First of all, there are many who may not know the whole situation of what happened to Jay Park. You should start by reading this first.
When I began this, I was scared of what people might say about my opinion. But when you realise it, 2 years on and if someone talks about the two idols it’s obvious both fandoms will conflict. This isn’t about 2PM or Jay Park however, it’s more about people in the fandoms and importantly, people who are a Hottest and a Jwalkerz.
It has been 2 years and there are many articles regarding interviews where the interviewer asks about Jay Park/2PM about 2PM/Jay Park. Newer fans who weren’t even around for the start of the Myspace controversy or when Jay left are – and regardless of this – becoming fans of the artists. I am glad they are both gaining fans instead of losing them.
I think most of people are wondering “Isn’t it contradicting? So if you support JYP and 2PM you’re supporting the cock blocking of Jay’s career and 2PM’s slandering. If you’re supporting Jay you’re taking a stand against JYPE’s corruption.” I am aware of what is going on on both sides and yes, it is contradicting but I can’t help but continue to support them both. During the conference, I followed various sites especially on 2OD to know what was going e.g. reading the entire translation, fanaccounts at the time of people who personally arrived, doing my own investigation. It actually took me 6 months to get over the whole thing and none of my friends know this. Even then, I still followed what was going on with 2PM and Jay. I am aware of what they said but something still tells me that some of the things said were scripted. But who knows? The media and companies do it on purpose for attention and a reaction upon the fandoms.
Regarding the recent news on Chansung being asked about Jay, I don’t think there was a need for Hottests or Jwalkerz to react negatively. I have no idea how much Korean shows are scripted these days but to me, it was a question curiously asked by Kim Gura who works closely with Jay in Immortal Song 2 to ask Jay his thoughts now.
In the London K-Pop fandom, I only know one Hottests, two Hottest Jwalkerz and one Jwalkerz. But I’ve never had a negative direct message or encounter with anyone about being a fan of both – yet. In the International fandom, I am most likely to tell people I am a Hottest and a Jwalkerz. But I would never go to Korea and say I was a fan of both. I would be skinned alive.
I asked for my friends opinion on Hottests and Jwalkerz.
“What’s the first thing everyone talks about when you mention Jwalkerz and Hottests? Jay leaving Korea. Immediately starts off on an negative note…People take K-Pop too seriously. All this bashing Hottests and Jwalkerz? All for what? Does it make Jay and 2PM happy? Jwalkerz and Hottests are both awesome fandoms…
source: Ikra, 18. (the quote has been cut shorter).
Online however it’s a different matter.
Hotwalkerz or whatever you hottest/ so called jwalkerz call yourselves are fucking dumb. You do realize supporting both is a contradiction. Supporting 2PM is supporting what they, JYP, and JYPE did to Jay. Sure you say you support both but you’re not- simple as that.
Stop embarrassing yourself you silly little bitches.
See a lot of people think that a ‘Hotwalkerz’ or a fan of both fandoms is hoping for them to be 7 or be friends again. I agree that people need to move on. Jay Park and 2PM will never be friends and we will never know what Jay did because we are not involved in the issue. Affected yes, but not involved and we can speculate all we want. But if people want to call themselves ‘Hotwalkerz’ go ahead but it does add fuel to the fire. With both fandoms history, it is probably best not to group the names together as it angers people.
However there are some people who are fans of both and speak up about it.
Copy & paste from a discussion of what I said last night with some bits added in:
I support both because I liked both before I knew about the whole controversy between them. Honestly, I couldn’t be bothered to give a care about something that happened 2/3 years ago. I’ve heard about it. I’ve read about it from various places. I’ve done way too much looking into it than I really should have cared to… And really, it had nothing to do with me. It’s not my problem and it was a long time ago. Too long for me to even begin to try and care.
I support both as they are now. I don’t care what happened in the past. The only thing I need to worry about is the future.
I can’t be bothered to hate anyone unless they’ve done some terrible crime against someone. Crime being killed, maimed, or otherwise equally terrible.
I’m a pretty neutral person anyway. I always have been. I’ve never been one to take sides in anything. I had friends who fought with each other all the time. Some of those friends even hate each other now and some were even really mean towards each other, but that didn’t stop me from being friends with them and they didn’t stop being friends with me for being friends with the other person. Whatever their problems were, it had nothing to do with me. Strangely I was always the friend to talk to because I didn’t judge… I don’t like something. I’ll ignore it. It’s not that hard to do.
Pretty much I just say to everything… If it has nothing to do with me or my family and wasn’t some terrible crime, I could care less.
Also, I don’t care about JYP/e, I’ve never payed attention to the labels groups are under. I don’t care about any of the companies really for the matter… Just the groups under them that I just happen to like. Let me repeat. I don’t support JYPE I just happen to like a group that is under he company. That’s the only group under the company that I even listen to, I think.
I also think that there’s a lot that we all probably don’t know. That we will never know unless either 2PM or Jay say anything. So, I can’t really pass judgment because I wasn’t there to see what all really happened behind the scenes. | source
I do not expect 2PM and Jay Park to ever do some kind of reunion in the future. And I do not expect everyone in each fandom to get along. People try and turn over a new leaf but the people who hate them always remember the negative things about them and hold grudges. I just hope people accept there are some fans that are a part of both fandoms despite the conflicts between the fandoms.
This was awesome! Very good read. I think its a tough issue because in my experience, it still hurts me how Jay was outcasted and none of the 2pm boys even want to talk about him or to him. I’m huge fans of both, no matter what. But its hard not to hold even a little resentment for 2pm. I just wish they’d stuck up for him more.
Thanks for writing this!