SM's Repeated Disrespect Towards aespa Giselle and NingNing Sparks Outrage — Popularity Problem
In an unexpected turn of events, aespa's Giselle and NingNing have found themselves facing a bizarre screen time controversy involving a cake. As fans eagerly anticipate the release of the group's latest album, MY WORLD, the track video for "Salty & Sweet" has left some feeling bitter about the apparent unequal screen time distribution.
Giselle and NingNing's Screen Time: A Bitter Pill to Swallow
Giselle and NingNing received just 9 and 12 seconds of screen time, respectively, in the 2-minute track video. Fans expressed their disappointment and frustration, with one stating, "How can a 2-minute track video feature two members for less than 20 seconds combined? SM, this is not acceptable."
In Case You Missed It: SNSD Seohyun Recent VLOG Sparks Wedding Excitement Among Fans
Another fan questioned the decision, remarking, "Unbelievable! SM excluded Giselle's solo part in the 'Salty & Sweet' track video #2 and gave her only 2-3 seconds of screen time. This is simply outrageous."
screentime:
— ㄹ 🩺 (@haegIossy) May 3, 2023
9 secs. 12 secs. pic.twitter.com/fy46y7Hkrt
The Cake That Stole the Show
The real source of fan outrage, however, was the revelation that an inanimate object - a cake - appeared on screen for 15 seconds, longer than both Giselle and NingNing.
SCREETIME: giselle VS cake
— ☆ (@aerichans) May 3, 2023
giselle = 10 seconds
cake = 15 seconds pic.twitter.com/9lBffmIJrG
One fan highlighted the discrepancy, noting, "Screen time: Giselle vs. cake - Giselle gets 10 seconds, the cake gets 15 seconds." Another fan expressed disbelief, exclaiming, "It's unthinkable that the cake received 15 seconds of screen time, while NingNing only got 12."
there’s no way that stupid cake got 15 seconds of lines while ningning only got 12
— ່ (@ningcentric) May 3, 2023
A History of Alleged Poor Treatment
This is not the first time that netizens have noticed Giselle and NingNing's alleged poor treatment. MBC and SM Entertainment have previously been called out for similar issues. As the controversy continues to unfold, fans are left wondering if the screen time issue will be addressed and resolved in the upcoming album release.
Popularity Dynamics Inside and Outside aespa Fandom
In 2021, netizens discussed the popularity gap among aespa members, with Karina being the most popular within the fandom and Winter being the most popular outside of it. NingNing, despite being less popular among the fandom, was considered the most popular outside of it when excluding xenophobic sentiments. Giselle was the least popular both inside and outside the fandom.
In Case You Missed It: EXO Kai Cries Regretfully in Livestream Amid Sudden Military Enlistment: 'I Prepared a Lot'
Observations from 2023 suggest that these trends have persisted over time, raising questions about the impact of popularity on the group's dynamics.
2021 Fan Cam Viewership Highlights Popularity Gap
In December 2021, a netizen highlighted the gap in popularity among aespa members by comparing the number of views on their individual fan cam videos from the "SBS Gayo Daejeon."
The post revealed a significant disparity in views between Winter and Karina, who received 230,000 and 180,000 views, respectively, and Giselle and NingNing, who only received 31,000 and 37,000 views. The netizen concluded that aespa seemed to have more individual member fans than group fans, sparking debates about the group's popularity and fan dynamics.
In light of the ongoing popularity dynamics and disparities among aespa members, as well as the historical instances of unequal screen time, the "Salty & Sweet" track video controversy adds fuel to the fire.
In Case You Missed It: Viviz SinB, Fellow '98 Liners Accused of Exploiting Moonbin's Death, Faced Criticisms While Mourning
While some may argue that it is an overreaction to a short video, the recurring nature of the issue raises questions about possible favoritism or underlying popularity problems. As fans await the release of MY WORLD, they hope for a resolution that fairly showcases the talents of Giselle, NingNing, and the rest of the aespa members.
