in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are exotic, you are strange, you are something else entirely.
lizanie and pieter will study your ethnic features like youโre a test subject. they will gape at your nose like it is something strange and stare at your hair texture, calling it names behind your back โ โskaapieโ if you have curls, โpipe cleanerโ if you have an afro.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, your native language is wrong, because โin hierdie skool praat ons net taale wat almal verstaan!โ, but mevrou louw wonโt slow down during afrikaans class because it doesnโt matter if you donโt understand, you are simply expected to catch up.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are not โweirdโ enough to be something special but not โnormalโ enough to be considered just another student. you are not simply a student of waterkloof hoรซrskool, you are zulu, venda, coloured, herero, damara. you are your race.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are angry, even as tears stream down your face from the discrimination you face daily, you are angry because you spoke against meneer visser.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, even if you are great,
compared to an average afrikaans child, you are mid. even if you worked twice as hard, you are less because you are not them. you are not them.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are not njabulo, you are โjabsโ, you are not tjino, you are โchinoโ, and you are not tshepo, you are โchepuโ, because you are not expected to be you, you are expected to be the version of yourself that is easy enough for them to grasp.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are not simply rusuvero, tamsyn, phathutshedzo or !gamiro. you are a herero, a coloured, a venda or a damara, because in the eyes of the afrikaaner your ethnicity comes before your status as a student.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are exotic, you are strange, you are something else entirely.
lizanie and pieter will study your ethnic features like youโre a test subject. they will gape at your nose like it is something strange and stare at your hair texture, calling it names behind your back โ โskaapieโ if you have curls, โpipe cleanerโ if you have an afro.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, your native language is wrong, because โin hierdie skool praat ons net taale wat almal verstaan!โ, but mevrou louw wonโt slow down during afrikaans class because it doesnโt matter if you donโt understand, you are simply expected to catch up.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are not โweirdโ enough to be something special but not โnormalโ enough to be considered just another student. you are not simply a student of waterkloof hoรซrskool, you are zulu, venda, coloured, herero, damara. you are your race.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are angry, even as tears stream down your face from the discrimination you face daily, you are angry because you spoke against meneer visser.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, even if you are great,
compared to an average afrikaans child, you are mid. even if you worked twice as hard, you are less because you are not them. you are not them.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are not njabulo, you are โjabsโ, you are not tjino, you are โchinoโ, and you are not tshepo, you are โchepuโ, because you are not expected to be you, you are expected to be the version of yourself that is easy enough for them to grasp.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are not simply rusuvero, tamsyn, phathutshedzo or !gamiro. you are a herero, a coloured, a venda or a damara, because in the eyes of the afrikaaner your ethnicity comes before your status as a student.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are exotic, you are strange, you are something else entirely.
lizanie and pieter will study your ethnic features like youโre a test subject. they will gape at your nose like it is something strange and stare at your hair texture, calling it names behind your back โ โskaapieโ if you have curls, โpipe cleanerโ if you have an afro.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, your native language is wrong, because โin hierdie skool praat ons net taale wat almal verstaan!โ, but mevrou louw wonโt slow down during afrikaans class because it doesnโt matter if you donโt understand, you are simply expected to catch up.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are not โweirdโ enough to be something special but not โnormalโ enough to be considered just another student. you are not simply a student of waterkloof hoรซrskool, you are zulu, venda, coloured, herero, damara. you are your race.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are angry, even as tears stream down your face from the discrimination you face daily, you are angry because you spoke against meneer visser.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, even if you are great,
compared to an average afrikaans child, you are mid. even if you worked twice as hard, you are less because you are not them. you are not them.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are not njabulo, you are โjabsโ, you are not tjino, you are โchinoโ, and you are not tshepo, you are โchepuโ, because you are not expected to be you, you are expected to be the version of yourself that is easy enough for them to grasp.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are not simply rusuvero, tamsyn, phathutshedzo or !gamiro. you are a herero, a coloured, a venda or a damara, because in the eyes of the afrikaaner your ethnicity comes before your status as a student.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are exotic, you are strange, you are something else entirely.
lizanie and pieter will study your ethnic features like youโre a test subject. they will gape at your nose like it is something strange and stare at your hair texture, calling it names behind your back โ โskaapieโ if you have curls, โpipe cleanerโ if you have an afro.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, your native language is wrong, because โin hierdie skool praat ons net taale wat almal verstaan!โ, but mevrou louw wonโt slow down during afrikaans class because it doesnโt matter if you donโt understand, you are simply expected to catch up.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are not โweirdโ enough to be something special but not โnormalโ enough to be considered just another student. you are not simply a student of waterkloof hoรซrskool, you are zulu, venda, coloured, herero, damara. you are your race.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are angry, even as tears stream down your face from the discrimination you face daily, you are angry because you spoke against meneer visser.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, even if you are great,
compared to an average afrikaans child, you are mid. even if you worked twice as hard, you are less because you are not them. you are not them.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are not njabulo, you are โjabsโ, you are not tjino, you are โchinoโ, and you are not tshepo, you are โchepuโ, because you are not expected to be you, you are expected to be the version of yourself that is easy enough for them to grasp.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are not simply rusuvero, tamsyn, phathutshedzo or !gamiro. you are a herero, a coloured, a venda or a damara, because in the eyes of the afrikaaner your ethnicity comes before your status as a student.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are exotic, you are strange, you are something else entirely.
lizanie and pieter will study your ethnic features like youโre a test subject. they will gape at your nose like it is something strange and stare at your hair texture, calling it names behind your back โ โskaapieโ if you have curls, โpipe cleanerโ if you have an afro.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, your native language is wrong, because โin hierdie skool praat ons net taale wat almal verstaan!โ, but mevrou louw wonโt slow down during afrikaans class because it doesnโt matter if you donโt understand, you are simply expected to catch up.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are not โweirdโ enough to be something special but not โnormalโ enough to be considered just another student. you are not simply a student of waterkloof hoรซrskool, you are zulu, venda, coloured, herero, damara. you are your race.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are angry, even as tears stream down your face from the discrimination you face daily, you are angry because you spoke against meneer visser.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, even if you are great,
compared to an average afrikaans child, you are mid. even if you worked twice as hard, you are less because you are not them. you are not them.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are not njabulo, you are โjabsโ, you are not tjino, you are โchinoโ, and you are not tshepo, you are โchepuโ, because you are not expected to be you, you are expected to be the version of yourself that is easy enough for them to grasp.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are not simply rusuvero, tamsyn, phathutshedzo or !gamiro. you are a herero, a coloured, a venda or a damara, because in the eyes of the afrikaaner your ethnicity comes before your status as a student.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are exotic, you are strange, you are something else entirely.
lizanie and pieter will study your ethnic features like youโre a test subject. they will gape at your nose like it is something strange and stare at your hair texture, calling it names behind your back โ โskaapieโ if you have curls, โpipe cleanerโ if you have an afro.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, your native language is wrong, because โin hierdie skool praat ons net taale wat almal verstaan!โ, but mevrou louw wonโt slow down during afrikaans class because it doesnโt matter if you donโt understand, you are simply expected to catch up.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are not โweirdโ enough to be something special but not โnormalโ enough to be considered just another student. you are not simply a student of waterkloof hoรซrskool, you are zulu, venda, coloured, herero, damara. you are your race.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are angry, even as tears stream down your face from the discrimination you face daily, you are angry because you spoke against meneer visser.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, even if you are great,
compared to an average afrikaans child, you are mid. even if you worked twice as hard, you are less because you are not them. you are not them.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are not njabulo, you are โjabsโ, you are not tjino, you are โchinoโ, and you are not tshepo, you are โchepuโ, because you are not expected to be you, you are expected to be the version of yourself that is easy enough for them to grasp.
in the eyes of the afrikaaner, you are not simply rusuvero, tamsyn, phathutshedzo or !gamiro. you are a herero, a coloured, a venda or a damara, because in the eyes of the afrikaaner your ethnicity comes before your status as a student.
i recently read a comment in a tiktok comment section which completely dismissed the whole point the video was making โ that manon was being mistreated by her management and entertainment company, and being exploited by said management and company. and while i have been trying to be more open to different perspectives, as there is always multiple points of view, this comment upset me deeply because i felt it was being blatantly disrespectful to whatโs right in front of us.
the comment didnโt even try to argue against the point of the video, just simply said โits not that deepโ with a sticker nor did the author of said comment try to explain why it โisnโt that deepโ, so i think you can understand my frustration with the lack of reason for why โit isnโt that deepโ.
so because the author fails to see why this exploitation is in fact that deep, and maybe youโre failing or struggling too, iโll explain why i think it is in fact that deep, and why this conversation should not be silenced or dismissed.
(continue reading under the cut)
part one: what is exploitation and how does her management exploit her.
in order to properly discuss this matter, we need to have a clear definition of what exploitation is, so here is the oxford dictionary definition for exploitation: โthe action or fact of treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work.โ
as someone who was a fan of the group, i naturally learned about the members and past, because to me it felt different to what kpop-esque groups were like usually, by that i mean how many kpop idols usually have squeaky clean, almost boring pasts and how the kats actually have somewhat interesting lore.
through this i learnt of manonโs impact on social media way before she even debuted in katseye or even joined dream academy, how big she was on platforms like pinterest or sub communities like hairtok, and quite frankly, the fact that she was known much better than the other kats. in short, her star power and presence in the communities katseye caters to and even in communities they donโt typically cater to.
i also naturally learnt of the fact that she is mixed race, specifically black / ghanaian if you want to be very clear. therefore when conversations were being held around her exploitation, it instantly clicked to me that these two facts were going to be discussed heavily within these conversations, and for good reason.
now naturally, per the definition of exploitation, we need to talk about the fact that she clearly put in large amounts of efforts for the group. this cannot go unmentioned, however for my specific argument, it is not the central focus, still important, but not my main argument.
now we can get into how these three points, specifically the first two, were used by her entertainment company to exploit her and profit off of her name.
first of all, manon is literally the visual and center, quite literally the face of the group and if weโre being honest, the main focus, i think this already speaks volumes about how this company profits off of her, as when most think of katseye, they think of manon.
not to mention that manonโs impact on the group and fandom is undeniable, even in small ways, e.g. the whole straight eyebrow trend among the group members and fans alike, in fact even among non-fans. manon possesses that natural star power, that natural talent to start trends and bring attention wherever she goes, whatever she does and whoever she associates with, this is a exactly what a greedy entertainment lives for, that effortless call for attention.
and it is obvious that she possesses the most star power of the group, so naturally hxg would capitalize off of this, as more traction brings more popularity, more popularity brings more views, views bring sales, sales generate money. and while katseye might not be a kpop group, they are likely under a kpop-esque contract, so they would earn around 30% of profits and might even have the infamous trainee debt to pay off. this is only one of the ways i believe hxg is exploiting her.
and yes, we will be having the race discussion in this post because it needs to be talked about. if you can look me straight in my eyes and tell me that the world as we know it today, not even just the entertainment industry mind you, does not capitalize and take advantage of the talents, skills, culture and inventions of people of colour, specifically black people, you are the textbook definition of a good liar, because that just isnโt true, is it?
while there are many areas to speak about when it comes to the management profiting off of manonโs mixed race, i specifically want to speak of how they profit from the attention katseye receives from other young, black boys and girls.
i think it is devastating and absolutely disgusting that hxg is putting manon at the center of their diversity campaign to attract young black people who simply want to see their racial identity being represented by someone they look up to. i think it is cruel to use the thirst young black men and women have for representation as some sort of marketing tactic, because they are capitalizing off of the vulnerable feeling of just wanting to see someone who is their race being recognized on an international scale.
(i do know that other black artists are also extremely popular and recognized, but i think manon is probably the most relevant representation younger kids (because thatโs what a big part of katseyeโs audience is) have)
this shows to me that hxg views not only manon, but black people as a whole as marketing tools and strategies, which is beyond disturbing to me, and hopefully to you too.
and lastly, i want to mention how even while manon is on hiatus, the entertainment company is still using her as some sort of tactic to keep people hooked, because as we all know, many people only stan katseye for manon and have made it known that they will only stan the katseye with manon in it.
they are prolonging this hiatus to keep the false hope that manon might come back, when it seems to be very clear that the chances of manon coming back is slim to none.
part two: the unfortunate silencing of this conversation
probably the most frustrating part of this situation to me is how so called OT6 fans are actively trying to silence other real fans who are speaking up against this exploitation of manon, because to me that just shows you do not truly care about manon, and that you are definitely not OT6.
this is exactly what the author of the original comment this was inspired by was doing, silencing fans that speak up against this injustice. i think this is simply disrespectful, how can you try to stop others from speaking up against injustice and feel good afterwards?
now while this is not a new thing, it is still extremely sad and frustrating to deal with, especially for poc who endure this daily, as many (myself included) wanted this group to be something we could use as a sign that unity among races is still possible, as that is quite literally what katseye represents.
part three: conclusion and final thoughts
take this from someone who has suffered from similar exploitation, this has a very dear place in my heart, and i would never want anyone else to feel the way i felt when i experienced what i experienced.
i hope someone read this and now understands why so many people feel deeply, truly.
ps, this article is on my substacked too @/shiyloh.
i recently read a comment in a tiktok comment section which completely dismissed the whole point the video was making โ that manon was being mistreated by her management and entertainment company, and being exploited by said management and company. and while i have been trying to be more open to different perspectives, as there is always multiple points of view, this comment upset me deeply because i felt it was being blatantly disrespectful to whatโs right in front of us.
the comment didnโt even try to argue against the point of the video, just simply said โits not that deepโ with a sticker nor did the author of said comment try to explain why it โisnโt that deepโ, so i think you can understand my frustration with the lack of reason for why โit isnโt that deepโ.
so because the author fails to see why this exploitation is in fact that deep, and maybe youโre failing or struggling too, iโll explain why i think it is in fact that deep, and why this conversation should not be silenced or dismissed.
(continue reading under the cut)
part one: what is exploitation and how does her management exploit her.
in order to properly discuss this matter, we need to have a clear definition of what exploitation is, so here is the oxford dictionary definition for exploitation: โthe action or fact of treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work.โ
as someone who was a fan of the group, i naturally learned about the members and past, because to me it felt different to what kpop-esque groups were like usually, by that i mean how many kpop idols usually have squeaky clean, almost boring pasts and how the kats actually have somewhat interesting lore.
through this i learnt of manonโs impact on social media way before she even debuted in katseye or even joined dream academy, how big she was on platforms like pinterest or sub communities like hairtok, and quite frankly, the fact that she was known much better than the other kats. in short, her star power and presence in the communities katseye caters to and even in communities they donโt typically cater to.
i also naturally learnt of the fact that she is mixed race, specifically black / ghanaian if you want to be very clear. therefore when conversations were being held around her exploitation, it instantly clicked to me that these two facts were going to be discussed heavily within these conversations, and for good reason.
now naturally, per the definition of exploitation, we need to talk about the fact that she clearly put in large amounts of efforts for the group. this cannot go unmentioned, however for my specific argument, it is not the central focus, still important, but not my main argument.
now we can get into how these three points, specifically the first two, were used by her entertainment company to exploit her and profit off of her name.
first of all, manon is literally the visual and center, quite literally the face of the group and if weโre being honest, the main focus, i think this already speaks volumes about how this company profits off of her, as when most think of katseye, they think of manon.
not to mention that manonโs impact on the group and fandom is undeniable, even in small ways, e.g. the whole straight eyebrow trend among the group members and fans alike, in fact even among non-fans. manon possesses that natural star power, that natural talent to start trends and bring attention wherever she goes, whatever she does and whoever she associates with, this is a exactly what a greedy entertainment lives for, that effortless call for attention.
and it is obvious that she possesses the most star power of the group, so naturally hxg would capitalize off of this, as more traction brings more popularity, more popularity brings more views, views bring sales, sales generate money. and while katseye might not be a kpop group, they are likely under a kpop-esque contract, so they would earn around 30% of profits and might even have the infamous trainee debt to pay off. this is only one of the ways i believe hxg is exploiting her.
and yes, we will be having the race discussion in this post because it needs to be talked about. if you can look me straight in my eyes and tell me that the world as we know it today, not even just the entertainment industry mind you, does not capitalize and take advantage of the talents, skills, culture and inventions of people of colour, specifically black people, you are the textbook definition of a good liar, because that just isnโt true, is it?
while there are many areas to speak about when it comes to the management profiting off of manonโs mixed race, i specifically want to speak of how they profit from the attention katseye receives from other young, black boys and girls.
i think it is devastating and absolutely disgusting that hxg is putting manon at the center of their diversity campaign to attract young black people who simply want to see their racial identity being represented by someone they look up to. i think it is cruel to use the thirst young black men and women have for representation as some sort of marketing tactic, because they are capitalizing off of the vulnerable feeling of just wanting to see someone who is their race being recognized on an international scale.
(i do know that other black artists are also extremely popular and recognized, but i think manon is probably the most relevant representation younger kids (because thatโs what a big part of katseyeโs audience is) have)
this shows to me that hxg views not only manon, but black people as a whole as marketing tools and strategies, which is beyond disturbing to me, and hopefully to you too.
and lastly, i want to mention how even while manon is on hiatus, the entertainment company is still using her as some sort of tactic to keep people hooked, because as we all know, many people only stan katseye for manon and have made it known that they will only stan the katseye with manon in it.
they are prolonging this hiatus to keep the false hope that manon might come back, when it seems to be very clear that the chances of manon coming back is slim to none.
part two: the unfortunate silencing of this conversation
probably the most frustrating part of this situation to me is how so called OT6 fans are actively trying to silence other real fans who are speaking up against this exploitation of manon, because to me that just shows you do not truly care about manon, and that you are definitely not OT6.
this is exactly what the author of the original comment this was inspired by was doing, silencing fans that speak up against this injustice. i think this is simply disrespectful, how can you try to stop others from speaking up against injustice and feel good afterwards?
now while this is not a new thing, it is still extremely sad and frustrating to deal with, especially for poc who endure this daily, as many (myself included) wanted this group to be something we could use as a sign that unity among races is still possible, as that is quite literally what katseye represents.
part three: conclusion and final thoughts
take this from someone who has suffered from similar exploitation, this has a very dear place in my heart, and i would never want anyone else to feel the way i felt when i experienced what i experienced.
i hope someone read this and now understands why so many people feel deeply, truly.
ps, this article is on my substacked too @/shiyloh.
i recently read a comment in a tiktok comment section which completely dismissed the whole point the video was making โ that manon was being mistreated by her management and entertainment company, and being exploited by said management and company. and while i have been trying to be more open to different perspectives, as there is always multiple points of view, this comment upset me deeply because i felt it was being blatantly disrespectful to whatโs right in front of us.
the comment didnโt even try to argue against the point of the video, just simply said โits not that deepโ with a sticker nor did the author of said comment try to explain why it โisnโt that deepโ, so i think you can understand my frustration with the lack of reason for why โit isnโt that deepโ.
so because the author fails to see why this exploitation is in fact that deep, and maybe youโre failing or struggling too, iโll explain why i think it is in fact that deep, and why this conversation should not be silenced or dismissed.
(continue reading under the cut)
part one: what is exploitation and how does her management exploit her.
in order to properly discuss this matter, we need to have a clear definition of what exploitation is, so here is the oxford dictionary definition for exploitation: โthe action or fact of treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work.โ
as someone who was a fan of the group, i naturally learned about the members and past, because to me it felt different to what kpop-esque groups were like usually, by that i mean how many kpop idols usually have squeaky clean, almost boring pasts and how the kats actually have somewhat interesting lore.
through this i learnt of manonโs impact on social media way before she even debuted in katseye or even joined dream academy, how big she was on platforms like pinterest or sub communities like hairtok, and quite frankly, the fact that she was known much better than the other kats. in short, her star power and presence in the communities katseye caters to and even in communities they donโt typically cater to.
i also naturally learnt of the fact that she is mixed race, specifically black / ghanaian if you want to be very clear. therefore when conversations were being held around her exploitation, it instantly clicked to me that these two facts were going to be discussed heavily within these conversations, and for good reason.
now naturally, per the definition of exploitation, we need to talk about the fact that she clearly put in large amounts of efforts for the group. this cannot go unmentioned, however for my specific argument, it is not the central focus, still important, but not my main argument.
now we can get into how these three points, specifically the first two, were used by her entertainment company to exploit her and profit off of her name.
first of all, manon is literally the visual and center, quite literally the face of the group and if weโre being honest, the main focus, i think this already speaks volumes about how this company profits off of her, as when most think of katseye, they think of manon.
not to mention that manonโs impact on the group and fandom is undeniable, even in small ways, e.g. the whole straight eyebrow trend among the group members and fans alike, in fact even among non-fans. manon possesses that natural star power, that natural talent to start trends and bring attention wherever she goes, whatever she does and whoever she associates with, this is a exactly what a greedy entertainment lives for, that effortless call for attention.
and it is obvious that she possesses the most star power of the group, so naturally hxg would capitalize off of this, as more traction brings more popularity, more popularity brings more views, views bring sales, sales generate money. and while katseye might not be a kpop group, they are likely under a kpop-esque contract, so they would earn around 30% of profits and might even have the infamous trainee debt to pay off. this is only one of the ways i believe hxg is exploiting her.
and yes, we will be having the race discussion in this post because it needs to be talked about. if you can look me straight in my eyes and tell me that the world as we know it today, not even just the entertainment industry mind you, does not capitalize and take advantage of the talents, skills, culture and inventions of people of colour, specifically black people, you are the textbook definition of a good liar, because that just isnโt true, is it?
while there are many areas to speak about when it comes to the management profiting off of manonโs mixed race, i specifically want to speak of how they profit from the attention katseye receives from other young, black boys and girls.
i think it is devastating and absolutely disgusting that hxg is putting manon at the center of their diversity campaign to attract young black people who simply want to see their racial identity being represented by someone they look up to. i think it is cruel to use the thirst young black men and women have for representation as some sort of marketing tactic, because they are capitalizing off of the vulnerable feeling of just wanting to see someone who is their race being recognized on an international scale.
(i do know that other black artists are also extremely popular and recognized, but i think manon is probably the most relevant representation younger kids (because thatโs what a big part of katseyeโs audience is) have)
this shows to me that hxg views not only manon, but black people as a whole as marketing tools and strategies, which is beyond disturbing to me, and hopefully to you too.
and lastly, i want to mention how even while manon is on hiatus, the entertainment company is still using her as some sort of tactic to keep people hooked, because as we all know, many people only stan katseye for manon and have made it known that they will only stan the katseye with manon in it.
they are prolonging this hiatus to keep the false hope that manon might come back, when it seems to be very clear that the chances of manon coming back is slim to none.
part two: the unfortunate silencing of this conversation
probably the most frustrating part of this situation to me is how so called OT6 fans are actively trying to silence other real fans who are speaking up against this exploitation of manon, because to me that just shows you do not truly care about manon, and that you are definitely not OT6.
this is exactly what the author of the original comment this was inspired by was doing, silencing fans that speak up against this injustice. i think this is simply disrespectful, how can you try to stop others from speaking up against injustice and feel good afterwards?
now while this is not a new thing, it is still extremely sad and frustrating to deal with, especially for poc who endure this daily, as many (myself included) wanted this group to be something we could use as a sign that unity among races is still possible, as that is quite literally what katseye represents.
part three: conclusion and final thoughts
take this from someone who has suffered from similar exploitation, this has a very dear place in my heart, and i would never want anyone else to feel the way i felt when i experienced what i experienced.
i hope someone read this and now understands why so many people feel deeply, truly.
ps, this article is on my substacked too @/shiyloh.
i recently read a comment in a tiktok comment section which completely dismissed the whole point the video was making โ that manon was being mistreated by her management and entertainment company, and being exploited by said management and company. and while i have been trying to be more open to different perspectives, as there is always multiple points of view, this comment upset me deeply because i felt it was being blatantly disrespectful to whatโs right in front of us.
the comment didnโt even try to argue against the point of the video, just simply said โits not that deepโ with a sticker nor did the author of said comment try to explain why it โisnโt that deepโ, so i think you can understand my frustration with the lack of reason for why โit isnโt that deepโ.
so because the author fails to see why this exploitation is in fact that deep, and maybe youโre failing or struggling too, iโll explain why i think it is in fact that deep, and why this conversation should not be silenced or dismissed.
(continue reading under the cut)
part one: what is exploitation and how does her management exploit her.
in order to properly discuss this matter, we need to have a clear definition of what exploitation is, so here is the oxford dictionary definition for exploitation: โthe action or fact of treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work.โ
as someone who was a fan of the group, i naturally learned about the members and past, because to me it felt different to what kpop-esque groups were like usually, by that i mean how many kpop idols usually have squeaky clean, almost boring pasts and how the kats actually have somewhat interesting lore.
through this i learnt of manonโs impact on social media way before she even debuted in katseye or even joined dream academy, how big she was on platforms like pinterest or sub communities like hairtok, and quite frankly, the fact that she was known much better than the other kats. in short, her star power and presence in the communities katseye caters to and even in communities they donโt typically cater to.
i also naturally learnt of the fact that she is mixed race, specifically black / ghanaian if you want to be very clear. therefore when conversations were being held around her exploitation, it instantly clicked to me that these two facts were going to be discussed heavily within these conversations, and for good reason.
now naturally, per the definition of exploitation, we need to talk about the fact that she clearly put in large amounts of efforts for the group. this cannot go unmentioned, however for my specific argument, it is not the central focus, still important, but not my main argument.
now we can get into how these three points, specifically the first two, were used by her entertainment company to exploit her and profit off of her name.
first of all, manon is literally the visual and center, quite literally the face of the group and if weโre being honest, the main focus, i think this already speaks volumes about how this company profits off of her, as when most think of katseye, they think of manon.
not to mention that manonโs impact on the group and fandom is undeniable, even in small ways, e.g. the whole straight eyebrow trend among the group members and fans alike, in fact even among non-fans. manon possesses that natural star power, that natural talent to start trends and bring attention wherever she goes, whatever she does and whoever she associates with, this is a exactly what a greedy entertainment lives for, that effortless call for attention.
and it is obvious that she possesses the most star power of the group, so naturally hxg would capitalize off of this, as more traction brings more popularity, more popularity brings more views, views bring sales, sales generate money. and while katseye might not be a kpop group, they are likely under a kpop-esque contract, so they would earn around 30% of profits and might even have the infamous trainee debt to pay off. this is only one of the ways i believe hxg is exploiting her.
and yes, we will be having the race discussion in this post because it needs to be talked about. if you can look me straight in my eyes and tell me that the world as we know it today, not even just the entertainment industry mind you, does not capitalize and take advantage of the talents, skills, culture and inventions of people of colour, specifically black people, you are the textbook definition of a good liar, because that just isnโt true, is it?
while there are many areas to speak about when it comes to the management profiting off of manonโs mixed race, i specifically want to speak of how they profit from the attention katseye receives from other young, black boys and girls.
i think it is devastating and absolutely disgusting that hxg is putting manon at the center of their diversity campaign to attract young black people who simply want to see their racial identity being represented by someone they look up to. i think it is cruel to use the thirst young black men and women have for representation as some sort of marketing tactic, because they are capitalizing off of the vulnerable feeling of just wanting to see someone who is their race being recognized on an international scale.
(i do know that other black artists are also extremely popular and recognized, but i think manon is probably the most relevant representation younger kids (because thatโs what a big part of katseyeโs audience is) have)
this shows to me that hxg views not only manon, but black people as a whole as marketing tools and strategies, which is beyond disturbing to me, and hopefully to you too.
and lastly, i want to mention how even while manon is on hiatus, the entertainment company is still using her as some sort of tactic to keep people hooked, because as we all know, many people only stan katseye for manon and have made it known that they will only stan the katseye with manon in it.
they are prolonging this hiatus to keep the false hope that manon might come back, when it seems to be very clear that the chances of manon coming back is slim to none.
part two: the unfortunate silencing of this conversation
probably the most frustrating part of this situation to me is how so called OT6 fans are actively trying to silence other real fans who are speaking up against this exploitation of manon, because to me that just shows you do not truly care about manon, and that you are definitely not OT6.
this is exactly what the author of the original comment this was inspired by was doing, silencing fans that speak up against this injustice. i think this is simply disrespectful, how can you try to stop others from speaking up against injustice and feel good afterwards?
now while this is not a new thing, it is still extremely sad and frustrating to deal with, especially for poc who endure this daily, as many (myself included) wanted this group to be something we could use as a sign that unity among races is still possible, as that is quite literally what katseye represents.
part three: conclusion and final thoughts
take this from someone who has suffered from similar exploitation, this has a very dear place in my heart, and i would never want anyone else to feel the way i felt when i experienced what i experienced.
i hope someone read this and now understands why so many people feel deeply, truly.
ps, this article is on my substacked too @/shiyloh.
i know im privileged to feel things so deeply, even if what is said or done is not directed towards me, but sometimes i resent how sensitive i am. it makes me human (my ability to sympathize, love, hate, be angry, be indifferent, be sad, feel frustrated, etc), im well aware, but it brings so much pain sometimes, i care so deeply for everything and everyone around me, but somehow that care is never reciprocated, no matter how kind or understanding i am.
i know that the lack of empathy from others is not my fault or lack, but even just once, i would like to have someone sit down and feel with me like i do for others, i have so many emotions swirling around me and creating an endless flow of feelings and no outlet for that, at least no human outlet. and while i understand that constantly being there for others is draining, and can take a toll on a person, i wish others understood that too โ because i am always the first to comfort and support, and sympathize and the last to experience that same comfort, support and sympathy.
i donโt hate myself for being so sensitive, it makes me me, but sometimes, i wish i was less sensitive, more indifferent to everything (that sounds horrible to say, but its how i feel). i know though that i process everything this way for a reason, and at this moment, i guess that reason is that i can be of comfort to others, that i can help them. i also know that everything is exactly the way it is supposed to be, so im not fighting how i feel things, but again just feeling it in that same way โ complex, difficult and deeply
