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Interpretation of Epik High's Don't Hate Me music video

I will start to analyze music videos and lyrics. I hope my interpretations are correct.
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The MV starts with Epik High working in a store called "King Mart". Tablo uses the barcode scanner to 'scan' himself, he seems to treat himself as a product.

The other members don't seem to take their jobs seriously. A customer takes the things she wants to buy to Tablo for payment. After Tablo 'scans' the products, he throws them away, and it lands on the floor.


It's just like Tablo receiving hate from others, and he wants to throw them away. The other customers are shocked by Tablo's actions. Tablo then drinks a soft drink that the customer wants to buy, and slams the drink onto the table, then spits the drink out.

Suddenly, he caught sight of a boy. The other members seem to notice the boy too.

 The customer's complaints don't seem to reach Tablo. After the boy leaves, he seems to be fine for a while, then he starts singing: "Everybody hates me, but you love me and I love you. Oh-oh-oh, I'm fine as long as you clap for me, baby."

He would hang on as long as he gets support from one person.

"The whole world is my anti-fan. The reason that I still smile? Oh-oh-oh, I'm fine as long as you are the only one on my side."

He sings that to the customer's face. He could ignore nasty comments from others because he still had support.

"They nag only at me. Treating a mistake like a fault. The whole world hits my mouth with a hammer, as if I was a nail." At this point, children swarm into "King Mart". There is a sign that 'bans Hate'. There are children wearing masks, destroying the store. 'The whole world hits my mouth with a hammer' means that people do not believe what they (Epik High) say, and people want to oppose them with their own remarks. There is a girl who is 'overlooking' the children disrupting the store's operations.

"My heart is full of holes. Tears leak. Can't I smile? Why me? Is there supposed to be a reason for hating someone? Why do you list tens of thousands of reasons when it comes to me?" Epik High is receiving hate for no reason and they are obviously disturbed by it.

Notice how half of the child's face is painted? Epik High's facade is slowly being destroyed. Idols show a different side of themselves in public, and they show their real sides in private.

"They shout that it is because of me, blocking my mouth like goalkeepers, they say they don't want to see me!" Notice how some of the children wear masks?

"I want to share all my sadness, but it is all mine. You just smile at me, and hide. Staying behind the biggest shield in the world, you only bear happiness." They hide their burdens behind a forced smile. Epik High drinks with the children to forget their sadness.




"People dislike me, like I'm a public enemy. Even me breathing becomes a controversy, I'm a public chewing gum. And you, who dances on the chopping blocks. You have a really weird taste." Sense the sarcasm? After the chewing gum loses its flavour, you can spit it out. That's what we, the public, do.

"Everyone says things only about me. Aiming at me with an arrow. Wishing I'd disappear. I'd die without you." Again, it says that idols (in this case Epik High) continue doing their stuff despite harsh comments because of some support (the support might be from their family members). Ever wondered why the idols that anti-fans hate so much still continue performing? The reason is support from people, even if it was just one person, that is enough for them to continue doing what they love.

If you look at the MV, it shows that a mannequin's head is being cut out and the child is feeding on it. We want to understand our idols so much, we seem to need everything about them. This applies to both fans and anti-fans. And the 'food' inside the mannequin's head is not just any other food, but it's cereal. We all know that cereal is nutritious. Everything about them is really precious.

 And Tablo's 'support' turns out to be a mannequin's arm?

Is that brainwash?

"Love and hate. I'm grateful for both." They accept love and hate. Imagine their state.

And "Hate me" is being repeated over and over again. People hate them, they don't have to ask for hate. Finally they say "Please love me, I'm fine as long as you're my only fan." Notice how they ask for support many times in this video?

Then, Epik High resumes their operations when Tablo snaps out of his dream, after his manager hits him on the head. But Tablo still finds something fishy, as inferred from his facial expressions. And at the last bit, something is indeed controlling the whole situation. But who is that?

I guess you don't need me to explain the rest of the symbolism present in the MV. The lyrics of this song shows Epik High's hardships and everything they have been through. I just hope that the people who hates this song wouldn't go about announcing their hate, because they have been through so much. I'm sure you don't need me to explain how does the above mentioned stuff relates to their lives.