Why TVXQ! fans hate the term “the real deal” (repost)

Seems like a lot of people still don’t get why calling them “the real deal” is rude, so I’m bringing back this post from 2024.

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What’s the “real deal” joke?

It seems to mean calling the original artist’s performance of a frequently covered song “the real deal.”

But for one side to be “the real deal,” the other side has to be “fake,” so I think it’s a rude meme that hurts people.

Just because someone performs a cover doesn’t mean that performance isn’t real. The junior artists probably worked hard to put on a great performance too, and they say they prepared it with respect and admiration for their seniors, so you can’t just call that performance fake.

But the recent JX concert made the term “the real deal” spread, and JX fans have also been using it to promote them or gush over them. They were already constantly leaving comments like “they’re no match for Hero Jaejoong and XIA Junsu” under junior idol groups’ cover performances, so the term caused a lot of resentment among those idols’ fans. On top of that, they openly called TVXQ!, who are also the original artists, fake rather than “the real deal.” During the JX concert, it got bad enough that even other fandoms on theqoo stepped in and told them to stop.

Videos that come up when you search YouTube for “the real deal”

It doesn’t stop at gushing over them as “the real deal”

You can find comments using the term “the real deal” to put others down

all over places that have absolutely nothing to do with JX, without even trying.

There are even comments saying TVXQ! aren’t “the real deal,” so they should give up the name.

I think it’s fine to like or dislike any singer. But TVXQ! have consistently promoted under the TVXQ! name for 20 years, and they’re still promoting as TVXQ! now and will continue to do so. There’s no reason the two members should be attacked as not being “the real deal” or as being fake. Especially if the “real deal” meme is supposed to mean the original artist.

But TVXQ! have done perfectly well all this time without using the term “the real deal.” Songs need to be sung by lots of people to avoid being forgotten and to stay meaningful and remembered for a long time, so I hope people stop using “the real deal” to put down junior idols and hurt their fans.

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Bringing this back because it seems like a lot of people still don’t understand why “the real deal” is rude.

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