Lay is getting support from SME in China and people are getting stupid about it

EXO‘s Lay will be getting a workshop in China for his activities, according to an SM Entertainment press release. The workshop is commonly used in China, and while he’ll still be under SME, he’ll have control over staff, activities, and will be able to deal with other agencies while in China.

One of the main benefits with the workshop format is the adaptability to the Chinese market, as the star will be free to work with various sources in China even if they are not associated with SM Entertainment and their partners.

On the establishment of his own workshop, Lay announced, “The establishment of this workshop will become a foundation for solidifying my intention to honor my contract, and I hope it becomes an example of contract fulfillment. I believe that my Chinese activities will be beneficial to EXO and the company. I hope to contribute to the growth of the company and help the relationship between the two cultures.”

This benefits everybody and just makes sense…

…which is exactly why the reaction from netizens in Korea was depressingly predictable, and while the international side was more neutral, there’s people on both sides fucking flipping out about it for whatever reason.

1. [+692, -26] Now this is what you call revenge, SM.. thumbs up
2. [+501, -26] Yixing, supporting you. Light up China with your promotions.
3. [+451, -35] SM must trust Lay… frind strength, Yixing!!
4. [+367, -16] Show the traitors what you’re made of!!!
5. [+314, -18] Ohh.. good job, good job SM!

Yeah, I don’t get it.

Lay is getting support now so that SME don’t have another Kris or Luhan situation on their hands, but it’s being twisted as SME are being supportive like they would’ve eventually been with Kris and Luhan had they not left. Reality is that this is basically a direct response to a trend that anybody could see, much like how contracts were adjusted (legally) after JYJ. Kris and Luhan are not JYJ, but for their business interests, SME simply recognized that they have to stop loss here so EXO can continue to thrive in both China and Korea.

It’s great for Lay because he gets increased freedom and opportunities that he may have not been able to pursue otherwise due to red tape issues with Chinese companies and SME, and it’s also smart by SME to recognize a problem and to fix it by making sure their assets are happy and have little incentive to seek business elsewhere (with the added benefit of whatever cut they get from his activities in China).

Then for those complaining about how Kris and Luhan didn’t get this, why care? Yeah, SME probably SHOULD have done this from the start so they could reap a percentage of the profits from their activities in China and keep them within the system, but they didn’t, and now both of the “traitors” are getting theirs with major endorsements and #1 movies or whatever, so they’re fine as well. Sure, you can complain about SME trying to fuck them in court or fuck them with blacklisting, but over SME doing things different with Lay? Ease the asshole.

—–

As I’ve said over and over, most of what has gone on is fine with me.

That said, the reality of the public perception of this issue is that much of the backlash where it matters (Korea) has fallen on the “traitors”, which has led to people parroting that view internationally, and it’s confusing as to why people continue to act like individuals owe companies any more than they get in return. SME is absolutely within their rights as a business to treat people as assets, as most businesses tend to do, but in turn I see no problem with idols then treating SME simply as an asset to further their career and nothing more. This loyalty shit either way or debate over treatment or whatever can be handled by stans, but to me it really doesn’t matter who owes who more from a moral perspective.

The thing all parties involved have in common is that they’re interested in their bottom line, and smart businesses eventually figure out that when you lose leverage — like, say, when the artists you sign come into it with a resume (Megan Lee) or when they have other options (Chinese/Japanese/American idols) — to keep assets you have to make staying within the system beneficial to them, which is exactly what SME have decided to do with Lay here, and I hope this starts a trend for other stars because it just makes sense and everybody wins in the end.

But hey, by all means, continue to whine and fight over pointless shit.