Jennie Receives Criticism for Controversial Fandom Name

On the morning of September 19, Jennie, along with Columbia Records—a subsidiary of Sony Music—officially kicked off the promotion of her new album. Prior to this, the BLACKPINK rapper attracted significant attention by initiating a 12-hour countdown on September 18, heightening fan anticipation for the announcement. Jennie’s initial promotional activity included launching a dedicated website, allowing fans to create their own accounts.

Jennie's promotional activity — Jennie has recently revealed her website, inviting fans to sign up and engage with news about her upcoming album.

Significantly, Jennie also communicated with her fans, affectionately dubbing them “Rubies” and expressing, “Stay tuned, we’ll meet soon.” This approach fueled excitement among her global fanbase. The term “Rubies” is perceived as Jennie’s proposed new fandom name, but it has sparked considerable controversy.

Jennie’s Message to Fans, Referring to Them as “Rubies”

“hi rubies, it’s jennie. stay tuned and see you soon. love you, bye” 😭❤️ pic.twitter.com/ID1JrkR2Ey

— jennie (@jnkrated) September 18, 2024

Amidst the rising fan enthusiasm, Korean netizens swiftly pointed out the perceived “carelessness” of Jennie’s management. The name “Rubies,” believed to symbolize Jennie’s personal fandom, was already in use by singer Kwon Eunbi. In the K-pop industry, duplicating fandom names is considered a serious faux pas, as a fandom name symbolizes the entire community of fans associated with an artist. Odd Atelier, Jennie’s management, has faced substantial backlash from the public.

Jennie's controversy — Jennie is under scrutiny for referring to her fanbase as “Rubies.”

Kwon Eunbi's fandom — This overlaps with the fandom name of singer Kwon Eunbi.

Following the eruption of controversy, Odd Atelier was compelled to release a clarification. A representative from the company informed the media that “Rubies” is not Jennie’s official fandom designation: “It was simply a casual mention of her fans on the information page to convey news and does not signify the official fandom name.”

Jennie's past controversies — Jennie’s team has once again faced criticism due to perceived unprofessionalism.

Despite the clarification, Odd Atelier has failed to satisfy fans on online platforms, with many expressing disappointment that Jennie’s new team has seemingly overlooked learning from past mistakes. The creation of Jennie’s website, along with the fan greeting, was presumably a premeditated initiative that should have been executed with greater diligence.

The company’s inadequate research regarding existing artists’ fandoms resulted in Jennie using “Rubies,” and a denial was only issued after public outrage. Meanwhile, Jennie already has a well-established and catchy name for her personal fanbase—”Jensetter” —which was not employed in this context. Although this incident may not be severe, it inevitably attracted unnecessary criticism just before the launch of her solo album.

Knet Reactions:

“That name has already been taken. This is unacceptable. Kwon Eunbi’s fans are justified in their anger. Didn’t they check beforehand?”
“Kwon Eunbi’s fan club name is RUBI. Why didn’t Jennie’s management verify this?”
“This shares a name with another solo artist’s fandom. It’s disrespectful, and they’re trying to skate by on Jennie’s popularity.”
“She even set a countdown for the announcement, yet the name duplicates another artist’s. Now the team claims it was accidental.”
“The idol industry frequently exhibits a lack of ethics. Fans will support Jennie no matter what.”
“Does Jennie not have a competent team? Did she handle all these decisions on her own?”
“This isn’t the first blunder by Jennie’s new management.”
“When will this team ever act professionally?”
“Without YG, it’s a disaster waiting to happen.”

Source: K14

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