From Skid Row to Superstardom: An Idol System Novel-Chapter 330: Producer (9)

After watching the episode, Grace immediately began browsing the (Pop Star / Dream) Academy community.

Directly skipping over the positive titles, she directly sorted by downvotes and began clicking into the hot posts.

[Production is Overcompensating, and Contestant Ariel isn’t really all that.]

[Okay, look, the episode was whatever. I hated the screen time distribution, but there’s a bigger problem! I understand that the production team has been screwing Ariel up behind the scenes, but they’ve apologized, put out a statement that they’ll do better, etc, so let’s move on. These evaluation rankings are rigged, and they need to stop shoving him down my throat! I don’t care about him! There is no world in which Ariel is a better singer than Jamie or Carlos, and absolutely no world in which he’s a better rapper than Benjamin or Levi! Clearly, production is trying to prove that they’re not really against him, that it was just the PD who got fired, which is whatever, but why do Benjamin, Carlos, and all the other contestants have to suffer because of it? Look at their last performance and tell me those two didn’t deserve to be number 1 in their respective category. Why does Jamie have to share first place with Ari? I stand by what I said! Ariel doesn’t deserve to be tied for first place in vocal or to come in first during the rap evaluation! He’s definitely not top 3 in dance. Also, he definitely doesn’t deserve to be first overall. It’s clearly being rigged, and other contestants shouldn’t have to suffer just because he got done a little dirty and is reaping the benefits of being pitied.]

└ Kick rocks! Ari is here to stay, and he’s going to continue being shoved down your throat, so you better get used to it!

└└Ari’s Angels are getting cocky when Ari was so close to elimination last time. Better watch out bc when his pity party is over, his votes are going to drop!

└└└ That was rigged because why won’t production share the vote count!

└└└└Excuses excuses.

└└└ Shouldn’t you delusional princesses be getting therapy and anger management classes just like your contestant? Or better yet, shouldn’t William be quitting? Like he said he would? Please join him and quit as well.

└ Jamie would hate you for talking about Ari that way, btw. He would unplug your life support to charge Ari’s phone because you can see how excited he is that Ari got first place. He was even happier for Ari than for himself.

└└ idc! Idc! He can hate me all he wants, but I will absolutely defend him when production is screwing him over. He clearly deserved first place in vocals, and he deserves more votes. Justice for Jamie! He deserves better than that French rat who snitched and leaked everything.

└└└You’re blaming him for videos being leaked and not blaming the PD and William for acting terribly? Just say you’re a Royal Family fan and get out! Don’t taint Jamie’s name with your nonsense!

└└└ Are you stupid? Did you not hear what Idol Areum said? Ari got the most votes in the show’s history, so even if Jamie had come first in vocals, Ari would still be the overall first-ranked contestant. He swept in all categories + the votes! In fact, you all are lucky they changed the rules to include judges’ ranking and not just pure votes; otherwise, none of the other contestants would have a chance.

└└└└ And whose fault is that? The only reason he got all those votes is that the GP feels bad for him. They’re not even fans of the show, but just because he got done a little dirty, everyone feels bad for him, and they keep voting for him and screwing all the deserving contestants over!

└└└└└Exactly! It’s not fair to Benjamin and Daniel because they’ve consistently been number 1 and number 2, and now all of a sudden, somebody who barely scraped by the last elimination is in first place? It’s obviously rigged because everyone pities Ari.

└└└└└└Sybau Ari’s Angels on top!

After scanning through the comments that devolved into a mudslinging contest, Grace clicked on another post.

[Contestant Ariel is Such a Fake Friend.]

[I am one of the people who supports Vishal, and I can say how much I feel bad for him (English is not my first language, so sorry in advance). Since the beginning, Vishal has been nothing but a good friend to Ariel.

He supported him, stayed for late practices with him, and has always been a good team member to him, but what does he get in return? Nothing. All of his hard work and goodwill toward Ariel were ignored and thrown away.

Did you see how Ariel looked at Vishal while he was giving his speech to thank his friends? That is not how you look at a friend.

At the first opportunity, Ariel abandons him because he can’t handle the truth of what Vishal says.

He chose only high-ranked teammates and then forced Vishal’s other friends to blacklist him, which means Vishal has to be stuck on a team with horrible William. Vishal deserves better, and I’m glad he’s finally rising up the ranks, but he should be higher up because he is so talented. He deserves true friends who will support him and not a rude, French rat who will stab him in the back to climb.]

└ You’re completely delulu. Royal family level of delulu.

└ How did Ari brainwash Vishal’s other "friends" to blacklist him in the 0.5 seconds after the ranking ceremony? Quickly answer! Because the last time I checked, this is a competition, and the leaders want the best people on their teams. Tell your contestant to get gud!

└ Are you trying to say that Jamie and Benjamin are closer to Vishal than they are to Ari? Because that is the most insane take ever. Ari and Jamie are literally each other’s best friends. They do everything together, and the only time they’re separate is when they’re not on the same team! And Benjamin is equally close to Jamie and Ari, as they’ve been seen driving around in Jamie’s car before. He’s also close to other contestants because he’s a friendly big bro, but you can tell the people he regards highly. The only way we knew Vishal interacted with those 2 outside the show was through Ari’s birthday post, and that was a one-time thing. Vishal is literally just a nerdy extra tagging along with the cool kids, and now that they don’t want him on their team because he’s less skilled, it’s a problem? Gtfo.

└└ Oh, so just because he’s indian, he has to be a nerd? Ari is literally the valedictorian of his school, was doing homework on his livestream, and has spoken about studying extra languages in his spare time just so he can eavesdrop, etc., and I don’t see you calling him a nerd!

└└└ It’s simple. Ari is cool, and Vishal is not. Stay mad about it.

└└└└ Just say you’re racist and like perpetuating stereotypes like a loser

└└└└└ Calling a nerd a nerd = me being racist? Try opening a book and figuring out the definition of the word you’re using before coming at me.

└└└└└└ Don’t know what perpetuating means? Awwww, that’s a big word for Elmo. It seems you should be opening up a book.

└└└└└└└ You clearly don’t know what racist means you dumb f*ck

...└ The only reason Vishal rose up the ranks so much was that he was luckily on Benjamin’s team. Benjamin and Carlos carried that performance so hard that I didn’t even realize that Vishal was there. If he were in any other team, he would be at the bottom of the ranks, where he’s always been, and would probably be eliminated.

└ If he’s such a good team member and friend to Ari, then why was he publicly talking sh*t about Ari? Huh? You think Ari wanted to be in this scandal or any other scandal. You think he wanted to get targeted by the PD and William? Foh! After someone who I consider a friend makes slick comments about me on stage, I wouldn’t choose him for my team either.

└└ Why are you blaming Ari for Vishal not getting chosen or being higher ranked? Even if Ari wasn’t there, Vishal still wouldn’t be higher! Ari has been rising like a meteor, while Vishal has been clinging to him and getting dragged up because of Ari and now Ben’s amazing performances. He’s the real leech and the person who broke the friendship by making slick comments on stage! If you’re mad he’s not higher, then vote for him!

└ I think it’s funny that you have all this smoke for Ari because he only chooses high-ranking team members, but none of that same smoke for Benjamin? Mind you, Benjamin was Vishal’s team leader and teammate in the last performance, and he still didn’t choose Vishal for his team. But somehow it’s Ari’s fault, even though he’s dragged Vishal up from the beginning until now. Just say you hate Ari and gtfo! It’s not his fault your stinky, nerdy, untalented contestant isn’t wanted by the actual talented people in the competition

└└ Wow, Stinky? You’re devolving into racism?

└└└ You don’t think calling Ari a rude rat is racist? Drop dead!

└└└└ Ari’s Angels have really become the new Royal Family. It’s sad to see.

└└└└└ I have screenshots and video recordings of your comments, so stop throwing rocks and hiding your hands! You all antagonize Ari’s Angels and try to drag his name through the mud, and when we smack you back because we don’t take nonsense just like Ari, you all like to pretend that you’re being attacked out of nowhere. Just talk about your contestant and leave Ari out of it! We’re sick of his name being used as clickbait!

The more Grace scrolled through the community, the more stressed out she became.

Even though Ari had received such a positive edit this episode, 4/5 posts were about him, with the posts praising him getting drowned out by the critical ones.

Even if the post were about another contestant, it would have Ari’s name in the title, and of course, the people writing those posts would always say something slick or give him a backhanded compliment.

And in those posts, the comments said he didn’t deserve to be first because he only got it because people pitied him, bashed him for his team member choice, speculated that he would create a trashy song and a trashy performance, and more.

She wanted to shake them because nobody wanted their contestants to go through what Ari went through, and yet they wanted his benefits and the success he was now having.

And even though he behaved in the same way Benjamin did, they were holding him to a standard that no other contestant had to face, just because he didn’t choose their contestant.

And yet when he did, they were still making comments about him dragging others down.

It was like Ari couldn’t win!

The comments were so bad with those for and against Ari having a brutal war, but unlike before, when there was only a small, concentrated army of Ari’s supporters who fought with facts, didn’t antagonize others unnecessarily, because the fandom had grown so big so fast; unfortunately, while there were many defending him out of love, there were also people that were drunk on the high of Ari being first and used to opportunity to be toxic, being racist, and worse toward other contestants and their fans, which was stressing Grace out.

While she understood that Ari’s Angels had finally emerged victorious from their battle, they couldn’t insult or harm the fans of other contestants to promote Ari, especially because if they debuted, it would be as a group, so the fandoms would have to unite from solo stans to OT7 stands.

But with the way things were going—other contestants insulting Ari and using his name to promote their contestant while bashing him, Ari fans fighting back, and writing checks that only Ari could cash —Ari had no choice but to make sure this performance was the best thing to exist.

He had to soundly show them that, pity or not, he had the skills to back up his current position as first place and the contestant to beat.

That he truly deserved where he stood.

Otherwise, his fandom, which currently has its stable supporters being overshadowed by new casual followers, might collapse like a house of cards, and the public sentiment and goodwill that he had now might disappear like smoke.

Although she previously nagged him about it, Grace began understanding why Ari didn’t bother checking public opinion about himself.

Even if there were good things, they would be drowned out by bad things, so it would be better not to see it at all.

"Aahhhh, my stomach hurts."

Clutching her aching stomach, Grace began doing her part in trying to impose some order in the toxic fandom.

At the very least, she couldn’t allow the comparisons to the Royal Family to continue.

That was a little too insulting!

*****

And while the internet was having its usual argument, team practice was still going on.

"I said, do it again. From the top. Slow your steps by half a second and remember to pivot on your right leg before sliding it back." Levi ordered while pointing with his clipboard.

Ari:ಠ_ಠ

Levi:ಠ_ಠ

For a moment, Ari wondered whether he was the team leader or Levi was, but before he could say anything, Levi turned away and continued scolding people with his sharp expression and voice.

"And camera guy. Get the angle and zoom in correctly this time or else."

What do you mean by "or else?"

Taking one look at the tall, looming figure, the sharp, unsmiling face, and the pale blue eyes glaring at him like a wolf about to rip him apart, the cameraman gulped and took several steps back as his eyes turned to stare around for help.

Unfortunately, everyone ignored him since they were busy getting into position on the stage.

"Did you hear me, camera guy?"

As the sharp-looking boy dressed in all black tapped his foot impatiently, the cameraman stood at attention.

"Y-yes! I’m sorry."

"Then get into position. Let’s start again."

Without waiting for a response, Levi walked over to the mini video village, where he could see the various cameras and their viewpoints.

Glancing up at Ari, who had gotten everyone into position, he grabbed the clapper and slammed it together.

CLACK!

"Take 132. Begin."

As his voice trailed off, the haunting sound of an organ filled the stage.

Then, step by step, figures dressed in floor-length robes with hoods pulled over their faces walked forward with measured steps, keeping time with the faint sound that could only be heard through the in-ears hidden by the robe.

As they neared the front of the stage, the haunting harmony of the clear high voice of an angel mixed with the deep baritone sounded out, singing in a forgotten language now only known by clergy around the world.

dies iræ illa (that day of wrath)

vos solve in favillam (that turned you to ashes)

lapsus de caelo (fall from heaven)

in flammas aeternum (into eternal flames)