Oppa, your face is blocking Namsan Tower

If you’re still not convinced that the South Korean tourism industry takes a front seat on the Hallyu Wave, then check out the following TV spots advertising Seoul as a must-visit for Chinese and Japanese travelers.

How interesting is it that they’ve decided to use Super Junior (super popular in China) and TVXQ (super popular in Japan) as their selling points. As effective as it undoubtedly is, it’s also something worth questioning further.

First things first: why is oppa the reason you and I visit South Korea? Because national interests evidently underlie the Hallyu, namely political and financial:

Because the Korean Wave has inspired high domestic expectations for both commercial profit and national prestige, the Korean government and domestic corporations have been busy promoting its essence and developing strategies to sustain it. Governmental promotion has included introducing the Basic Law for Cultural Industry Promotion in 1999 (accompanied by a budget of $148.5 million) and establishing the Culture and Content Agency under the purview of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 2001 (Shim 2006) [source].

In other words, you know you love oppa, the government knows you love oppa, the economy knows you love oppa, and whether you like it or not you will visit South Korea because of oppa. Yikes.

There’s this very thought-provoking paper written by Young-Han Cho about South Korean mass media and its interaction with the rest of East Asia which outlines three ways we can frame the discourse on the Hallyu Wave: 

1. Cultural nationalist - A strong yet somewhat subtle sense of nationalism is indeed intrinsic in the Hallyu. Its immense popularity all over East Asia has provided the avenue through which many argue its “superiority” and “competence” as a global cultural export. 
2. Neo-liberal capitalist - The Hallyu Wave is undeniably a huge profit-making machine. Media promotion is apparently a “national strategy” for South Korea ; and Cho even mentions that East Asia alone provides the setting in which Korean pop culture can be assessed for its capability as an ‘international market’ before expanding to other parts of the world. And apparently so, we’ve reached the end of that test. 
3. Translocal regionalist - This approach sort of denounces the other two for being ‘culturally imperialist.’ Instead of seeing the rest of East Asia as South Korea’s little cluster of “markets or consumers,” it regards all regions “as partners in an ongoing conversation.” It stands for the purpose of creating a ‘pan-Asian’ bloc in which territories can break down their walls and mutual understanding between nations can be fostered. None the less, with the implosions of sheer delusion and madness we’ve so far seen in our fandoms, such an image remains a fantasy. At least, on personal levels.

I just can’t when it comes to nationalism* — they’re waters I rather not tread; and as it is something deeply embedded in K-pop, it just makes mental shitstorms all the harder to avoid. Even during my weekly dinner dates with Screening Humanity, I’ve got KBS World stuffing 15-second spiels of spin* down my throat. Huge buzz kill.  

*It’s not that I don’t care. I do, mainly because it is precisely these type of petty nationalist catfights that make the region a shitfest of social and political relations. (Oh, and the similar feud that has erupted between China and the Philippines does little to raise my hopes for a better Asia.)

*Has anyone else seen that Heritage Korea featurette, about Dokdo/Takeshima and how “the truth will never change”? Can’t find it anywhere online, unfortunately.

Y’all remember the BEAST incident in Japan with the kimonos? [image source]

Of course, propaganda exists everywhere, but especially in Asia because Asia. And it brings us back once again to the implications of one’s role as a foreign consumer of South Korean cultural exports. How important are international cultural consumers to South Korean politics? Quite important, as implied earlier by Cho. What does it mean seeing ads for the ‘Dokdo cause’ on international Korean channels such as KBS World? Because Hallyu is partially (if not wholly) a showcase of South Korean nationalism. Moreover, if you buy Hallyu, are you buying South Korea (or vice versa)?

Seems like it. 

If there is one thing we can all learn from the Block B misunderstanding, it’s this:

(source: YT video “Block B Thailand controversy” by VanityMr)

As a matter of fact, this applies to every single article you come across, whether it be print or online media… especially if they are a corporate, mainstream source. 

I am assuming many K-pop fans are at the very least aware of the latest controversy that has inflicted Block B, right? If not, allow me to start off by quickly outlining the situation, hoping that by providing you with a bunch of sources I’m being as transparent as I can: 

• A month-old interview of the boys during their visit to Thailand had all of a sudden resurfaced on the Internet over the weekend. The negative and critical attention that it spurred among Korean, Thai, and international K-pop netizens was ignited by 1) the boys’ behavior, and 2) a couple of comments Zico said in the midst of a conversation about the Thai floods. 
  *Here is the entire interview with no subs, no commentary, so you can judge it for yourself.
  *Here is the snippet of Zico’s comments along with subs and commentary, a video that fans have been circulating around the Internet as an attempt to clear up any misunderstandings. 
  *Here is a translation of Zico’s comments provided by taenacity here on Tumblr. 
• 2PM’s Nichkhun was evidently not too impressed either. He tweeted his disapproval, which were retweeted with follow-up comments by his members Junho and Chansung. 
• Allkpop and a bunch of other K-pop news portals has framed the situation to make it seem that it was not until Nichkhun tweeted that netizens started to express their disapproval. What remains uncertain is whether or not it was really 2PM’s response that started the whole shitstorm that ensued among netizens. 
  *Here is a Tumblr post by frhupdates with translations of 2PM’s tweets. 
• Immediately following this Brand New Stardom issued official apologies written up by each of the boys. 
  *As much as I do not want to post an Allkpop source, I can’t find another set of translations and screencaps of the apologies other than Block B’s international fan forum, from which members are not allowed to take out. But here is Allkpop’s account nonetheless. 
• On top of that, leader Zico shaved his hair off as an extended expression of his remorse and on behalf of his entire group. According to user Whattalion (I don’t know the forum), “shaving your head is a very important and symbolic thing in Asian cultures, especially in the countries with a strong Buddhist influence/population it means a lot. A basic overview is that hair is a important/prideful thing in Asian cultures; that shaving your head/cutting short your hair in the aftermath of a thing such as this incident shows that someone is lowering themselves/casting away their pride, that they have committed a wrong doing/are feeling great shame and that they acknowledge that and are repenting/cleansing themselves of the perceived sin. It is the want of a new beginning.”
• On the same post I grabbed the above snippet are the following information:
  “Block B donated money to Thailand before the interview, long before the interview. Each member individually donated an amount that is equivalent to around $200.”
  “Block B donated all of their earnings from their Thailand showcase to charity causes in relation to the flood.”
  “During the Thailand showcase, Block B, with the help of Thai BBCs, donated and distributed books to Thai schools to help in the recovering of the country from damage caused by the flood.” (You can read the rest of this post here, which Block B fans have been circulating around Tumblr). 
• BNS also released an official statement in which they announced Block B’s intentions to continue with promotions. (Read about it more here). Ever since the release of their apologies, Block B has already performed two stages of their song “NalinA”, and can be seen in the beginning of this video bowing before the audience as an additional expression of their remorse. 

Asides from this, fanwars (especially between BBCs and Hottests) have erupted; anti-cafes, anti-twitters, and supposedly even a petition for a Block B disbandment have emerged; but by far the most upsetting of all is that death threats have been sent to the boys by netizens, as well to some of their family and close friends. 

Despite the fact that I’ve got other issues to write about, I felt that this was an appropriate time to shed light on a very important tool everyone, especially as consumers of (internet) media, need to equip themselves with: critical thinking. Being a huge Block B fan myself, among the things that angered me the most was seeing all these press releases delivering misinterpreted, biased, and loaded accounts of the situation. I came across this Tumblr post by kyupiepie in which a bunch of articles were compared. More under the cut. 

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Article response: “SNL Korea Thinks Blackface is Funny.. I’m Not Laughing” (Seoulbeats)

READ THE ARTICLE HERE

Korean entertainment has done it again. And just when you thought the Shindong and Kikwang incidents should have caused someone in the industry to question the appropriateness of blackface by now. 

However, I can’t help but have my reservations about the accusations that are being thrown around, triggered by this one comment to the article (and its reply) I found on the Seoulbeats thread:

I found this to be one of the few very well-articulated responses to this issue. Like the commenter stated, we can agree on the conclusion – blackface, in this case, was offensive. SNL’s skit was offensive. In the context of K-pop, at least, blackface needs to stop. Why,  why, and why is context important in this case?

Firstly, because of my own perceptions of blackface (more at the end), and what origins I attribute it to, it was offensive to me. Secondly, K-pop is an industry that intends to be one for the world. It attracts, and aims to attract, fans from all walks of life; of different ethnicities and cultural backgrounds. Cultural and “racial” sensitivity therefore becomes an important mindset to adopt and integrate. There will be people who will find blackface offensive, and even racist. Secondly, context always matters. Yes, blackface is unacceptable, but this connotation derives dominantly from the history of black enslavement and maltreatment, a background as well as an education thereof that we do not find in East-Asian societies (as point 2 of the above comment implies). Keep that in mind as I continue with my train of thought here.

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An AKF theory: the restrained national popularity of Korean hip-hop

I’ve always wondered to myself why the scene never really took off beyond the inclusion of “rappers” in K-pop idol groups. The more I think about it, however, the more I realize the answer may actually just be right there in front of us. Granted, this is nothing more than a presumption, but it’s a place to start.

1. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. These so-called “feminists” who were responsible for slapping the bans on a variety of mainstream hits the past year make it virtually impossible for Korean hip-hop to attain the same popularity as their K-pop counterparts. (There were a bunch more bans issued following the publication of the linked post, but I couldn’t bother reporting on them, since we all pretty much have gotten the idea.) Recall the type of stuff they considered “harmful” to the public, especially to the youth: Mentions of alcoholic consumption and “offensive business” (this included activities in, and/or music video scenes depicted in nightclubs); sexually suggestive content; usage of “slang”; illustration of violence; and the “encouragement/promotion” of crime. Many of these make up the content of Korean hip-hop today, and I’m not even talking about directly. Take wordplay, for example. A big theme in hip-hop in general is self-praise in the form of placing other people down, and this may include motifs of violent insults and even sexual references. And of course, we have the slang and cussing. Check out this translation done by my good friend of a recent hip-hop cypher by Scotch VIP, and right off the bat you’ll be able to spot the very things that potentially pushes MOGEF’s buttons. 
   
   
   (MV: Giriboy ft. Swings – “You Look So Good To Me.” As catchy as the track is, I highly doubt something like this would be allowed to play on the airwaves. Note the “harmfulness” of the video: alcohol, the setting of a club/bar, and the “sexually suggestive” moments of intimacy. And Swings’ grease.)
    
2. The not-so-private private broadcasting companies. Remember the performance cut fiasco during Block B’s debut? Part of it could be due to backstage corporate lobbying, which Cho PD evidently refused to involve himself in, but a reason could also be found written somewhere between the lines of government policy. The Telecommunications Act, launched in 1991 and still active today, includes a clause that states, “a person in use of telecommunications shall not make communications with contents that harm the public peace and order or social morals and good customs” (York and Reitman). This applies also to private ownerships. SBS is known to be Seoul’s only private media company, and if you can recall, it was one of the broadcasters targeted by fans who committed Block B’s performance cuts. Where is this headed, you may ask? Here’s an elaborate (and possibly crazy – your call) thought: labeling Block B as a “hep-hap” “hip-hop” group potentially puts them on the radar, and the fact they’re under the wing of Cho PD, notorious for his socially critical lyrics during his heyday, makes them an even bigger target for conservative watchdogs. I’m not declaring that the performance cuts are directly related to this, but I’m definitely not not implying the possibility. Steering back to the bigger picture, this could also be another reason why you won’t find much K-hip-hop artists promoting via mainstream broadcasters. (Artists like Verbal Jint have managed to get his way, the kind of content he often writes about renders him “less of a threat” than say, artists like Vasco or Ugly Duck.) Because hip-hop is considered a potential violation to not only the Telecommunications Act, but also to the overall conservative air of South Korea, corporations do not want the risk and responsibilities of signing contracts with any affiliations of hip-hop for fear of government threats and withdrawal of benefits. At least, that’s what I think.

And, in relation to the previous point, it could also simply be that not many emcees of the underground wish to affiliate themselves with the K-pop scene anyways. What’s sadly ironic is that it seems that’s the major way to rear in the popularity they may desire.

But of course, we should not generalize about the entire K-hip-hop scene — there are so many artists who assume just as many concepts. Nor should we overestimate the rigidity of the entirety of the mainstream, at least without concrete proof. I mean, take a look at Tablo’s recruitment under the YG label, or even San-E’s contract in JYPE. Nonetheless, I’m not sure what we should attribute the contrasts between their recent hits and their underground works: choice or, well, the conditions of their contracts. Overall, there are definitely some questions left unanswered, even including the thesis of this post, simply because transparency of information continues to be very lacking right now.

(EDIT: off the point, but isn’t it ironic how hip-hop, a genre with quite a few misogynist roots, is being restrained from an industry that’s just as sexually degrading? People need to start checking themselves, I’m just saying…) 

“Skinny Baby” NOT hot..

Just by looking at this song’s title alone, “Skinny Baby,” it should be enough to understand why some fans are quite upset with this new release by BEAST and A Pink. 

I myself am not too impressed with it either. So many wrongs with this track it’s not even funny. First and foremost, whose idea was it to auto-tune Yoseob’s voice?!

As irksome as that is, let us all try to brush it off our shoulders for now and focus on the most disturbing issue at hand: the implicit, or even subliminal message this sends to not only BEAST and A Pink fans, but the general consumer audience of Skoolooks, the brand that this video serves as a promotion for.

Asides being the name of the song, “Skinny Baby” is also the newest collection of school uniforms released by Skoolooks. Unlike in Western education systems, where school uniforms are usually given by the school, Korean students purchase their clothes from outside. The manufacturing and distribution of school uniforms is actually a business. All the schools do, in fact, is provide a checklist of what is required (ie. a gray vest, a black skirt/pants, and a white button-up), and it is up to the students to go out and purchase their uniforms from the many different competing brands that exist out there. As a result, students of the same school end up wearing different labels of uniforms, though I guess all standardized by color, pattern, etc. And of course, what better way to promote one’s brand than to have the nation’s biggest celebrities endorse for them? At the same time, it’s killing two birds with one stone — more popularity for the idols, and more greens for the label. 

(An old advertisement for the brand Elite, with SNSD as their models [image src])

On a side note, what is strange is that there has been recent debate about ceasing the usage of star models for uniform brands, but evidently that decision was dropped (see The Grand Narrative for more information on this). 

Going back to Skoolooks and Skinny Baby, it seems that what this whole promotion is implying (or being interpreted as, at least) is that: skinny people are hot (the chorus is a big giveaway), and if you purchase the Skoolooks line, you’ll look skinny, and therefore be the talk of the town (or the target of jealousy or admiration among your peers). Not saying that skinny people should not be seen as physically attractive, of course. They are, but just as long as we understand that the multitude of body types that exist out there are as well. 

(f(x)’s Victoria’s “S-line”, accentuated by SMART’s uniform, brings all the SHINee boys to the yard [image src])

A pretty twisted way to reel in attention (and money) from the youth of a society that emphasizes a uniform (no pun intended) ideal in physique, isn’t it? As if students don’t have other things to worry about — they have to keep their grades up and their waistlines small as well. It’s quite ironic when you think about it, because the Korean secondary education system pretty much guarantees the nonexistence of one’s social life. Or is it a way of compensating for it? Anyways. ”Real Skinny Look,” as their official blog places it. And the fact that two of the most loved K-pop idol groups are strutting around over-glamorizing slim bodies doesn’t make things any better. Corporate advertising is indeed very ugly.

Shipping, fanfictions, and smut

Got an interesting question from an anon and wanted to address it in an actual post. (If you’re reading this, thanks!)

To start off, I’m good with shipping (U-Bomb hi), just as long as there’s mutual understanding between fans, and between fans and the idols themselves, that it’s all in light-hearted fun, and that it’s no accurate representation of real relationships (despite the fact we all may want to believe otherwise lol). 

Nowadays, I find I’m not really into fanfiction, but I’m not against it. Same for smut. I’ve read several in the past though, and they weren’t bad at all. However, I guess they’re just not my thing…? (I’m more of a GIF/manip/meme person :))

I do recognize the pros of fanfiction and smut, though. It’s a great way for people to exercise their creativity and play around with their imagination. Typically for smut, it serves the same benefits as does pornography. But before we delve into this issue, we need to consider the question of whether or not smut is porn per se. 

Not all sexual depictions are porn. Pornography consists of sexual depictions, but its dominant purpose is to sexually arouse the audience (Seidman). Non-pornogprahic sexual representations are not necessarily erotic because of them being instead valued for artistry or creative expression (ie. Rania’s dance).

In that case, is smut porn? It’s definitely something open to interpretation. Do fans write smut because they want to engage in creative expression, or because they intend to derive sexual pleasure from it (as do the readers)? I’m not implying that if it is indeed porn, it doesn’t make it any better or any worse than other sexual representations. I’m also not saying that porn can’t be creative. Porn is a sexual representation, but sexual representations aren’t porn. 

But my train of thought doesn’t end here. So say we settle on categorizing smut as porn. That itself it not a problem at all, considering the many pros (forms of) pornography entails. However, what now becomes relevant are the critiques we apply to the entire realm of pornography: that is, the way different groups and individuals are represented. For me (and I hope for alot of you guys out there), smut that includes rape is a huge disgusting no-no. There’s also the classic question of whether or not females are being depicted in ways that are derogatory in relation to males*.

*This is an interesting argument as it applies to our case — pornography as an industry is seen as male-constructed. Because more guys are involved in the production of pornography, it generally reflects male fantasies. However, in the case of K-pop fandom, we have to determine whether or not we have more female or male writers. We also have to see the actual content or recurring themes among smut fictions and determine who the characters are (ie. what sex or gender), which audience it is intended for, and what it can tell us about the psychological processes of K-pop fangirls and fanboys. If it is indeed proven that we have more fangirls engaged in the black market of smut (as part of the audience and as writers), then we’re going to have to reevaluate the way the classic argument of female underrepresentation and degredation applies to K-pop. (Oh, how about the notion of internalized sexism?)

Finally, there’s also the representation of the idols themselves. Do the way writers depict them more or less represents the way they are actually percieved, and how to these depictions ultimately influence the audience’s perceptions of the idols? (ie. idols as “sex objects” or “human beings”?) Most importantly, does it help encourage the intense (and inappropriate behaviors and attitudes) we see oh-so-often in our fandom? Because when it comes to fandoms, the lines between reality and fantasy are very obscure. 

The same ideas apply for fanfictions (minus the erotica aspect). Fanfictions themselves are not harmful at all — it depends on the experiences of those who write it and those who read it. For many, it serves as ‘an escape from reality’ (and a symbolic engagement in the affairs of their idols), but whether it’s a healthy escape is what matters. A temporary retreat isn’t dangerous — it’s only when fans run beyond the boundaries of reality never to return, in effect triggering delusional (and hazardous) tendencies. (Just think Inception and you’ll get the idea.) This is influenced by one’s sense of self — that is, what the feelings of longing, desire, etc. provoked by these fanfictions do to levels of self-esteem*, self-image, and sense of satisfaction with one’s current life. Also, remember it’s not the feelings per se, but also the extent of those feelings. In the context of celebrity veneration in general, the longing for an alternate reality in its mildest form is not too bad (ie. you’d like it, but you’re content and satisfied with the situation as it is now), but as we progress towards the opposite end of the spectrum that’s when it starts to get nasty. 

*Interestingly enough, Time reports that celebrity worship actually boosts self-morale. Again, that depends on the intensity of these feelings: “A little can be good, but a lot can become harmful — as stalking and more obsessive behaviors prove. Recent research has even found that celebrity worship can decrease a person’s self-esteem because the endless admiration and yearning for a life and lifestyle that are out of reach may end up cementing one’s feelings of isolation and inadequacy.”

(Oh, and just to clarify — I’m not saying that fanfictions and smut are sole catalysts of delusion in fandoms, but they definitely are potential aggravators. Again, it differs from individual to individual.) 

(And maybe a reason why I’m not into fanfictions or smuts is because all of this come to mind…?)

What exactly has K-pop done to the stereotype of the Asian male?

(source)

… is an impromptu question I thought of while casually reading this piece by Bitch Magazine. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I sense that the K-pop hype has done two very separate things to this age-old misconception of the “emasculated” Asian man:

On one hand, it has challenged it. Asian guys (or rather, Korean guys) are now seen by many (well, fans at least) as a sexually desirable bunch. Considering the endless archives of smut fictions floating around out there, along with countless stuff like (insert idol group here)sexualconfessions.tumblr.coms and “Dubulge” appreciation posts (ahem), I don’t think I need to explain myself further. (Oh, and check out this old but relevant (and interesting) post as well.) 

On the other, it has strengthened it. We still have non-K-poppers (or K-poppers themselves) who call the industry and its fans, to be frank, “gay”. (I’ll never understand the ridiculous misuse of this term. Never.) 

There could be other camps I’m missing out on, but that’s all my tired brain can generate at the moment. Nevertheless, it’s a good question for all you guys to think about :)