FOREVER 09

I've been a fan of Soshi for a about a year now, really, ever since their Intimate Note appearance. What can I say? SNSD. I love the Nine. I love that their bond comes through in everything they do. I love that they are individuals with an incredible ability to entertain us but even more, I love that their appeal isn't additive, or even multiplicative, but exponential.

But how did they come to reside in my affections so wholly? I consider myself not much given to the idea of fandom. Not for me the rush to breathe the same air as an idol, or to grasp a piece of signed paper as if it were a relic, or even to dream of somehow meeting a famous person. In fact I have a fairly poor opinion about the whole concept of fame and adulation. I think having fame is a fundamentally unhealthy state and decidedly unfair to the person or persons afflicted by it. The famous no longer have the freedom to leave the house without worries, they no longer have the ability to be anonymous, to be normal, in this case normal everyday girls with normal friends and normal dreams.

Surrounded by admirers, sycophants and assorted leeches, the famous can lose touch with reality. They can even lose sight of the necessary humanity needed to connect with their fandom. And worse yet, the saddest part of it all, is the lot of children, adolescents who become famous before achieving maturity and a healthy sense of self. For them fame becomes a vital part of life, sustenance that confirms self-worth and value to the people around them. Once the fame ends, what happens to those people? How many child actors or singers live to become happy adults?

But I have hope for the Nine, that they can weather the turbulent times ahead with grace.

Let's look at them objectively. They're not only good at what they do, they're the best by any objective measure. An idol group, just past their third year together, at the top of their industry with no end in sight to their reign. In fact, their fandom comprises a wider demographic than any other idol group. There is no one in Korea who doesn't know of SNSD. So I am not the only victim of their appeal. A small consolation for my puzzlement. They draw people to them, resonate somehow in a hypercritical and judgmental environment, among ever growing competition, and they make it look easy.

But the cost is enormous. They possess a work ethic that exemplifies and allows consistency along with a professionalism that wins the grudging admiration of industry insiders, people as reluctant to fall as I was. They work at a pace that would grind down any amount of native fortitude, ambition or determination. A never ending cycle of training and rehearsals and performances on minimal sleep, bombarded by demands on their time, rigorous learning, a cacophony of conflicting needs, all atop the normal confusion of late adolescence, and they've done it for three long years. Doesn't this sound like a recipe for a breakdown, or a meltdown or a crackup?

And yet, they do it and they shine while doing it. What is it about them that they can do this? How can they ride the wave without crashing?

By becoming something more than nine girls. With smiles and warmth and laughter, cat naps and teasing, frequent hugs and late night talks, fueled by snack foods and sweet potatoes, led by a girl who holds herself separate, trailed by another girl who lectures them on how to live a full life, bossed by a girl who tells it like it is and a couple other girls who encourage unfailingly, mothers and sisters and children, they can be to each other what they need of each other. Nine of them, each distinct, each a strengthening component that completes this wondrous alloy. There is no brittleness here, no lack of malleability or adaptability. They don't break under the strain because they can bend, and then snap back to shape, supported, led, bound together, bonded and annealed by constant fire, they continue to become something more than nine individuals.

Chance? Luck? As it occasionally happens in nature, if rarely, equipoise can be found in the oddest of places. Balance in chaos, where none should be found. Looking at desert or alpine rock formations one can occasionally find a boulder perfectly balanced atop a slender spire, having been placed there through some chance occurrence of water or ice and further erosion. The work of ages and fate, resisting all leveling entropy for a span of time, at least until at some point, the boulder, the size of a house, tumbles to the distant ground below.

But for a time something remarkable and improbable existed.

That time is now. Three short years to us. It could be ten years, and it would be still feel too short.

For them, the Nine, these three years have been both faster and slower. Faster as only the rush to every challenge makes the days seem shorter, every compounded deadline, every shooting schedule; and longer for the sacrifices and pain. Every day earned in sweat and tears. Three long years of challenges, trials and pressure. I think the thing to understand here is that the span of time isn't what's important. Three years on top in an ever changing industry is a long time but like any statistics, numbers can only give a brief satisfaction. That isn't what we should hold to. No, what we should treasure is that before our eyes, chance gave us something beautiful to behold. Something that enriches our lives, simply by being.

That is to say, we can look at their achievements and while we love their wins, their songs, their dances, what we keep, what we treasure isn't what they do, but who they are. It's a matter of chance in nature, but in this case, in this instance, it was the very nature of the girls that made this chance possible. Look at every other group with any length of history. How many have formed bonds of similar depth? Four member groups, five member groups. How many of them are still together, with the same people working together, day in and day out? For a nine member group to not have one or two dropped, burned out, failed for whatever reason by their management or pulled out by concerned parents, or arrested in some fit of adolescent incaution and scandal; this is beyond remarkable.

But chance, other than the one that grouped these nine together, really doesn't enter into it.

I've written elsewhere about the unique quality each of them brings to the group, and I believe that it's because of who they are that Soshi succeeded and continues stronger now than ever. Taeyeon and Seohyun set the boundaries and direction, Tiffany and Hyoyeon the nurturing and easing of tensions, Sooyoung the truth speaker, Sunny's brilliance, Yuri and Jessica the predictable and unpredictable flair, and Yoona their incredibly strong center. Remarkable people individually but together they are ferociously tough, resolved, resilient to tribulations, yet gracious and kind, witty and genuine. More than most sisters, more than most families, they truly understand each other and their situation.

The girls. Nine people who make mistakes, flub their choreography, fall victim to bad mics or vocal cord nodules or respiratory infections or broadcasting errors or falling audio packs and power outages or anything else that mars their performances. But what we know, what we treasure are the moments when they look at each other and smile or hug or laugh or tease. The silly adlibs, waving at the fans, the little bit of extra effort when they're already beyond exhaustion, the moments when they move beyond the routine to show us who they really are. The group hug as the curtain closes, the tears of triumph and pain, the wistful knowledge that they lost their childhoods to these dreams, but for them the future isn't something to fear. They're not afraid because they know they'll have each other. Forever.

This is what we enjoy. This is what calls to us. Watching Horror Movie Factory or Hello Baby, or any of their group appearances on innumerable shows, we are warmed by the love that is so evident, the good natured teasing, the inside humor, the quirks and un-ladylike habits are only more appealing. When one of them makes a mistake, we love them more. Is that right? Is that normal? How have they earned their way out of our critical eye and fickle judgment?

What we see, because they have the strength to show it, is the simple joy they evince in their lives together as idols and that is powerful. Understanding and absolution, open arms, joy, gladness at the others' triumphs and the healing of shared pain are all part of their daily lives. There's no artifice, no calculation, nothing scripted or faked about how much they enjoy being together and especially performing together for their fans. Us. When they perform, we're with them. Scattered all over the world, through different mediums, of varying means, we watch and smile and cry. What we react to, what comes through to us on a level that speaks to our inner selves is their connection to a shared humanity. By being true to themselves they appeal to everyone from younger children to the elderly. Beyond language, beyond conventions and societal norms, beyond national borders the only thing we have in common is humanity. They know they are idols, special, sought after, desired, but they've never for an instant lost sight of what matters.

They've shown us how they succeed. But they also show us how to be their fans. If you count yourself a fan of one of them, realize their favorite people in the world include the other eight. You can't say you're a fan of Taeyeon, but don't care for Yoona. Or say Hyoyeon doesn't belong. Have your favorites. That's human nature. Selfish and small, we're trained from early on to have preferences, to be concerned about rankings. But take this opportunity to learn from the Nine and grow beyond inborn pettiness. Realize loving one of them means you should love all of them. Love is inclusive. Get that. Understand that. That is the crux of this fandom, that is what it means to count yourself a SONE. Do that and you will be rewarded with a deeper understanding. That is, each of them can shine because each of them has eight other sisters, holding their breath right along with us.

The Nine show us that ambition doesn't have to be about selfishness, that success can be measured in feeling good about one's efforts and in the triumphs of others, and that it's not a matter of 'beating' another group. Just watch them on any winning stage, and by that I mean not just theirs. Before the encore they're happy to share, hugging and chatting with their friends in other groups. They know the sacrifices the others idols on that stage have made, that those people, win or lose, are all in the same boat.

Looking at them, watching them, it's so clear to me that beyond their talent, their beauty, their charisma, these Nine are nice people. Nice people. In their industry their decency, their respect, their attention to detail and gratitude to all those around them is more than evident. This is who they are. They can't be any other way. Production staff on whatever show or shoot they attend goes the extra mile for them because they know that the girls will appreciate it, and yes, they too have been beguiled. They too are fans.

And for us? We get to join the Nine, somewhat. Their successes elevate us, make us feel like we're a part of something greater and that our support counts. It does count. They know it. Trust me, they know it.

So here we have it. Nine girls, women really, holding onto each other, striving everyday to do their best and welcoming us, the people who would love them, even if sometimes we can't quite understand why we love them. They get what friendship and sisterhood mean and even if we don't open our eyes fully, they'll still grab us tight.

I see now that I never had a chance.

cr : auratus@soshified.
http://soshified.com/forums/topic/49890-forever-9/