like, take for example "big 3 privilege" denialism. the common rebuttal is "yes these companies have more money, but the idols are not privileged by it bc they have to work so hard to get in, and these companies only have the highest standards for their idols!" which is hmm https://twitter.com/elliotsang/status/1391054740952322056

there's no facet of the argument for "big 3 privilege" that denies the idols within the groups as individuals do not have to work very hard.

but 1. assuming these companies are purely meritocratic in who they pick to be trainees is a bit naive

2. the conversation is not about the idols as individuals having to work hard, it's about the benefits their groups receive in comparison to groups without these privileges. which should be very hard to deny, given the pool of groups that became famous over 20 years or so.

so this argument is really just a typical right-wing deflection of a type of class critique. the Basic "big 3 privilege" argument is a left-leaning critique noting that companies who are richer than others get too much power and use it to stifle competition.

so if you respondsto:

"a small group of companies in this sector are way richer than everyone else and have too much anti-competitive power"

with:

"but the people in them work so hard so they deserve it, everyone is equally privileged"

what does that sound like?

respond to* yada yada