K-Pop, as a music industry, stands out from its counterparts for some of its characteristic features. Apart from the music itself, K-Pop also encapsulates a different kind of fandom experience, with things like dance practice videos, lightsticks, official fandom platforms, and photocards being staples for any artist.
Among these uniquely K-Pop features, photocards are perhaps the most sought-after among fans. The craze of photocards has been so high among fans across generations that offering different ones with each album has been a highly effective selling tactic for labels over the years. Many fans take special pleasure in collecting and trading with them.
Ahhh finally got to start my Onepact photocard collection pic.twitter.com/VuxRo1EJIt
— Em Sleepless Gremlin (@bcatdfox) April 22, 2024
My Hyunjin photocard collection (thus far) pic.twitter.com/UMfZPqlQl5
— Megs ︎ (@megskz_) April 23, 2024
my jimin ‘expensive’ binder photocard collection pic.twitter.com/0jlguWhu7R
— emma⁷ (@jikookoos) April 21, 2024
But how would the concept of a photocard translate into the world outside of K-Pop? It seems like the craze has intrigued many enough to make them come up with their own versions of it. And thanks to this curiosity, now the Pope himself has his very own photocards!
Recently, a TikTok user posted a video exclaiming that they had spotted the Pope’s photocards, sending the entire K-Pop community into a hilarious mood.
It turns out that Pope photocards are not novel; they have been around since at least 2019. These also apparently sell at very high prices on online platforms.
i was looking at photocard listings on ebay just out of interest and i sorted by highest price to see how much some of them go for and…..someone is selling a pope photocard. did not know photocards existed outside of kpop pic.twitter.com/UdAwxo3FuX
— Lilia (@Lilia_PF) November 16, 2021
my grandma pulled a pope francis photocard pic.twitter.com/8JkKWlNAy2
— ana misses yoongi 🙁 (@uItjoo) September 15, 2019
COLLECTED A RARE POPE FRANCIS PHOTOCARD pic.twitter.com/ArogIpSH1U
— (@haeningli) June 30, 2021
my mom is nervous about me traveling alone tomorrow so she came into my room and gave me this pope photocard that she wants me to keep with me at all times i pic.twitter.com/3ob5AHvuTv
— tabby (@cosmic_kimchi) April 19, 2019
omg the pope photocard pic.twitter.com/jzyWZ4LuIH
— sofía (@txtjhope) August 11, 2020
This time, however, the viral TikTok opened the floodgates of one after another hilarious punchline, even drawing funny equivalence with BTS member J-Hope.
I’M SOBBING? pic.twitter.com/ZFJvk12jJg
— Woosh⁷ (Dedicated Namgivist) (@notwooshie) April 23, 2024
pope on the street
— ⁷ (@NATIONPRIDEBTS) April 24, 2024
JYP was right, kpop does lead you to Jesus https://t.co/n2YLKDqRtM pic.twitter.com/VJhiX2F5Mn
— M.. fan account (@themalificent) April 24, 2024
wait i made this edit back in like 2018 https://t.co/2O6gACjNzk pic.twitter.com/VRdryyttMQ
— Noodle⁷ (@NoodlesOdyssey) April 24, 2024
j-pope fits cause his first name is jorge https://t.co/RVN1Svs5cF
— jen (@glosshannie) April 24, 2024
