about the pledis + fansite boycott (long post)
i am going to take a neutral stance in this boycott. i think this boycott has its pros and cons, you weigh them yourself.
for those of you who do not know, many seventeen fansites have decided to go on rest or shut down. you may have noticed this on other social media sites, or even on tumblr. the main reason is because a seokmin (dk) fansite sent in a wreath to be put up in line with their showcase today for their new mini album but pledis ended up turning it away with no explanation even though the fansite did all the necessary procedures. another reason is that many fans have voiced out that they have seen pledis staff members wearing what were supposed to be gifts from fans for the seventeen boys, such as tote bags and jackets.
in response to pledis and their actions, as well as their failure to provide an explanation or public response, many fansites have decided to boycott them. as i’m typing this, 19 fansites have announced a rest period or shut down in hopes that pledis will clarify the situation and provide a satisfactory explanation for their actions.
why is this boycott good? well, it will supposedly pressure pledis into responding to the matter. fansites play a big role in making sure that international fans get the latest information about their idols. as pledis is heavily reliant on seventeen, the boycott will affect them in a large scale, hopefully causing enough pressure so that they’ll reply to seventeen’s fanbase. this boycott also shows that fans are aware of this issue and that we do not agree with how pledis is handling gifts from fans as well as their groups. many fansites hope this will make sure pledis stops messing up and exploiting the boys (and fans) for their own benefit.
but why is this boycott bad? as i said, fansites play a big role in fan activity. this means, although the boycott will put pressure on pledis, seventeen will also be extremely affected. they just made their comeback and launched a new mini album. this means that we’re not just talking about ‘oh i don’t have a fansite anymore’. we’re potentially talking about a drop in album sales and music streaming, which leads to bigger things like losing opportunities for weekly awards at music shows. because they just made their comeback, this boycott will affect how they’ll do largely in the music scene during their promotion period.
(my opinion lies ahead. if you’re not open to opinions, don’t read ahead.)
yes, a boycott is good and pledis should be put under scrutiny for their horrible management skills and actions.
however, put yourself into the shoes of the seventeen members and think about this again. they’re going to watch their fansites shutting down; their carats on a frenzy against their company; not to mention they’re going to be heavily affected on all spectrums. they worked so hard to make this album and make this comeback to see us again. in fact, i would contest, this is probably the best album they’ve made so far. it just proves the boys are improving more and more each time. they’re working so hard.
don’t push seventeen into all these consequences for something their horrible managing company has done.
i don’t agree with pledis, don’t get me wrong. i just do not want to see the opportunities these precious boys could have slipping out of their hands because of something they cannot control.
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