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| Behind SNH48’s Popularity: What Drives Young Women to Join Despite Agency Controversy? (Photos: Weibo/SNH48/Instagram) |
Alright, let’s not sugar-coat it — SNH48’s managing company, Shanghai Siba Culture Media (often nicknamed STAR48 or SB), has earned itself a properly iffy reputation among Chinese idol fans.
We’re talking alleged mistreatment of members, endless drama in groups like SNH48, GNZ48, BEJ48, CKG48, and even the relatively new CGT48. Some idols have even quit in frustration, with a few bold enough to take the agency to court.
So the big question is: why on earth are there still so many girls in China queuing up to join SNH48 GROUP?
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Turns out there’s actually a fair bit of logic behind it — wobbly reputation or not.
First off, SNH48 is still hands down the largest and most stable idol ecosystem in China. Like, proper theatre shows every week, a huge fanbase, and a proven track record of making people famous.
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Underground idol collectives are still seen as a hobby side-hustle, and short-video “GGs” on Douyin live in a weird grey area with no proper stage to perform on. If you want to call yourself a real “idol” in China, SNH48 is still your most visible ticket.
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Next, theatre idols like SNH48 guarantee you an actual stage, unlike big-name talent agencies such as Yuehua Entertainment where you might get shelved in the basement for years, never debut, and basically vanish from sight.
At SNH48, even trainees are part of the group and can perform regularly. That’s a massive selling point — just ask Alimire, who shopped around other agencies but went for SB in the end because at least she’d get on stage.
Then there’s the, well, no-standards policy (some would say). If you’re cute enough, that’s more or less it. Plenty of girls join SNH48 with literally zero dance or singing experience, and a fair few become popular despite being tone-deaf or dancing like a duck. Compared to K-pop’s crazy filters and stress tests, SNH48 feels almost welcoming.
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Another huge plus is their age flexibility. In a lot of other agencies, if you’re 19 or above, you’re basically a dinosaur. SNH48 sets the bar at 22 — and even that’s negotiable if you charm them enough. Loads of talented girls who get rejected elsewhere for being “too old” find a shot here.
About those contracts — yes, they’re notoriously rubbish. But for girls who just want to tick “idol life” off their bucket list before going back to med school or uni, it’s not the worst thing in the world.
You sign up, have your moment in the spotlight, then bounce. That’s probably why you see so many SNH48 members these days deciding to quit after a year or two — they’ve had their fun and move on.
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And let’s be real, everyone on the internet jokes that SNH48 has turned into the “evil lesbian group” lately. The group has a rep for being super queer-friendly compared to other more conservative agencies, and that alone attracts a solid chunk of new members, some even hoping to date their idols.
In other companies, the infamous disciples of Zuo Jingyuan would be vaporised by management, but in SNH48? You’re (more or less) free to vibe, at least until you get caught being too obvious.
Finally, a lot of new girls just don’t do any proper research. They see “Siba is a major idol company” on DeepSeek or ChatGPT, think of big names like Ju Jingyi or Xuanyi who once trained there, and assume it’s the golden ticket to stardom. Which… sometimes it is, sometimes it absolutely isn’t.
So while SNH48’s agency remains controversial, the dream of being on stage, meeting fans, having a shot at fame, or just living out your youth in an idol uniform — for many, that’s still enough reason to give it a go. Even if the company is, well, a bit of a circus behind the scenes.