Volume 1 2009 Chapter 84: Bae Joo Hyun's Reasons for Selection
"From this perspective, every trainee who doesn't debut is a loss to the company."
"SM's trainee selection is very strict, because each person is a big expense. And as SM is the overlord of Korean Wave, there are countless trainees who want to join, so the competition for SM's trainee selection is very fierce, and it is difficult to get in."
"Generally speaking, female trainees have the following basic requirements. First, they are usually under 16 years old. Second, they are usually not less than 160cm tall. Third, they must be beautiful and meet SM's aesthetic standards, like Yoona from Girls' Generation."
"Of course, these are just basic requirements. We also need to examine the applicant's past resume, to ensure that he or she has no bad history, and that he or she has the potential to be a good singer or dancer. Of course, if some items are particularly outstanding, the requirements for other indicators can be lowered."
After saying this, he looked at Bae Joo-hyun carefully, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke the most heartbreaking truth in the gentlest tone.
"Joo Hyun joined the company right after she graduated from high school. Her age is far above the upper limit, so she is considered an older trainee. And her height... should be less than 160cm, right?"
After saying this, he pretended to look Bae Joo-hyun up and down unintentionally.
"Ah!" Bae Joo-hyun exploded immediately. The attack on her height and age was like touching the butt of a tiger, and a tigress at that.
"Sister is still a young girl, okay? How can you be considered old? I am 157cm tall! 157! I'm 160cm tall with shoes on!"
"Hahaha!" It was a rare sight to see her usually dignified sister get angry, and Sun Eun-hee laughed to death.
Yi Haoyan ignored Pei Zhuxuan's protest and continued to analyze: "I have heard Sister's singing skills, which are not bad, but she is not talented enough to be a lead singer. I have also watched her dancing, and at least she is still far behind Seulgi. Then how did Sister Zhuxuan, who has mediocre talent, is not tall enough, and is over the age limit, get selected?"
"Ah! I think you're itching for trouble!!" Those few harsh words were like a miraculous blood pressure-raising drug, causing Bae Joo-hyun's blood pressure to rise sharply. She couldn't help but tilt her head and support the back of her head, looking as if she had suffered a strong shock.
"Don't be angry, sister! The fact that you were selected means that SM must have some advantages in you, and they are huge advantages that allow them to ignore other shortcomings and let you be selected."
Seeing that Pei Zhuxuan was about to faint from anger, Yi Haoyan hurriedly continued to explain.
"In fact, I think that Sister Zhu Xuan's appearance and temperament are a huge advantage! To be honest, Sister, you are really too beautiful. It is almost impossible for a face like this not to debut."
The sudden turn caught everyone off guard, and Bae Joo-hyun once suspected that she had heard it wrong.
Wasn’t he just a short guy with mediocre talent and overage?
"Joo Hyun's looks and temperament are well matched. Strictly speaking, she is a 'big beauty' type similar to the old-school Hong Kong female stars, not the plastic surgery template face that is commonly seen nowadays."
"Beauty lies in the bones, not in the skin."
"Joo Hyun's looks are the kind that make people feel comfortable after looking at her. You may not find her stunning at first glance, but you will gradually fall in love with her. She is the kind of beauty that is worth looking at for a long time."
The boy's praise calmed the girl down a little.
"And this kind of beauty is rare in Korea. It is very recognizable and you won't be blind to the face. Although plastic surgery is very common in Korea, people still admire natural beauties more."
"Ah! Is Joo Hyun as beautiful as you said? When did you become so smooth-talking?" Sun Eun-hee complained with a look of disgust.
"It's not an exaggeration. In fact, in the Korean entertainment industry, actors have the highest status. Most of the top beauties in the entertainment industry choose to be actors, such as SM's Lee Yeon-hee and Go Ara."
"Even the prettier ones among idols are actresses, like Yoona. This means that most of the remaining so-called 'beauties' in the idol circle are just the result of makeup and post-production packaging, not real beauties."
The boy smiled and said, "Because the real beauties all become actresses."
"But after a beauty of Joohyun's caliber debuts, that will obviously change!"
These words made Bae Joo-hyun blush a little. She didn't think she was at that level.
"Some beauties' looks are inconsistent with their personalities. They look innocent, but their personalities are rebellious. It's difficult to promote such people because their looks and personalities restrain each other. The most typical example is Erika Sawajiri of RB."
"Joo Hyun's personality is gentle and dignified, which matches her appearance, and will have a bonus effect. She may become the most beautiful woman in the Korean idol world in the future!"
Pei Zhuxuan, whose blood pressure had just risen, felt much better after listening to Yi Haoyan's explanation. However, she couldn't laugh immediately, so she had to cover her face to calm her drastic emotions.
"Also, as girls grow up, their appearance changes. Some girls are very pretty when they are 15-16 years old, but become ugly when they grow up."
Yi Haoyan added: "However, in this regard, Sister Zhuxuan's age is not a disadvantage but an advantage. Sister is already 18 years old, and her appearance has basically been determined. Even if there are some changes in the future, it will not be a big difference. In this regard, I think SM's selection staff are more experienced than me."
"Ah~" Sun Enxi sighed: "You can really make the living dead and the dead alive. Just now you said that Zhu Xuan is an old trainee?"
"Hehe, there's also height," Yi Haoyan laughed proudly, "Not being tall enough isn't a disadvantage. To some extent, it can even be a cute feature."
"Um?"
Can it be reversed this way?
Pei Zhuxuan was stunned: "Didn't you say it didn't meet the standard? Why is it cute again?"
“This is a long story,” Yi Haoyan kept the topic a secret, “Let’s start with the history of the development of Asian idols.”
"Asian idol culture originated from RB."
"The first generation of female idols in RB was represented by Yamaguchi Momoe. At that time, female idols were truly national idols and the top of the entertainment industry. The first generation of female idols were all models of both beauty and talent. Their singing skills, talents, looks, and bodies were all top-notch. They were like 'goddesses' in the entertainment industry. Such artists are hard to come by."
"Later, most female idols followed the goddess route, but goddesses are a minority after all. Female idols are so popular, and real goddesses are hard to find, so they have to be packaged. The result is that there are too many goddesses, the quality has dropped, the audience has begun to get tired of the goddesses, and it has become increasingly difficult to follow the goddess route."
Son Eun-hee and Bae Joo-hyun were both attracted by Yi Haoyan's story and listened attentively to Yi Haoyan's talk about the history of idols.
"It wasn't until 1985 that Yasushi Akimoto launched the Kitten Club. This is an idol group that recruits active female high school students. The threshold is very low and there are almost no professional requirements. The concept of the whole group is 'personality and growth'!"
"This fat guy is an absolute genius!" Yi Haoyan exclaimed with admiration.
