topic: Not So "Whimsical".

Let me be the serious May for a moment.

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The DBSK income divisions. It's unbelievable. absolutely unbelievable.

I'm sure that all of you have heard of JaeChunSu (Jaejoong+Yoochun+Junsu) going to court to determine the validity of their contracts with SM. Well, the court has recently released some information on DBSK's income. ):

1. “DBSK has received $0 for their album sales prior to July 2008, and only a negligible amount after that date.”

Because before late 2008, their contract stated that they would only recieve 5% of the income from albums that had to sell +500,000 copies. The bestselling album of 2009 (so far) has only sold around 200,000, so even though DBSK was really successful in their previous albums, only Mirotic gave them some moolah. This was modified in late '08 to say that DBSK would recieve %1 profit from every album that sold +200,000. But, SM didn't follow that rule, so they got 0%.

2. “DBSK has received $0 for the sales of concert DVDs and albums featuring recordings from such concerts.”

They work their (hot) asses off in their performances. Backstage, they have to force themselves to practice because they're so tired, and they sometimes can't sleep for consecutive days (example, Yunho had to go through 3 days without sleep when he was filming Heading To the Ground, then had a photoshoot and an interview).
I think that their Tokyo Dome performance DVD topped the Oricon charts? And they still didn't get anything from it. None. Nothing. Zero. Cassiopeia's support was basically for SM, I guess.

3. “DBSK has received $0 for their appearances on TV programs.”

I always thought that they'd at least get something for being so entertaining on TV. I love watching them, and now, it amazes me that they found the strength to force out smiles, laughter, and jokes.

4. “For all other possible sources of revenue, SM subtracts from the total revenue all expenses, including salaries of other staff, stage preparation expenses, rent, travel expenses, food expenses, and the like, then gives TVXQ only a fraction of the remaining amount.”

SM decides how much to subtract, by the way.
I thought that DBSK shouldn't have to pay for some of this. Why? Because this part covers a lot of things. I'll make a list, this post is really long, anyways.

-Performance stages. (Tokyo Dome comes to mind...)

-Food (But then again, SM forces them on diets. Poor Changminnie who loves food.)

-Travel expenses (Plane tickets, hotels, etc...Technically, SM doesn't 'ship them off' to Japan, they have to ship themselves off, y/y?)

-Housing (electricity/water bills, rent, furniture, etc.)

Usually, these are paid by the manager. Yet, SM really just to has to suck as much out of their employees (I'm not going to call them Idols at the moment) as possible. What is left, I wonder.

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back to informal writing may.

i'm kinda...stunned. you know what i mean?
they'v worked so hard...and so, the moment that i heard of this, my head just kept going 'dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit...'
i'm not even as angry as i am sad.
i told my best friend (who does not like kpop much) about this issue, and even she was infuriated. why, because this, imo, goes against basic human rights. in middle school we learn about the unalienable natural rights of all humans gifted upon us by a higher being, and yet, the information about DBSK's payments and such violates those rights. i was so upset, even remi gaillard couldn't cheer me up.

more long long posts coming up soon (to make up for my 1-month semi-hiatus).
many, many thanks to allkpop and seoulbeats for informing me of this unjustness.
):

Labels: dbsk, sm ent

topic: G-Dragon's "소년이여 (A Boy)" Song + Translation + Download Link. and my comments (of course!).

so, song is heeere:



beautiful, isn't it? so i found the download link here: http://www.4shared.com/get/125826951/65daed04/G-Dragon_-_A_Boy.html

i also found the translation, which is also beautiful (thx much, lovenostalgiaa on youtube and bakarang3r on wordpress... i kinda combined your lyrics(: ):

GD, your chores
drop it on me

the night is deep but sleep hasnt come
i keep fighting with my growing headache
constantly tossing and turning, lost in thought
grasping my pen again
writing the lyrics as much as i could
which is full of my philosophy
my room, filled with hazy cigarette smoke
home sweet home it's cozy

i ran here without a break at age 13
not knowing my own charm was my biggest weapon
if theres a way up, theres a way down
its too late to go back
i cant let go

*remember back in the day
i cant trust others
dont forget back in the day
i was a boy, with that fine voice
i shout to the world, shine alive

im gdragon, no matter what others say
im small, im young, im gdragon
thats what people say
people say they envy me, that i have so much with me
that celebrities have a relaxing life
just once, try to be in that place
everything's not as you see it

as time went on, my loneliness has grown
my obligation that didnt know charm was my biggest burden
if theres a way up, theres a way down
its too late to run away
i wanna go

*chorus

with 10 years worth of countless questions
with all the beads of sweat ive dropped
all the cold tears ive held back
ah, ah now, lets start now

*chorus
just once

remember back in the day (go back)
we are the woo woo
cant ever trust others (forget)
Like that woo woo
dont forget back in the day (way back)
i was a boy, with that fine voice
i shout to the world, shine alive

come back to me now woo come back to me now
even if 10 years pass
come back to me now woo come back to me now
the times have passed, my entire heart

*chorus

-end.

i think that this part:

with 10 years worth of countless questions
with all the beads of sweat ive dropped
all the cold tears ive held back

is about the hardships of his current life; but this:

i was a boy, with that fine voice
i shout to the world, shine alive

is his reason for fame, and his want to be famous.
i'm starting to understand him a little bit. it's pretty incredible, isn't it? i mean, the whole point of celeb-idolism is to try to get to know them and understand the life, and here's gdragon, showing the whole world the truth. really, i think the whole entertainment industry is full of lies and all a show.
this is a bit sad for me because normally, i act like a happy, naive, and confident person that smiles through everything...i think that's a bit like donghae, of super junior? he once said that he'd only show the world a side of him that smiles all the time. not that smiling is bad, but the whole acting thing is bad for both me and donghae...
we can't help it, though. it's the world that forces us to act this way. the only way to get through life at the moment is to keep your inner unhappiness inside, and act like you can handle anything... this is part of the reason that i have started questioning the meaning of life (of which i think there's none)

so, look forward to me being stupid and senseless soon(: see i've already started the act. i'm pretty impressive, non? haha.

(even tho i can hardly believe anything in this world anymore...)
(or does the fact that i'm super-chinese (yes, chinese, not korean even tho i listen to the music) have something to do with my non-stop skepticism?

-always keep the faith<3

Labels: a boy, gdragon

topic: i LOL'ed. hard.

so i found this picture today...

Labels: dbsk

topic! JYP auditions! :O

http://www.allkpop.com/index.php/full_story/the_jyp_usa_audition_tour/

i would really really spazz over this, but i'm calm enough to know that i should only spazz if i even had the slightest chance of making it into JYP. you're supposed to dance, right? well, i have never ever ever tried dancing before. never. i'm actually a bit disappointed, because i asked to go to dance classes this summer, but we haven't set up any arrangements yet. it's been 4 months.
if i were to audition, however...i would probably audition for the 'singing' part (partially cuz i can't dance, act, mc?, or model).

but today, i took my phone and recorded myself singing to 'why i like you' by super junior. then i sang 'stand by u' by tohoshinki...i needed to work on 'why i like you'. i'm being honest with myself, it could have sounded tooons better.
i guess i'll never give up my love for singing, so if there's a chance of becoming, well, famous, i think i'd take it (i don't want to be plastic tho...ick. if my natural self isn't good enough, my plastic self certainly won't be *coughtiffanysnsdcough*)
maybe. someday. i'll reach this dream(: but for now, i'm content. a bit. very little.

Labels: jyp auditions