It is no secret that the sexualization of K-pop idols comes in many different forms: from the use of revealing stage outfits, to raunchy choreographies and scenes in music videos with sexual undertones. Through this, “K-pop’s pervasively sexualized content and...lookism has become overt to many audiences” (Lin with Rudolf 2017:28). Nearly every female idol is sexualized because of the demands of their agency and by their fans. For this paper the example of Stellar will be used to present that the forced and blatant over-sexualization of K-pop girl groups without the members consent is something that should be exposed to the general public.
When Stellar debuted, they did not originally have the provocative concept they became known for. Many will remember watching the music videos for “Marionette” and “Sting” and being shocked because of the concept change. Returning to these music videos with knowledge of the male gaze and fragmentation will reveal that these MV’s are prime examples of these elements. In "Sting", the entire concept of the video was each member being isolated, close up shots on their bodies, and camera work suggesting the members were being watched. “This goes in line perfectly with the notion that “she is isolated, glamorous, on display, sexualized...her eroticism is subjected to the male star alone. By means of identification with him, through participation in his power, the spectator can indirectly possess her too” (Mulvey 1975:13). Clear fragmentation was displayed with close-up shots of their exposed bodies that took precedence over any face or full body shots. There were also many scenes that could be interpreted very sexually. This is the reality for most girl group music videos in K-pop, companies and fans only view the girls as sexual objects. While scenes in Stellar’s MV’s seem very clear in the sexual nature, others follow the mindset that “the viewer in such videos is regularly constructed as male, and the potential assertion of subjectivity is accompanied by a coy passivity that returns initiative to men” (Epstein with Turnbull 2014:318).
Last year, in an article on allkpop.com, former Stellar member Gayoung confirmed that the members were forced into their provocative concept and threatened with the fear of being forced to pay contract termination fees if they did not follow orders. One of the younger members was even traumatized by white milk based on how her scene in their music video for ‘Marionette’ was edited. Intimidating someone into doing sexually suggestive things knowing they do not consent is highly disturbing but unfortunately commonplace in K-pop, especially with smaller agencies. How female idols are viewed by their agencies as simply commodities that can be exploited for money is what drives situations like the one Stellar was in. However, based on how rigid the patriarchy is and how ingrained the concept of hierarchy is in Korea, any sort of positive change is unlikely to happen in the near future.
This was also my first time watching Marionette, and I am horrified to learn about the circumstances surrounding the music videos “Marionette” and “Sting.” I watched both music videos, along with their music video “Vibrato” to get a better understanding of the group, and I saw the fragmentation of body parts in each music video, with emphasis on their breasts, crotches, and thighs—very blatant objectification. And after reading the lyrics to these songs, I saw a disconnect between their lyrics, and the sexualized image they gave off. It makes me sad that this kind of sexualization is common because it draws attention to the idol, and it sells. And this type of objectification doesn’t just harm the idols, it also affects how women are viewed in society, reducing a woman to her body.