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Korean Idols in Adverti ng

From the endorsements of Korean idols, criticisms and concerns arise from the idols’ challenging of gender norms, the exploitation of idols and the idol overshadowing the product.

Within the entertainment industry there are certain expectations both male and female idols are expected to follow. Instances where idols challenge these gender roles. For example, 2AM’s Jo Kwon confronted these norms through choosing to dress in a feminine manner. As a result, Jo Kwon contributed to shedding light on queer culture and it becoming a topic of discussion. For female idols, they are expected feminine, for example, their makeup, wearing certain clothes and their persona. An idol that challenges these norms is f(x)’s Amber. Through her choice of haircut, clothing choice and personality, she is still a female idol.

In addition, the companies that the idols are under, are criticised for their controlling manner. Simply for the fact of being a celebrity, they are given high expectations by the public. This leads to the companies that contract these celebrities to control them in a manner that many times is associated with the term “slave contracts.”

Furthermore, when companies choose to endorse an idol, there is the concern that the idol overpowers the product. When a company chooses to endorse a celebrity they face the risk of the celebrity overpowering the product because of the fan base behind the celebrity; The message the product is trying to portray could be lost.