Blogpost 7: Riding the Korean Wave

        Several Asian countries like, Japan, China, Vietnam and Philippines have absorbed the Korean pop culture and several Korean cultural genres including television programs and films have become major cultural activities in these countries. Korea has recently started to penetrate European and North American countries with popular music (K-Pop) and online gaming. The Korean Wave has been unique because it indicates the unusual growth of local creative industries in the midst of neoliberal globalization.

    The Korean Wave has especially experienced a significant change with the development of digital technologies and social media, such as YouTube, social network sites , and smartphones in the 21st century. These digital technologies, as new driving engines of the Korean Wave, have initiated and supported the popularity of local culture in many countries.  

       According to the article that I've read entitled, "The New Korean Wave in the Creative Industry" by Dal Yong Jin of quod.lib.umich.edu tells that, the development of the Hallyu phenomenon has been closely related to the cultural policies in the realm of cultural/creative industries, because the major characteristics and genres have changed based on different cultural policies. The notion of the cultural industries originally started in the 19th century when the commercialization of cultural production began in societies. The cultural industries were later very much bound up with the rise of mass culture—a phenomenon that troubled many 20th-century intellectuals. Yong Jin also stated that, "Reacting against what they saw as the misleadingly democratic connotations of the term mass culture, Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer developed the idea of the culture industries as part of their critique of the false legacies of the Enlightenment, where the term was intended to draw critical attention to the commodification of art. In their view, culture had almost entirely lost this capacity to act as utopian critique because it had become commodified, a thing to be bought and sold."

          Online gaming and K-Pop have become the two most significant cultural genres in the Korean creative industries and have initiated the growth of Hallyu (Korean wave) since late 2007, because K-Pop fans and online game users heavily access these social media to enjoy local popular culture. Hallyu is the combination of social media, their practices, and the uses and affordances they provide, and this new stage has been made possible because Korea has advanced its digital technologies.

          Korean pop culture has now become a cultural phenomenon reaching far beyond the boundaries of East Asia. The seemingly unstoppable path of the Korean Wave has left Koreans with mixed feelings of pride and incredulity at the same time. What is certain is that the Korean Wave has ceased to be a teen subculture and has gained momentum with people of all ages from around the world. 

        Super Junior is but one example of South Korean cultural exports, including popular music (called "K-pop") as well as television dramas, movies and video games, that have become wildly popular among young people across Asia. 


        According to the another article that I've read entitled, "Korean Wave of pop culture sweeps across Asia" by Lara Farrar of  edition.cnn.com tells that, South Korea, has become the Hollywood of the East, churning out entertainment that is coveted by millions of fans from Japan to Indonesia. Culture also plays a role. Korean content, especially dramas, is as, if not more, popular than Western series. Lara also stated that, "So based upon that cultural background, we exchange our emotions, what we think and what we feel. There is a low cultural barrier to crossover with our content. It is kind of a syndrome. Asian people love to enjoy Korean stuff." 

        K-pop already brings in producers, choreographers, and composers from many countries—it is already a cultural hybrid from its inception. Global, it turns out to be, is merely another word for hybrid. Against this backdrop it would be useful to view the Korean Wave as a phenomenon in which one local culture acts as the common meeting point for a variety of other cultures, transcending both similarities and differences.

Blogpost 6: The K-pop Plastic Surgery Obssesion

       When you heard the word "Plastic Surgery", what comes in your mind? For me, South Korea automatically pops out my mind. Why? Because we know that  the country's plastic surgery industry has come under fire from foreign and local critics. 

      None the less, patients are lining up in front of clinics hoping to improve their lives via their faces, and are supposedly not to be apologetic about it at all, when ironically it’s also supposedly “shameful” when others are able to spot your modifications. (At first I thought this was merely a double standard - that celebrities are expected to be ‘perfect’ while there’s more leniency for us non-celebrities, but there are many cases in which the latter are just as vilified by those around them.) People know this happens, yet the whole notion of ‘looking good to get ahead’ is still widely valued. People glorify natural beauty.

       I've read an article entitled, "The Hardest Thing About Being Beautiful in Asia"  by Dana Ter of policymic.com tells that, in South Korea, beauty is necessity. Being beautiful has became a competition for many areas in our life, from securing a job to finding a husband. This exists in many cultures, in South Korea, teenagers are promised plastic surgery as high-school graduation present. Teenage girls look to western women as role models. Beauty is linked to future success in life. Dana also stated that, "The perception that Korean women desire to look "western" oversimplifies this complex plastic surgery craze. Many believe that these women are inspired by the looks of K-pop idols such as Girls Generation. They are not asking their plastic surgeons to make them look like western celebrities, but rather to resemble Korean idols. And yet, the facial features that these entertainers possess, regardless of whether they've had plastic surgery, are traits common amongst Caucasians including bigger eyes and narrow jaws. Perhaps the image of beauty that arises is more of a fusion between some Korean and the western qualities."

  Beauty and image play a critical role in Korean society and everyone – and I mean everyone  believed the prettier you are, the more likely you are to succeed, be that at pop stardom or otherwise. As popular culture becomes globalized, images of what the east perceives as the west and vice versa are constantly in fluctuation as the definition of "beautiful" changes with the times. 

      South Korea has the highest rate of cosmetic procedures per capita in the world. Some reports place the number of South Korean women who have had a cosmetic procedure at one in five. In the city's ritzy Gangnam district there's a strip known as the 'beauty belt', a suburb filled with hundreds of plastic surgery clinics and little else. It has one of the highest concentrations of plastic surgery clinics in the world. 

        

       According to the another article that I've read entitled, "The K-pop effect: South Korea's obsession with beauty" by Jeannette Francis of sbs.com.au tells that, K-pop stars and Korean celebrities have influenced the younger generation. But also K-pop is a international phenomenon. The idols are known for their catchy tunes, synchronized dance moves and trendsetting fashions and flawless faces. They also known for the amount of plastic surgery they get. I noticed that every time they released new songs their faces also changed. Jeannette also stated that, "There are exceptions, but it's a generally accepted principle that to succeed in the pop industry, you must be beautiful, in other words you must have those aforementioned features that define beauty. And if you – like most Koreans – are not born with these you can – and should – change them and many pop stars do. I wasn't entirely surprised to hear about the K-Pop industry's cosmetic compulsion, despite how systematic and excessive it seemed. What was surprising, however, was that the plight for perfection trickled down to the country's youth."

         There is an ideal standard of beauty in South Korea, one encapsulated by the country's pop stars. Whether it's natural or not doesn't particularly matter. As the K-Pop phenomenon grows so too does the plastic surgery industry. Instead of encouraging women to appreciate the many forms in which beauty exists, popular culture has churned out simplified "ideals," which upon crossing cultural lines, become "lost in translation." 

Blogpost 5: Who are the Sasaeng Fans? (2/2)

   In K-pop, there are fangirls, fanboys, maybe haters and then there are the sasaeng fans. The simple fact that you're reading this post right here right now presumably makes you a part of the first or second category, but even then, the term 'sasaeng fan' will probably not be an unfamiliar one to you. 

    Sasaeng fans are motivated by self-seeking goals, looking only towards their personal benefits. In one aspect, they could be desperate to receive any form of attention or notice from their idols because it gives them a sense of accomplishment or satisfaction in which they can find security.

    I've read an article entitled, "'Sasaeng' Fans: who and why (2/2)" by Bianca Gomez of angrykpopfan.tumblr.com tells that there are two concepts that relate to the analysis of the general fan psyche: Parasocial relationships and Attachments. Parasocial relationship is a one-way relationships with famous people in which we feel we know them really well through constant and pervasive media exposure. The more interviews, performances, appearances, and even fan accounts we watch or read, the bigger this illusion is, despite never having met them nor interacted with them in real life.  Parasocial relationships feel real, though they are merely imagined. And lastly the Attachment, refers to a strong enduring affectional bond to a particular other. It forms the foundation for all relationships — mother - child, husband - wife, even fan - celebrity. There are two elements involved: perception of other, and perception of the self in relation to the other. So what are these?

     The perception of the other can either be positive or negative: “trustworthy and available” versus “unreliable and rejecting”. The perception of the self is also either positive or negative: “worthy of love and support” versus unworthy. Bianca also stated that, "Individuals with this attachment style may indulge in approach and stalking behaviour because they overvalue others and perceive that contact with others is a means by which they can gain personal validation, which they can use to challenge negative views of the self. In essence, acceptance from others serves to indicate that the individual is acceptable and valued. Individuals of high social status, particularly celebrities, would be expected to be most at risk of approach behaviour and stalking motivated in this way."

      Moreover, these sasaeng fans do indeed have a problem that needs attention. If they are in fact developmental or psychological, then their needs cannot be swept to the side. The thing is, South Korea and many parts of Asia in general are still too hesitant to confront issues of psychological disorder and what not. This needs to change. 

      There was another concept about this issue.

       Who among us hasn't fallen victim to a little celebrity worship? Whether the object of our affections are movie stars, athletes, poets or politicians, we're hungry for information about them. It is true right? I think that if people keep up with celebrities as a hobby, it’s fine and there’s nothing wrong with it. But when people look at celebrities as actual role models, or people whom they would like to model their lives after, that’s when I think it’s taking things a little bit too far.

     Now the question is, Is Celebrity Worship Good or Bad?

    According to the another article that I've read entitled, "The Psychology of Celebrity Worship" by John M. Grohol of psychcentral.com tells that, there was a certain type of person that seem drawn to celebrity worship.  Entertainment social celebrity worship appears to have no implications for self-esteem, intense personal celebrity worship was related to positive self-esteem but also to a propensity toward stable and global attributions, and borderline pathological celebrity worship was related to external, stable, and global attributional styles and was close to being associated negatively with self-esteem. John Grohol also stated that, "This suggests that people with the most extreme celebrity worship engage in an attributional style that believes the cause of most events in the person’s life are external, that is, they are outside the control of the person experiencing the event. People who have stable, global attributions share such an attribution style with people who are depressed. So people who have the most extreme celebrity worship look to the outside world for explanations, and believe celebrities might hold a piece of that cure."

     When our own lives start to go down hill, we gain some value  when we can read about the most famous and popular people in our culture who suffer from not dissimilar woes from our own. They breakup, they makeup, they wear bad clothes, they have hangovers, just like us. Now let me ask you, what's the difference between a hobby, a passion, and an interest that's gone too far? Is there any difference between being a devoted fan and being an obsessed fan?

Blogpost 4: Who are Sasaeng Fans? (1/2)

  K-pop has traditionally thrived on idol worship from the hundreds of thousands of young groupies who spend lavishly on concert passes, air tickets and merchandise.

  It is these fans who propel performers from relative obscurity to almost instant super-stardom, the fans who will buy the products the stars are paid to endorse, the fans who will fill up venues with their ecstatic screams.

    But what if some of these fans started sending letters written in menstrual blood to their idols? Or began installing hidden cameras in their idols' homes and cars, stalking them so aggressively that car accidents resulted? What if a fan decided she loved her idol group so much that she would "destroy" his rivals by doping another boy band's drink with poison? 

  All these horror stories are true and committed by this group called "Sasaeng Fans (Private Fan)" -whose quest to worship their idols have taken on horrifically disturbing proportions in the past year.

  I've read an article entitled, "Sasaeng Stalkers (Part 1): K-pop fans turn to blood, poison for attention" by Elizabeth Soh of sg.entertainment.yahoo.com tells that sasaeng are usually female, starting as young as 13 to about 22, and they have made it their life's goal to make sure they are noticed by their idols, by hook or by crook. What started out as groups of teenage girls banding together to support their K-pop idols has morphed into an ugly new phenomenon involving physical violence, blatant intrusions into personal privacy, and even sexual favours offered in exchange for information about the stars. She also stated that "These sasaengs' extreme behaviour extend to every aspect of their lives. They do not return home but instead usually sleep at PC Bang (Internet cafes) after a full day of stalking. Many skip school and some drop out completely. Their lives become filled with every move their idols make. The sasaeng position themselves strategically around the homes or the management companies of their idols and communicate via Kakao-talk, the Korean version of Whatsapp, boasting about photos they are able to snap or reactions they are able to provoke from the stars." 

   Many do not consider ‘sasaeng’ fans ‘real fans’. It even goes as far as labeling them “not normal.”  We also have to take into account that there are different levels of ‘sasaeng-ism’ — there are those who merely stalk around in cabs, and there are those who stalk and send used sanitary pads to their oppas (older brother). I’m sure there is a huge degree of differences even among ‘sasaeng’ fans, let alone between them and ‘harmless’ fans.

     

    How do they compare to Paparazzi?

  One interesting thing about ‘sasaeng’ culture that we don’t see in infamous western cases, however, is that these ‘fans’ work in networks — relatively organized groups, despite the competition that ensues among members for ‘exclusive photos’ and what not. At the same time, a black market that helps fuel ‘sasaeng’ activities is quickly developing, with taxi services and the like. 


   However, what I have noticed is that such collaboration and networking is parallel to that of paparazzi culture in Hollywood. As much as there is intense rivalry between photographers, they don’t shy away from offering each other tips as to who is where at that very moment. In addition, the paps stick together when it comes to them versus the rest of the world, especially regarding anonymity, similar to the cases of ‘sasaeng’ fans.

  But according to the another article that I've read entitled, "Celebrity Culture and Why Paparazzi Isn't the Problem" by Victoria Young of somethingshesaid.com tells that the paparazzi was clearly in the wrong here and it’s worth noting who the real culprit(s) are: the people who buy tabloid magazines (including the high-brow, if there is even such a thing, ones like Us Magazine, In Touch Weekly, Star, and People, not to mention all the websites and TV Shows like TMZ, Entertainment Tonight, etc.). The society functions on supply and demand, and if there were no demand for celebrity photos, there would be no sleazy behavior to get them. She also stated that "If people stopped buying the magazines that invade the privacy of celebrities–paparazzi wouldn't have a job that entails invading the privacy of celebrities. While this particular paparazzo acted horribly, in many ways, he was just doing his job by whatever means necessary. For all we know, he’s the single breadwinner in a house of 5 children just trying to make ends meet, and while this in no way justifies his behavior, you have to wonder who is more in the wrong, this person doing his job or the consumer wasting their money in order to know/see the private lives of celebrities?  Who is perpetuating this cycle of personal invasion?  Who is the demand that this paparazzo is supplying?"  

   Another difference between a ‘sasaeng’ fan and a paparazzo is that for the former, there is intense attachment to one group or idol. Your typical paparazzo would follow any and every celebrity everywhere on a given day; and again, it’s all for the sake of getting a shot. Related to this is that ‘sasaeng’ fans are not in it for the money — they’re in it emotionally and passionately. There seem to be other motives at play.


  To conclude, all of us K-poppers for the most part are undoubtedly fascinated by these idols and the images they present. It’s part of our psyche to be especially attentive to those with fame and status. But there definitely is a line between following celebrities and, literally, following, them; and the reality that we exist in the same fandoms as ‘sasaeng’ fans shows that there is more than just the way the industry is structured, and the tendencies it fuels among fans. Though the fact that K-pop is very fanbase-oriented does have an influence, ‘sasaeng’-ism is probably a confluence of that and one’s psychological development, as well as its role in the way fangirl/fanboy feels are basically manifested and acted upon.

Blogspot 3: OTP: What does it mean?

    What is OTP? in the world of Kpop, you would be able to stumble upon the acronym itself, “forever my OTP”,”so cute .. my OTP is really perfect together!!”, but what it really is?

 OTP stands for ONE TRUE PAIRING. OTP is a term you use to express a pair of people that are the perfect partner for each other regardless of their gender.

  I've read and article entitled "Your OTP Is Not Real: Why Idol "Shipping" Has No Place In K-Pop" by Patricia of soulbeats.com that tells shipping is a big part of K-pop fan culture, and its devotees run the casual shippers who merely think that bromance between their preferred OTP is just cute, to hardcore fans who genuinely believe that their OTP is real and will fervently argue against anyone else who thinks otherwise. Speaking objectively, shipping is a very strange phenomenon: why do fans take such extreme pleasure in obsessing over the interactions of two people and fantasizing over their possible romantic involvement? There have been multiple theories that attempt to explain this phenomenon, and many people have concluded that the reasoning behind the popularity in "shipping" is that it’s the manifestation of many fangirls' personal romantic fantasies and a side effect of possible deprivation from real-life interaction with people of the opposite gender. She also stated that "But upon my observations of “shipping culture” within K-pop, I’ve come to believe that shipping — whether it’s between a gay or straight couple; whether it’s manifested as simple ‘bromance’ or an explicit sexual relationship — is a potentially harmful activity to both the fans and the idols in question alike. In regards to the fans, I believe that the idea of romantic fantasy in K-pop as a whole has the potentially detrimental effect of skewing the romantic views of its fangirls, and shipping culture plays a big part in this. Maybe it’s because I’ve never been a so-called “shipper” myself and have never been fully engulfed in the culture, but I don’t really see any deeper benefits in shipping apart from the momentary pleasure drawn from romantic fantasy…and that doesn’t sound like a very healthy way of thinking to me."

    Shipping becomes a selfish and self-indulgent activity when real people with real feelings are the ones being manipulated for the sake of entertainment and fantasy. Shipping culture in K-pop has become so mainstream that it’s actually become a sellable commodity. You are entitled to ship and believe whatever original true pairing you support. There is no wrong or right answer. However don’t get too caught up, question yourself if you legitimately actually believe whether it is true or if you just enjoy the couple’s interaction, which is the reality in my opinion. In OTP most pairings are made by girl to girl and man to man. The femalel to female OTP is fine, they are natural. But the male to male OTP have issues.

    According to another article that I read entitled "You’re not gay. You’re in a bromance." by Dave Kennedy of irishexaminer.com that tells, The word 'bromance' was coined by sk8er dudes in the 1990s to describe a non-gay relationship with strong bonds. Under its 'rules', it's OK to share your feelings and go on man-dates to matches and the cinema. You can say you love each other. Bromance is not just about bonding over football games and beer. Men who have bromances are stronger in their sexuality than their more macho counterparts. They know they are hetero-sexual. Dave Kennedy also stated that "This is the basis for the bromance: the knowledge that you and your best friend will never stray into gay love. The benefits of having a bromance outweigh the sniggering. There are subjects a man won’t bring up with his best friend-girl. Male friends generally make better counselors. Another benefit is that, if a man-date doesn't go well, you don’t have to pay for your date’s taxi home. The negative side of having a bromance is that we get called ‘wimps’. It’s one of life’s great inequalities. Women in close relationships are called… friends. 



        

    There’s nothing wrong in doing what is safe and comfortable. I think that is anything but courageous. And therein lies the courage that comes from being what I would call a ‘real’ man. And I think that 'bromance' is just normal for men its just like having a best friend. I think they thought that bromance is gay because the two person are just have the same likes and they have the same interest. And this maybe hold a great friendship.

Blogpost 2: The World of Fandom

     We've all heard a harrowing stories about the fans whose obsession went too far: TVXQ's phone lines are tapped and personal conversations recorded, Taeyeon of SNSD has been kidnapped by the fans, JYJ's Yoochun was been slapped by this sasaeng fans. But there are fans whose actions are harmless and self-gratifying, ranging to the k-pop conventions just to have fun. These kind of fans who are proud to be engaged on what they love, who are finding their community and  who are developing themselves. It is healthy, right?


       I've read an article entitled, "Is there Something Psychologically Unhealthy About Being a Fan?  by Phoebe Reilly of vulture.com. This article is about the three different perspective of psychiatrist about fandom. The first psychiatrist tells that, fandom is a form of escapism because we're living vicariously through these characters, and the world that’s been created, because we identify with them. The second one tells that, it is a displacement and it concerns him because people spends time worrying about fiction rather than improving their reality. And the last psychiatrist stated that, fandom is a distraction because people who are living their lives completely have very little time to be significant fans of anything, but people avoid struggling to find themselves because that journey is painful. She stated that "To an unforgiving extent, this is true. But by placing all the blame on entertainment, it fails to take into account the many other ways people can find to spend one’s time in ways less productive than striving to be a better person.

        Being on a fandom was fun and interesting. Its true that it is a form of escaping and there was a avoidance but there was hope and optimism. There was a camaraderie, a common shared interest brings people together. And it was a positive thing.

        Princeton University describes fandom thus: “Fandom (from the noun fan and the affix -dom, as in kingdom, freedom, etc.) is a term used to refer to a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of sympathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest.” But what exactly does being a subculture mean, and what power does it give fans?

         According to the article that I've read entitled, "Fandom as a Subculture" by Hannah Carter of fandomwanderers.wordpress.com tells that, subculture is defined as  cultural group within a larger culture (or cultures), often having beliefs or interests at variance with those of the larger culture. Fandom as a subculture has been around for many years. Fans of the original literary version of Sherlock Holmes are widely considered to have composed the first modern fandom creating some of the first fan fiction as early as 1887 and holding public demonstrations of mourning after Holmes was “killed” off in 1893. 


         Now the question is: What power does this subculture give us fans?  Think of the fandoms achieved. Fans raised money, prevent awareness, giving support and provided motivations. For example, one of the members of Infinite, L will be celebrating his birthday on March now the eLements are busy to prepare their gifts or messages for their idol. That's how fans demonstrate their support. Before she ended, she said that " Fandom is a subculture rife across the world, bringing people from disparate cultures, races, genders, ages, classes and religions together, and giving them the power to change the world they live in, all in the name of entertainment and the good of humanity."  


            Fandom is an amazing thing, with amazing power. When millions of individuals work together for a reason, no matter how tiny their separate impacts, the effect is huge.