It Is A Disservice To The Truth The Way Everyone Is Defending Manon

Manon was selected because she was attractive. She was a last minute addition alongside Laura, who had a strong background in singing, while not having any experience in singing or dancing herself. Rules and expectations were bent to keep Manon in the competition. It was very obvious there was a difference in Manon’s work ethic and mentality towards this career during the documentary. She had a very take it or leave it mentality because this opportunity fell in her lap while everyone saw it as the once in a lifetime opportunity for their music ambitions which Manon never had. Hybe can change expectations to benefit Manon in the competition but not in the real world. Every other girl has been successfully dealing with the grueling work schedule and made it to work events not Manon. 

This is not the case of an incredibly talented Black girl being chucked aside who was meeting work expectations which everyone is trying to turn into. This is the story of a mediocre beautiful Black girl who was protected by a media company during a competition and could not be protected from the expectations of fans and the demands of the job in the real world. People do not know how to deal with a beautiful black girl being able to askew expectations for so long and they’re trying to turn it into the same thing as mistreated talented black girls who met the demands of their work. 

K-pop has grueling work demands placed on idols. Manon signed up to join a group that had an intense schedule and her ability to meet that is what she’s being judged on. Her band mates lived up to those expectations she didn’t. She wanted to be a part of the system, benefit from it, bend the rules and not have to subject herself to the grueling work schedule. It doesn’t work like that. If Manon came out criticizing the lack of work life balance in K-pop as well as exploitative demands placed on them this fanfare would be valid. In reality she’s trying to use her social background to argue why everyone else should be held to these exploitative expectations but not her meanwhile her attractiveness has bent the rules in her favor constantly but the demands from fans and her work she did not meet. 

TDLR: I want to emphasize K-pop is exploitative but what Manon is doing isn’t criticizing that exploitation. She wants to be a part of the system and benefit from it. Hybe protected her from the grueling demands of her work in the documentary but those expectations are placed on her in the real world. She is not an extremely talented black girl who met work expectations and got backlash. She was wanted solely for being beautiful and able to askew a lot of workplace demands due to being protected by Hybe but fan expectation and work place expectations inevitably caught up with her.