I’ve seen it at least three times now. A Taiwanese mum having to explain her stand with regard to her girls’ fangirling and feeling defeated each time. I gave it some thought as like her, I have two young girls and what if one day, my girls decided to fangirl as well.
A bit of background information. This mum has two girls, I’m guessing they are primary school age (below 12 years old). Older girl is a KYUpiter, younger girl is a Yeble. Mum herself is a Eunhyuk fan. Yes, that means they are all ELFs who stan Super Junior. The younger girl in particular, caught the public’s eye after her attendance at handsome oppa boss’ Sakihokoru fan concert and his Taiwan fan meet, where she got 1-1 interaction with him. Okayyyyyy…that set off the public with many comments. The positive ones are well and good, but the negative ones are what I want to focus on.
Mum started receiving negative comments about her girl’s fangirling, I suppose criticising mum like how could she let her girl do this since the girl is quite young. Here’s where I’m going to do some guess work as to what people are saying and why they are saying it. I have no issues with people having concerns that a young girl, especially one who has not reached her teens to be chasing after artistes. Sure, people can have the opinion that chasing stars is a waste of time and money, and for a young girl, she should be focused on her studies. I’m pretty sure that there’s also a portion of people who think that mum is using her girls to gain attention and maybe even to gain the artiste’s attention. From the mum’s explanation and writing, I don’t think so.
I personally think there is nothing wrong with that mum letting her girls fangirl. Heck, my own girls — 11-year-old Emilee is not interested in fangirling, she would rather bury her nose in a book, but 8-year-old Kaitlin bops along to whatever I listen to. If I’m into SVT, she’s also into them. If I’m into SUJU, she’s also into them. She has her favourite songs from each group, I have mine. She doesn’t have a bias or even know who is who, but that’s ok. I would have brought her to concerts, but KS isn’t in favour of it and I respect that. In the same vein, that mum likes SUJU, 妹妹 got somewhat influenced and she decided on her own that she likes SUJU too.
The point is to a kid, like is just plain like. The like is unadulterated. 妹妹 may think Yesung is handsome, so he’s her bias. And that’s it. Everyone has the right to think someone is pretty or handsome and that’s fine. Please lah hor, there is nothing sexual about 妹妹’s like. So, don’t go writing your own narrative about how she shouldn’t be liking handsome oppa boss coz he’s so much older than her or that he is old enough to be her dad.
Lastly, fangirling is a life experience. It is a part of what makes you, you. Also, music is universal. There is no age restriction or deadline for any genre of music. Your likes or dislikes also makes you, you.
You may have a different opinion; we can always agree to disagree. However, be kind with your words. The bottomline as always is: If you have nothing nice to say, then don’t say it.
May I also add that if you have so much time to pick on someone else’s life, do yourself a favour and go work on your own shortcomings. People’s business is NOT your business. You don’t have to stick your nose into someone else’s life and criticise it.
To that Taiwanese mum, you don’t have to be everyone’s tea. You just do what you think it comfortable for yourself and your girls, as long as it’s nothing illegal. In short, you do you.
