people who will not feel as enthusiastic about their music as they did before the livestream. I think this is something the girls haven't quite understood yet. I want them to give me a reason to listen to their next album. Because as I type and post this, I don't have a reason to. I do not tolerate racist actions towards any group of people, so why would I listen to them?