TaeminLive anon here, p1: I think you might be right. I sat and thought about it for a moment after reading your reply, and I can't help but notice a change in Taemin's attitude towards Shawols since hos hyungs enlisted. Taemin used to be such a private person and such loving brat towards both his fans and his members. He called Shawols Shrek, gave them sarcastic answers during fan meets and lied to his hyungs and his parents about his whereabouts because to me, he demanded that privacy.
p2:To me Taemin always seemed to give less of a fuck compared the rest of his members but lately it seems like he's started to kinda let Shawols dictate both his career and his time away from work. I'm not blaming him for it or critiquing him for changing his attitude if this is a genuine need he is feeling but I'm worried he is losing some of his sense of self respect.I love Taemin regardless but him being secretive and a brat is what makes him even more special. This submissiveness is not cute
Ok, so I can finally answer this!! I’ve been thinking abt this like all day lol but I would like to preface and say that I don’t know Taemin personally, so everything I say is purely speculation based on the content we are given! Nor is anything I say ever meant to sound insulting!
I’ve actually been thinking lately abt what (I think) really drives the SHINee members to be idols. Like, you have to be one hell of a person to make it as a trainee, and that kind of determination has to be centered around something in your core, something you want badly enough to give yourself nosebleeds from overworking to achieve. Like, what did they want at the core of their beings?
We can talk abt the others if you want, but for Taemin, I initially thought that he wanted to be famous. But I think it’s changed now. I think Taemin wants to be loved. I think he needs attention.
Again, I don’t know him personally, and I only see what SM and Taemin want me to see, so I could be totally wrong. I also don’t mean this in a mean way, as I said in the other ask.
I’m not sure what might have changed in his private life to cause that shift. It could be because his hyungs are in the military, or it could just be because having Instagram has given him a platform that makes that need for attention more public, because he can always get attention from Shawols.
Idk if you’re okay talking about it, and I’m sorry in advance if you’re not, but he’s also gone through two major personal losses in as many years. That changes people. And Taemin doesn’t seem like someone who handles emotions very well, so the instalives could be a distraction tatic. Like, he’s getting to much into his own head, so he asks the manager if he can turn on instalive. However, this is purely speculation on my part and I’m probably wrong. How he’s handling his grief is none of my business.
But at the same time, being the only active member of SHINee means that he’s having to take on some of the roles that the others filled for Shawols. Like, I wasn’t around pre-enlistment, but it seems like Jonghyun and Key posted a lot on social media, and seemed in general to give a little more of a behind-the-scenes view of their lives. So it could be that Taemin is trying to fill that role, in his own way. I don’t know, maybe he’s feeling some sort of (internal) pressure to provide something for Shawols. I don’t know why or what, but that could explain that sense of letting fans dictating what he does. Or maybe he really is just bored and I’m reading to much into everything, which happens. I just hope he’s as happy and healthy as he can be!!!
I don’t really have a conclusion lol but I hope this made sense!!!!
