What Is “Tteokbokki Twitter?” Rapidly Thinning Idols Provide Dangerous And Deadly Inspiration
Content Warning
In K-Pop, there are many beauty standards that idols are pressured into abiding by. One of the most sensitive and controversial issues is weight, with many idols admitting to less than healthy ways of losing weight.
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While an idol losing weight in a healthy way can be a source of inspiration, idols rapidly losing weight can also inspire some, but in ways that can turn deadly.
As long as the internet has been a thing, accounts sharing weight loss inspiration, some times called “thinspo” have existed. These account usually feature faceless posts on individuals or photos of celebrities who have a body shape deemed inspirational.
At the surface level, this might not seem out of the oridinary but digging deeper quickly reveals a different story. On Tumblr and other online communities, where “thinspo” blogs saw massive growth, additional content revealed accounts discussing personal experiences with eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia.
Terms like “Pro-Ana,” and continued mentions of BMI, current weight (CW), goal weight(GW), and ultimate goal weight (UGW) became common to see on that side of the platform.
With the rise of X and migration from Tumblr, “edtwit” or eating disorder twitter became a thing. As inspiration also shifted, many began to find inspiration in their own interests, including K-Pop.
One community on X, known as “tteokbokkitwit” does exactly this, sharing content of idols, both male and female, who are already thin, or have rapidly lost a significant amount of weight, along with things like lyrics that might further encourage weight loss.
One of the more devastating aspects of this side of X is that many are underage and still developing, something that disordered eating can severely hinder.
Regular accounts on X have sometimes clashed with users on “kpopedtwit”, usually over immediate discussions of weight in situations that did not call for it. However, it is important to remember that eating disorders are exactly that, a disorder that often requires medical intervention and treatment at risk of serious illness or even death.
A desire to be thinner is understandable in a pro-skinny society, however, specifically for those interested in K-Pop, it is important to recall idols words on their own harsh diets. aespa‘s Ningning, who is heavily featured as “thinspo” once told fans not to fast or diet, as there was not an industry need for them to do so. Actress Han So Hee once said something similar, emphasizing that being healthy was what was most important and not to use her “abnormal” weight as an example for body image.
Ning: Everyone don't fast, don't diet, it's not like you're going to debut anyway, eat well
— 청바진스 (@foraespa1117) November 30, 2023
For those struggling with eating disorders, recovery is always possible. For those without, harsh words might be the first response to accounts using idols in this way, however, like other mental illnesses, finding grace and kindness might go further in helping someone.
