Talented? Or not...?



My friend and I have one particular argument again and again (pardon the pun): whether or not Chansung should be in 2pm. I think that Chansung is funny and hot, therefore he deserves his place as old maknae. My friend disagrees, saying that Chansung is ugly and a terrible singer. While I may not find Chansung to be the most talented singer in 2pm, I do appreciate what he offers to the group.  It seems that we can never reach an agreement but it always leads us back to one question: just how talented to you have to be to become a Korean idol?

The majority of the entertainment industry is based on appearances, so to be good looking is a must. The beautiful people of Korean entertainment form a large chunk of the current idols, but what talents do beautiful people have? There are all kinds of stars known for their looks, but not for their talent. An example that always sets my female jealousy running is Kim Tae Hee. Currently starring in Iris, this actress is known more for her CF work than she is for any of her dramas (her last one before Iris was 2004’s Love Story in Harvard).  The actress may be very pretty, but is she relying solely on her looks? And is there a problem with that? I am of the opinion that the talentless can have their place in the entertainment worlds. They may not know how to act, but the pretty people sure are good to look at. While this may seem a bit shallow, the entertainment industry is not meant to be the place in which you find the meaning of life.

While beautiful people are fun to look at, they are not always the easiest on the ears. Have you ever been enjoying your favourite group’s performance, until the weakest singer steps up to the microphone? When watching a performance of MBLAQ’s “Oh Yeah” I was shocked at how poorly the resident hottie, Joon, sang. Sandara Park of 2NE1 tries and tries, but she really is a pretty weak singer. Is it true that a person really can’t have it all? Minho from SHINee may be cute (and in need of a haircut), but how often does he actually sing in “Ring Ding Dong”? When I see these members of K-pop groups, I can’t help but feel sorry for them. We all know that 2pm sings Khun’s praises left and right, but the honest truth is that he is not a very good singer at all. To know that you are the weakest link is probably a difficult feeling, so I don’t hold the talentless’ faults against them.

Korean entertainment is full of questionable talent. But try to imagine K-pop without your favourite terrible singer. It just isn’t the same. Every entertainment industry has their stars who people often wonder about just how they became famous. Having the talentless idols reminds one just how talented those who can sing or act are. If everyone sang in perfect pitch all the time, it wouldn’t be a remarkable thing when it happened, would it? The gems of talent that a person can discover among the questionable are always the most enjoyable. It is only natural that as a K-pop fan you have to take the good with the bad. I will continue to love Chansung even if he can’t sing or rap very well, if only because he looks excellent in a suit. But even more than Chansung’s good looks is ability to entertain. Chansung can never fail to make me laugh when he accidentally punches Taecyeon in the face during an “I Hate You” performance or make cute faces in the shower with Khun. Entertainers should be entertaining, should they not? I leave you all with this question: who do you think has questionable talent in K-entertainment and why? Who do you believe is sincerely 100% talented and deserves more love than they receive?