Title is pretty self-explanatory, but I always forget that all the "scandals" that happen in K-pop are very rarely actual "scandals" compared to the drama spotlighted amongst American artists/figures/celebs. I'm relatively new to K-pop, and when I started seeing news headlines related to my favorite groups, I expected to see some CRAZY evidence to back up claims of people dating, of inter-group conflict, etc. But the so-called "evidence" will literally be the dumbest things in the world. Sometimes it's simply just literal delusions.
To demonstrate what I mean, one example of a recent American public figure dating scandal/dating drama is Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet. Just last week they were making headlines for being rumored to be dating because a video leaked of them basically absorbing one another at Beyonce's concert, on top of tons of paparazzi photos of them at each other's houses over the last few months. But even so, most people will just assume they're going out casually, or maybe they're not in a committed relationship. Videos and photos of celebs kissing one another isn't always perceived as hardcore evidence of them being a couple since there is a common understanding of casual dating in adulthood.
Then you go over to K-pop news and see that Itzy's Yuna is on boyfriend number 10 of the year because she made eye contact with someone at a music show. Or that aespa's Karina and NCT's Jungwoo are found to be in a long-term relationship because they were standing in the same room. Or that a Music Bank duo (cough cough, Jangkku) is actually a couple in real life because their pre-scripted interactions on the show are somehow real.
Another thing is conflicts. You'll have people defending left and right in Kpop circles that different groups hate each other because they don't fully bow to one another or don't greet each other during extremely busy and hectic events where there's dozens of groups/artists in a single room. Not to mention the INSANE amount of speculation people have about members of the same group hating each other because they're not always falling to their knees and kissing each other's feet in every video interaction on the internet. Then you go over to American celeb news outlets and see screenshots of Kanye West publicly posting yet another essay on how he's gonna run over Pete Davidson with a 16 wheeler truck, or Azealia Banks getting on Twitter and publicly calling Cardi B an untalented rat for all the world to see.
Yes, there's a huge difference between the American music industry and the K-pop industry, notably around the way parasocial relationships are conducted and promoted and the general perception/culture around Kpop idols dating (and interacting in general), so it's not surprising that the dating scandals/drama between groups are blown super out of proportion. But as someone who is a hardcore lover of reality TV drama and tunes into celeb scandals on the regular, I wish the "tea" in K-pop news about celeb drama was actual tea, not two people being accused of being married with 3 children all because they wore the same color on a given day.
