Jo Hyun Jae

Today is my B-day, and my B-day present for myself is extracting that fish bone that has given me so much pain lately.  There is a Chinese saying: “Take one step backwards and you’ll see the whole sky and the wide sea.”  I’ve taken several steps backwards, and now I have the perspective of time and space (since it has been two weeks already.)  I still want to say something.

After a few days of R & M (rest and meditation) during my recent illness, I suddenly had an epiphany!  An artist can become a star not BECAUSE OF but IN SPITE OF his management company.  Our JHJ is living proof!

What is the role of a management company (MC)?  To take care of everything so the artist can concentrate on his acting (or singing.)  Business dealings, signing of contracts, anything work-related are the responsibility of the MC.  A good MC will make sure the artist has nothing to worry about, so he can always give his best performance.

I’ve always felt that with his qualities and qualifications, JHJ should have accomplished more and gained greater heights.  But an artist can only act in the roles that his management company garners for him.  How to secure these plump roles depends on his manager’s networking, his social skills, his clout, his sales pitch, his marketing skills, etc. 

One of the MC’s tasks is liaison with fan clubs or fan sites.  JHJ’s MC doesn’t know how lucky they are in this respect.  JHJ fans are the most respectful, courteous, mature, understanding, hardworking, self-effacing, easily satisfied, devoted and loyal of fans.  We try to do our best for JHJ, without any encouragement or help from the MC.

We have written (in English) several times to the MC and have never received even an acknowledgement (which common courtesy dictates.)  Our letters were probably consigned to the wastepaper basket.  We have the distinct impression we are neither needed nor appreciated.  Still, we soldier on for JHJ’s sake.

The MC is fortunate, however, to have two Korean fan clubs dedicated to JHJ.  They have been taking care of everything most efficiently for the past several years — before the formation of the Japanese Official Fan Club or the Korean Official Website.  Now they are no longer “official”, but they are still asked to be conduits of news (a sort of go-between between the MC and overseas fan clubs/websites) when the MC cannot show its face.

Now an important part of an MC’s job is crisis management.  When something unexpected happens, ususally bad, the publicity department goes into overdrive and tries to minimise the fallout.  Crisis management rule #1 is issue a public statement to the effect that something has taken place or not taken place, followed by regrets (if other parties are inconvenienced).  Then announce plans to deal with issue.  Follow up with periodic updates.  Information is important – people want to know.  To hear it from the horse’s mouth is better than hearing rumours.  If you don’t get a grip from the start, things could go out of control.

Something unexpected happened, something that caught them offguard, and ….. they panicked!  First they issued half a notice, then they deleted that.  Then all fan sites were requested to comply as well.  (I did so under protest.)  There is a Chinese saying: “Even an egg which is so seamless can hatch a chick”, meaning “secrets will always come out, no matter how you try to hide it.” 

There are countless examples of politicians caught with their pants down or rock stars filmed hitting their girlfriends whose first reaction is denial: “I didn’t do it.” which invariably comes back to haunt them later.  When proof is produced, they have to back down and apologise, but irreparable harm has already been done to their reputation and credibility.

As the English idiom goes, ”Honesty is the best policy.”  If you’re honest and open with people, they promptly forgive and forget.  If you take evasive action, people will find out sooner or later.  You can make your fan sites delete their posts, but can you guarantee there are no leaks?  There is a term for this sort of thing – cover-up – and we’re forced to be a part of it (and I hate myself for this!)

Does the MC not realize that as a public figure JHJ is bound to have detractors and enemies?  Nobody can be universally loved; even Jesus is condemned to death.  The MC should know how to fend off attacks or tackle criticisms or respond to unfavourable comments or whatever.  Scandals and rumours are part and parcel of the entertainment world.  JHJ is perhaps the star with the least news, no scandals, and no rumours, so their work has been easy so far. 

This case is unfortunate, but not earth-shattering.  These things happen all the time in the commercial world.  Lawyers will clean up the mess.  If it is not their fault, they have nothing to worry about – except reaction of fans.  And here is where we feel the MC has fallen short, drastically short!

All we want is information and an explanation.  We are entitled to that.  We are not demanding an apology.  We know they are not the culprit.  And we NEVER blame JHJ at all.  He is an artist — it is not his responsibility to handle these things.  And he is probably as devastated as we are.  Actually our first concern is for JHJ — is he unwell, exhausted, injured?  What a relief to know it is just a business deal gone sour!  No big deal!  Just a little hiccup — it in no way detracts from JHJ’s worth, attractiveness, and charisma.  And he has already made his triumphant comeback with a BANG! at the Japan fan meetings.

The MC’s first priority is of course protecting their artist, but have they considered how their action (or lack of) has hurt overseas fans?  The issue is not the immaterialization of the event.  We can accept that, and we believe there will be other opportunities in the future.  What really hurt is we feel we are not respected or appreciated.  And we worry that our precious JHJ in the hands of such a MC is a waste!  There, I’ve said it!  Instead of helping him reach his full potential, they are obstructing his progress in their bungling way, as shown in their unprofessional handling of the matter.

Does the MC understand why they are not being inundated with letters of protest from fans?  Because we cannot write in Korean.  So they will never realize how passions are still boiling under the surface.

I don’t want to waste time denigrating the KOW.  It has ceased to be interesting or informative after the first couple of weeks.  The MC doesn’t seem to understand it is not enough just to start an official website; they have to run it.  It is now being monopolised by certain fans, and I don’t want to be in the company of people who love to see themselves in cyberspace, so to speak.

The JOFC is not much better.  The Administrator recently put out a post that I would find hilarious, if it had not been so outrageously senseless.  He/she was trying to debunk the rumour that JHJ was seen holding hands with a woman.  I’ve never heard of that before, but now I (and countless others) know about it. 

There is a Chinese saying for this (sorry! today I suddenly remember all those ancient sayings that we were made to recite N years ago) : “There is no 3,000 taels of gold here.”  The reference is to the story of a man who came into possession of 3,000 taels of gold (a fortune in those days.)  He buried it under the ground but was afraid someone might steal it, so he put a notice there that said: “There is no 3,000 taels of gold here.”  So of course next thing someone dug it up and stole it.

Surely anyone with any commonsense knows the best way to defuse a rumour is to let it die.  If you keep adding fuel to it, it will spread like wildfire.  If it is a (quote) “false rumour” and a “vicious prank”, why dignify it with a response?  If it is true, have they considered the possibility that true JHJ fans (like me) will be very happy that JHJ has finally found someone.  He’s 31 (by Korean reckoning), for God’s sake!  About time too!

I know all about “Love me, love my dog”.  Since I am such a diehard JHJ fan, I should not be too hard on his MC.  But I am not a dog-lover — I don’t like anything with more than two legs, in fact, I don’t much like anything with two legs.  But as the Chinese saying goes (and this is absolutely the last Chinese saying for today): “The more you love someone, the harsher you are in your criticism.”  If the MC does not hear any protests, it is because everyone is cowed or coerced into silence.  I am not trying to make trouble.  I just hope they will learn from their mistakes.  That would be their B-day present for me!

And this is my B-day present from our Designer and Contributing Editor prissymom (and from JHJ! 5555).  Thanks! Thanks! Thanks!

(Credit: photos from http://jo-hyunjae.com.  Thanks!)