What is the big deal about "KPop Demon Hunters" right now? It seems like a strange concept to dominate global Netflix streaming numbers and global Billboard charts with songs from the soundtrack. I fought the urge to watch the Top 10 suggestion in my Netflix account probably partially because I’m a natural-born contrarian and think if everyone’s doing it, I’ll hard-pass thanks, but mostly because it’s merely a child’s cartoon. But it’s not.
The movie is a mix of Anime-esque imagery containing deep themes of family betrayal, demon possession, invisible good vs. evil battles with a touch of boy bands, silly camera-direct styling and sacrificial love. A modern cinema smorgasbord.
The main characters are in a demon hunting girl band, Huntr/x. They want to win the equivalent of American Idol by performing and vying for votes from a demon boy band. The world’s status hangs in the balance — along with their personal soul destination — based on their performance. Life purpose is wrapped up in how many online “followers” they have.
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
How could this convoluted storyline be so popular? By analyzing the draw for kids and deeper takeaways from the movie, I’ll explain two reasons why it resonates with youth across cultures; the first sociological and the second psychological. Plus, how parents and caring adults can respond.
First, the movie reflects our kids’ desire to be famous.
According to recent polling, the top career ambition of Gen Z is to be a social media influencer. You heard it right, not a doctor, lawyer, scientist, computer programmer or any other collegiate bound path but a selfie stick holding professional. The previous generations’ moonshot careers just don’t have the same appeal anymore. Why? Because they don’t land you in the celebrity category. Fourth through sixth graders, in another recent study, were asked to rank life values and a whopping 40% ranked fame first.
Where in the world did this thirst for fame come from? Take a peek in the mirror grown-ups.
The same study suggests that the amount of active time on social media (posting, reposting, liking, etc.) has a strong correlation in how highly participants ranked fame in their list of perceived values. As kids love to point out, it’s not all their fault. Who posted clips of them when they did everything from tasting lemons as babies to their first day of school to kindergarten naps? Maybe the kids are picking up clues from adults’ values when we can’t get an unobstructed view of the school play or band concert due to so many phones in the air. This might be little Ava’s breakout viral moment!
Even in “old media” formats, television content has changed from when themes were focused on community through belonging and helping others, think “The Cosby Show,” “The Jeffersons,” “Friends,” to fame-focused content, such as “America’s Got Talent,” “Hannah Montana” and “The Kardashians.” We can’t hide from the truth that we’re promoting the main way to change and impact the world is to be famous.
Despite the chances of actually making money being a famed social media influencer being less than 1%, according to a media analytics company, young people are still shooting for fame.
The second reason “KPop Demon Hunters” is drawing youthful attention by the droves is that kids are looking for models of unabashed acceptance.
In a cultural moment focused on image enhancement and performative reels, kids and teens want to know that we see their flaws and inadequacies and we fully love them as they are. One of the pivotal scenes in the movie is when the two main characters, Rumi and Jinu, reveal their stained past to others. Rumi reveals to her friends that she is part demon. Jinu reveals that he betrayed his family, leaving him with immense guilt. Both characters fought through haunting feelings of inadequacy, isolation and shame that originated as kids.
To be fully known and unconditionally accepted into community with others is universal. In the psychological framework of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, love and belonging are among the three most basic needs of human thriving, the other two being food and shelter. Research shows us “early experiences of parental love, acceptance, or rejection leave children with far more than just memories. They fundamentally shape how children, and the adults they become, perceive themselves, relate to others, and make sense of the world.” Our brains actually respond to rejection the same way they respond to physical pain; through activating the dorsal and ventral anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula, and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex. It’s deemed the “social rejection” neural network.
So we just provide acceptance, it’s that simple. But it’s much more complex. We can express rejection to our kids in many ways. When we’re too busy and distracted to listen to them. When we are too anxious to see their needs. When they disappoint us because they’re different than we were at their age, when we avoid things in them that scare us, when we deny things we don’t understand in them and when we become rigid in how we communicate. We have more opportunities for fully accepting our kids than we might think.
I’ll conclude by leaving you with the thought that no matter what our kids want to be when they grow up, famous or not, they’re looking for a place to be fully known and loved with no filters, despite their flaws, wounds and mistakes. After all, they’re going to need someone to turn to when that TikTok career goes south.
Beth Collums is an Atlanta-based writer. With a professional background in child and family therapy, she often writes about the intersection of mental health, relationships and education.
If you have any thoughts about this item, or if you’re interested in writing an op-ed for the AJC’s education page, drop us a note at education@ajc.com.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
