In an online community, TXT Taehyun sparked a debate after a netizen was shocked to see his photoshopped vs. unedited photo.
Is it time for fansites to stop editing idols?
MOAs Defend Taehyun Edited vs. Unedited Photo
On the popular web forum Nate Pann, a post featuring TXT Taehyun titled, "Wow, Idol photo correction. Is it like this for everyone?" rose in the real-time trending articles.
This was after a netizen shared a screenshot of Taehyun's edited image comparing it to an unedited one.
In the original video, a fan labeled Taehyun's unedited photos as "worst-taken photo" and wondered why the uploader didn't edit it then.
ALSO READ: TXT Taehyun: Ambitious or Arrogant? Fan Backlash Over Controversial Remarks
In the first photo, presumed to be the one with filters, Taehyun's skin texture is as smooth as a glass, without any hint of pores and blemishes.
Meanwhile, in the second one which is said to be the original one, Taehyun's real skin was revealed — blemishes, pigmentation and scars were all seen.
When it went viral among K-netizens, MOAs (TXT fandom) was quick to defend the idol and refuted that neither of the two photos was Taehyun's real skin.
Korean fans criticized both the commenter and uploader and wrote:
"The person who claims whitewashing was intentionally trying to make the skin look worse. The skin tone was completely dark."
"In the picture below, it looks like the outer skin tone has been desaturated more. Just looking at the picture above, you can see that the color of his lips and hair is brown, but the colors are all gone.
Also, they are overly obsessed with Koreans' skin color, so they correct their skin to make it look darker and worse, and create a lot of content criticizing Koreans by whitewashing them, claiming that this is real skin."
Should Fansites Stop Photoshopping Idols? Taehyun's Case Sparks Debate
While fans and netizens discussed Taehyun's real skin color and texture in photos, this also started a debate among other K-pop fandoms, asking if there's really a need to photoshop K-pop idols.
In particular, it is common for fans especially fansites to edit idols' photos to correct colors, texture and other unwanted details to avoid criticism from people who might see the images.
But a lot commented that it isn't really needed and explained:
- "There are some idols who are said to be 'ugly' in the original version, but they used AI for correction and then say they are good-looking. But they are completely different people before and after editing."
- "Isn't an idol human? I don't understand why people criticize them for something like that (unedited). They also go to the extent that they do crazy things to cover their acne, put in a lot of correction and post it, then pretend like it's not true that they edited it."
- "To be honest, even the lighting on the stage is too much. It's possible to say that because they make everything white with lighting, they put something like that."
- "They are humans, there are times when your skin is good and times when it is bad. Isn't it natural because they are tired from not being able to sleep and have been wearing makeup for a long time?"
- "It's not like the original is ruined. It's just right, but the original looks more natural and better."
READ MORE: 6 Female Idols Who Went Viral For Stunning Visuals Without Makeup
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Written by Eunice Dawson.
