Fans of K-pop girl group aespa have rallied to defend the group against recent accusations of favoritism towards members Karina and Winter. On August 6, a post titled “Why Are aespa’s Members Treated So Differently?” quickly went viral, garnering nearly 20,000 views within an hour of being uploaded.
The Allegations
The controversial post included a photo of gifts presented to aespa members by fans at a Hong Kong fan sign event. The gifts were organized into boxes labeled for each member: Giselle, Ningning, Winter, and Karina. The post’s author pointed out the differing sizes of the boxes and implied that this indicated preferential treatment towards Karina and Winter.
Fans’ Reactions
Netizens and fans swiftly responded to the allegations, offering various explanations and defending the group’s treatment:
Practicality of Gift Sizes:
“If you have a lot of presents, you need a bigger box. Why are you saying this is preferential treatment?”
“Rather than having the bigger boxes from the beginning, didn’t they exchange their box for a bigger one due to the amount of gifts? If the box is too small, they should change the box.”
Popularity and Gift Size:
“Winter is popular, but don’t you think she just received items that are larger? The item on the top looks like a blanket? Also, all of aespa members are popular.”
Historical Context and Natural Fan Dynamics:
“This kind of issue with popular members has been ongoing since previous generations, and it’s natural that it can’t be fixed; how could it be fixed? I’m also a Ningning fan, but even if the box sizes are the same, it’s still the same situation. If all of the members’ fans had the same amount of fans it would lead to fake fans.”
“The aespa fandom itself is growing, so Giselle and Ningning’s fan base are also large and the four members have a good relationship. The time to be sensitive about these issues has passed, so everyone is getting along well. Complaining about it now is just stirring up trouble, haha.”
Practical Solutions and Fandom Dynamics:
“Don’t you think that boxes were exchanged for larger ones because they were needed? These posts are unlikely to help aespa. If you’re not even a fan, why make such comments? Honestly, differences in fan numbers are unavoidable, and even if a member is less popular within aespa, they still have a huge number of fans.”
“Every fandom has had their favorites.”
Conclusion
The overwhelming response from fans suggests that the accusations of favoritism within aespa are seen as baseless and overly sensitive. Fans highlighted the practical reasons for the differing box sizes and emphasized that such issues are common across all K-pop groups due to natural differences in individual member popularity. The consensus among the fandom is one of unity and support for all members of aespa, recognizing the strong relationships within the group and their growing popularity.
