Fan Call

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Synonyms:
See also:	Fansign, Idol, Group Order, Fansite
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In K-Pop fandom, a fan call refers to a one-on-one video call between an idol and a fan.

They began during the COVID-19 lockdowns as a substitute for fansigns and have continued since, due to global traction. They typically operate as lotteries, requiring fans to buy a physical album for one raffle entry. If won, the calls are usually between one to two minutes, monitored by staff and sometimes with a translator present. Fans often receive signed merchandise alongside the call.

Fans usually use the calls as a chance to briefly chat, ask questions, show their admiration, or make the idol laugh. They are often recorded and posted online. Consequently, they have attracted controversy due to bad etiquette from fans, such as making inappropriate requests, flirting, general awkwardness, engaging in roleplay or attempting to educate the idol following cultural appropriation or discrimination controversies.

Origin

The first group to hold a fan call was the boy group MCND, who hosted a "Meet & Call Fan Signing Event" on March 15, 2020. This was then followed by Sejeong and EXO's Suho on March 30th. It later spread to other groups, though it is largely a by-product of the COVID pandemic. Companies were unable to host fan signs, in-person events to meet idols and receive signed albums, so fan calls were the popular alternative.

Controversies

Fan calls have often been criticized. With the proliferation of videos, some have gone viral due to being inappropriate:

Vernon's fancalls

Seventeen member Vernon has been the subject of many awkward fan calls, to the point that it has become a meme among K-Pop fans. The most infamous call being the one with a fan who threatened to arrest him for being 'too hot and having the right to remain sexy'. He visibly appeared to cringe. He has also been asked to show his "six-pack" and rejected this request. Another fan spoke in a voice, self-described as "Kim Kardashian". He disliked this and asked her to stop. Due to the number of awkward fan calls, Vernon's calls have often gone viral.

Fans will often cite Vernon's calls as an example of 'what not to do':

If you want examples of what not to do, just look up any SVT Vernon fancall, all idols have awkward calls but he gets it the worst. Anything adjacent to what you see in those videos is what you shouldn’t do

Roleplay and sexual comments

Many fans have flirted with the idols on the calls and some will happily engage with this. However, some fan calls have faced criticism for sexual harassment or for making the idol seem uncomfortable. For example, Seventeen member Mingyu was asked to show his abs in a call by a fan, he rejected the request and hung up. Several fans have tried to engage in roleplay. In a fan call with ZEROBASEONE's Ricky, one fan attempted to engage in a BDSM roleplay. She wanted to be referred to as 'master', with Ricky as a cat. He refused. Another fan asked TXT's Beomgyu to act out an animal roleplay from a pre-written script or fanfiction.

Educating idols

One trend that has become particularly divisive among fandom, is the practice of "educating", or informing idols in response to their own cultural appropriation or discrimination controversies. It is not uncommon for idols to make comments or actions that can be viewed as prejudiced or offensive. In some cases, idols are unaware that it has caused such offense to fans.

Some fans have used their time allotted in fan calls to raise their concerns, directly face-to-face, hoping for an apology, or to inform the idol in hopes of understanding. This has attracted controversy due to making the idol uncomfortable and the small time limit (1-2 minutes) not being enough time to raise nuanced concerns about (but not limited to) cultural appropriation, fatphobia, transphobia, xenophobia, and others. Not to mention the language barriers on many calls and being monitored by staff members, who may end the call on behalf of the idol.

Some incidents of this occurring include Lisa from BLACKPINK. For a music video, she wore box braids, attracting criticism for cultural appropriation. A fan raised these issues on a fan call and Lisa apologized. Hendery from boy group NCT once wore dread wigs. It was raised on a fan call, but Hendery dismissed the question, asking to skip it. Resulting in the viral hashtag #HENDERY_APOLOGIZE in an attempt to get the idol to acknowledge his actions. Another fan expressed concerns over fatphobia jokes made by group ENHYPEN and raised them in a call with Jake, who appeared at first confused. The fan wanted them to grow in response to their call and issues raised.

Fan Comments

2024

[u/Dannilily]
Unpopular opinion: Fan calls are weird and maybe shouldn’t be done The reason I believe it is unpopular is because it allows some it allows international fans or domestic fans who aren’t able to attend the tour be able to interact with their idols and also learn more about them. I also understand that these fan calls are ways to make money and also a way for some fans to interact with the idols if they aren’t able to go to their tours but I find them incredibly weird. Like what do you have to talk to them about? You don’t know them personally so what do you even say to them. I find them incredibly weird and also it can do more harm than good as some antis like to call and just cuss an idol out. Maybe they should be more protected or stopped all together? But idk, every time I see a recorded fan call with an idol I tend to skip over them because they make me cringe as they act like the idol is their friend. That’s just my opinion I’m open to discuss it because maybe I’m not to clued in on them

[u/pheh428]
I'm curious if you feel the same way about fansigns? Fancalls are just virtual versions of fansigns (and in fact for a lot of fancalls you will get mailed a signed item afterwards). And if it's the case that you feel fansigns and fancalls shouldn't be done, do you think idols should interact one-on-one with fans at all?

[u/Araleina]
Personally I think fancalls are weird but not fansigns. Maybe because it's a group of people getting things signed, but I feel like it feels less personal, less intimate, so the fans are less likely to be creepers?

2023

It's basically like receiving a facetime call. Generally, there's an ID check-in before the actual video call with the idols. Most sites do it before hand via the chat app or email, with a few doing it after you pick up the call and shortly before the fancall. Either way, you pick up the call and they will be right there in front of you and it begins. As for the screen issues, I'm not sure but you should try to find someone who can test how a call works by calling you on the app that you will be using to sort everything out.

2022

I'm a huge fancall anti because calling a stranger is exhausting enough on its own, so imagine calling your idol, who possibly doesn't even speak the same language as you, on a video call. And you have one convo with them and then you hung up, while idols have to talk to like, what, dozens of people per day?? I would terminate my contract right on the spot

Further reading

• Young K-pop fans around the globe are dishing out hundreds of dollars to fund 90-second video calls with their favorite singers. We talked to 3 of them. (2023) on Business Insider