Showing appreciation through gifts is one thing, but giving someone a living thing to take care of out of the blue is a whole ‘nother story.
Related: PSA: Respect Your Idols’ Privacy & Personal Time And Space—They’re People, Too
Fans giving gifts to their faves or idols is an age-old practice. From heartfelt letters to amusing toys, plenty of fans often give public figures items to show their appreciation. Whether they see each other on the street, at events, or during fanmeets or at concerts, fans hand over everything from small items to huge ones. But when does it go too far?
Recently, fan gifting has been a hot topic of discussion because of a BINI fan that gave member Aiah a puppy, sparking talks and think pieces on giving away live animals to public figures who have incredibly busy schedules.
aiah receiving the baby goldie!! she’s so adorable i love her so much 😭 pic.twitter.com/yOKDjHgy0S
— ִֶָ (@vitaiahmin) August 30, 2024
Well-aware of how much she loves dogs, the BLOOM handed Aiah a puppy during a brand event where the members were in attendance. Once the videos hit social media, discourse immediately started as people were critical of fans giving a whole living thing to somebody who may not be able to take care of it.
Though it’s known that the P-pop girl group member loves dogs and seems to be responsible enough, placing such responsibility on her shoulders so suddenly was perhaps not the most considerate thing to do—no matter how good the fan’s intentions were.
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
ADVISORY.
— BINI AIAH OFC (@BiniAiahOFC) August 31, 2024
Everyone is welcome to coordinate with the BINI Official Fanbases about giving gifts to the members. Our apologies if we are not able to respond to your queries immediately. But, we assure you that we will cater all your questions and concerns.
Thank you. pic.twitter.com/VWiA6D7FLN
This isn’t the first and only instance an idol was gifted a pet. SB19’s Justin was also gifted an albino turtle during a schedule where he was interacting with fans. Though these idols appreciate it, it’s not a practice we should normalize.
A pet isn’t a simple present like a letter or a stuffed toy—those don’t require the person to take care of a living thing. A pet needs proper care, attention, living situations, play time, and more. Getting a pet is a huge responsibility, and anyone who gets one needs to be aware of the time, commitment, and care it requires.
owning a pet is a huge responsibility. you can't just hand over a dog or a cat to someone, especially not to your idol, just because they said they wanted one. she said herself that the management kept saying no when she tried to give the dog to Aiah + https://t.co/sSylwhcGgS
— alagad ng bini (@frvreight_) August 31, 2024
We know that giving someone a gift can stem from a lot of reasons, selfless or otherwise. We also know that love can be communicated through gifts. But before you give your idol a gift, consider a lot of factors—is it something they can use or cherish? Will it most likely end up as junk? Do they need it or would they even want it? If it’s a living thing, can they take care of it? Also, why are you giving it to them, anyway? Do you think they’re truly in need of it? Do you just want something for them to remember you by, or do you just want the clout?
Gifting live animals is a little rarer than gifting items, so of course it requires a lot more consideration on our end as a fan. Although, to be fair, gifting someone an iPhone also requires a lot of critical thinking—how much does that set you back financially?
This is not a reminder but a request.
— BLOOM PHILIPPINES (@TEAMBLOOMPH) August 31, 2024
Thank you! pic.twitter.com/BwVI8S4vMV
In any case, “big” gifts need a lot of consideration. Most of the time, you don’t know if your idol can appreciate your gift fully for one reason or another. When in doubt, there are channels you can reach out to so you can connect with your idol and their management to inquire if they’re willing to accept your gift.
The BLOOM who gifted Aiah the puppy said that they did reach out to BINI’s management beforehand, and was ignored the first time and denied the second time—which brings us to another aspect of the conversation: how do we know it’s time to give it up?
KNOW THE BOUNDARIES
Eto yung statement nung nagbigay ng dog kay aiah since naka private na si teh..mainis kayong lahat! https://t.co/Atc444AeW4 pic.twitter.com/AUyh2YXtv6
— zelle (@aiahsified) September 1, 2024
No matter how well you think you know an idol, you are still strangers. You are not family, you are not a friend, you are not someone who knows their character inside and our or how their daily lives go. Surprising them with a responsibility, even if you informed them beforehand. Because you never know if they seriously considered it or they just gave into your persistence.
For the most part, if you as a fan are insistent on giving your idol a living being as a gift, make sure you have their consent and reassurance that they can take care of it, what with their busy schedule and other responsibilities. And you never know, they might not even be a good pet owner. So to stay on the safe side, be considerate and sensitive enough of your idols’ circumstances and situation and the possible life the pet could live. Perhaps a letter or a cute little trinket would suffice!
is it just me or its always so weird giving people pets as gifts… ESPECIALLY when you're basically a stranger ? like that's such a huge responsibility you're giving to someone that you don't personally know (and vice versa) 😐 respect the girls' boundaries !!!!!!!!! https://t.co/GypK7gSMoG
— nai (@chwrina) August 31, 2024
The BLOOM has since apologized for being so persistent about the puppy, and has come to realize how her actions may have needed more consideration on their part. So far, though, Aiah’s new puppy seems to be living a good life, being taken care of by someone who loves dogs and wanted one for a long time. But we can’t assume the same for every idol every time.
Idols and celebrities may be appreciative, and may take fantastic care of a pet gifted to them. It might even change their life for the better! But let’s not make it standard practice. No matter how much someone loves pets, be it dogs, cats, turtles, fish, we cannot assume they have the capacity to take care of a pet properly, whether it’s because of their schedule or something else. We can totally show our love to our idols in other ways.
Continue Reading: On Boundaries And Fandom: You Really Don’t Know Who Your Idols Are
