TIME Magazine Writes on Crayon Pop and Uncle Fans

American news source “Time Magazine” did a feature on K-Pop’s trending girl group, Crayon Pop, and the uncles fans of K-Pop. 

The article pointed out that the general demographic of K-Pop fans are teenagers, but there is different demographic that has them scratching their heads. Uncle fans, or male fans of K-Pop who are older and don’t look like your typical K-Pop fans, but they cannot be so easily dismissed. For those familiar with K-Pop, the term “Uncle Fans” is nothing new, with this group of people making news for their extravagant gifts to the girl groups. However, from the point of view of someone who is new to K-Pop, uncle fans may come off as a little unsettling.

The article uses Stephen Knight, a #mykpop member, as an example and defender of the uncle fan title. He points out the uncle fans are just like their names, a paternal supporter who sees the K-pop idols as nieces. No doubt his fellow uncle fans would agree. He stresses the point there is nothing pedophilic about it. As an American laywer, Knight knows very well that American culture is more familiar with pedophilia than platonic uncle-like  relationships. As a K-Pop fan, he also knows that having older men screaming fan charts or parodying girl group dances are just part of the diverse K-Pop scene. 

The article also highlighted Crayon Pop and their uncle fans. Unless you have been living under a K-Pop rock, you know that Crayon Pop and their hit song “Bar Bar Bar” have captivated Korea and K-Pop fans with their cute melody and easy-to-follow dance. Crayon Pop also became known for their enthusiastic male fans who scream just as loudly as female fans do for their male idol groups. Because of the trend that Crayon Pop has become, they were compared to PSY and “Gangnam Style” by “Good Morning America‘ and now they have been featured on Time Magazine; both that would have not happened if it weren’t for their uncle fans.

What do you think of uncle fans? Are you an uncle fan? Share your thoughts below.