Yes, I Am Still A Fan Of Park Yoochun

Every Chunsa has at least once wondered in her fandom life, how it is that she has so much in common with her fellow ones. I realized that the answer, after all, is very simple: we resemble the person we bias. He isn’t the best looking of all, neither the most talented, and it takes some getting-to-know-him time to absolutely love him. He’s hard-working in things he likes, and lazy in things he dislikes. He’s goofy and childish, but also professional and mature beyond his age. He likes having fun and being around friends, but enjoys home time the most. He can dress like a model and be a slob the next day. He might be popular and a Hallyu star, but really, he’s just a guy that wants to be left alone at times and might even get angry if you step on his toes.

You need to possess at least some of the above mentioned qualities to decide to be a fan of such a person. He’s not perfect, but he’s real. In a sea of Kpop idols and actors, we choose him because he’s different from all the rest. It’s because we also feel different in our lives. Haven’t you always felt like not many people could understand you? Haven’t you felt that you’re a bit… weird compared to your peers? Haven’t you found a handful of people that just “get” you and stuck to them like glue? Didn’t you feel immediately “at home” when you met fellow aliens like you online, seemingly with the only thing in common your love for Park Yoochun and then you realized there were plenty of other things in common as well? Haven’t you wondered why you can get along so well with the majority of Chunsas you’ve met? We are one big happy family because we share certain qualities that other people may be lacking or having in a dormant state and not directly visible.

 One of these things is realizing that there’s perfection in imperfection. That it’s no use being perfect because it’s only a lie. We don’t fall for perfect people: we fall for flawed ones, because in our eyes, they’re perfect just the way they are, with their not-so-great qualities coming in hand. Yoochun never pretended to be perfect and no fan of his ever claimed that he is. Thus, when hell broke loose, it was easy to overcome the initial shock and think… yes, he’s not completely blameless because, after all, he could have avoided it. We all decided to give the benefit of the doubt and wait for more information, because it just wasn’t possible that the person we knew and loved did the things he was accused of.

Non-fans can never understand us. They don’t know and they don’t understand. They think us stupid, delusional, disgusting, terrible people who continue supporting him. They don’t know though, do they? They don’t know Lizzie who is talented with knitting, they don’t know Jellybean who writes beautifully, they don’t know Jojo who is quirky and funny, they don’t know Seryn who has a pure heart, they don’t know Lita who is sensitive and loving, they don’t know Nicky who is strong and mature beyond her years, they don’t know Alyne, Mong, Angella, Lily, Bubbly, Marie, Beanie and the many thousands more, among them writers, lawyers, translators, teachers, mums, grandmas, public officers. But we know. And we gain strength from each others qualities, and together we stand, protecting someone who was at the wrong place at the wrong time, someone who made a mistake by being there in the first place, sure, but paid ten-thousand-fold for it without deserving it. We’ll stand against people who accuse us, because we know what they don’t. And because we have never been the judgemental, holier-than-thou type who would drop someone just like that. Not in our real lives and certainly not in our fandom ones. People who want to score fandom points and be popular might do that, but we’re not exactly made of this sort of material stanning Park Yoochun in the first place, are we…

I admit I let comments get to me. Even yesterday, when it should have been a completely happy day, I was overcome with fear for the future and what may come, and utterly disappointed in people’s lack of empathy and mob mentality. Not leaving even one inch for the benefit of the doubt, even after so much evidence that he’s not guilty. But today I woke up remembering my optimistic side again. Hence, I wrote this little piece, so I can tell my friends and maybe help them deal with the constant hatred out there: not hatred just for Yoochun, but for us as people. It hurts sometimes, I know.

Cheer up, Chunsa, and lift your head. Always remember what you know, and what they don’t, and keep the faith.

Written by:  Lina

@cherryinvain

 

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