(Group) T-ara (티아라)

[Forthisgift]

For all you buddies in different time zones who need sleep or have other stuff to do I'll keep this post updated (in chronological order) with new happenings:


- Full Press release. If you're looking for sense, don't read.. because it doesn't make any.



______________________________________________________________________________________________________

- CCM boss essentially threatens Hwayoung... lol. Rest is vague nonsense equivalent to saying "I don't want to do this interview" in a few different ways.

http://www.allkpop.com/2012/07/ccms-ceo-kim-kwang-soo-interviewed-regarding-hwayoungs-departure

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

- The smear campaign begins, CCM badmouths Hwayoung.

http://www.allkpop.com/2012/07/ccm-reveals-the-dark-side-of-hwayoung-mudslinging-ensues

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

- No changes/modifications to T-ara's comback plans and "Sexy Love," the new single, will be released on time. Hwayoung who?

http://www.allkpop.com/2012/07/t-ara-to-proceed-with-their-august-comeback-as-scheduled

[DO Me DO Me]

*strolls into the thread*

 

 

 

*walks out of the thread*

Well that sucks ass. This is why I've been out of the loop with k-tv/music for the last 2 years. I don't even need to watch anything cuz I've seen and experience enough k-drama in my life in those 2 years to know that Koreans are cray cray! My fiance even thinks they're crazy! That's why he doesn't like hanging out with them. Did I mention he's also Korean? I'm just saying that Koreans love to make drama (why else are their k-dramas so good? they're real! lol) So stuff like this doesn't surprise me anymore. Yeah, it's sad and upsetting that Hwayoung is leaving but the way they handled and announced it is so ridiculous and unprofessional. There's so much BS excuses that it only makes them look worse. I know that in reality there's a lot of dark stuff behind the k-pop scene (watch Eunjung's movie "White" for example lol) but like shirenu said there's a certain level of trust that has been lost now. It's hard to be convinced of their "genuine" emotions anymore. Of course you're going to see them in a different way now because of this. Now that I think of it, maybe that's why 2 of the original members (Jiwon & Jiae) quit before they debuted, they knew something wasn't right. Also, a recent article mentioned Eunjung saying she opposed the idea of having 2 more new members in the group but said after meeting them, she saw that they could be a good fit in the group. So she says.

Anyway, I'll still listen to their music but I find myself losing interest a week after they release new songs. I always anticipate it, then after watching their first week of comeback performances I don't care for it anymore. That's ok, I do that to other artists too.

So CCM/KKS, you are good job! 

[DioBrando]

I am so immensely disappointed. In everything. I can't even compile all the shit (some possibly questionable sources) being thrown around in the IRC channel (most of which forth just posted)...but...I don't even know what to say. They're completely throwing Hwayoung under the bus in an attempt to save the group. This was probably their only option...what other choice did they have? Kick someone else and admit wrongdoing? They'd have to boot 5 of the other 7 members. Not only is that ridiculous, but they'd be removing Jiyeon, Eunjung, and Hyomin--the cash cows. Since they couldn't possibly choose someone to pinpoint as THE bully,one of the only other options was to leave the group alone, which not only wouldn't require an announcement, but would probably be a bad choice, considering the shitstorm that was going on because of all the controversy. So what do they have left? Blame the "victim". They've completely outed Hwayoung as a villain, claiming she acted like a "top star" and was rude and disruptive. Not only this, but they raise the other girls up to super perfect levels of innocence. They tried so hard. They struggled to learn the parts at the LAST MINUTE, which caused Hyomin's screw up (mind you, I don't speak a lick of Korean and I practically know Hwayoung's rap). They wanted the poor evil diva to stay, they just...they couldn't get her to change her ways  OH, MY BABIES ARE SO RIGHTEOUS!

Now, do you side with Hwayoung, and "turn" on the other 6 girls based on speculation (and common sense, one might argue)...or do you believe that maybe...just maybe...Hwayoung wasn't so innocent, and this is all just one big misunderstanding? Or maybe you just throw your shit on the floor and jump off the burning train.

Excuse me, this is my stop

[storyboard]

I don't have much to say, I'm just disappointed
I wasn't going to believe anything KKS was going to say anyway but WOW he just fucked up big time . Obviously something was going on in T-ara and he even tells Hwayoung to keep quiet @_@. At least other people are speaking up against CCM and their dirty ways.

Some fans (or former fans?) are going a bit overboard about situation though. I've already seen a pic of a guys broken t-ara cd and then tweeting it to eunjung/hyo/ji/etc. I did that find that entertaining though . Just now I saw a video of a guy burning all his t-ara stuff he bought.

but yea something I found on another forum, don't know if you guys saw it already.

This was recently revealed (x) Apparently this is Hwayoung and is an old post she made. [Not Confirmed] I repeat, it's not confirmed yet.
“hello. after thinking over and over whether to post or not…I’ve decided to write
the girl group that I belong to is a group that.. if I just mention the name, you’d recognize them
I’m a new member so it’s a little awkward. and because I’m shy, I’m not very good at getting along with them… I guess that’s one of the reasons I’m an outcast
I guess the original members were very against me coming in…
in the dorms, I’m like an invisible human. but when we are on air, I’m suddenly buddies with them.
during practice… i feel like dying.
if i make a small mistake, they curse and tell me you can’t even do this
even right now, they all went to the market without me so i’m alone. after a couple hours they’ll probably be back… i really just want to quit being a singer and get out of here
but because i chose this path and I came in on my own, I can’t seem to do that.
it feels better now that I’m writing this here.
Thank you”

It might not be Hwayoung, but it fits all too well .

About that MuBank situation, if it is true, Hwayoung could have probably just let out all her frustration out that she kept bottled up. But who knows, I wasn't there and I haven't seen and vids or pics anyway so I'll assume it's not true for now .

Ah an interesting pic. Hyorin knew what was up check out her hand over Jiyeon

[burglarnoone]

Watching all this unfold saddens me more for what it confirms about human nature and stupidity (talking about netizens in general) than the girl leaving the group. Some people really need to take a breath and use some logic if they have that ability, before jumping to conclusions. It's as if the internet (in terms of Tara) has turned into the David Icke forums these last few days lol.

[shirenuファクトリー]

Yahh the thing is, I'm fed up with their management, disappointed in the way that the members have been using twitter, bummed that Hwayoung has been forced out instead of these people all sitting down and having a good talk and solving matters like adults (even if it was problem with staff, they could've/should've done this) - and all of this together is enough for me to say that I at least need a good, healthy break from this before considering T-ara worth my time and effort again...

But I don't think it would help anything to become petty in return and go around saying that T-ara is evil incarnate. They are all such easy targets now. It's a dangerous road when you cease to have any respect towards a person. Suddenly words, actions you would normally condemn become acceptable because you're angry about something that you don't even know the full details of :/

The thing is, I do think it is possible to continue being a rational fan after this. As long as you realize that the group has obvious problems and the girls aren't the sweet angels you may have thought they were... And forgive them for it. People aren't perfect, but it's still possible to accept them because of their flaws. It's up to each individual which flaws are too horrendous to accept in a celebrity.

I'm just too exhausted by the emotional manipulation right now to continue as a fan, but if someone here does decide to do so, I will understand and even be happy for you (as long as you're not one of those deluded fans who think nothing about this situation was problematic to begin with)...

[Mucca]

Even Kyary is getting in on the action!

Japan’s Kyary Pamyu Pamyu Tweets Then Deletes About T-ara

Japanese fashionista and singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu has tweeted about T-ara and its controversy.

On July 30, the singer tweeted, “Outcasts are no good. Really low! They say the ones that are outcast have a problem too but that’s all a lie. The ones making others outcasts are 100%, 1000000000% bad! How much the tormented must be suffering… just reading the news makes my heart hurt.”

She added, “Though I’m not a group so I can’t be outcast, if I was together all the time with a group? I think I’d want to quit! I don’t think I would want to go.”

The singer also added her disappointment in T-ara saying, “I used to like T-ara but… I really don’t like this and I can’t understand. I really don’t like it.”

She later deleted the last tweet about T-ara.

SBS PD states he will no longer cast T-ara, T-ara concert may flop

Following the T-ara controversy with member Hwayoung being kicked out of the group, Hwayoung tweeted and implied that the situation presented to the public was, “facts without truth“. This resulted in a mudslinging contest, where CCM retaliated by revealing the dark side of Hwayoung. However, many believe that Hwayoung is falsely being put in a bad light and have stepped up to the plate.

An SBS PD, after seeing the controversy unfold, defended Hwayoung by tweeting that he would no longer cast T-ara.

It seems as though the tweet was deleted shortly afterwards, however it sparked yet another round of controversy with fans now leaning towards Hwayoung being the victim of bullying and unfair treatment.

Due to this controversy, it’s been reported that T-ara is also facing issues with their upcoming concert, as all but 600 tickets to their concert were returned.

Ouch at the bolded part, if true.

[Kid_Alpha]

In just a few hours, this has really blow up into a major thing.

tbh I'll continue listening to T-Ara's music and watching them on music broadcasts but I don't think I can ever see them in the same light regardless if everything about the bullying and such is true or not; there's just this level of secrecy that makes everything so damn shady and I don't think I can really ever choose a side or separate my own feelings without having some kind of resentment.

I love Hwayoung so if she was suffering then I'm happy that she's able to leave though her sister is still under CCM so she really can't do anything to say against them, also KKS mention in his statement that he hopes Hwayoung stays quiet.

I hope that some kind of peace can be given to all of them, they were already stressed and under so much pressure from their killer schedules, this may have just multiplied it by a 100. Hopefully, nothing tragic will befall any of them.

tl;dr CCM and KKS are the problem overall.

[DioBrando]

AKP posted a "cliffnotes" version of all the T-drama: http://www.allkpop.com/2012/07/t-ara-controversy-cliff-notes-edition

Some other fun aftermath shitstorm tidbits, some of which were previously mentioned:

[12.07.30] T-ara's concert getting mass refund requests while 6,300 people leave their fancafe

After the news of T-ara member Hwayoung's contract termination, their concert is left in a crisis with the possibility of being canceled.

T-ara fans are turning their back against T-ara amongst the agency's official announcement. More than 6,300 fans have left T-ara's fancafe "Mystic" after the member withdrawal news.

T-ara's first solo concert in Korea "Jewelry Box" which will be held on August 11th at the Jamsil Gymnasium is also in a state of panic now.

Fans aren't able to hide their disappointment in the news about T-ara's Hwayoung, and have gone on to cancel their reservations for the concert. Originally, all seats were sold out but are quickly being canceled one by one.

On Twitter, a tweet with the image of a canceled ticket reservation is floating around rapidly saying, "Because of the wrong decision that CEO Kim Kwangsoo made, the group is no longer a 'crown/tiara' but a 'loner (someone who has been bullied').

T-ara's first solo concert in Korea since their debut three years ago is being held on August 11th. T-ara have completed their Japanese tour on the 25th and 26th in the Budokan arena.

T-ara's fans are raising their voices fast about their disappointment with T-ara's agency.

T/N: Mystic is NOT T-ara's official cafe. Mystic changed into an anti-T-ara cafe/pro-Hwayoung cafe and lost 6,000 members. fant-ara is the official one ran by CCM staff which has steadily gained a few members.

***
Source: http://reviewstar.hankooki.com/Article/ArticleView.php?WEB_GSNO=10054230
Translated by: Nathaniel @ Diadem

[12.07.30] T-ara Eunjung's "Five Fingers" role is in jeopardy

Following the departure of T-ara member, Hwayoung, another issue rises for T-ara from the 'Five Fingers' side.

T-ara member Eunjung has recently been casted as part of SBS' 30-episode drama, "Five Fingers". Reviewstar sat down with the drama's officials for a phone interview and they stated that "We still do not know what kind of action we will be taking in light of recent events. It's only been a little bit over an hour since the news of Hwayoung's departure came out, so we are still unable to present everyone with an official statement."

"Five Fingers" message board has became filled with hateful messages and viewers commenting that "they will not watch the drama if Eunjung is there."

***
Source: http://news.nate.com/view/20120730n19715
Translated by: Elly @ Diadem

[12.07.30] Kim Kwangsoo, “There is a possibility for Hwayoung to re-join..”

Core Contents Media, who just have announced they terminated Hwayoung’s contract with T-ara after being with the group for 20 months.

Hwayoung, who joined the team later than the rest, has been the center of the hot topic of “being bullied” by other members.

T-ara fans think that this is wrong or are very shocked by the announcement. And now fans are rooting for the most desired situation: a peace between Hwayoung, T-ara and the agency so that she can return.

On the 30th, Kim Kwangsoo said to Star News, “If Hwayoung truly realizes her wrongs, it’s possible to talk with the T-ara members and staff about her rejoining. Once again, this is if Hwayoung looks over her previous actions and self-reflects so she does not repeat the same behavior.

Clearly, the probability of this situation is low, but there is a small glimpse of a reverse situation happening. Right now, it’s left for Hwayoung to decide.

***
Source: http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=106&oid=108&aid=0002160987
Translated by: Nathaniel @ Diadem

It looks like the backlash is pretty terrible...I'm not sure how they'll manage to go on at this point? I mean, CCM has been great at sweeping shit under the rug, as have a number of these companies, but due to the nature of the situation and the way it played out, it makes it seem like 1 vs 6 (or 5...who really knows when all Qri does is stand there and look pretty ), and everybody loves the underdog and can sympathize with Hwayoung. I'm curious as to whether or not they can bounce back...hell, are they even expected to? Mass-cancellation of tickets? People demanding Eunjung be taken off the drama AND We Got Married? I don't even want to imagine what horrible things are waiting for them during the next big concert with fans of other groups

[Kid_Alpha]

T/N: Mystic is NOT T-ara's official cafe. Mystic changed into an anti-T-ara cafe/pro-Hwayoung cafe and lost 6,000 members. fant-ara is the official one ran by CCM staff which has steadily gained a few members.

Okay this and KKS saying he will let Hwayoung rejoin T-Ara if she "apologizes", is it possible this is his giant plan? From what I been reading and seeing so far, a lot of KPOP fans and T-Ara fans have switched to being Hwayoung fans; plus Hwayoung was the least popular member but was steadily gaining some leverage after Cry Cry and Lovey Dovey and after this, she really has become front-page news.

So, KKS sending off this poor girl to the Lion's Den and then trying to reel her back in, especially since he still holds something against her (her sister).

KKS gets the media coverage he wants, whether it's bad or good.  ┐(‘～`；)┌

[Stirfry]

 

[Rei-chan]

At this point it doesn't even matter to me if Hwayoung was a bitch to staff. What's most upsetting is the blatant unprofessionalism and disrespect to fans, with all the idiotic scheming and lying.  KKS claims they stayed up till 7 am yesterday deciding this. Interesting, since he announced the announcement days ago.He claims there's no bullying and gives a half assed explanation for the "determination" tweets of the girls. Interesting, because a few days ago he said the girls DIDN'T POST that, that their accounts were hacked simultaneously. Nothing this man says can be believed!!! And then openly telling her to BE QUIET??? WTF is that??? I hope the fans keep putting pressure and completely expose this company's wrongdoing, coz this is just messed up. As things stand, I cannot support this group at all. I DON'T SUPPORT ABUSERS.

I wonder what's her sister's situation right now. I can't imagine staying with a company that did that to someone I care about a lot, much less my twin sister. I read it would cost her a ton of money to terminate her own contract. But as things are, isn't she gonna get treated badly by the people in that company? The law should step in and consider it a special situation and, for her well being, let her go without charges >_<

EIDT: Now I read about the KKS saying Hwayoung can come back if she changes her ways lol... This man has no shame. If she was being a bitch to staff, he could've made her go on hiatus with any excuse to the public, and given her an ultimatum that to come back she had to reflect on her actions and change. You just don't KICK out a girl group member, make this royal mess and THEN say she can come back if she changes. Man, he needs to be slapped with a flat cactus.


Some related internet stuffs:


ALLEGEDLY, a japanese T-ara staff tweeted about Hwayoung:

"I was a translator/assistant during T-ara's magazine shoot. Back then (around February), Hwayoung definitely did not talk to anyone. She was always calm. She didn't talk to the makeup artists or the other members. She only focused on her work. She always smiled at the staff. She left a good impression."
(Source: https://twitter.com/kittychocola/status/229791579714490368)

The same person who posted that info posted this, allegedly a sort of "wanted" image, with profiles of the wanted T-ara members and CEO:

The poster claims that six people in question are part of a gang that has been bullying Hwa Young since her addition to T-ara in 2010.

The personal data of each ‘criminal’ reveals the photos of the members before their debut and includes information on their crimes, such as ‘being the boss of the Will Gang,’ and ‘attempted murder by forcing rice cakes down victim’s throat.’

For Kim Kwang Soo, it read, ‘Concealed the truth to earn money from the gang members.’

The poster asked anyone who sees these criminals to immediately report to the police.
cr.enewsworld

The previously mentioned broken CD lol




And this blank space supposedly used to have a huge T-ara ad:

[Forthisgift]

big thanks to all those who came to the IRC chat. the ridiculousness that ensued helped soften the blow for me.

much love <3

[KittySnack]

Unfortunately, I don't see Hwa Young defending her side with detailed information. It can also backfire on her, she may think that no company will want to sign someone who "tattle-tales" on their group/company - even if she was the victim. It can also make things worse for her twin sister. 

That CEO is a complete douche btw. Talking bad about her and then publicly stating that she may have a chance to return if she apologizes - what an arse move. I love T-ara's music..but they have honestly ruined the image I had once for them. I won't be paying attention to their activities anymore like I used to. Blehhh.

[SpyderMunky]

Only girl I have any respect for is Qri. She's the only one I haven't heard about her tweeting this whole situation.

Never did like Jiyon, Hyomin and Eunjung. I honestly hope bad things happens to them (career wise, not health wise) to damage their professional reputation.
As for the rest of the group...I'm pretty much in the same boat as almost everyone, I'm at the point where I'm done with them.

Good Luck Hwa Young!!! May God Bless You and your future endeavors!   

[Mucca]

Unfortunately, Hwayoung seems screwed no matter what tack she takes. If she remains quiet -- or, god forbid, actually apologizes (but hey, people will do strange things to stay in showbiz) -- people may assume that KKS is right. If she speaks up and burns bridges, that may also affect whatever career she may have left, as KittySnack said. Also, she just may not want to rock the boat anymore.

It's also weird to me how quickly this has turned from Hwayoung vs. the rest of T-ara to Hwayoung vs. the CEO. That's probably smart on the CEO's part, though, trying to get T-ara away from the negative spotlight to keep their public profile from becoming more damaged.

But really, dude is such a douchebag.

[DioBrando]

Shitstorm GO!

This will only get worse and worse, at this rate. They're not gonna be able to patch this up...

http://www.allkpop.com/2012/07/t-aras-former-back-up-dancer-claims-jiyeon-once-slapped-hwayoung

[burglarnoone]

Before the announcement back in april? of the new members joining, didnt the CEO make veiled statements saying that current members could be removed from the group if they consider themselves above the group, effectively acting to big for their boots? Doesn't that fit with whats just happened?
 
Maybe it's true that she has been too disruptive within the group and behind the scenes he has been trying to nudge her into changing. One explanation for the other members tweets on the 25th was that they had reached the end of their tether with her, and so decided to try and force the issue with her and the company. Unfortunately for them instead of it being a story of unhelpful Hwayoung it turned into a story of supposed bullying of Hwayoung.
 
The Ceo through damage control lied and said their Twitter acounts had been hacked, hoping he could defuse the situation within the group and staff and that would be it. But once having met and talked to the staff and group he realised the severity of their feelings towards Hwayoung and rather than have the group fall apart he had to take the decision to remove Hwayoung.

 Of course the story created by the tweets has been one of Tara bullying Hwayoung, if the CEO just releases a statement saying she has left the group then that story doesn't get addressed and put to bed. So then he would have to say why she was being removed because otherwise people would carry on with the story saying 'really she left behind the scenes because she couldn't take the bullying'.

 Where were all the allegations of bullying before the tweets of the 25th? I wasn't aware of any. Give me the name of any group and i'll be able to put up 20 photos within an hour showing 'proof' of members 'bullying' other members.

 Note i have followed Tara since their inception but even so i wouldn't say i am an emotionally invested fan, so this isn't meant to sound like anything other than another possible scenario.

[Rei-chan]

From one of the comments at AKP:

"Eunjung scolded a staff member for being busy with Hwayoung visa, whereas she ‘was waiting for asking an urgent question’. When the staff member asked her if she could wait one more minute, she said that Hwayoung wasn’t as important as her.Boram scolded that same staff member for not giving their schedule on time whereas that staff member wasn’t even asked to do it in the first place.The staff member I’m talking about is my friend. Hwayoung once arrived at the company, crying. My friend asked her what happened. She was scolded by Jiyeon because she dropped a chopstick."

More things that we'll probably never know the truth about


The Queen also expressed her feelings about CCM:

[DioBrando]

Before the announcement back in april? of the new members joining, didnt the CEO make veiled statements saying that current members could be removed from the group if they consider themselves above the group, effectively acting to big for their boots? Doesn't that fit with whats just happened?
 
Maybe it's true that she has been too disruptive within the group and behind the scenes he has been trying to nudge her into changing. One explanation for the other members tweets on the 25th was that they had reached the end of their tether with her, and so decided to try and force the issue with her and the company. Unfortunately for them instead of it being a story of unhelpful Hwayoung it turned into a story of supposed bullying of Hwayoung.
 
The Ceo through damage control lied and said their Twitter acounts had been hacked, hoping he could defuse the situation within the group and staff and that would be it. But once having met and talked to the staff and group he realised the severity of their feelings towards Hwayoung and rather than have the group fall apart he had to take the decision to remove Hwayoung.

 Of course the story created by the tweets has been one of Tara bullying Hwayoung, if the CEO just releases a statement saying she has left the group then that story doesn't get addressed and put to bed. So then he would have to say why she was being removed because otherwise people would carry on with the story saying 'really she left behind the scenes because she couldn't take the bullying'.

 Where were all the allegations of bullying before the tweets of the 25th? I wasn't aware of any. Give me the name of any group and i'll be able to put up 20 photos within an hour showing 'proof' of members 'bullying' other members.

 Note i have followed Tara since their inception but even so i wouldn't say i am an emotionally invested fan, so this isn't meant to sound like anything other than another possible scenario.

Yeah, there are too many possible scenarios and explanations, and as I pretty much proved on the last page with my blatantly incorrect interpretation of the Japanese video, context is everything. They've given us no context, so everyone is left to just choose whatever story they want. It would be incredibly stupid if we were in positions of importance, but, we are who we are. We're only human. We feel what we feel and we come to our own conclusions, as unfair as it may or may not be.

That said, I'm not jumping the gun and saying they're all bitches and horrible people. No one really knows the truth. It's just that I--amongst many others--are very disappointed at the way all of it unfolded, if not just the mere possibility of it and the fact it got this bad. What also doesn't help is the secrecy and that a lot of the things said in the statement are shady as hell. Then there are all the third parties, not t-ara/ccm, not Hwayoung, but other people who are taking Hwayoung's side. It's everything as a whole; the supposed "proof", the shady statement, Hwayoung's denial and the third party testimony. That's what makes the bs theories so much more believable. The proof of "bullying" alone without the rest (starting with Hwayoung and Hyoyoung expressing concern) is nothing, no one would bat an eye. No one is going to accuse them of bullying without the rest of the pieces to the puzzle, they'll take what they see at face value. Unfortunately everything played out this way.

I can only speak for myself, but I'm not sure what to think at this point. I'm not ready to completely condemn them and abandon the group, but I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't on Hwayoung's side at this point. Why? Who knows, it's just the path I chose based on the testimony I've been showed

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