Off the Record: A list of intrusive questions designed to make your Idol think.
A list of questions made to dig a little deeper into your character: who they are and how their chosen profession may have shaped their persona. Most of these are the kind your muse would (probably) not be able to answer 100% truthfully if ever asked on an official platform such as a magazine interview simply because of the possibility of negative repercussions that they pose. Simply send in a number(s) and my muse will answer these questions with nothing but the truth.
Are you happy with what you’re doing?
What exactly are you aiming to gain from being an Idol?
What advice would you give any hopeful rookies?
What does your family think about what you do?
What do your non-idol/celebrity friends think about what you do?
Have you ever been betrayed by someone in the industry? Someone you thought you could trust?
Have you ever been forced to disregard your values while being an idol?
Have you ever had to sacrifice any sort of relationship(s) for your career? If so, do you regret it?
Think back to before your debut: What exactly was it about being an Idol that attracted you to the job so much so that you were willing to sacrifice so much for it?
Look ahead five years. If you were still doing this then, can you honestly say it would make you happy?
Is there any member of your group you didn’t/don’t get along with? Why? (If you’re a solo artist, is there a labelmate or fellow artist you don’t get along with?)
Some say choosing to become an Idol is a selfish thing to do; that the pain it causes those around you isn’t worth the fame/success. Do you agree?
South Korea is still very much considered to be a conservative nation and this reflects upon mainstream music with countless songs forced to undergo alterations such as lyrical changes. How do you feel about this level of censorship? Do you think it limits the creative freedom of mainstream artists?
As an Idol, most people expect nothing less than perfection from you. How do you cope with this pressure?
What do you think about your company? If given the chance to leave it in favour of somewhere else without any negative repercussions, would you take it?
Has there ever been a time in your career in which you felt wronged in any way?
Was there ever a point at which you genuinely considered breaking away from the industry so much so that you researched how you could go about doing it?
Have you ever opposed any of your superiors? If ‘yes’, what sort of impact did it have on you and/or your members and if ‘no’ would you ever consider doing so?
Some Idols only see this job as something temporary in their lives; a stepping stone to something greater (i.e acting, mc positions etc). Do you feel the same way?
Look at the question above. Do you think it’s fair that some people who’ve had the pleasure of debuting have no intentions of sticking around as a singer when their places in the industry could have gone to others who wanted nothing more than to be part of the Idol world?
Some would say that the Idol lifestyle is a toxic one; from the constant media attention to the countless amounts of vicious comments left online. Would you agree with such a statement?
A few years ago, Idols weren’t expected to do much beyond singing and performing but nowadays are expected to branch out into other fields in order to become a “jack of all trades” (so to say.) Does that bother you and/or leave you feeling pressured in any way?
How has becoming an Idol changed you? Do you think you’d be a different person had you decided to pursue a different path in life?
Regardless of how much it is downplayed, it’s obvious that the industry is rife with corruption; one of the biggest examples of this being the act of Sajaegi (chart manipulation). Some see it as an abhorrent practice whilst others praise it for evening the playing field. What do you think?
Some say that the Idol industry is an unevenly matched playing field due to the success of the Big 3 Companies. It can be argued that regardless of how talented artists under smaller labels are, they will always be overshadowed by artists (both veteran and rookie alike) coming from the bigger companies as the latter are always guaranteed a level of attention simply because of who manages them. What do you think of this idea?
Although still on the rise, when it comes to its size and reach, K-Pop does not compare against the Western music industry. Do you think it ever could?
Are there any changes you’d like to see happen to the industry? If so, what are they?
Some people have no respect for Idols; often saying that their popularity is undeserved as they have no talent and rely only on their companies to ‘buy’ their popularity for them. What would you say to such people?
Think back to when you got the news of your impending debut with your current company. Did you, at the time truly believe your current company to be the best choice for you or were you so blinded by the thought of debuting that you never truly weighed your options? If ‘yes’, would you have declined the offer in favour of training under a different company if given the chance? Bear in mind you wouldn’t be guaranteed an eventual debut.
Is there anything you’d immediately give this career up for without a second thought? If ‘yes’, what is it?
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