K-Pop Stars Speak Out: The Dark Side of Beauty Standards and the Path to Self-Acceptance
In a courageous revelation, stars who have battled anorexia, bulimia, panic disorders, and idiopathic urticaria share the truths they discovered during their darkest times. Their confessions urge a reflection on the deeply rooted appearance-centric culture that extends beyond the entertainment industry.
K-Pop Stars Speak Out: The Dark Side of Beauty Standards and the Path to Self-Acceptance
The SBS Special 'Bodymentary—Confessions About Flesh,' aired on the 29th, highlighted the distorted beauty standards and their repercussions through the lives of K-pop female stars. Hwasa recalled the petition for her withdrawal at the start of her career, noting the excessively strict beauty standards. Han Seung-yeon mentioned her 'Mister' era, where she restricted even water intake to fit into revealing fashion, leading to a drastic weight loss.
Soyou and Hwasa faced psychological barriers during their trainee days, where daily weigh-ins were routine. Hwasa confessed to secretly eating a rice cake and then being unable to resist vomiting due to guilt, leading to anorexia and depression. Soyou shared her experience of collapsing on the street and being rushed to the ER, where she feared weight gain even while receiving IV treatment, eventually suffering from panic disorder.
K-Pop Stars Speak Out: The Dark Side of Beauty Standards and the Path to Self-Acceptance
Jun Hyo-seong spoke about the 'idol formula' of subtracting 120 from one's height to determine ideal weight, feeling guilt for not adhering to it. She recalled her time at 50kg, trapped in a cycle of binge eating and crash dieting. Such numerical beauty standards became psychological shackles for them.
Kim Wan-sun, who caused a sensation in the late '80s music scene, revealed that after a car accident led to rapid weight loss, she maintained that weight for 15 years due to positive public reaction, experiencing self-repression. Her shining moments on stage were the result of hunger and sacrifice.
K-Pop Stars Speak Out: The Dark Side of Beauty Standards and the Path to Self-Acceptance
These confessions reveal that the pain was not self-inflicted but a result of public pressure. The obsession with thinness is not exclusive to the entertainment industry. According to the National Health Insurance Corporation, the number of anorexia patients under 20 has increased by 97.5% over the past five years. This shows that the extreme self-management of celebrities has set an ideal standard, leading non-celebrities to make unreasonable efforts to emulate it.
The societal trend of pursuing thinness through unreasonable diets or self-abuse is a serious issue. Celebrities who sacrificed themselves to meet public expectations confessed that such a body did not lead to satisfaction or happiness. Their stories suggest that the same regret and guilt may follow many women who pursue this ideal.
K-Pop Stars Speak Out: The Dark Side of Beauty Standards and the Path to Self-Acceptance
To overcome the societal obsession with thin bodies, everyone, including the entertainment industry, needs to adopt a more forgiving attitude towards themselves. It's essential to redefine the meaning of 'self-care' beyond appearance, focusing on nurturing the inner self and finding one's value.
We must move towards a society that respects the unique beauty and individuality of each person, beyond superficial standards. The reason female celebrities candidly shared their pain from self-abuse is to raise public awareness. Their stories emphasize the importance of caring for the inner self and the journey to finding one's true self.
Lee So-jung, TenAsia Reporter forusojung@tenasia.co.kr
