On November 3rd, Park Chanyeol, a member of the Korean idol group EXO, repeatedly sent two Weibo, claiming that he was chased and intercepted by more than 20 motorcades on the Shanghai viaduct, which almost caused an accident. After investigation in www.thepaper.cn, The Paper,These vehicles belong to the idolize motorcade, which provides car-following service for fans. The motorcade leader also provided reporters with quotations for various services in idolize, ranging from 100 yuan to several thousand yuan.
According to the reporter from The Paper, there have been traffic accidents caused by crazy fans following cars before. Previously, in June 2015, when South Korean star Kim Soo Hyun arrived in Shanghai to shoot an advertisement, the organizer dispatched more than 30 security guards and 10 "nanny cars" to stop the groupies’ vehicles, and the two sides launched a chase on the road, which was dangerous.
Many netizens called for rational idolize, emphasizing that "love is restraint", and fans’ crazy behavior should not be allowed to hurt the stars themselves and other public.
Weibo screenshot
Park Chanyeol sent Weibo to describe being chased and intercepted on the elevated road.
On November 3rd, Park Chanyeol, a member of the Korean band EXO, revealed through his personal Weibo: "On my way to Shanghai from the airport, about 20 cars have been following my car. These cars blocked the road, changed lanes many times on the expressway and blocked our car, which almost caused an accident several times."
He mentioned in another Weibo: "On the road we must pass, there are also many cars parked, which also hinder the passage of the road."
"It is wrong to do such a dangerous thing on the highway." Park Chanyeol hopes that fans can support EXO without affecting others and their own safety.
As of the evening of 4th, these two Weibo have been forwarded about 100,000 times.
Park Chanyeol didn’t specify who the 20 following vehicles belonged to, but Weibo’s comments were directed at some fanatical fans and exposed the Weibo account of a suspected team leader.
On November 3rd, a reporter from The Paper got in touch with the Weibo blogger, who called himself Lao Zhang. Lao Zhang said bluntly that the 20 cars mentioned by Park Chanyeol Weibo were his motorcade. "I was scolded to death by my fans in Weibo".
Talking about why it is so dangerous to drive, Lao Zhang admits that this is at the request of fans, who hope to be closer to the star’s car, which makes Lao Zhang have to drive to keep up with the star’s car. In the case of constantly overtaking and changing lanes at high speed, Lao Zhang said that "safety can be guaranteed".
Lao Zhang also said that more than 5,000 fans have taken their cars in idolize. As long as the stars appear in their field of vision, they can help fans track them all the way there. His services include tracking stars all the way, taking fans to the airport and waiting at the star’s residence. He earns income and lives with the "fan economy", and often publishes information about Korean stars in his circle of friends to attract business.For example, on October 30th, he posted a message in his circle of friends: "Ji Chang Wook will arrive in Shanghai tomorrow night, and fans who want to talk to the car will quickly write to me privately.".
Lao Zhang said that in the fierce market competition, the quotations of various idolize activities have been relatively transparent, and revealed his own quotations:Participate in a car-following operation, and each fan has to pay 100 yuan; If idolize is alone, the price is 500 yuan per person; If you want to follow the star’s residence, you have to ask 800 yuan.Another idolize-based organization in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province said that Park Chanyeol’s fans are sent to 100 yuan per person, and all the way to idolize, 200 yuan per person, with discounts for more than 6 people, and participation in group performances ranges from 800 yuan to 1000 yuan per person.
Idolize caused an accident, and fans called for restraint in love.
So crazy idolize, will it bring security risks? According to The Paper search, not long ago, there was a traffic accident caused by fans chasing Han Xing in Shanghai.
On June 3rd, 2015, South Korean star Kim Soo Hyun arrived in Shanghai to shoot an advertisement, and dispatched more than 30 security guards and 10 "nanny cars" to stop the groupies’ vehicles. The two sides launched a chase on the road, which was full of dangers. About 10 idolize vehicles, from the hotel where they live to the film and television base where they shoot advertisements, take about 1.5 hours by car. From time to time, there are dangerous situations such as crossing the line, cutting in cars, running red lights, etc. The organizer dispatched 10 "nanny cars" to protect the RV that Kim Soo Hyun was riding along the road, making it difficult for fans to get close.
On the afternoon of the same day, Kim Soo Hyun left after the rehearsal, and the groupie team continued to chase after her. As a result, two fan cars collided, but they didn’t stop. They chased Kim Soo Hyun and returned to the hotel to talk about compensation.
In addition, no matter where the stars go, fans follow them step by step. Whether it involves disturbing social public order, violating traffic regulations, infringing on the privacy rights of stars, etc. is also a social issue worth discussing.
Under Park Chanyeol’s Weibo, many fans called for "rationality" and "love is restraint". Netizen "61-year-old I will accompany you to your old age" wrote: "I don’t know in what mood he asked the staff who can speak Chinese to send two such Weibo in succession. I only know that those so-called likes and loves have troubled him. Isn’t love protecting and guarding him well?"