#some groups would have international fans but no recognition from the western music industry at all | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

electrickkarma · 6 years

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My Kpop opinions that no one asked for but like, what’s the internet without unasked opinions.

1) CLC deserves much more recognition. I still can’t believe their first win was with Black Dress.

2) Every GFriend song sounds like an anime intro and tbh they all sound almost the same for me (I’m not saying their songs are bad).

3) Twice isn’t overly cute and they slay all the time.

4) Give Mina more lines.

5) I really dislike shippings. Whether it’s between different idols or idols of the same group. Idk, I feel like most of the time is over-analysing everything and i’ve seen it get borderline unhealthy. But if you enjoy it, you do you sis.

6) Wendy is the most talented member in Red Velvet (they’re all talented but at least for me, Wendy stands out).

7) Namjoon is underrated af.

8) SNSD are the queens of KPop and will always be.

9) I’m sick of armys and exo-l’s being rivals. If BTS and EXO can get along and be respectful, why can’t we?

10) Shine by Pentagon is one of the best songs of the year.

11) The unit was better than both editions of Produce 101.

12) But the groups that came from The Unit are average next to IOI and Wanna One.

13) I love Jackson with all my heart but his solo songs were kinda disappointing.

14) IU is the best soloist in Kpop.

15) I personally think that neither BTS, EXO or Big Bang are the kings of Kpop. For me Super Junior takes that title. They changed the industry and they are still together releasing bops. Legends.

16) Blackpink’s comeback was kinda disappointing. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not bad at all! Dududududududu (idk) and Really are bops but i was expecting another sound.

17) BTS deserves all the success they have and they aren’t overrated at all. They’re the most influential Kpop group in the world and even if you don’t like them, it’s easy to agree on that.

18) I can’t fully stan EXO and it’s kinda because so many of their songs aren’t written by them. I know that there are a lot of groups that I stan that have their songs not written by them but I think they have so much potential to do something huge and that kinda najasbdhwnzkehd me (but tbh, SM is the one at fault there).

19) I hated NCT 2018’s song (but they were HILARIOUS in variety shows). Still, NCT 127, U and Dream are fire.

20) In every group, there is this one member that i can picture quitting or like, they don’t continue their contract. Even if it never happens, i know (or at least i feel it) who would be.

21) As sad as Jonghyun’s death was (I miss you and I love you😭), I think it was in some sort if way a good thing (DON’T COME FOR ME) in a way that it’s a turning point in how companies should put more interest in idols mental health. Like, I wish it didn’t happen and i cried so much but it helped to set that point straight (to like, management).

22) Mamamoo has the best “salute” ever.

23) YG’s idols rules are the most stupid things ever. That driving license thing sucks ass.

24) Seungri from Big Bang is one of the smartest idols out there. He has an empire of clubs, restaurants, even academies. He has a raw talent in business.

25) Henry needs more attention. He’s a musical genius, he can act, he’s funny so he does really well in variety and he’s so handsome. SM lost a really talented guy and i hope he gets all the recognition he deserves.

26) I sadly think SNSD is over. I love them so much but I think that with Tiffany, Seohyun and Sooyoung out (and Jessica ofc but that was years ago), the group will never be the same.

27) I have mixed feelings about Wanna One. I want them to stay together forever but at the same time some of them are in groups that i stan really hard and I want them to go back to their og band.

28) Red by Hyuna makes me angry. Idk why, I just hate that song. It doesn’t make sense to me.

29) Jessi is a freaking queen that breaks all the korean standards and i love her.

30) BTOB has the best vocalists, there is no doubt about it.

31) The BTS fandom isn’t as toxic as it seems. Of course there are some toxic fans but the non toxic ones are more than the toxics and we all get along (international and korean armys) and it’s pretty nice to be a part of this fandom.

32) I’m sick of people bashing Momoland and saying like they’re not talented and saying that without Bboom Bboom they wouldn’t be famous, and i’m like, every group has a song that made them really famous. Shut up, they’re talented, cute and aren’t hurting anyone so get over it.

33) D.O scares me so much. I think he’s a great vocalist and an amazing actor, but he scares me ahahaha. Maybe it’s because he’s kinda quiet (from what I’ve seen at least, I might be wrong since i haven’t seen a lot of videos of EXO), maybe his glare... I don’t know.

34) Leave Taehyung’s mullet alone. He looks amazing.

35) I hate when people stan only a few members of a group. I’ve seen cases where people are like, I love this group but i hate this or this member. YOU DON’T LOVE THE GROUP IF YOU HATE SOME MEMBERS. Get tf out of here.

36) Red Velvet is one of the most (if not the most) versatile groups ever. They fit every concept and they slay in all of them.

37) Don’t call Black Pink the queens of Kpop. They have like 8 songs. They’re still kinda rookies. Stop. They are so talented but it’s too much to call them the queens of Kpop. They have a long way to go.

38) Give F(X) a comeback.

39) Replay by Shinee is one of the best songs ever and the live version brings tears to my eyes.

40) ROCK N HIPHOP is BTOB’s best song. Go listen to it. You’re welcome.

41) If NU’EST doesn’t get enough attention when their comeback as a whole group happens, I’ll be so disappointed at life.

42) The Eve by EXO has the sexiest dance ever.

43) ONF is such a good group, keep an eye on them because their music is so good.

44) People should stop over sexualising (if not just sexualising as a whole) idols bodies.

45) People should stop sleeping on Monsta X.

46) A collab between BTS and EXO is something that I need and i’m sure it would break the internet.

47) The latest Winner comeback was disappointing. Their other songs are so good and i was expecting so much for that comeback but tbh? I almost hated their songs. Still love them as a group tho.

48) People that listen to kpop should stop talking all the time about kpop. It’s not everybody, but i know quite a few persons that listen to kpop and it’s the only thing they talk about. If for me, a person that listens to kpop (and western and latin music), it’s tiring, I can’t even imagine how it feels for people that don’t listen to kpop. I feel like I can’t actually get to know those persons because they only talk about that and they don’t have other things to talk about.

49) Somi should just go solo. I saw this in a video on YouTube and I agree completely. She’s really talented and her looks correspond to the korean beauty standards, so she ends up taking all the attention a lot of the times. I feel that like, in a group she would be the center of attention and a solo career would be the best for her. It reminds me a little bit of 4minute with Hyuna. She was basically 4minute in terms of recognition, the one with the most fans... they disbanded, she went solo (without counting triple h wich i adore) and she’s doing really well.

50) SM has some of the best stylists in the industry. Every single person under that label looks bomb af in every comeback, award show, mv... I want every single outfit they wear.

51) It’s crazy how happy Kpop makes you feel.

Tell me your opinions if you want! I’d love to hear them. I’m thinking about making a YouTube video out of this but i suck at editing😂.

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riza-quevada-blog · 4 years

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Summed Up in Seven Artworks

I decided to synthesize my learnings by looking at the works around me. Through this, I wanted to practice my critical abilities in consuming these works and the implications of it, and not just take it as it is.

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Using the four planes of analysis, I will be analyzing one of my favorite BTS songs, “Answer: Love Myself”. Firstly, the tune of the song is upbeat and light, giving a positive feeling to the listener. The melody would make the listener sing along and lift their spirits up a little. Secondly, the lyrics and the message it contains adds to the positive feeling its melody provides. For a little background, the song is about accepting and loving yourself despite all the flaws and the pains.

Loving myself might be harder Than loving someone else Let’s admit it The standards I made are more strict for myself

The message evokes the listeners’ emotions especially if they resonate with what they are saying. To dive deeper into the context of the work, it’s entitled “Answer: Love Myself” which is part of the album “Love Yourself: Answer”. This album is one of their albums under the Love Yourself trilogy in which they promoted self-acceptance and self-love. BTS had been making music since 2013, delving into topics that relate to the youth such as the problematic school system, romance, beauty of friendships, and the self.

I value this work in high regard due to personal reasons. It is more than just a song for me as it affected my life and how I view myself greatly. I can say the BTS’ purpose of influencing the youth positively is a success to me as an individual.

However, I could not say the same for other people. Some would refuse to listen to it just because they don’t understand Korean, or because it isn’t the genre they prefer. Despite that, I respect people’s perspectives on this song and BTS in general. This is what most fans of any artist lack. It made me realize, as I got more and more involved with fan culture, that most fanatics do not accept criticisms made towards their idols and regard them as the best among others. I find this very problematic and if you, as a fan, aren’t critical about the fan posts you consume and share, you may be part of the toxicity.

My Essay: Reading the Image

Reading my essay once again, I got deep into elaborating on the details seen in the work and the context surrounding it. However, I wasn’t able to evaluate it against the historical and present context. Historically, the “Procession of Archers” may be considered as a good artwork as it shows the usual style and theme of art back in the day. Printing was a common technique used before the invention of photography, so this type of work may be seen a lot. On the other hand, I honestly think this would not be appealing to the people of today. It may be valued as part of history, but if an artist were to create a print similar to this style, it wouldn’t be as appreciated due to the more modern ways of creating art available today.

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In terms of art and reality, an industry that isn’t usually talked about comes to mind: the porn industry. To the extent of my knowledge, the portrayal of sex and women in pornography is incredibly toxic and harmful. Porn sites are packed with images that are more centered on women, making it seem that most videos are catered to men. This further perpetuates the concept of the male gaze; in fact, you won’t be able to see many videos catered to women’s needs. Additionally, the porn industry represents modern and postmodern simulacra: this industry capitalizes on peoples’ needs and uses the labor of (mostly) vulnerable people who had no choice but to do sex work. Furthermore, rape, abuse, child pornography, among others, are the most common illegal and unethical actions that a great number of porn videos show (although not explicitly). These are often just hinted and glossed over with an unrealistic plot and acting; if you’re not critical to the videos you consume, there’s a huge chance you may internalize these harmful notions.

I am not saying that porn is bad, as I do believe that sex work is work (but only if it’s consensual), but the body that governs this industry allows harmful (virtual) realities to take place on people’s screens, which may transcend dangerously to the actual world if these viewers aren’t critical.

Check out: @everydayimpunities on Instagram

The podcast I did with my group mates was honestly enjoyable to work on since it challenged me to think deeper about the realities presented by the work of art we chose. We picked the Instagram account @everydayimpunities which features pictures taken during the actual scenes of various social injustices nationwide, and sometimes outside the country. We tackled the work from different angles and perspectives and identified its role in the development of art. My main takeaway from this is that art always had a powerful impact on people’s awareness of social and political issues, but due to our technology today, it is even more powerful and wide-reaching. However, it also worth noting that there are still some risks and dangers in this modern technology. Although we have freedom of expression, people of power abuse their abilities to silence those who speak against them. It may be easy and convenient to just hit the Tweet button whenever we have something to say, but there might be grave consequences if we do it carelessly.

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Adding on to the topic of BTS and K-Pop, the rise of BTS showed me the internalized superiority of the Western world. Even before, there’s this ugly perception of K-pop that made it seem like it’s ‘low art’. In the Philippines, K-pop fans were looked down upon for idolizing artists who “just sing and dance” and male idols who they called “gay” (as if it’s an insult) for wearing makeup. K-pop may be getting into the mainstream nowadays, but the rise of BTS constantly shows how Western media (and its people) are reluctant to accept an industry of talents just because they do not produce music in English. Although the said band is getting so big, they are still often mistreated by the media since they are people of color and produce music in Korean. They are treated like an “other” all the time despite being as, if not more, talented as these huge mainstream artists. In other words, they aren’t valued as artists the same way society values big singers such as Beyonce, Drake, and the like. Their songs and their listeners are often judged upon with haters saying, “why do you even listen to that? You don’t even understand it” as if translations of their wonderful messages aren’t available on the net. There’s this symbolic violence in how locals and the media react to uprising POC (people of color) artists, making it extra hard for them to enter the global scene. This issue can also be seen in other forms of art like the recent release of “Parasite” by Bong Joon Ho which achieved a well-deserved recognition but also garnered condescending criticisms from racist people.

Watching our video essay made me understand the concept behind collecting thousands of fashion items such as footwear, bags, and clothes. Although as a sustainability advocate, I do not resonate nor support it, I can’t hate on people who do collect since we all have different values and belief systems. Collecting dozens of expensive, limited-edition hype shoes that I won’t even wear once in my life may sound absurd and wasteful to me, but for some people, these are expressions and representations of a culture that they are part of. This may apply to collectors of figurines, luxury items, and even fan merchandise as well. They collect these things that have value to them personally, not necessarily aiming to appeal to what society says.

My Identity Map

My identity map consists of objects and symbols that represent who I am to the very core. It may all seem literal and that it speaks for itself, but these images display a much deeper portrayal of my core values. For instance, I am often described as a goal-oriented and organized person, setting systems to achieve my laid-out dreams. To represent this, I used images of my body goals, house goals, business goals, and lifestyle goals. However, these pictures do not only portray my goals and my dreams, but also the values I already have. I am an advocate of sustainability and a student of business. Those two combined, I aim to be a businessperson creating businesses that would be rooted in sustaining life and not centered around making a lot of money and being rich.

Among the prompts listed, I wasn’t able to depict my family and heritage, things to forget, and things to figure out. Instead of putting an image of my family, I inserted an image of BTS who I consider as the people who have created a positive impact on my growth as a person. Moreover, since I initially planned to make this as my dream board which I could look at every day to have a visual representation of my dreams, I didn’t want to put ‘things to forget’ since I would not forget it if I see it every day. (Also because it’s my fault for not knowing all prompts should be visible.)

Overall, I think this map wholly represents who I am and who I can be. As I mentioned in my write-up, I am still growing, therefore this identity map is expected to change over time.

I do not own the pictures used in this Identity Map.

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theyarebangtan · 7 years

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BTS Embody K-Pop's Present and Future Crossover

K-pop lyrics tend to play it safe but BTS’ songs tackle themes of online harassment, suicide, alongside critiques of police brutality.

K-pop band BTS symbolize not only the globalization of music but also the internet's impact on pop success at large. Last month they became the first K-pop act to win a Billboard Music Award, breaking Justin Bieber 's six-year streak of collecting the Top Social Artist award. The honour was well-earned; they topped the Billboard Social 50 for 31 weeks in the past year, and their fans tweeted the #BTSBBMAs hashtag more than 320 million times.

Since their BBMAs appearance, BTS' names have been splashed over major media outlets with primers about the group. The boyband's members include Jeon Jungkook, Jung "J-Hope" Hoseok, Kim "Jin" Seokjin, Kim "Rap Monster" Namjoon, Kim "V" Taehyung, Min "Suga" Yoongi and Park Jimin. BTS translates to Bulletproof Boy Scouts, and they are also known as Bangtan Boys. Not unlike other supremely popular K-pop outfits, their A.R.M.Y. fanbase is hugely responsible for their global recognition. It was all the fans' promotion of the group that earned them the Top Social Artist award, and they even rallied for them to be invited to attend the BBMAs. The fans' petition received over 100 000 signatures, and one tweet later their wishes were granted. BTS' first American award and the success of their Wings album on the Billboard charts signals new heights for the group.

For all the comparisons people make to other groups, there is no Western equivalent to BTS—they're an entirely new phenomenon. The septet's success is breaking not only records but stereotypes and boundaries, as well as finding success worldwide without embodying the Anglo-pop star ideal. While some Western listeners' ethnocentric attitudes lead them to regard K-pop stars as "random Asians in makeup and face masks", BTS' presence at the BBMAs exposed audiences to new faces. Their track "Not Today" blocked the likes of Harry Styles and Niall Horan from the top of the Billboard Twitter Top Tracks chart, claiming the #1 spot for the third consecutive week. They've had 43 hits in the World Digital Song Sales chart with four of them being #1s, tying them with PSY. They're also the only K-pop act to score a top 40 album on the Billboard 200. Currently, BTS are on the last leg of their international Live Trilogy Episode III: The Wings Tour in Japan—the tour's USA dates sold out in minutes.

K-pop seems to be a vacuum tight industry ruled by big players like YG and SM Entertainment, but BTS are the unlikely golden boys of a smaller independent record label and management company called BigHit Entertainment. They're shifting expectations in the K-pop industry with their unconventionally personal approach. They came together when producer Pdogg was discovered by Bang Si Hyuk (aka "Hitman" Bang), the CEO and Executive Producer of BigHit, and the producer later met a teenaged Rap Monster through Sleepy while he was still in the underground scene. Suga and J-Hope joined through nationwide auditions, and three remained out of 30 trainees with other members being added later. BigHit fully embraced the unpredictable world of social media; the guys directly communicate with their fans through logs, BANGTAN BOMB videos, and Twitter and Instagram updates from one group handle (they have no plans to make separate accounts).

BTS haven't had to pander to Western audiences to find success here. "I'm not a believer in releasing full English songs to the U.S. market, like many K-pop artists have," Bang told Billboard. The group's most popular songs may have easy to remember English titles, but their lyrics flow smoothly in Korean save for a few English phrases. Rap Monster taught himself English by watching Friends, so he covered the group's BBMAs Magenta Carpet interviews and delivered their acceptance speech (which he closed off in Korean) as fans screamed in support. In spite of an American award being seen as a quantifier of international success, BTS stay true to their Korean roots in a world where America is the centre of the global music market. This is not to discount their many awards in Korea and elsewhere, but it demonstrates the shifting requirement for English songs to be the only ones on Western charts.

BTS' sonic roots lie in hip hop music, and their lyrics lean heavily on the struggles and excitement of youth. Each member is involved with co-writing, composing, and producing their tracks, and their latest album Wings (re-released as You Never Walk Alone) includes solo songs that reflect their individual musical style. Rap Monster is influenced by Nas and Drake while Suga named Kendrick Lamar, and Jungkook's vocals are influenced by Charlie Puth and Justin Bieber. Jungkook has covered the former and latter's (1, 2, 3, 4) songs alongside fellow maknae line (youngest in the group) member Jimin. "N.O" targets the competitive education culture in Korea, and "Blood, Sweat, Tears" illustrates the pains of addictive love. In "Change", Rap Monster breaks down online harassment, South Korea's rigid hierarchies, and high suicide rate, alongside Wale's critiques of police brutality and the American government. Throughout his fierce Agust D mixtape, Suga openly reflects on his struggles with anxiety and depression. "We try, to be honest to ourselves and it helps us be more flexible in terms of censoring our music somehow. Music speaks for itself and we believe people would empathize with our music if we stay true to lyrics by writing how we think and feel," they explain. K-pop lyrics tend to play it safe because of conservative societal values, but BTS' songs follow themes of personal growth as they try to be as true to self as possible.

NOISEY: Congratulations on winning Top Social Artist. How are you feeling about all this new attention since the BBMAs? Rap Monster: The official stats are in and it's reportedly 320 million votes, which is amazing. We're so grateful for all the attention we're getting since the BBMAs and trying to realize it is actually real! It's good to be noticed worldwide, and we feel honored to be nominated and win the award.

Who were you most excited to meet or see at the BBMAs? BTS: Drake and John Legend. But to be honest, literally, everyone on the stage and in the seats was our dream-list to meet or see anyway.

Suga, in " Agust D " you predicted, "next up is Billboard." What's your next prediction for BTS? Suga: I must say our next stop is Billboard stage to perform a BTS song.

Because K-pop is so global, it's helped make both fans and artists more culturally aware. What are some lessons you've learned while visiting different countries and interacting with international fans? Rap Monster: It is very important to learn the language of that specific country, and you need to speak the truth from your heart.

You've talked about "Spring Day" being a moment of recovery, using a seasonal metaphor. As a group, what do you feel you are recovering or moving on from at this point in your careers? V: I do regret over missing opportunities of learning many things, but we move forward no matter what. Jimin: I feel like I'm moving on from personal regret over my music since I want more. Rap Monster: I'm kind of recovering from being disappointed in myself

What is your goal for your music to accomplish? Jungkook: My goal is to write and sing a song I like on my own. Jin: Making people listen to BTS music without prejudice. Jimin: I want to have a voice I love.

What kind of rituals do you have while composing music? J-Hope: I have to listen to really good music to start composing my own music. Rap Monster: I always turn on a neon sign for my studio, 'Monstudio' V: I got to see a whole movie of my choice. Suga: I do it whenever I feel like it.

While your music videos incorporate elaborate choreography and styling, they are also heavy on metaphors and symbolic storylines. What works have you been into lately that might inspire your next project? J-Hope: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea. Rap Monster: This movie called A Silent Voice. Suga: Get Out.

What did you most enjoy about touring America? BTS: Meeting so many different people around the country and visiting interesting places like museums and parks. And of course, you cannot leave out huge, juicy steaks.

What are your goals for next year? BTS: Billboard stage and more, bigger shows worldwide.

You have a special connection with your fans, and your music is very inspirational to them. What would you like to say to them right now? BTS: Our honors and delights at the BBMAs are 100 percent yours. We'll make you proud as much as you've made us proud for the last 4 years. Love Yourself, love myself!

cr: noisey

#bts #bangtan #bangtan boys #interview #2017 bbmas

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seonghwa-things · 5 years

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The Korean Wave: A Developing Relationship Between Korean and Western Music

This paper aims to explore the music of the Korean Wave, or Hallyu. Hallyu, which directly translates to “flow of Korea”, is a term for the rise in popularity of South Korean culture on a global scale.. The Korean music industry was greatly influenced by the American industry, and this can be seen clearly in their style of music, clothing, and videos. Over the course of 30 years, a large increase in students wanting to become entertainers can be seen, much of this was due to the fact that the industry had grown, making this profession more accepted.. Now, in 2018, the industry is large enough that idol groups, such as BTS, are bringing their music back to the American industry. Many companies in South Korea are creating larger groups, that include different ethnicities, further spreading their culture by bringing in fans from other countries. The increase in popularity can be seen statistically across YouTube, Gaon, and other platforms.

The Korean Wave, better known to some as the Hallyu, is the term used to describe the rising popularity of South Korean culture globally. The term “Hallyu” was first used in China, in 1998, to describe the sudden craze for Korean cultural products from Chinese youth (Kim 2014). Now this is seen through things such as k-dramas (television shows), k-movies, and k-pop. K-pop is the industry which has taken off the most. It has been influenced by the American industry, shown both within their music and their styles. Because of the growing popularity of k-pop, it has become a more welcome occupation in Korea. The amount of fans has increased worldwide, giving k-pop the ability to enter the American industry, and for international members to join groups.

The American industry has had a huge effect on k-pop. During the Korean War, Americans and Koreans had a fairly close relationship. The American troop stationed in Korea - USAMGIK - brought a radio channel called AFKN. The channel’s original intent was to inform American’s of Korean culture, yet instead seemed to do the opposite. Koreans became increasingly interested in the style of American music, and starting including it within concerts. Korean artists had to learn American songs and dances to perform for the soldiers. As the USAMGIK started leaving for the Vietnam War, the artists who once performed at these camps had to integrate these American elements with a Korean style to gain a more domestic audience. In the 1980’s and 1990’s, genres like hip-hop, pop and ballad became prevalent in the Korean industry - to the point that artists like Seo Taiji starting including rap and rock styles into their own hits (Stephen 2018).

This type of influence can still be seen heavily today. After the popularity of the Latin-American song “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi, the style seemed to reappear again a few months later in Korea. Songs like “Lo Siento” by Super Junior featuring Leslie Grace, “Senorita” by VAV, and “O Sole Mio” by SF9 became popular hits, all featuring Spanish lyrics, and a strong Latin guitar line (Herman 2018). As we see Charlie Puth rise in the American industry, we see males in the k-pop industry wanting to mimic his falsetto sound. Singers like Jungkook and Jimin of BTS have covered his songs, and groups such as NCT are showing males doing falsetto much more often (e.g. The 7th Sense or Simon Says). Jungkook even got a chance to perform a duet with Charlie Puth at the 2018 MGA, before BTS performed their hit “Fake Love”, with Puth singing the chorus (TWOWAIISHU 2018).

With this increase in popularity, the acceptability of being a performer has also improved. Statistics taken from elementary school students in 1981 showed that students didn’t even toy with the idea of being performs. When the survey was retaken in 1999, the amount of students that wanted to be entertainers was up to 9%. This study was done again in 2012, and the statistic had again grown - up to 38.8%. The main cause of this growth is “what some researchers call “cosmopolitan striving” or“han/melancholia””. Koreans tend to see Western success to have more social legitimacy. With the rise in popularity of k-pop, some of their own success has become legitimised, therefore making being an idol, or entertainer, more acceptable (Oh and Lee 2013, 115).

As the entertainment industry grows, so does the fanbase. The k-pop industry is giving fans many bands and groups to choose from, and very rarely is a fan part of just one fandom. Groups that don’t gain as much recognition in Korea are greatly recognized in Brazil, Japan and Europe. Countries like Austria don’t have as large of a fanbase, but the fans are still just as supportive. As stated in Song’s essay, “ German and Austrian people are very conservative, and they have a very strong pride in their own things.” This explains why in some countries, the fanbase grows slower. Many countries, including the United States take pride in their own industries, and aren’t always willing to open up to new things — especially in the older generations. Since “Gangnam Style” by PSY has gotten popular, the amount of k-pop fans in Austria has increased. And has been growing slowly, but steadily in the past years (Song 2013, 93-94).

K-pop’s popularity has recently increased significantly in the United States. Groups such as NCT and BTS have attended the AMAs in the last two years (Jin 2017, 1). Both groups, plus others like K.A.R.D, and Monsta X, have also released songs that are mostly in English within the past year to try and attract more attention from their American fans. While these hits have gotten quite popular, they aren’t the first to do so. Groups like Girls’ Generations, also known as SNSD, had their hit “The Boys” released in both English and Korean back in 2011, and were even on Good Morning America — which was easily accessible to them as several members are from America. The Korean wave has been growing stronger and stronger over the years. CL, an idol formally from the group 2NE1, released multiple English songs with her group, such as “Can’t Nobody”. More recently, she has released her own song “Lifted” which is fully in English, and has worked with the group Black Eyed Peas to release the song “Dopeness” (SBS 2018).

Many Korean artists now tour North America, hitting big cities in both the United States and Canada. BTS had a world tour this year, going to America, Canada, and Europe. The tour was received so well that they are already planning another, perhaps even larger tour in 2019 (Vivid Seats 2018). Groups such as Monsta X and GOT7 have become regular guests for big events, such as KCON, which has been held in both LA and New York over the last few years (KCONUSA 2018). NCT, GOT7 and Day6 have plans to further their promotions in America, as they have members coming from the country.

While these groups may be sharing their music internationally, some of them are actually quite diverse within their groups. NCT, an eighteen — and soon to be twenty-one — member group under SM Entertainment, has male idols from all around the world. NCT stands for Neo Culture Technology, and the group’s concept is to have an unlimited amount of members. The group includes nine Korean born members (Taeyong, Taeil, Jisung, Jeno, Jaemin, Haechan, Jaehyun, Doyoung, Jungwoo), one American (Johnny), one Canadian (Mark), one Japanese (Yuta), seven Chinese (WinWin, Xiao Jun, Hendery, Renjun, Chenle, Kun, Lucas), one German (YangYang), and one Thai (Ten). NCT is split into many sub-units, to save them from the struggle of performing with so many people on stage. As of right now, they have 4 units, and a fifth one, NCT Vision — the Chinese members — will be debuting by the end of 2018. SM’s CEO, Lee Soo Man, has stated that he has plans to create a new unit, currently called NCT Vietnam. There have also been recent rumours of debuting a female unit within NCT (kprofiles 2018).

Many other idol groups are diverse as well, though most times with a smaller amount of people. RaNia, a female idol group under DR Music had Chinese (Ttabo,Yijo) , Thai (Namfon, Joy), and African American (Alex) members, and GOT7, a male idol group, under JYP Entertainment has Chinese (Jackson), Thai (BamBam), and American (Mark) members. Not only is the diversity being seen in idol groups, but also within Korean bands. Day6 includes American (Jae) and Canadian (Young K) members, and W24’s lead singer is from Chile (Howon). This diversity is only able to happen because of how widespread k-pop has become. Many young fans dream of becoming idols, and sometimes an audition pulls through. (kprofiles 2018).

The diversity may seem great, but it must be done with care. EXP Edition, an all male, non-Korean group under IMMABB (I’m Making a Boy Band) has been met with malicious and hateful comments globally. The fact that they are mostly of caucasian descent isn’t the problem; many fans love the diversity. The problem is that this group has not gone through the years upon years of training that most idols have had to go through. For example, Johnny from NCT was in training for nine years before he could finally debut in 2016; he had been training since he was ten years old. Most of the anger about EXP Edition was that they spent no time training whatsoever. They wouldn’t have necessarily had to have started as young as idols like Johnny, but the training is necessary to compete in such an industry. A three member female group from Japan, Honey Popcorn, made their debut as k-pop idols in March of 2018. While none of the members in this group are Korean, they were received better, as they had gone through similar training to what k-pop idols would in Japan. It is understandable that with the spread of k-pop, there will be more people who want to become idols. To be successful in the industry however, you must go through the same training and struggles that other artists do (Blessedkpop 2018).

The Korean music industry has grown in America, reeling in many international artists. Due to this k-pop is becoming a bigger topic at households in Korea, and due to the fact that being an idol is more generally accepted as an occupation. Korean idol groups will be continuously touring North America, and likely releasing even more English tracks. The Korean Wave has certainly taken off, and it doesn’t look like it will be stopping anytime soon.

“15 Amazing English-Language K-Pop Songs.” 2018. SBS News. SBS News. May 22. https://www.sbs.com.au/popasia/blog/2018/05/22/15-amazing-english-language-k-pop-songs.

“2019 Concert Tours: Predicting the Top 2019 Tours.” 2018. Vivid Seats. Accessed December 1. https://www.vividseats.com/blog/2019-concert-tours-predictions.

Blessedkpop. 2018. “Honey Popcorn Expresses Gratitude And Discusses Divided Opinions About Their Debut.” Soompi. Soompi. March 21. https://www.soompi.com/article/1143605wpp/honey-popcorn-expresses-gratitude-discusses-divided-opinions-debut.

Herman, Tamar. 2018. “K-Pop Turns Toward Latin American Market With Collaborations And Tours.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine. June 1. https://www.forbes.com/sites/tamarherman/2018/05/31/k-pop-turns-towards-latin-amerian-market-with-collaborations-tours/#1d519513960d.

Jin, Dal Yong. An Analysis of the Korean Wave as Transnational Popular Culture: North American Youth Engage Through Social Media as TV Becomes Obsolete. Simon Fraser University. 2018.

“KCON USA OFFICIAL SITE.” 2018. KCON USA OFFICIAL SITE. Accessed December 1. http://www.kconusa.com/.

Kim, Youna. 2014. “The Korean Wave (Hallyu).” Accessed October 28, 2018.http://seaa.americananthro.org/2014/07/the-korean-wave-hallyu/

“Kpop Band Member Profiles and Korean Celebrity Profiles.” 2018. Kpop Profiles. Accessed November 28. https://kprofiles.com/.

Oh, Ingyu and Lee, Hyojung. K-pop in Korea: How the Pop Music Industry Is Changing a Post-Developmental Society. University of Hawai’i Press. 2014.

Stephen. 2018. “American Music Influence on Kpop in the Past and the Present.” Accessed December 1 https://blogs.ubc.ca/asia327girlsgen/2018/10/01/american-music-influence-on-kpop-in-the-past-and-the-present/.

Sung, Sang-Yeon. K-pop Reception and Participatory Fan Culture in Austria. University of Vienna Press. 2013.

TWOWAIISHU. 2018. “Charlie Puth, Jungkook, BTS Perform ‘See You Again’, ‘We Don’t Talk Anymore’, ‘FAKE LOVE’ @ 2018 MGA.” YouTube. YouTube. November 6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pTA0260QKs.

#kpop #anthropology #term paper #my writing

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haragurokitty · 6 years

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Modernity and the Stalker Fan

Я очень много прочитала о sasaeng fans, в попытках найти удобоваримое объяснение этому феномену, потому что “ну они просто не в себе” не казалось мне достаточной причиной для таких поступков.

Вот эта статья, на мой взгляд, просто отличная. А когда автор упомянула Марксистскую теорию, я прониклась новым уважением.

Вот вкратце:

Reification can give human qualities to objects, but can also work in the opposite direction, where humans are reduced into objects (Marx, 1923). Martha Nussbum (1995) describes seven ways one perpetrate objectification:

Instrumentality: The objectifier treats the object as a tool of his or her purposes.

Denial of Autonomy: The objectifier treats the object as lacking in autonomy and self-determination.

Inertness: The objectifier treats the object as lacking in agency, and perhaps also in activity.

Fungibility: The objectifier treats the object as interchangeable (a) with other objects of the same type, and/or (b) with objects of other types.

Violability: The objectifier treats the object as lacking in boundary integrity, as something that it is permissible to break up, smash, break into.

Ownership: The objectifier treats the object as something that is owned by another, can be bought or sold, etc.

Denial of Subjectivity: The objectifier treats the object as something whose experience and feelings (if any) need not be taken into account.

Modernity and the Stalker Fan

Modernity and the Stalker Fan: A Cultural Approach to Understanding Idolization

Vicky Hung 301161905

Sasaeng fans (sasaeng meaning “private life” in Korean) are a recent phenomenon to brace the Eastern landscape of youth culture. Originating from South Korea and attributed to the rise of K-pop musical groups and the subsequent booming interest in Korean Wave, sasaeng fans have gained international recognition for their extreme displays of idol obsession. Also known by some groups as the “stalking fans”, sasaengs are categorized as individuals who will take to stalking their idol relentlessly. In Korea, these fans are looked down upon and are seen as creepy, strange individuals (as seen in the video below). In recent times, some laws have been passed to protect idols from their fans, thought few measures have been taken in South Korea to combat the problem directly despite being recognized as a clear concern (Al Jazeera, 2012).

In the West, similar behavior can be observed from fans groups, particularly of ones for performer Justin Beiber and boy group One Direction. Though based in America and the UK respectively, these performers have taken the international stage and have dominating global fan-base. Similarly, the South Korean music industry has seen its own share of international spread, demonstrating that cultural products can also spread from East to West (Sung, 2014). In part this may be due to the advent of the internet and its ability to compress geographical distance.

In general, sasaengs are regarded to be an issue specific to South Korea. This is understandable; engaging in idol stalking would require proximity to the targets themselves. However, as the growing consumption of South Korean – and in general, East Asian – cultural products overseas has implied, the internet’s unprecedented ability to expose audiences to new ideas and experiences. What’s to the say that sasaeng culture couldn’t follow in the footsteps of the South Korean music industry and effect fans overseas? Certainly, with fan-behaviors behind exhibited worldwide, the landscape already appears ripe for the possibility.

Several studies have been conducted which attempts to describe the origins for idol culture, including as a means of transition into sexuality and as a means to understand one’s identity (Karniol, 2001; Raviv, Bar-Tal & Raviv, 1996). In general, these studies take on a psychological or sociological approach. There are few studies which approach expressions of fandom as a result of cultural discourses. Even fewer studies exist for extreme fans behavior such as with sasaengs. I propose that these approaches to fandom is relevant in our globalized state of society currently, and has applications within marketing strategies in foreign markets or in developing strategies in preventing and dismantling dangerous youth trends from within a society.

In this paper, I will attempting to answer these questions through concepts associated with cultural, economic and new media theories. Research on sasaengs and other fan groups were conducted using a netnographic approach, concentrating on personal blogs, fansites, and news sources. It will be done so in two parts focused on the following research questions:

How can South Korea’s struggles with synthesizing capitalism into a collectivist culture help inform motivations behind sasaengs which are unique from other idol fans from Western countries?

How does acceleration of messages from new media play a role in reinforcing and spreading sasaeng behavior locally and internationally and what does this imply for shifts in global trends in fan behavior?

Through the discussion of these two questions, I aim to further discussion on solutions for preventing sasaeng behavior not only within South Korea, but also in other manifestations of extreme idolization that may spread across the world.

Key terms: materialism, objectification of the idols, alienation, collectivism, acceleration.

What are sasaeng fans

Fan by Epik High. In the music video, it depicts a fan who kidnaps and tortures one of the members. Most likely the video was influenced by the group’s own experience with sasaeng fans.

Sasaeng fans derive from a larger community of idol fans. Sasaeng fans are predominantly female, with their average age ranging from 13 to 22, and are South Korean. Among their other activities, the most prominent characteristic which defines a sasaeng from normal fans is that the former would relentlessly stalk their idols. Typical behaviours include sleeping in front of the idol’s dorms, engaging in high speed chases of company vehicles, and relentlessly sending messages to the idol through private means of communication (i.e. the idol’s personal phone number). As many of these fans are too young to drive, some taxi drivers have found profit offering specific taxi services to sasaengs. Sasaeng taxis specialize in following idols around and can be rented for the whole day for a flat rate (Soh, 2012; sweetandtasy, 2012). These taxis services have been a popular staple to sasaeng activities. Popular targets include boy groups such as EXO, JYJ, TVXQ and Super Junior.

The relationship between sasaeng fans with the larger “normal” fan population is tense. Non-sasaengs disassociate themselves from this group, denouncing sasaengs as not being true fans. As for the relationships between sasaengs and idols, the music video for Epik High’s Fan (as shown above) summarizes this well. Unlike normal fans who’s admiration the idols would reciprocate, sasaengs put idols in a state of stress. Many of them feel trapped and frustrated with living in constant surveillance and have hindered the ability for these idols to maintain a private life.

Idolization as a Product of Consumerism: Materialism and Objectification

The process of South Korea’s adoption of modernity has been recognized as being the fastest of any other country (Koo, 1999). The biggest change can be seen in South Korea’s capitalistic economy.

Engle and Kasser (2005) note that girls who idolize male celebrities will exhibit higher levels of materialism, particularly when it concerns objects or media associated with their idols. Idols often note that items will appear missing from their dorms, most likely taken from sasaengs who entered the building when they were away. Some sasaengs make money by selling the personal affects from the idol, which can range from clothing to biological samples.

Instrumentality: The objectifier treats the object as a tool of his or her purposes.

Denial of Autonomy: The objectifier treats the object as lacking in autonomy and self-determination.

Inertness: The objectifier treats the object as lacking in agency, and perhaps also in activity.

Fungibility: The objectifier treats the object as interchangeable (a) with other objects of the same type, and/or (b) with objects of other types.

Violability: The objectifier treats the object as lacking in boundary integrity, as something that it is permissible to break up, smash, break into.

Ownership: The objectifier treats the object as something that is owned by another, can be bought or sold, etc.

Denial of Subjectivity: The objectifier treats the object as something whose experience and feelings (if any) need not be taken into account.

This model serves useful in explaining why sasaengs are able to engage in unethical acts. Many sasaengs seem to believe that the idols owe them the attention. When they do not receive it, they are unhappy, and makes attempts to reign back their control. When idols plead their sasaengs to stop, it generally goes unheeded. The following two examples goes in depth upon how idols are objectified, focusing mainly on denial of subjectivity and autonomy. Other notable types not covered in the examples include violability and instrumentality; Nussbum’s model should be kept in mind throughout the rest of the paper as other examples are covered.

On September 29, 2013, sasaeng fans appeared uninvited to the wedding of an EXO member’s brother because said idol group would be in attendance (EXO-love, 2013). EXO members asked them to stop just for this event and that they could resume it at a different time. When one of the members, Baekhyun, began ignoring the sasaengs’ advances, they grew discontent. One of them allegedly attempted to punch his throat to jeopardize his singing. In response to the controversy, one sasaeng made the following statement online (translated to English from Korean):

Baekhyun-ah, I told you Stop messing around, or we really don’t know what we’ll do next Why do you think we went all the way there and caused a fuss? Our puppy is so cute when he’s mad But it’s time to tone down that personality isn’t it? You’re a public figure hehe Try treating us like we’re insects one more time, we really don’t what we’ll do next time And send your brother our congratulations on his wedding~” (as cited in “The Weird Relationship of EXO with Some of Their Sasaeng Fans”, 2014)

From the contents of the message above, several forms of objectification can be made apparent. This sasaeng is accusing that Baekhyun was the one at fault. Because his stardom was due to the fans, the fans should deserve his undivided attention, suggesting denial of autonomy. The sender then imposes denial of violability; saying that he should have expected that fans would react in such a manner, and threatens further disruption if the idol does not comply in the future.

As a second example, in 2009 a fan sent 2PM member Taechyeon a message letter written in period blood and several pubic hairs (allkpop, 2009). The message reads:

I dedicate to Taecyeon my period blood letter Ok Taecyeon, You cannot live without me Sprinkled with a few strands of my pubes” (as cited by allkpop, 2009).

Here this fan demonstrates several forms of objectification as described by Nussbum. In the line “You cannot live without me” suggest a denial of autonomy by implying the humanity of the idol is tied to the fan’s. Also implied is objectification through the denial of subjectivity. A letter written in blood and pubic hair obviously grotesque and traumatizing, but the sender believed it would be acceptable to do so regardless.

Competition and Stress: Alienation

Capitalism is naturally competitive. Under capitalism, where one’s worth operates on the terms of profits, the worth of a worker too equates to their value of their output. In other words, workers are objectified in a way where they are seen as just parts of a machine, which as I previously stated, allows for unethical acts to take place upon these workers. Marxism theorizes that a meaningful life is achieved through doing meaningful work. The products of meaningful work reflect the characteristics of the producer. Alienation is the term which Marx used to describe the state where this relationship is not reinforced. One of the ways this is achieved that Marx (1927) describes is the estrangement of worker from the activity produced, whereby alienation is created through work which is done for external purposes and not for oneself.

In terms of South Korean youth, the beneficiaries of their work is often just the family. South Korean youths are facing some of the most pressured and toughest situations within the country in the past years. This sort of edge may have been fueled by the competitive nature South Korean culture have in general. This is most prevalent in their education strict system. In the opening scene of the movie Attack on the Pin-up Boys (2007), the movie summarizes the average day for a high school student:

We wake up before dawn breaks and some of us get punished for being tardy. We finally make ourways to class. From 8 till 6, we’ll sit at our desks all day, studying for hours and hours… But after 3 years of high school, either you get admitted to your first choice or you get rejected. We’re just high school kids…

In addition, parents may enroll their children into cram school, which takes place after classes. Students would then return home to eat dinner before returning back to school for study hall. All of this is done in preparation for the college university exam, the most competitive and important exam in a South Korean student’s career.

The resulting alienation has lead many youth to seek out other activities as a means to cope, such as through video games, raves, or karaoke bars (Ha & Park, 2011). As a result, the Korean entertainment industry has flourished to meet these demands, creating a sort of voracious cycle; students are stressed due to capitalist society, which in turn forces youth to turn support industries which in and of themselves reinforces capitalism.

It is also within this spirit of competition which could have given birth to the competition between sasaeng fans. Within the sasaeng community, the amount of proximity one has to the idol is the token of status. Whether done privately amongst other sasaengs or publicly through local social media, sasaengs would brag about their encounters to other. Sasaengs want to be able to tell other sasaengs that they have seen so and so. A former manager of a popular idol group mentioned how he would use to resort to violence in order to keep sasaengs at bay, but realized that being hit by someone close to the group has become something of a bragging right amongst community. Many sasaengs say how they get a sense of reward by being able to see their idols up close. Many makes attempts to create interpersonal relationships with their favourite idols. They’ll sleep outside of their idols’ dorms in order to catch a glimpse of them as they leave. They believe that through their stalking, their favourite idol would in turn recognize their faces – a privilege amongst sasaengs. Some sasaengs are even so desperate for this attention that a few would attempt physical or sexual assaults and outlandish acts, as long as they are remembered by their idols, even in a negative light. Sometimes these acts can lead an idol to be seriously injured.

A fan grabs onto the leg of idol Dongwoo while he was in the middle of a performance.

JYJ’s Yoonchun being slapped in the faced by a sasaeng as he makes his way through a crowd.

Sasaengs, Directioners and Beliebers: the Collective versus the Self

At this time, it may be appropriate to turn to the West, where modernism first originated from, to examine similar behavior. These groups, like sasaengs, are young females ranging from early adolescence to early adults. Directioners, based in the UK, is the term given to fans of the boy band One Direction, the self-proclaimed biggest boy band in the world. Beliebers, based in America, are the names for the fans of Justin Beiber, and have been attributed to “Beiber Fever” (similar to Beatle Mania in describing a wave of sweeping fan obsession) in the mid 2000s. Both of these fans have been notorious for the lengths they go to be noticed, which include several instances of hitting their idols with items thrown on stage during their performances.

A compilation of various sasaeng behaviours.

A compilation of One Direction fans mobbing the members of the group.

Justin Beiber fans waiting outside his studio in order to catch a glimpse of him.

In many respects, the behaviours of sasaengs, Beliebers and Directioners are indistinguishable from one another. Both these fans will wait for the idols outside jobsites or leisurely spots, invade personal space of the idol, and make aggressive attempts to take selfies. This in and of itself does not imply that these fans are sasaengs, though there have been instances where fans have admitted they’ve traveled to the idol’s hometown hoping to encounter them.

Perhaps the biggest distinction is that these individuals which engage in stalking are known as special cases. It is not in and of itself they’re own subset of fans. I think this makes a difference, as giving these extreme fans a name would make it easier for people to identify and support the destructive behavior. In general, in my research I noticed there is a general lack of extreme displays of sustained stalker behavior, but that may be due to the fact the because these instances are conducted by smaller groups, that they are easily overlooked.

At this point, I must note that sasaengs are categorized by obsessive levels of fandom, whereas Beliebers and Directioners, though are generally used to describe devoted fans, refers mainly to a fan’s affiliations. There are fans who consider themselves Beliebers or Directioners, but will not exhibit behavior extreme enough to be on the level of a sasaeng. However, as sasaengs form most often around popular idols, these fan groups would be the most likely to have them. To combat the issue, I focused my research specifically on extreme cases. This still opens the possibility that extreme Western fans just may be more lucrative to the press or Western fans are more secretive about their activities. However, I offer an alternative cultural explanation. This requires a look back into the values of colonial Korea, specifically collectivism.

Collectivism is a term used to categorize the emphasis a society puts on the self versus the collective. It implies a value system which at its best emphasizes group dynamics, society as opposed to the self, compassion, and belonging. At its worse, it promotes conformity and rejection of outside groups. This sits opposed to individualism, high in countries such as America and Britain (Triandis, McCusker & Hui, 1990), which emphasize autonomy and freedom of the individual. This is not to say that shades of collectivism and individualism can exist within a given society, but that merely some are better summarized as fitting on trait against the other. In Korea, collectivism exists in more subtle hues which often comes in conflict with capitalism. At school, this may feed into the vicious competition for grades as a desire to “fit in” pushes students to all exhibit similar patterns.

A former manager of a k-pop group has describes sasaengs as being a “gang-like presence” (allkpop, 2012). Like a gang, many sasaengs will conglomerate together in sasaeng groups. These groups are headed under an adult leader, one who is old enough to get a job and raise money to fund their activities (JVD, 2012). This job may also be one where it is possible to steal personal information from members, such as at a bank or a credit card company (Soh ,2012). At the lower end of the spectrum are rookies, who are usually younger members of the group, which are made to do grunt work. For example, when the leader is not able to provide enough money, it has been cited that the younger members would be forced to prostitute themselves (allkpop, 2012). This hierarchical system can be attributed to the Confucian ideology which is still prevalent in South Korean society, which teaches respect towards elders and family, and goes to inform Korea’s collectivism.

Collectivism can also go on to explain why so many sasaengs exists in South Korea. In a study conducted by Chau-kiu Cheung and Xiao Dong Yue (2003) on idol fans in Hong Kong, they concluded that idol worship lead to decreased self-esteem and commitment to social and family life. This can be seen in sasaengs who will often drop out of school in order to engage in their stalker activities. Unable to work within larger society, as these individuals get rejected from their social peer groups their need for social harmony could have been the driving force which slowly knit these communities together. This plays back to reinforce the feeling of alienation as described earlier.

Digital communications and accelerated messages

Blogging and social media have become popular past times for Korean youth as a form of expression. This has also played a role in revolutionizing fandom. Contemporary fans today have the ability to experience fandom in a whole new way. Social media such as Twitter or Instagram can allow intimate access for fans to their idols every time of the day. Digital communications also allows for quick mobilization of sasaeng groups by members. When one spots an idol, information is quickly disseminated throughout the group using instant messaging. In an instant, dozens of sasaengs fans can appear in an instant and chase down the idol.

I changed my phone number because I got a lot of prank calls. 5 minutes after I changed my number, I got a text on the number saying ‘You changed your number’” – TVXQ member Changmin (as cited by allkpop)

Acceleration can also be seen as a factor as to why sasaengs have become so persistent. If new techniques have been developed to avoid sasaeng detection, a large community makes it easy to find a work around solution. If new devious techniques have been developed to increase idol surveillance, these can be flooded into the community quickly. Hence, with accelerated communications, sasaengs become a sort of flexible being which can easily adopt to different situations. Furthermore, new media can allow for the

International Fans: the Spread of Sasaengs

Blogging and social media have become popular past times for Korean youth (Ha & Park, 2011). Just as acceleration is quicken the process of fan to idol, sasaeng media is also being disseminated throughout globally. The most popular media which is shared are photos of the idols. This can be in part due to the reification of images as standing a quantity of social engagement with the idol, as well as the competition between fans to appear to be the most intimate with them. It is also worth noting that unlike text posts, images have this extra ability to transcend language barriers, and can suggest ideas to be consumed (though less direct) on an international scale.

Reception of sasaeng fans in the West have been predominantly negative, with many fans denouncing their claims to be “fans”. Despite this, similar behaviours by fans can be seen exhibited outside South Korea’s borders. Compare the following two videos below about the arrival of the k-pop group, EXO, at the airport:

EXO arriving at Heathrow airport, London.

EXO arriving at Gimpo airport, Seoul, greeted by South Korean sasaengs. Despite the difference in levels of intensity, the reactions to the group’s arrival are very similar (flocking around the idol, screaming).

Recently, sasaeng culture has also taken hold outside of South Korea borders. When groups travel overseas, local groups of fans will also engage in sasaeng behavior. In Singapore, sasaeng taxi services are available for hire (Yahoo, 2012), and in 2011, were involved in a seven-car collision, injuring Super Junior members as they made their way to their hotel (allkpop, 2011).

However, as the core activity of sasaeng lifestyle revolves around being in near proximity to their K-pop idols, engaging in the lifestyle requires living in Korea. From the perspective of international fans who participated in sasaeng-like behavior, they denounced their similarities to true sasaengs. International fans are much more likely to consider these acts as being one-time instances, far from being a true lifestyle. On the other hand, some fans who live in countries neighboring Korea such as Japan or China migrate to Korea either on short or extended periods of time.

On the other hand, local sasaengs often treat international fans the same way they see “normal” South Korean fans: as people who did not earn their right to see their idols. What is partly to blame for the animosity is the preference of idols and their managers for international fans over local ones. Stars are more likely to be kinder to international fans (even ones who have travelled to South Korea to engage in sasaeng activities) than South Koreans. This is partly due to their poor reputation tarnished by sasaengs. This fact has carved out animosity between international and South Korean sasaengs. Some sasaeng groups may coerce international fans to join them, but only sees them as a source of money (JVD, 2012). These fans are only seen as being “rookies”. Due to the hostility shown towards “outsiders”, which supports the collective ideology.

Conclusion: Implications for Trends in Global Fan Behaviour

Sasaengs can be seen as a result from the country’s struggle with capitialism and modernity, which through globalization has effected most countries. In the practice of idolization in the West, some individuals can be seen to also exhibit sasaeng behavior, but due to the differences in identity which includes factors such as collectivism-individualism, it is to a much less frequent and severe degree. From first glace it seems that sasaengs are specific only to South Korea. Given that true sasaengs also require to be in close proximity to the idol, this seems to suggest that the issue would be localized.

On the other hand, overseas there is evidence that sasaengs are forming. Whether or not this is “true” sasaeng fan behavior is irrelevant, what is important is that in portrayals the acts appears to be genuine. This can potentially become an issue when this behavior is normalized and sets the standards for fan behavior, and more extreme behaviours may become accepted into the fan canon. Given the young ages of fan who partake in this activity, this sect lies in an area which are more susceptibility to external influences.

There are several issues with my analysis to be aware of in terms of information collecting. The first issue is the limited amount to accounts of sasaeng culture. Sasaeng communities are very underground. Most likely they are aware of how the public reactions to them. Even within the community, they are tight knit and rarely do they disclose their activities to the public. Another issue is the language barrier. Primary sources would most likely be written in Korean. Hence, the media which I have used are secondary sources such as interpretations of their activities (ex. documentaries) or transcripts of interviews. The translations which I have found are also of various credibility as they are translated by other internet users. Many of the interpretations have also been done so by people of non-South Korean origin. A further analysis would require web searches in native Korean, as well as more first-hand accounts of sasaengs.

https://southkoreanpopcultureanalyses.wordpress.com/modernity-and-the-stalker-fan/

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popmusicu · 7 years

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Music, language barriers and prejudice.

As westerns, we have grown accustomed to listen to music which comes from United States or England, and this is the way it's been for decades. We consume english lyrics on a daily basis, almost all the songs on the radio are in english and even if we don’t know the exact translation for a song we just sing it because it isn’t something we’re aware of, in fact, a lot of adults, especially our parents or older people don’t pay attention to the meaning behind a catchy song, they know part of the lyrics by heart and we’ve been raised almost the same way. Personally, I think there’s a difference between the previous generations and the actual one due to the fact that we have the technology and devices to look for a translation, a way to listen to more songs or the whole album and even different artists that are similar to the ones we listen to, but even when we have the tools to expand our musical knowledge and experience distinct genres, it seems like we don’t want to get out of our comfort zone. What do I mean by this? A topic that wasn’t so present in my life until now that I realized how important is the issue of language barriers, prejudice, ignorance, and in some instances, racism.

I was part of the audience who only listened to anglo music no matter the genre, I was always open to new recommendations but only in english. If someone wanted to make a suggestion about an artist from Asia, for example, I would act like I didn’t care because I strictly consumed mainstream american popular music, everything else in another language was odd or weird for me. My friends and my parents were also used to listen to american artists but my little world that revolved around this language changed drastically one day when I decided to give korean music a try. I have to admit that I was prejudiced against this genre, everything I imagined the famous called “K-pop” would be...it wasn’t. I don’t know what I expected, I guess my ignorance was waiting for something childish or related to anime opening theme songs, but I discovered something really different, something that helped me understand a whole culture and a hidden form of racism behind prejudices that weren’t only mine but shared with more people. I came across different questions, ignorant questions, who remarked our misguided notions about east asia's music, in this case, from South Korea. Here are some examples that I heard after I told some friends I started to listen to that kind of music. “How do you understand it when it isn’t in english? Do you know what they’re saying?” “All I hear is /ching-chong/” “They all look the same, how do you know who’s who?” “Why do men wear so much makeup? Are they gay?” “Can you start listening to normal music again?”, and the list doesn’t stop. People usually make fun of asians, this is an issue regarding racism and it’s a deeper topic because stigmatize a whole race, but when it comes to music it looks like some of us considered Asia and its people a different species just because they speak a different language, me included when I acted like it was something to be mocked.

The big question arises after I took enough time to check more than just Psy’s “Gangnam Style”. That was the first song I heard back then, and a lot of people disliked this song because they found it ridiculous, others loved it because it was a different sound and had a choreography that I bet it’s still on our minds. But I had to ask for recommendations, soloists, groups, and not only the pop genre but indie, r&b, hip hop and rock. That was the moment when I felt ashamed of myself for staying in a box and of course, of making fun of young people that listened to these performers. It was hard for me because I wasn’t used to the korean language, I didn’t know what the songs meant but as I had the tools to look for the answers I used them and I figured out that you don’t need to understand the lyrics at the first listen to like it or to feel the vibe because that’s what music is about; entertainment, having fun and making your life easier when you press play. That’s when I stopped worrying about not knowing a word in a language that wasn’t english or spanish and I enjoyed the music and the effort behind every release.

I realized korean music isn’t different from what’s made in America and it has nothing to envy from them. Firstly, korean companies actually work with american producers and vice versa. Many artists, such as Bruno Mars, have written for korean groups and soloists, american producers have also worked with them to release albums always looking for different styles and genres depending on the company and the artists. Another reason why people dislike korean music is mostly because they think the lyrics don’t mean anything, of course even in english songs we’re going to find songs that have a repetitive chorus and not a deep message to express through it but many of these korean singers actually write about social injustice, mental illnesses, suicide, lgbt topics and issues that are really delicate in Korea, considering that it’s a country which is not as open as we are regarding what was mentioned before. In addition, companies train them to be a complete performer, they not only sing but also dance, rap and have to learn different languages to communicate with fans all over the world and when western shows recognize them giving them awards (which rarely happens because the american industry is also racist when it comes to artists from other countries). And we could say that this type of music doesn’t sell or its singers haven’t achieved anything to be relevant nowadays, the truth is, in my personal case, I didn’t know how powerful they were until I read straight facts about the most successful and best-selling korean groups for the past fifteen years, for example we can find groups who have sold fifty million records and more like soloist IU, the groups SNSD and 2NE1; also groups who have sold twenty million records or more like EXO, Wonder Girls, f(x), BTS and more; but the most important achievement related to best-selling artists is probably the group BIGBANG who has sold more than one-hundred million records. At the last Billboard Awards the group BTS was the first korean group to win an american award, which brought a lot of recognition to other groups and musicians, who also felt proud because the topic about prejudice is known by most of them. To conclude with this part of the post I want to remark the situation of korean music (and international or non-english songs) not being nominated to any shows like The Grammys. We live in a world who revolves around american celebrities, music, movies and more; we consume what they sell because we haven’t looked beyond our reality and eyes. You’re wondering what was my purpose when I decided to write about this, it’s simple and we talked about the appreciation that an artist receives by putting in perspective their nationalities. Does “being american or british” have anything to do with the recognition that a musician gets? Or the talent that a performer has? Is music sung in english better than the one made in other languages? Or is it because we’ve grown in a side of the world that is constantly revolving around the western culture and ignores everything that happens in other continents because they realize their industry isn’t better or a competition to them? It’s up to you to decide, and as a person that loves music, I understand that it is for everybody and you’re not forced to like a certain genre or artist; everyone is entitled to their own tastes. But making fun of it just because it’s not your style or making assumptions based on ignorance about a topic into which you don’t have insight won’t help to change our perspective on different music styles nor expand our musical knowledge. I educated myself about it and I hope I get the opportunity to discover music from all over the world because it’s important to bear in mind that language barriers, prejudice or ignorance shouldn’t stop us from enjoying songs. Korean artists were only one example from many others that exist, there are a lot of musicians from other countries that we should give a try, and sure, english songs are popular without any doubt, but there’s more than that, so much more than that.

To finish, I would like to share with you different styles seen in korean music nowadays.

x / Hyukoh - 위잉위잉

x / Dean - What 2 Do

x / Agust D - Agust D

x / NCT U - The 7th Sense

x / Heize - Don't know you

x / Day6 - I Wait

Camila Pérez

위잉위잉

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