KARA suing DSP Media Entertainment for Slave Contract

[al kusanagi]

[quote name='Ap2000' post='92211' date='Jan 21 2011, 05:13 PM']What have S/Mileage said about Kara ?

(The legs thing was with SNSD)[/quote]



Whatever. They all look and sound the same.

[Ap2000]

Thought so...

[surasshu]

[quote name='fpd' post='92207' date='Jan 21 2011, 09:24 PM']Tons of acts in America do nothing and make far, far, far more money than that. Just because they don't create the music doesn't mean they don't spend hours upon hours every single day suffering through multiple ridiculously long recordings and long practices. I'd be curious to see what 300,000 would end up being as an hourly wage for them, because I'm betting it wouldn't end up being all that much if you counted up all the hours they work.[/quote]

America is also way bigger than Korea, so due to sheer market size they will make much more money than their Korean equivalents, even if they're much less popular. But it's really not that much more. Just as an act I could Google off the top of my head which is somewhat comparable, Britney Spears made $2.5 million in 2008. That's $1M more than the combined force of KARA, but KARA is not an worldwide touring solo superstar.



They do work a lot, but they also have days off, and at least in KARA's case, one of the girls still went to school last time I checked.

[JPope]

Not only that, but being an American superstar almost always translates into being a global superstar. Being a Korean and Japanese superstar translates into being... a Korean and Japanese superstar.

[fpd]

lol, I like the comment from the DPS rep about the "proof" that the "J" guy tried to buy off the Kara members. "It's not physical evidence, but we have it" or w/e he said. That's so retarded I can't believe anyone would bother saying it haha.

*edit*

That's assuming that by physical evidence he means what it means in common English. Could just be a random translation thing I guess :/



I also by default hate KEPA because it's one letter away from KESPA and sounds about the same with what they say. KESPA fucked up Star Craft competitive play forever, and finally got their ass handed to them by Blizzard with SC2 if you don't know what that is.

[surasshu]

[quote name='fpd' post='92260' date='Jan 22 2011, 09:01 AM']lol, I like the comment from the DPS rep about the "proof" that the "J" guy tried to buy off the Kara members. "It's not physical evidence, but we have it" or w/e he said. That's so retarded I can't believe anyone would bother saying it haha.

*edit*

That's assuming that by physical evidence he means what it means in common English. Could just be a random translation thing I guess :/[/quote]

Maybe he means an email exchange or something? It does sound immeasurably stupid, but I don't know if I'm supposed to blame DSP or allkpop for that. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... /laugh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':whistling:' />

[Pflaume]

I am inclined to eternally give the big corporation the side-eye on this whole thing, and I'm a little baffled that anyone wouldn't. Sure, Shirley needs to keep her mouth shut for her own good... but I am willing to buy that she is just prioritizing her daughter's well-being. I'm certainly willing to believe it more than I am willing to believe DSP gives a crap about KARA's well-being at all.



On that note,

[JPope]

[quote name='Plum' post='92329' date='Jan 22 2011, 06:30 PM']I am inclined to eternally give the big corporation the side-eye on this whole thing, and I'm a little baffled that anyone wouldn't.[/quote]

I don't give anyone the benefit of the doubt on this thing. I understand that a lot of people just assume that big corporations are evil by default, but I don't. Especially a big corporation that spends millions of dollars training their employees with no guarantee of any return on that investment. and certainly not any big corporation that signs an agreement ahead of time with their employees spelling out exactly what is expected of both parties. There's a reason idols don't win these lawsuits: they signed into the agreement willingly. to overturn such contracts -- even such one-sided contracts -- would be an affront to the very idea of contract law.

[Pflaume]

It's not that I'm saying DSP is completely evil and the family is completely good, just that someone's mother is far more likely to have an emotional investment in that person's wellness than their employer. The corporation cares about them only in context of making them profitable. A parent's motivation for this sort of thing could be either emotional, greed-based, or a mix of both.



It was the parents' responsibility to ensure the contract was decent to begin with, which is an important point if we're just debating the contract's fairness. However, most of the claims against DSP are based on accusation that they didn't hold up their end of the agreement. The events they're complaining about are recent, and apply to situations that were—I assume, as this was never explicitly stated—not fully covered in the initial contract.

[Pflaume]

Everyone except Nicole has now agreed to negotiate or drop it entirely.

[sadude]

Good. Maybe this will mean the end of bad rapping in Kara's songs.

[Pflaume]

But she brought new love to the floor, and rocked what was real: La Couture.



Maybe you couldn't keep up, RAH!

[moralar]

[quote name='sadude' post='92383' date='Jan 24 2011, 12:49 AM']Good. Maybe this will mean the end of bad rapping in Kara's songs.[/quote]

Wouldn't it actually mean worse rapping, since the duties would shift to a non-English speaker? I don't think bad rapping is exactly an irreplaceable skill, unlike, say, Sunghee's vocals...

[surasshu]

[quote name='moralar' post='92483' date='Jan 24 2011, 06:51 AM'][quote name='sadude' post='92383' date='Jan 24 2011, 12:49 AM']Good. Maybe this will mean the end of bad rapping in Kara's songs.[/quote]

Wouldn't it actually mean worse rapping, since the duties would shift to a non-English speaker? I don't think bad rapping is exactly an irreplaceable skill, unlike, say, Sunghee's vocals...

[/quote]

Ideally they will stop with the damn rapping entirely, SNSD proves you don't need a rapper to make a good girl group. :3 Though to be fair, I thought Nicole's rapping was pretty much okay. It's her appearances on variety shows that really bothered me.

[fpd]

[quote name='///' post='92486' date='Jan 24 2011, 03:19 AM'][quote name='moralar' post='92483' date='Jan 24 2011, 06:51 AM'][quote name='sadude' post='92383' date='Jan 24 2011, 12:49 AM']Good. Maybe this will mean the end of bad rapping in Kara's songs.[/quote]

Wouldn't it actually mean worse rapping, since the duties would shift to a non-English speaker? I don't think bad rapping is exactly an irreplaceable skill, unlike, say, Sunghee's vocals...

[/quote]

Ideally they will stop with the damn rapping entirely, SNSD proves you don't need a rapper to make a good girl group. :3 Though to be fair, I thought Nicole's rapping was pretty much okay. It's her appearances on variety shows that really bothered me.

[/quote]

Almost every girl group has a "rapper" so I highly doubt Kara, which pretty heavily uses (and kinda led the charge to common use?) rap would stop using it.

[moralar]

[quote name='allkpop.com']With the three members having a contract that still lasts another 3-4 years, the trio has demanded their contracts be shortened to July of 2012 instead, as they would like to end their contract at the same time their contract with Universal Japan ends. They have also requested a more professional management team, as well as a transparent accounting system.



In addition, the three have requested for the resignation of the wife of CEO Lee Ho Yeon, who had been his replacement since last year after he fell into a coma. The trio would also like for a new system, whereby their legal representative could participate in the group’s accounting and contract audits.[/quote]

Yeah, say hello to 2-member Kara.

[eri]

[quote name='moralar' post='92578' date='Jan 25 2011, 07:54 AM'][quote name='allkpop.com']With the three members having a contract that still lasts another 3-4 years, the trio has demanded their contracts be shortened to July of 2012 instead, as they would like to end their contract at the same time their contract with Universal Japan ends. They have also requested a more professional management team, as well as a transparent accounting system.



In addition, the three have requested for the resignation of the wife of CEO Lee Ho Yeon, who had been his replacement since last year after he fell into a coma. The trio would also like for a new system, whereby their legal representative could participate in the group’s accounting and contract audits.[/quote]

Yeah, say hello to 2-member Kara.

[/quote]



Damn, that is some crazy nepotism going on. I guess one could argue that this is KARA using this moment of institutional frailty to their advantage. Alternatively, you can say this wife is mismanaging the company in a crazy grasp at retaining power.



Sad.

[fpd]

It sounds kinda like they're still spinning their wheels a bit, but making a bit of progress since meeting. Course that could all just be lies made up by the media anyway lol.



*edit*

K nvm, DSP is still not at all attempting to reconcile obviously. There's no reason to release the text pictures if you were trying to avoid a messy proceeding and reach a mutually beneficial and swift conclusion.

[Pflaume]

Hmm.



I don't really know what to think about this. Some people have decided this means a resolution, others are focusing in on it being only scheduled activities and a full resolution not having been reached.



Is there any precedent for a group coming out of something like this unscathed?

[fpd]

[quote name='Plum' post='92770' date='Jan 27 2011, 09:31 PM']Hmm.



I don't really know what to think about this. Some people have decided this means a resolution, others are focusing in on it being only scheduled activities and a full resolution not having been reached.



Is there any precedent for a group coming out of something like this unscathed?[/quote]

Yeah, when I read the article I was like "yay" until I got to the end and it was really unclear as to if that was really any sort of agreement or just a "we'll do what we said we'd do but we're still pissed" sort of thing.

[Pflaume]

Apparently all is well and KARA is back. Hooray for probably needless drama.

[surasshu]

... ¯\(°_0)/¯



[quote name='///' timestamp='1295452527' post='92048']I just hope this can somehow be fixed

[/quote]

Guess I got my wish. Looking forward to that episode of Strong Heart a couple years in the future where one of them tearfully explains what the fuck happened.

[Haru]

Shit just got real. (Link from Plum) This is assuming the source is legit.

[Pflaume]

I don't think it is? I don't know. It started with Tokyo Sports News, apparently, so someone else might know if they're a nonsensical tabloid or legitimate.

[luciole]

Well.



I wonder how long the song look to make? It's supposed to come out late-March.

[surasshu]

That ad actually came out around the same time as this scandal (first time I saw it was 25th of January), so it was finished before this whole debacle I would guess. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... /laugh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lol:' /> That song sounds good, though!

[luciole]

Did it? I was only aware of it for the past week or so. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... >/rofl.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />



It's amazing how good Korean groups can pronounce Japanese without knowing it.







I hope that KARA managed to get something out of the scandal, on paper or off itdoubt it but well...

[surasshu]

Yeah, I was also really impressed by the Japanese in that video. Kara really did a super good job picking it up really quickly, which makes it all the more annoying that SM Town seems to just not care enough to give Girls' Generation some proper lessons. I remember it being a big problem with DBSK too, so it seems like SM Town just doesn't give enough of a crap.



Ah sorry, went off topic a bit. But yeah KARA rocked the Japanese. I really want to hear that full song!

[Haru]

[quote name='Nao' timestamp='1297543785' post='93676']It's amazing how good Korean groups can pronounce Japanese without knowing it.

[/quote]



It's the same basic concept as being English and singing in Japanese without knowing it, or knowing too much of it. It's all in knowing the basic pronunciation. Even before I started studying Japanese heavily I was fairly decent in pronouncing the language.

Korean and Japanese are fairly close to each other in term of pronounciation, right? I never spend too much time listening to Korean when it's being spoken; and I really should watch more variety shows, but anyway.

[Ap2000]

[quote name='///' timestamp='1297566441' post='93694']

Yeah, I was also really impressed by the Japanese in that video. Kara really did a super good job picking it up really quickly, which makes it all the more annoying that SM Town seems to just not care enough to give Girls' Generation some proper lessons. I remember it being a big problem with DBSK too, so it seems like SM Town just doesn't give enough of a crap.



Ah sorry, went off topic a bit. But yeah KARA rocked the Japanese. I really want to hear that full song!

[/quote]



Maybe they're just more talented when it comes to pronouncing Japanese.

Or maybe some of them were already familiar with Japanese to some degree.



Either way, the promo video definitely has better Japanese than SNSD's in it.