From music group fandom to fan fiction :|socio-technological bonds of the South Korean band, BTS

Abstract

This study deals with the emotional field between public figures and their fandoms. Following the example of the South Korean band BTS and their fanbase ARMY, the thesis explores the ‘social’ tie between the virtual representation of public figures with their following. May their virtual relationship be viewed as a form of social relationship? Through what means do these emotional ties develop? In what forms do they manifest themselves? Through a theoretical analysis that takes interest in the quasi-dyadic structure of the relationship between the producers of the content and the receivers, this thesis chases the answers to these questions. In order to really grasp this relationship, the band’s brand is explored in the historical context of the South Korean popular music industry. Then, the demographical profile of the fanbase is visited. Finally, Weverse, a platform frequented by the band’s fanbase, is put under the microscope. Through the reviews of a sample of posts from the platform, the study reveals that the band members are illustrated to be role models by their fanbase, to be friends, love interests and confidants. The thesis also visits Wattpad Turkey, a popular platform in which a smaller group from the fanbase publishes and accesses fan fiction written about the band members. A sample of books is selected from the website which narrates the adventures of heterosexual couples and involves sexual themes. The sample is reviewed to illuminate how gender, love, relationships, and sex are depicted in the Turkish corpus of BTS fan fiction. In the sample, a very clear juxtaposition between the ideal type of the male lead and the ideal type of the female lead is revealed. It is noted that in the relationship of the leading couple, a particularly violent ‘social form’ of domination/subordination prevails. The study also follows how the violence embedded in this relationship extends to the leading couple’s sex life and manifests itself in the vivid descriptions of sexual assault. Finally, the very vibrant anxiety over first-time sexual experiences and the blurry depictions of consent throughout the sample is discussed in relation to contemporary daily life.