Category Archives: Published Elsewhere

The Unsung And The Unsaid In Kpop

by CeeFu

Kpop is subject to a lot of criticism.  A LOT. The most repeated charge against Kpop is that it is manufactured.  But is that really true?  Usually when critics level this charge, they make sweeping generalizations about the whole landscape of pop.  In doing so, they perpetuate stereotypes about the lack of originality in Asian popular culture.

Read more at KPK: Kpop Kollective (originally published January 1, 2012)

Polishing My Tiara, or What It’s Like Being An Orange Princess Today

by CeeFu

Yeah, I know all the cool kids are into SNSD and Super Junior and BigBang and SHINee. I like them too. You get to see them doing stuff nearly every day.   But it takes commitment to be a Changjo, a fan of Shinhwa, an Orange Princess.

Cassies always keep the faith and all, but try being an Orange Princess. It is no secret that I LOVE Shinhwa. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways: Andy, Eric, Dongwan, Minwoo, Hyesung, Jun Jin:

While I love the individual members of Shinhwa, you know there is always your bias.  You hear that, Andy? It’s you and me, baby, YOU and ME! It’s true, I have a thing for the maknaes….

Read more at KPK: Kpop Kollective (Originially published on June 22, 2011)

The REAL SM Entertainment Conspiracy

by CeeFu

People, you have been fooled! SM Entertainment has distracted you with multi-year contracts, lawsuits and tales of exploitation, but I know what the REAL conspiracy is.

Are you ready?

SM is CLONING idols!!! YES!  I am 84.7 % positive that SM has a team of scientists whose sole job is to clone idols. You haven’t noticed a slew of attractive Korean men who have cheeky cheeks and sing really well? Look!

Exhibit 1: Hye Sung of Shinhwa

Cheeky cheeks? Check! Pouty lips? Check! I suspect that Hye Sung is really the original, from which SM is taking genetic material for other idols. He is quiet and seems fairly sweet, and some have referred to him as a prince. These are things we will encounter with the clones. Oh, and let’s not forget about his singing ability!

Read more here at KPK: Kpop Kollective (originally published on July 1, 2011)

An Informal Review of Sun Jung’s Korean Masculinities: Part 2, Or, Why We’re Not Going to Talk about Bae Yong Joon

by CeeFu

So, Nabi has given you a pretty good overview of the book and our general observations of it. Chapter 2 includes Sun Jung’s reading of the masculinity represented by Bae Yong Joon. We here at KPK have pretty strong opinions because most of the time, we are fairly confident in what we’re talking about.  This is the reason why I’m not going to talk about Sun Jung’s analysis of Bae Yong Joon. I haven’t seen Winter Sonata, so I can’t tell say anything about her reading of the way “middle-aged Japanese women” (her phrase) read Bae Yong Joon’s masculinity.

But that’s doesn’t mean I don’t have things to say about this chapter, because she talks about more than Bae Yong Joon…..

Read more here at KPK: Kpop Kollective.com (originally published on July 22, 2011)

Why I Do Kpop Even Though Chuckleheads Keep Giving Me The Side-Eye

by CeeFu

Hey shorty…It’s me (Kpop)

I gotta tell you something

It’s about us

I’ve been seeing other people

Millions of other people, around the world

I really think this is gonna work out baby

I’m not sorry

–KPK’s Reimagining of Eric’s intro to Shinhwa’s Crazy

“You cannot understand Kpop unless you are Korean.”

Recently, I heard this statement, in more than one place, uttered by more than one person.  Not only is this perception narrow-minded and old-fashioned, it does not reflect the international reality of Kpop….

Read more here at KPK: Kpop Kollective (originally published on July 30, 2011)

An Informal Review of Sun Jung’s Korean Masculinities, Part 4, Or Who Are You Calling A Cult?

by CeeFu

So now I’m going to tackle Sun Jung’s analysis of fan reaction to Chan-wook Park’s film, Oldboy.  Basically, Sun Jung argues that, well, I’ll let her explain it…..

Read more here at KPK: Kpop Kollective (originally published on August 25, 2011)

Stealing the Show: Unintentional Leads in Queen Seondeok and Warrior Baek Dong Soo

by CeeFu

When a Kdrama starts, I’m sure the writers have a clear idea of who the lead character is. Sometimes, that plan goes awry, as other characters become so compelling that they come in and steal the show…..

Read more here at KPK: Kpop Kollective (originally published on September 3, 2011)

DENIED!: What’s Up With Korean Soribada?

by CeeFu

I thought it was some bad dream. I was checking my Facebook, and saw a small, seemingly innocent post in English (that’s rare), saying that Soribada was suspending the sale of the Music Card for the Korean Soribada site. I just sat looking at the screen screaming, “NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Sure enough, this is what you get when you now to go the Soribada Music Card Foreigner Site:  http://www.soribada.com/foreigner/index.php

Read more here at KPK: Kpop Kollective (originally published on July 9, 2011)

Psychedelic Gangster: A Super Junior Photo Essay

by CeeFu

By now, you have survived the visual onslaught that were the Super Junior concept photos for Mr. Simple.  Mayhaps you have forgotten how the members of Super Junior looked pre-Psychadelic Gangster? Not sure how they may show up in your neighborhood?  If so, I invite you to mediate on the following photo essay as a helpful way to be prepared either way:

Leetuk

Girls Bring The Boys Out: SNSD Comes To The U.S

by CeeFu

 

The SM Town concert at Madison Square Garden served not only to bring some of the agency’s most popular acts to the East coast of the United States.  It also introduced SNSD to the American mainstream.  Yet, I wonder if that introduction was specifically aimed toward males at the expense of the existing large female fanbase. . . . .

Read more at here at hellokpop.com (originally published November 11, 2011)

Shock and Aww, What Are You Doing?!: The Use And Abuse Of The Concept Photo

by CeeFu

 

With the recent slew of comebacks, Kpop fans have been exposed to some pretty surprising photos of late. I know agencies use such tactics to draw attention to their groups and artists.

Read more at hellokpop.com (Originally published on September 26, 2011)

People Not Products

by CeeFu

 

Sometimes when people talk about idols, they talk about them as if they were only products manufactured to make money, like an iPad.  However, idols are people whose talents, abilities and popularity is based on more than a Korean agency’s manipulation.

Read more at hellokpop.com (Originally published on September 12, 2011)

Babies, Tweens and Grandmas: Unsung Fans of Kpop

by CeeFu

 

Fangirls.

Some people say it like it’s a bad word. All too often, I find people saying condescending things about Kpop fans, assuming that they are all 12-year-old girls. They deserve respect, and so do the other fans of Kpop that people do not recognize.

Read more at hellokpop.com (Originally published on August 29, 2011)

Kpop Success In The U.S.: At What Cost?

by CeeFu

 

Everybody wants to know: can Kpop succeed in the United States? Well, that depends on your definition of success. In order to enter the mainstream American music scene, Kpop would have to change so much that it would become unrecognizable to current fans.  But, if Kpop remained an underground phenomenon in the United States, it could be successful without compromising its identity.

Read more at hellokpop.com (Originally published on August 16, 2011)