For those of you still saying you "despise" fanservice and the shipping culture it creates, Dr. Stephanie Choi said it best:
"If the idol’s job is to maintain a fantasy, it is the fan’s responsibility to avoid delusion."
My cousin always says 'if you're going to (inter)fan, (inter)fan like Tom'. So let me share a video where Tom Baudinette references that very same quote. A lot of the points they touch on are still very relevant and true (minus GMMtv going hard for 23.5 Degrees and always backing their artists🙄) It's sad to see that the issues raised in this panel are still issues...
I recommend watching the whole video to get a sense of why Thai GL was important in terms of representation and why (while more risky) it was finally deemed potentially successful... but they start talking about fanservice and 'fandom' at 25:06