Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE

Love seeing al the contestants be so nice to each other and form deep relationships, they all worked soooo hard!!! Huge respect!

Hated the fact that all these lovely people did not know what they signed up for and got lied to by the makers of the show

The makers said things like, fans want drama and the show needs it

NO WE DON'T WANT DRAMA!!! WE WANT TO SEE GIRLS FOLLOW THEIR DREAMS, HYPING EACH OTHER UP, HELPING EACH OTHER, they did exactly that, But the makers ruined it

This show missed the mark, it wasted it's own potential by choice, could have been a great launce for a new gil band!!!

A group of talented but naive hopefuls from around the world consent to giving away up to two years of their life to a multinational music conglomeration intent on melding them into an international, cohesive, KPop-style girl group. Though contracts and NDAs were signed by all, apparently not a single participant bothered to have an attorney look over the contracts or have them explained. Apparently, they each took the promise of, "Baby, I'm gonna make you a STAR!" at face value and didn't consider the potential price that each would have to pay. Have they never been taught that "All that glitters is not gold," or the clear winner when you make a deal to "sell your soul"?

Besides the giant spiderweb these ingenues become ensnared within, I was immediately struck by the lack of professionalism of (what I call) "the camp counselors", particularly the woman in charge, who actually wept with emotion when speaking to the initial group of 14 hopefuls. Her way of speaking, with many of her declarations/statements are made with an upturn at the end, making each sound like questions. Her manner of presents herself in frumpy clothes, slumped posture, and offering little eye contact when communicating, doesn't inspire confidence in her abilities or authority, either. Her sister, the professional dancer (the "fiery" one), is far more self-assured and confident, and she deals with the girls with authority and clear(er) expectations.

We're given few details about the girls other than some carefully-curated backstories. For example, which girls are homesick? Is school provided for the minors? Which girls are with "guardians"/parents and which ones are in the house? What does a typical day look like: how many hours spent dancing? Singing? Presenting? Have the girls been instructed on cultivating a unique persona? How disciplined is each girl, really? How reliable? How many dance routines did they have to learn? How do they afford to go out? Who pays for personal grooming? What about conflict amongst the participants? Feelings of jealousy? I can't be the only viewer alarmed by the story told by one of the younger girls' "guardian", which goes something like this: While lurking around a random performance event (a pageant or dance recital), she happened across a most charismatic and talented child of about 6 or 7 years old, whom, she was convinced, could become a star, but only under her own tutelage and Hollywood connections. Somehow, this fairy godmother convinced the child's parent/s to sign over guardianship and move her to Hollywood. We're never told what the fairy godmother was getting out of the deal (other than unfettered access to a young child, obviously), nor when her (skeevy) partner came into the picture. If *I* want to know details like this, others do, too.

I also take issue with the editing (which, granted, must have been a monumental task): each episode covers such huge gaps in time that it's difficult for the viewer to know where we are in the story. For example: how did a foot fracture heal in the blink of an eye? What did the injured do during the six weeks+ of recovery: practice her voice for the entire six weeks? How on earth did she catch up with the dance routines? Did she receive physical therapy? Who paid the medical bill? I can't imagine you can get out of a boot and be back to new, let alone start back with daily training in heels.

While I fully appreciate the immense talent and importance of dancers, singers, athletes, and other performers, making this one's profession is usually folly. What percentage of dancers can support themselves without help? There is simply too much talent and too few opportunities in a field where you're a single injury away from catastrophic failure. Even if you're one of the "lucky ones" who escape an acute/devastating injury, the toll dancing/sport takes on a body can't be overstated. We only get one. In professions where the competition is so extreme, corruption is bound to occur; how can it possibly be otherwise? Also, the career lifespan of a dancer is self-limiting: how many professional dancers are there over the age of, say, 35?

I couldn't help compare this show with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (DCC) documentary: as weird and culty the DCC seem to be, I was endlessly impressed by the level of excellence, professionalism, and commitment displayed by every participant of the DCC, from top to bottom. In contrast, "The Making of a Pop Star" (MPS) feels like Amateur Hour, like no one really knows what they're doing (save the Chairman and the recording expert). Like the DCC, the MPS participants work around the clock with no days off, and for a pittance, if anything. In both cases, riches are never promised, only fame.

In situations like MPS or DCC, the ONLY people who stand to profit are the producers at the top: the performers are truly nothing more than dancing monkeys, performing not even for riches, but merely for the promise of fame. Talk about a deal with the devil! Fame neither fills your belly nor keeps you warm at night; it's both fleeting AND a double-edged sword. Did no one warn these girls?

I prefer survival/talent reality shows when they focus on the hard work of their participant so this one really hits the spot. There's a refreshing lack of drama but a huge focus on how difficult and full of sacrifice the K-pop Industry is. It does feel unfair sometimes since the participants are really young and were clearly not prepared for how difficult it would be. I would still appreciate more complete performances, it was always like a teaser of them and I have no interest in checking the full performance on the internet.

I appreciate how honest the production was there, they told you right on camera that if they did this is because it would work well with the audience even if it seemed unfair.

Speaking of production some of the managers always looked like on the edge of a burn-out, they don't really talk about that but you can feel how tiresome it was for the multiple managers there.

I won't follow the final band, K-pop is not my thing but they definitely deserve a career for their talent and dedication.

I get the feeling that the makers of this show had the intention of creating a buzz around the formation of the next big girl group. Instead, I've watched a social experiment where teenage girls are subjected to harsh regimes, criticisms, and anxiety, all in the name of being famous and making some producers a lot of money. I appreciate that pop stars have to deal with a lot in their careers, but this really shows the shallow and ugly side of the music industry. I would say it's worth a watch just to understand the pop music industry more (read "don't let your children get involved"), but it won't be as entertaining as you might hope. The only saving grace is how nice it is that the girls support one another.

I marveled at what an amazing training opportunity this was for the tremendously talented girls aspiring to be professional entertainers. 1-2 years of coaching every day by the industry's best. Seeing how the coaches polished the participants who already had natural talent, and in most cases, many years of training already reminded me of the many levels between better and best.

Is it good television? It is a documentary of two major entertainment companies investing in a project with potential billion dollar returns. Every decision made is a business decision, with the girls as business inputs. Nevertheless, I appreciated getting to know the trainees.

Some of my favorites did not get chosen in the end. Good luck to both those who made it in the group and to the ones who didn't make it, who no doubt will go on to successful careers in the entertainment industry.