Laura: Welcome to Roundtable With WAE KPOP! This is where we chat with K-pop fans about various, maybe sometimes random, topics related to Korean culture.
Today, Julie and Kerry are here to talk about a topic that's been on my mind a lot recently… being a noona fan.
Before we start, I just want to explain for anyone who doesn't know; A noona is a slightly older female fan. Noona (누나 in Korean) is what males call their older sisters or females who are a little older than them. “K-pop noona” is a term used to describe older female k-pop fans. I’ve seen it becoming popular recently.
Now, I know I'm definitely a noona fan, maybe even borderline ajumma at this point. Some of the groups that have debuted recently have members half my age. But you're both younger than I am… do you consider yourselves K-pop noonas?
Kerry: First of all, I would not call you an ajumma fan, crazy (insert old lady emoji and ‘x’ arms emoji). You are only a few years older than some idols. Secondly, I honestly don’t really, or didn’t really, think about my age in relation to idols, so no I don’t see myself as a noona fan. But as an American, age doesn’t really play into relationships too much, at least not as much as it does in Korea. So maybe that has something to do with how I view myself.
Julie: Yeah, I think that’s how I feel too, Kerry. I’m not Korean, so the whole noona concept will always be a little foreign to me. I mean, technically if I’m older than a boy idol (which I usually am), then I guess they can call me noona!
Laura: I, for one, sometimes feel a little weird being an older fan. But it’s only been for the past year or so that I’ve thought about my age. I think that’s partly because of social media. Twitter, for instance, has a lot of younger – and vocal – fans. I can't really relate to them. And, honestly, sometimes I worry about getting judged because of how old I am.
Kerry: I do feel that disconnect with the recently debuted. Like, there are a few new idols who are like 13!?!? IDOLS, NOT TRAINEES. So that is hella weird to me. But then again, I’m relatively new to kpop so maybe what I’m feeling now towards newer idols is what Laura feels towards the not so recently debuted. I think if I’m more than a decade older than an idol, then I’ll never be able to view them as anything but cute.
Julie: Personally, I don't mind being an older fan. I don't feel any judgement from others for being an older fan. But I do sometimes feel judgement from myself. Like seeing all these young idols makes me wish I could turn back time and be their age again!
Kerry: I think what Julie said was accurate.
I'm kind of middle of the range of ages but I wouldn't say older fans are judged. If anything they're celebrated, as another indication that this music industry attracts people of all ages.
I think it's also the reason why we get so excited to see there are fanboys.
Julie: I love that you say that. I’m always excited by how diverse K-pop fandoms are. And while we’re really not much older than most idols, I do sometimes miss youth when I see their school-themed concepts. What I mean is that I have adult struggles that many of these young idols might not have.
Laura: Yeah, Julie. You make a good point about struggles. I don't think you're saying that this younger generation doesn't struggle, but that they don't face the same worries that adults out in the world on their own do.
When you're older, you have people depending on you for support. You have bills you have to pay to survive. And a lot of times, you don't necessarily have someone to back you up. You know? You can't run to your parents for help. Usually, you have to fix your problems on your own.
Kerry: I kinda disagree with the idea that adult problems and youth problems are mutually exclusive. Yeah, some idols really embrace that youth theme and sing songs about the issues many kids deal with at school, but while the main characters in those songs may be young, it doesn’t mean their struggles aren’t relatable.
Like for example, those songs often talk about unrequited love, inability to focus, pressures to succeed, being lonely, broken relationships, successful relationships, struggles to get along with friends, et al. I, for one, can absolutely relate to all of those things, even outside of schools.
So in that vein, I believe that although the audience may be diverse, in age, race, gender etc, the unifying factor is the music itself. The perception of older fans or perceived judgement of older fans is more a reflection of how we feel internally, than how other people feel about us. To be honest, humans are selfish and that doesn’t exclude kpop fans. I think most kpop fans really just want to enjoy the music and how it relates to them personally.
Laura: You’re absolutely right that music is the unifying factor. Julie and I were at KCON New York and I was honestly shocked by the fans. It was such a range of ages and races. During the concert, I sat near some older fans who were fangirling just the same as me.
At the end of the day, we’re all here to enjoy the music. And there’s no reason to be ashamed or embarrassed, no matter who you are or what sort of label (K-pop noona or otherwise) you have.
Thanks to Julie and Kerry for joining today’s Roundtable.
I’m interested to hear what our readers think of the concept of being a “K-pop noona.” Share your thoughts with us on Twitter or Facebook.
Image source: Wiki Commons