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Abstract

Decades have passed, but female fans who like male idols are still stigmatized, judged, and reduced to exist in society and popular culture. This is also what happened to ARMY, fans of the male idol group BTS. The research uses a qualitative research methodology elaborated through a feminist perspective to discuss how ARMYs are stigmatized because of the perceived inferiority of women and the existence of male domination in society, and also their love for the male group, regarded as the subordinated male group within the circle of hegemonic masculinity. However, the stigma and gender stereotypes attached to them were successfully broken. As a female fan group, ARMY realizes that humans are essentially free creatures who always make choices in their lives that will shape them as authentic individuals. With this full awareness, they take action through fan labor practices and fan activism, which leads them to optimize Creative Power.

Bahasa Abstract

Sudah beberapa dekade berlalu, tetapi perempuan penggemar yang mengagumi idola laki-laki masih terstigmatisasi, dihakimi, dan direduksi eksistensinya di tengah masyarakat dan budaya populer. Hal itulah yang juga terjadi pada ARMY, penggemar grup idola laki-laki BTS. Dengan menggunakan metodologi penelitian kualitatif yang dielaborasi melalui perspektif feminis, artikel ini membahas bagaimana ARMY distigmakan bukan hanya karena ada anggapan inferioritas perempuan dan dominasi laki-laki di dalam masyarakat, melainkan juga karena kecintaan mereka pada grup laki-laki yang termasuk kelompok laki-laki tersubordinasi di dalam lingkar hegemoni maskulinitas. Namun, stigma dan stereotipe gender yang dilekatkan pada mereka berhasil dipatahkan. ARMY selaku kelompok perempuan penggemar menyadari bahwa, pada hakikatnya, manusia adalah makhluk bebas yang selalu berhadapan dengan pilihan-pilihan dalam hidupnya yang akan membentuknya sebagai individu autentik. Dengan kesadaran penuh itu, mereka melakukan aksi melalui praktik fan labor dan fan activism yang pada akhirnya menghantarkan mereka pada pengoptimalan daya kreatif.

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Video

Subtitles, CHANNEEM. (2018, Oktober 18). [ENG] 181021 [EPISODE] BTS (방탄소년단) UN General Assembly Behind [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHk1OXseVPY&t=29s

Website

Grover, Chaviva, Roxana Ciocirlea, dan Nicole Santero. 2021. BTS ARMY Census 2020 Results. https:// www.btsarmycensus.com/results [diakses 19 Mei 2021].

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