June 'Panties' Trend Has Us Wondering 'Boxers Or Briefs?' For July

Any K-Pop fan surely has noticed the recent trend among scantily clad female idols - panty fashion.

In an increasingly competitive market, girl groups have been taking off more and more clothes to stay afloat, and for June it seemed like parading around on stage in their underpants was the way to get much needed attention.

But not all that attention was positive.

Entertainment agencies in Korea seem to have adopted the motto 'any press is good press,' but what effect does this "bad press" have on the idols?

Surely it must be humiliating to thrust your hips and spread your legs on stage wearing nothing more than your undergarments - why are the entertainment agencies subjecting their idols to such embarrassing marketing tactics?

In a day in age when "sex sells" everyone seems to be trying to out-sex one another - leading to a negative image in the media and perhaps the misguided notion that these girl groups have nothing more to offer than their figures and suggestive dance moves.

That's a shame.

Recently, several Korean entertainment agencies have brought up the point that while it is all well and good for female singers to bare their panties in a performance, it makes the competition even more steep for their male counterparts.

Representatives from various record labels have complained that it is much easier for women to flaunt their sexuality than it is for male idols.

To this I have two points.

First, I find it interesting that the entertainment companies don't see an issue with the fact that their female performers have to remove increasingly more clothing just to get a hit record, rather complain that it makes it harder for the males to compete.

And secondly, do they really believe this? Have they not been watching the same K-Pop videos as me?

It is hard these days to find a male idol group that doesn't go shirtless, showing off chiseled abs to thousands of screaming fans.

And this trend has been going on for quite some time now. Rain's concerts are like watching soft-core porn, Taecyeon is more identifiable by his stomach than his face, and what about the EXO "Wolf" teaser photos? Go back even further to remember JYP's infamous plastic pants, and you will find that partial nudity is a long-standing theme in the world of K-Pop.

While there are still a few hold outs - the Shinhwa members have said that they focus on trying to be sexy while still keeping all their clothes on and TOP is famous for being the most covered up idol out there - the rookie groups in particular are falling victim to the sex/music industry combo.

The media and fans don't seem all that concerned about bare-chested male idols flaunting their god-like bodies on stage as if they worked at Chippendales. And perhaps now, with the panty trend on the rise, the entertainment companies should think of a new way to market their boy bands.

If June was the month of panty idols, why not take this to the next step? For July's stiff competition among the men of K-Pop maybe it is time to answer the eternal question: boxers or briefs?

Tags
Shinhwa
JYP
TOP
EXO
Taecyeon
Rain
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