What was that post about namjoon? How was he oversharing? What fake deep jokes? I'm new
when namjoon became a rapper he had a very strong sense of purpose/justice. he didnt come to the rap community looking for any of the awe that came with it. maybe he enjoyed the scene, the culture, the adrenaline of rap battles and the fight that was trying to make a name for yourself. but the reason he came to it is really important to who he is as a rapper. you actually cant understand bts as a whole, as a group with a purpose, without understanding namjoon’s purpose. he is the primary lyricist after all.
unfortunately south korea is still struggling in recognizing and respecting mental illness as a society. its important to keep in mind that while they went through a very intense and quick industrialization period in which they threw themselves into the list of first world countries, their culture didn’t evolve at such a rate. american culture grew with its economy; just as we currently enjoy the merits of a first world country’s “wealth” we also enjoy the merits of a westernized culture. this is aside from what is simply legal; it is not just that gay marriage is legal, but that lgbtq people have a platform that is at least generally respected. mentally ill people can generally speak of their illness without strong consequences. women can engage actively in calling out the misogyny of the country and it is generally heard. colorism, cultural appropriation, and racism are all topics widely discussed. i dont criticize government right now but rather the society. we culture have evolved to this point because we were given the time. south korea has not yet had the time, and these issues are not as actively addressed as they are in the western world. (I’d like to note that I dont specifically call for westernization however because that often erases what is beautiful about a culture. i believe that cultures should evolve so that nonbigoted beliefs can be part of their culture rather than result of a culture forced upon them)
so currently south korea has the highest teenage suicide rate of the industrialized world. they’ve been the highest for eight years now. it is a very very concerning issue, and it has everything to do with how mental health is addressed.
what the above all comes down to is that namjoon has depression. that much he has made clear. he was amongst the youth in korea who struggled with mental health and found little help. if you have listened to his mixtape and read the lyrics you will know this (if not, you should download it now). the specifics are best shown in the track Voice:
I didn’t have a dreamLike my lyrics, it was like that every dayFormulas and equations that couldn’t give me an answerThose things eventually turned into many wounds*It wouldn’t let me see the stars hidden behind its lightKilling me like this day by dayMeaninglessly, I’d devote my whole day on number games like grades**I just wanted to succeedBecause that was all I constantly heard about from other peopleThey thought happiness was a mirage that could be graspedBut sitting in front of my desk, I wasn’t happy for a single momentWithout my mom knowing, I slipped a blank page into my workbookWriting down my identity to the drum bassBreathing, which feels different from when I’m getting my gradesEven if I’d get 1st place my heart didn’t feel at peaceIs it really important to want the same thing others want?Rather than living an entire life full of sorrowful sighs,I decided to take off these restrictions and choose the life where I could just breatheEveryone pointed their fingers, the insincere people around meMy dream is to give my voice to everyone
My dream is to give my voice to everyone.
and this is why I made that post. because namjoon was giving his voice; he does so in vlives, in lyrics, in tweets/fancafe. he gives everything he can because he wants to change the world he lives in. he wants to change the view of mental health, to be a comfort and inspiration to fans who feel hopeless like he did. he does this because he is so incredibly compassionate.
it isn’t easy to bare yourself like this. it isnt easy to tell the world how you feel so candidly, to give yourself naked and vulnerable for the benefit of those who struggle, not really even the whole of his fans. to tell people you hate yourself? to explain that you felt like dying? that your future was limited to the moment, stagnant, feeding to no dreams or aspirations? you leave yourself open to mockery, to so so much judgement.
but what he does isnt “oversharing” or “fake deep”. hes telling his fans the best he knows how that there is a future, that there is happiness, that there is life for them. my dream is to give my voice to everyone. i can’t stress this enough. he is giving voice to those who cannot escape their situation and he is not only trying to guide them, but he is trying to change the culture. he is using his platform to spread acceptance. people can say what they want but he is a true social activist and you cannot convince me otherwise. he sought his large platform for the sake of the marginalized. and he uses it for them. this is undeniable.
maybe most fans cant relate to the message, but that shouldnt matter. they should understand what hes doing at least. yet somehow, because this fandom never fails to be fucking dumb as shit, they didnt understand. they mocked him. they called his advice “fake deep”. the made jokes about how annoying he is. they claimed he overshared.
frankly their behavior was and is absolutely disgusting and i still hold a lot of anger over it. i can understand this behavior from antis and bigoted people, but this isnt just mocking an idol. this comes from people who mock the mentally ill and it is really telling to see just how much of this fandom is part of that. i do see improvements but unfortunately it still exists. we still overlook namjoon because in the end its just a pretty face and an easily reduced/sexualized character that this fandom wants. but this isnt just the fandom. this is just how society is and continues to be. its really disappointing to say the least
