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:
Over the last few months, Kpop fans in the United States have been treated to several high-profile concerts featuring a variety of artists. However, the reception by fans and coverage by media demonstrate that these efforts produce different results. Not all concerts are created equal, because they function in different ways, with radically different outcomes……
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. . . . .
Felix Chong and Alan Mak’s The Lost Bladesman (2011) takes a different tact on Romance of the Three Kingdoms by focusing on the episode where Guan Yu “spends some time” with Cao Cao. I appreciate this more subtle approach to the epic tale, even as it has some parts that do not quite make sense to me.
She Is Straight Gangster: Challenging Gender Roles in Korean Dramas
Dr. Crystal S. Anderson
Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities
January 8-13, 2012
ABSTRACT
Korean television dramas (Kdramas), particularly those that are historically based, represent sprawling stories that blend history with culture. Often consisting of high production values and unfolding over 50+ episodes, these Kdramas reconstruct historical narratives and legendary stories. They also infuse a contemporary sensibility by drawing on nontraditional notions of gender, heroism, cunning and valor. While such Kdramas are broadcast to Korean audiences, non-Korean, English-speaking audiences from around the world also view these dramas via Internet sites such as Drama Fever and Crunchyroll.com. These global audiences construct alternative femininities related to the female characters that challenge traditional notions of gender. Using qualitative methods and discourse analysis, I argue that global audiences construct female characters in ways that challenge traditional notions of gender. In the 2009 critically-acclaimed and popular Kdrama, Queen Seondeok, Korean women are represented as aggressive major power brokers in national politics, rather than passive bystanders, even as they occupy more traditional historical roles for women. They also exert power over men who are characterized as more powerful both politically and martially, using cunning rather than their feminine wiles. Finally, women also engage each other in ways that showcase their intellectual talents. Such constructions by global audiences allow for more diverse notions of gender in popular culture.
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.
In watching Warrior Baek Dong Soo, you expect the title character to be compelling enough to hold your attention. You see how he has such a hard time coming into the world. His father is executed as a traitor, and his mother dies soon after birth. To add to his problems, he is born with birth defects that require that he wear bamboo braces. Kinda hard to be cool in those. Nevertheless, he comes off as a plucky, determined hero.
However, Yeo Woon has an equally sad backstory. The son of a righteous hero-turned-alcoholic who kills Woon’s mother, he grows up to be a sullen young man, mostly due to his father’s assumptions about his “killer” nature. When he finds out the truth about his other, he becomes an angry young man, and is mentored by the WRONG person, Chun. As the final test of his training as a ninja (um, were there Chinese ninjas?), he is supposed to kill the closest person to him. Despite his father’s opinions, Woon is reluctant to kill his father (patricide is a no-no), and it is unclear whether he actually does the deed, or Chun does, or Woon’s father saves from having to do the deed. As a result, Woon becomes a melancholy spy for the ninjas.
So, while I know I’m supposed to be intent on Dong Soo, I find myself more drawn to Yeo Woon. Even though he doesn’t say much, he is more compelling than Dong Soo, who, after episode 10, has yet to make that turn from goofy to great hero. He also at this stage is not much of a fighter. He can hold his own, but he has yet to win in a fight against Woon, who is the better fighter. Woon’s character is deeper: not only may he be working for the man who killed his father, he is also friends with the guy he’s sent to spy on and, one would expect, will be ordered to assassinate at the right moment. His ambivalence is palpable, and while he starts off as arrogant, he comes around to be a sympathetic character. Oddly enough, I was not all that thrilled with Yoo Seung Ho, who plays Yeo Woon, as Chunchu in Queen Seondeok. Dude is a great actor!
I’ve seen this kind of thing before in Queen Seondeok. It’s called Queen Seondeok, so you do find yourself drawn to Deokman, her sad backstory of being hustled out of the palace, raised in the desert, only to return to the capital and join the elite young warriors, the Hwarang. One thing that is great about her is that she’s clever, uses her mind to get out of situations, although most people don’t know it because she’s passing as a man. She undergoes all of this, only to discover that she is not only royalty but daughter to a king. Of course, by this time, everyone knows she’s a girl, and, apparently, is the one who will be able to regain the throne. And yes, it does matter that she’s a girl, because she has to fight that fight to be the first female ruler of Silla.
What she doesn’t count on is having to tangle with Mishil, the royal consort. That doesn’t even come close to describing how Mishil uses her feminine wiles to manipulate the men around her. And rather than being a damsel in distress, she’s often the one dishing it out. I think the writers thought Mishil would be a minor character, but she practically takes over the Kdrama. She’s a villain, and she’s good. Like eerily good. She knows her opponent’s plans because she has spies everywhere (they, on the other hand, seem to try really hard and get lucky with their plans). She’s not afraid to back down, threatening everyone with that Mishil smile. At the same time, you find out that she has motives that are kinda honorable? She’s complex, in a way that Seondeok fails to be. Come for the Seondeok, stay for the Mishil.
I’m not mad at these developments. I just think that it’s interesting how these things turn out.
Originally published on July 30, 2011 on KPK: Kpop Kollective 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.
Let me start by saying one thing: this is not personal. This is not about Koreans. This is about this STATEMENT and IDEA about Korean popular culture. The love is overflowing here at KPK for Koreans, all things Korean and fans of all things Korean. So it’s only out of love that I say this: when people say that you have to be Korean to understand Kpop, my darlings, you are wrong. In the spirit of full disclosure, I should say that I am not Korean (I know, shocking!).
I have heard that you have to be Korean in order to understand Kpop from people who should know better: Korean academics. So part of this post has some big words and stuff, but don’t worry: I’m going to break it down!
When Korean academics says you have to be Korean to understand Kpop, it does not mean that you need to know the Korean language to understand Korean lyrics in Korean popular music. It means that there is something basically Korean about Kpop that you cannot understand because you are not Korean. They are saying that it (Kpop) is a Korean thing, and you wouldn’t understand. This is troubling coming from academics because it is essentialist. What is essentialism? According to the Sage Dictionary of Cultural Studies, essentialism:
Refers to the argument that there are fixed truths to be found about identity categories so that there exists an essence of, for example, women, Australians, the working class and Asians. Here words refer to fixed essences and thus identities are regarded as being stable entities. (61)
What this basically means is that when people say that all Asians are this way, or all women are that way, they are thinking that there is something basic about women or Asians that every woman or Asian has that makes them a woman or Asian. You can only be Asian or a woman if you have these traits, and only these traits. But what if the traits are something that all members of the group do not have? Are they still part of the group? If you don’t have dark hair, does not exclude you from being Asian? (we know Asians have many different hair colors). If you don’t have children, does this exclude you from being a woman? (we know lots of women who don’t have children). You see how this could become problematic, because essentialism basically lumps everyone together in ways that do not match the reality we see.
Ok, so why is essentialism bad? Christopher Warley answers this question this way:
Essentialism is bad because it is socially oppressive. It blindly stresses one side of a binary opposition (high not low; inside not outside; left not right); it naturalizes and universalizes the interests of a particular group (capitalists, men, The West, whatever) in order to dominate another group (workers, women, The East, whatever).
Ok, so let’s apply this to Kpop. When people say that you have to be Korean to understand Kpop, they are an example of “inside not outside.” Koreans, because of their “Koreanness”, understand Kpop. If you are not Korean, you do not have this “Koreanness”, so sucks to be you. But remember that people are different, cultures are diverse, so how can there be this universal “Koreanness”? So what about Koreans who don’t know Kpop, or don’t like Kpop, or (gasp) don’t understand Kpop? That undermines the whole “all Koreans have this “Koreanness”/you have to be Korean to understand Kpop” argument. Do you have to be Chinese to understand kung fu? Black to understand hip hop? Irish to understand Riverdance? You see how silly this gets, right?
So we know that there are millions of fans of Kpop around the world, who don’t speak Korean, who are not Korean, who understand Kpop. Because I think EVERYONE understands THIS:
You do not have to be Korean or know Korean to understand what Junsu is putting down in this video. Everyone understands the body roll.
Even more ironic is that so much of what makes up Hallyu Kpop comes from other cultures, especially American culture, ESPECIALLY African American culture. For example, let’s look at TVXQ’s Keep Your Head Down (yeah, that’s right, ANOTHER TVXQ video, just sit down and watch):
And this, a marching band sequence from the 2002 movie Drumline (sorry about the sound, but this was the best video I could find):
See anything similar? Hear anything similar? I’m not one of those people who are saying that Kpop is imitating African American culture. What I am saying is that a good deal of Hallyu Kpop is a mixture of Korean and African American popular culture. I NOT mad at that. So it would follow that in order to understand Kpop, you really need to understand Korean and African American culture. From what I’ve read from some of my Korean academic counterparts, this is not always the case. I’m not saying that they couldn’t form arguments based on some knowledge of African American culture. I’m saying that they tend not to.
Need more evidence? Who is Yunho’s favorite singer? Michael Jackson. Who does Onew count as one of his favorite singers? Stevie Wonder. Who does Eunhyuk, Shindong and Donghae imitate in the Super Show? Beyonce.
And what about Big Mama?
Yes people, that’s some straight up GOSPEL they are putting down for you. My point is, that really to understand Kpop, it seems to me that you need to understand the things that go into Kpop.
I really thought that in this day and age, we all understood that no one owns cultures, that cultures travel, intermingle, make friends. Once your culture decides to go global, you can’t control that. It’s going to do what it do. And, people who are not OF that culture can STUDY that culture. I really thought that what matters is what you KNOW when it comes to talking about a subject, not who you are. But in the two times I’ve heard the statement, there was no mention made of what others may know, just the assumption that if you are not Korean, you can’t know anything worth knowing. At least call non-Koreans out on whether or not they know all the members of Super Junior, know that Jay Park used to be in 2PM, know that Cheongdung of MBLAQ and Dara of 2NE1 are related, know the debut date of SS501. I don’t care about who you are, I care about what. you. know. And if you can take the time to learn about Kpop, then why can’t you speak about Kpop?
I am not Korean. I know as long as I live I will not know everything there is to know about Kpop. I will never be able to tell you what Koreans think about Kpop like someone who has spent a large chunk of time in the culture or studying the culture (my research tends to focus on what international audiences think about Kpop). But what should matter is that whatever I say about Kpop has an argument that makes sense and that is well-supported by evidence. I know I know a little something something, and when I speak about my little something something, I’m fairly confident that I know what I’m talking about. We can discuss it until the cows come home; reasonable people can reasonably disagree. But you just cannot dismiss out of hand people who aren’t Korean, who know their Kpop and like it. Last time I checked, Kpop was equal opportunity.
And this is not to say that ALL Koreans hold this opinion. I know there are lots of Koreans who throw their arms wide open for anyone who is down for Kpop.
So, if you think that only Koreans can “understand” Kpop, then YOU don’t understand Kpop.
Sources:
Chris Barker, The Sage Dictionary of Cultural Studies.Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 2004.
Christopher Warley, Patience: Still A Virtue, Arcade
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!
Exhibit 2: Young Saeng of SS501
Wait, you may say. SS501 is not an SM group; they were with DSP and are now in separate agencies. Oh, but don’t you remember that back in the day, Young Saeng was an SM trainee?! Note the similar cheeky cheeks and pouty lips. Young Saeng is the quietest member of SS501. And what do they call him? The Otter PRINCE! SHY PRINCE! Oh, and don’t forget HIS ability to sing!
Exhibit 3: Yesung of Super Junior
C’mon, do I have to say it? Cheeks. Lips. LOOK AT HIM!!! Oh, and what do they call him? THE CLOUD PRINCE OF SUPER JUNIOR! But the cloning wouldn’t be successful if he couldn’t sing:
SM isn’t even trying to hide it! They barely bother to change names from one clone to the next: Hye Sung, Young Saeng, Yesung! C’mon people! Wake up and smell the conspiracy! They make little changes so you don’t notice. They put them in groups so that you can’t focus on them. I’ve been taking one for the team, scrutinizing these guys to bring you this breaking news! And SM is smart. These aren’t exact duplicates. They make a little alteration here, a little change there, so the general public will not notice. I’m not saying that they are the SAME; I’m pretty sure that I’ve seen Young Saeng and Yesung in the same room. People can independently vouch that Hye Sung and Young Saeng are NOT the same person. But, I am 84.7% positive that we are working with the same basic genetic stock here.
However, I must say, I don’t mind this conspiracy. I can accept as many cheeky cheeked, pouty-lipped idols who can sing as SM can produce. You don’t think this is merely my imagination, do you? This isn’t at all like that other thing about Taeyang and Jay Park being the same person. I think we’ve all accepted that’s a fact.
Originally published on KPK: Kpop Kollective on June 22, 2011 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:
Because Shinhwa is “inactive” and scattered across the Kpop universe, it takes a certain amount of determination to keep the love alive. Ok, not really, because there are so many reasons to love Shinhwa that are not affected by space and time. One of the reasons why I hold Shinhwa so dear (you know, other than the fact they are very attractive and talented men in THE legendary Kpop group) is the sheer diversity of musical styles they attempt. Like most people, I have playlists on my IPod, and one of my playlists is Kpop, of course. It’s huge, but it never fails that when some song comes on I can’t place, the answer is ALWAYS Shinhwa.
Who is that with the gospel-esque track laced with some rap? Shinhwa! They get all revival-y with this one. My Everything is a song that always throws me, especially when I forget which playlist I’m on. Fo’ real? You go!
Who is that with the classical intro that turns into heavy metal that turns into a rap? Shinhwa! All Your Dreams is the kind of song you want to blast on your boomin’ system in the car, just to see people’s faces when they pull up next to you at the light. Is that guitar AND Korean rap? The only thing better than this is the remix, which is heavier in all the best ways.
Who is that with the groovy dance track? Shinhwa! Oh. this applies to so many songs, but one of my favorites is Thanks! I do wish there was some video for this, but it is one of my favorite songs by them, so enjoy!
Who is that with the dance-y dance track? Shinhwa! I’m still trying to convince the rest of KPK to start a dance cover group so that we can get our own chair dance on like Shinhwa does in Wild Eyes! Why are you looking at me like that? Look, I got a chair right over here…..Why do they think it’s such a weird idea?
Who is that just having a little chit-chat in Korean? Shinhwa! Who else would think they could get away with some conversation in Korean like the one on Tansaeng? Dudes, I don’t even KNOW Korean!!!! What are you talking about? Whatever it is, it seems awfully funny, and I’m steadily listening to whatever Shinhwa is putting down on that track!
This small sampling of Shinhwa offerings is not just representative of the wacky stuff on my IPod. It shows the sheer diversity of stuff Shinhwa did in their 13 (and counting) years. They literally hit every musical genre on the planet, except maybe for monk chants, and I’m not sure, there may be one tucked away on some Shinhwa album not in my heavy rotation. In a day and age where some groups are so careful to try to meet the expectations of listeners, Shinhwa reminds me of what it was like to set the expectation.
Oh yeah, and I’m waiting for my comeback, patiently waiting, but waiting nonetheless. My tiara is all ready.
Originally published on KPK: Kpop Kollective on June 15, 2011 by CeeFu
Everyone knows that noonas the world over have a special relationship with SHINee, and particularly Taemin. I’m not talking about THAT kind of relationship! All noonas are not pedi noonas! As the maknae of SHINee, Taemin is the adorable center of the confection that is SHINee (yeah, Minho, I know you are in charge of aegyo, whatever).
Look, even Key mommy looks after Taemin. So easily does Taemin capture anyone’s heart, that we here at KPK we have dubbed him THE EVERYBOO, because he’s everybody’s boo!
So, I call on noonas from around the world to start a quasi-secret organization, and it will be called NFT, Noonas For Taemin! We would be like the Justice League, and when Taemin needed us, our sign would appear in the sky like the spotlight for Batman. Ok, I know don’t what our logo would look like, somebody would have to come up with one. Ooh ooh, and we could have t-shirts and a secret gang sign! And we’d roll like the Jedi, because “always there are two, a master and an apprentice.” Also, rolling in twos would be good for the noonas. Ok, here’s how it breaks down with Taeminnie. We all adore this Taemin:
Yeah…..so in order for noonas to do their job properly, we need to roll in sets of two or more. Let’s face it, Taemin is a good-looking guy. At any age. But noonas only appreciate the pretty that is Taemin, at least until when the international countdown clock on Taemin’s age ticks down to legal……Ok, FOCUS! NOONAS LOOK OUT FOR TAEMIN! We do not take advantage of him like OTHER women will surely try to!
But you may ask, what does Taemin need to be protected from? And why are noonas the best people for the job?
Taemin needs to be protected from the crazy and evil of the world. He is such a sweet soul, going about his business, thinking about candy and puppies and rainbows, and then something like THIS busts out on the internet: SHINee’s Little Taemin Gaining Weight?” See, no. Do not try to give this boy a complex about his weight. He’s still growing, of course his appearance is going to change. He is perfectly fine any way that he is. THIS is why noonas need to protect Taemin. Only a noona would get all up in some stranger’s face over somebody she doesn’t even know. Remember, candy? That’s right. Noonas have a bond with Taemin and are tailor-made to be his protectors!
And, we could have adventures with our sidekick, Key mommy! Ok, let’s be real, we’d all be the sidekick to Key mommy. But still! Imagine us all united in purpose to protect Taemin! Now, all somebody has to do is tell Taemin and we can get this party started.
Originally published on KPK: Kpop Kollective on June 10, 2011 by CeeFu
We have a theory here at KPK, and I think the world should know. We believe that Taeyang IS Jay Park. Have you ever seen them together? Yeah, think about it. Hmmm, Taeyang is a Korean artist who raps and works out a lot (we can tell, look at this picture! you don’t get abs like that unless you got a lot of time on your hands and you are on a mission)
Stay with me…..soooo Jay Park is a Korean artist who raps and works out a lot (that’s a “I’ve been working out in the prison yard” physique. C’mon, where else can you get your tats and abs on?)
See! You can’t even tell that’s Jay Park (because, you know, it’s Taeyang, BECAUSE THEY ARE THE SAME PERSON!!!).
Really, I tease with love. But Jay Park’s album cover for “Take a Deeper Look” does bring up some interesting issues. Not only can you not tell it’s Jay Park/Taeyang, but you can’t even tell that this person is Korean. He’s definitely working a 50 cent kinda thing here. This could be my cousin. He could be anybody’s cousin. I guess that’s why he wants us to take a deeper look!
But is it intentional, to gain more support for Jay Park for people who may think they may not be into an Asian rapper? Just sayin’. Something to think about.
Meanwhile I just wonder how Jay Park and his other personality Taeyang split their profits! 🙂
Originally published on KPK: Kpop Kollective on June 4, 2011 by CeeFu
So, this week I ran across a brief story by Esther Oh on the “failure” of Kpop. While I’m always open to hearing what others have to say about Kpop, good or bad, I disagreed with several points that she made. Ok, it’s not just I don’t agree with what she says. What she says is not the Kpop world I know.
First of all, her story had “tone.” It just didn’t take a position on Kpop, it set out from the get-go hatin’ on Kpop. It’s clear she has no love for Kpop. She says she “cringe[s]” when she hears about the Wonder Girls or Rain. Personally, I have a different reaction when I hear about Rain, but that’s just ME, and I’m not even the biggest Rain fan in the world.
Rain; Credit: Esquire
That attitude runs throughout the story. She doesn’t think Kpop is all that, and look, according to her, “the world’s biggest music markets simply don’t care” either. As evidence, she takes shots at BoA, who “bombed” despite working with famous music industry types, and Se7en, who produced “complete flops.” She says that both BoA and Se7en’s forays into the American music scene were “disastrous.” In other words, if a Korean artist fails to break into the American mainstream music scene, this translates into “failure.” By that standard, there are a whole lot of American music artists who are “failing” as we speak, because they are not super popular according to some secret measure. Hey wait, she never says what she means by “failure.” Are we talking record sales? concert attendance? popularity? There are many ways to measure success, none of which she clarifies. I think the popularity of Kpop sites, online fan clubs, twitter accounts and Facebook pages attest that SOMETHING is going on.
What I find very interesting is who she uses as examples of Kpop’s “failure.” She points to BoA and Se7en’s efforts from YEARS ago and ignores one of the most significant examples of Kpop’s attempts to interact with the pop scene in the United States just in December of last year: JYJ, who by measures of even mainstream success did respectable. And what about SM Town Live LA in 2010 that brought the biggest names in SM’s stable to a pretty large American audience?
Also, the United States does not equal the world. Um, the U.S. is part of the world, not the entire world. I looked on a map and checked. Plus, I live here. At the beginning of the article, she claims to talk about the failure of Kpop’s “global domination,” but only gives examples of artists and their experiences in the United States. Given that Hallyu is a global phenomenon, and not one solely directed at the United States, I find her conclusions to be, less than convincing. Especially given the love that other countries have for Kpop: Peru’s love affair with Changmin of TVXQ, ELFs (fans of Super Junior) in Saudi Arabia, and Paris’ demands for an additional SMTown show.
Finally, there is a slippery slope when she talks about the use of American producers in Kpop. She asks the question: “BoA and Se7en have sung songs in English that were produced by Americans, and were transformed and marketed (albeit, unsuccessfully) in a way to suit the American public. Is there, therefore, anything that is so specifically and exclusively “Korean” about their U.S. debuts or their music?” Now, given that she chose two examples of artists who are consciously looking to break into the U.S. market casts some doubt on her conclusions. But once again she completely ignores international fans who like their Kpop straight outta Korea with no changes, complete with actual Korean. It doesn’t bother us. She implies that Americans want American things, and won’t accept things that aren’t “American.” AND, that any kind of collaboration between US and Korean artists and producers must produce something palatable to the American mainstream. Psst, here’s a not-so-secret secret: Hallyu Kpop has always mixed Korean and Western influences (that’s a WHOLE OTHER POST). She seems to be completely ignorant of how often American producers are involved in Kpop albums and the great collaborations that result. For example, Sean Alexander and Steven Lee, producers both based in Los Angeles, worked on Heo Young Saeng’s (of SS501) album, Let It Go. Yes, that album is SLAMMIN’ and YES, I am biased, but I also know what I like. That’s some groovy stuff, and it is Kpop.
Esther Oh seems to assume that Americans don’t want Kpop and rumors of its success have been greatly exaggerated. Yeah, I’m taking this article with LARGE grain of salt. In the end, it just seems to be just a very narrow take on Kpop, especially its international effects. So rarely do you see someone hate the playa AND hate the game.
I was eating my breakfast this morning, and it just popped into my head: Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy. Just like that. It’s been a few years since I saw that movie, but it’s kinda hard to forget it. I have it on good authority that the brains of some people have been irreversibly altered by watching it. Everyone remembers sitting on the edge of the couch, the bed, or wherever you consume your film, with one’s mouth open. JUST OPEN! And you are thinking, wha? NO! For REAL! WHAT?!
But it’s not just the ending, it’s the way Park leads you down the false primrose path.This is one of the greatest instances of storytelling I’ve seen in a minute. And making that storytelling even more effective is Park’s use of the camera. I mean, at some point you know something’s WRONG, but you don’t know how WRONG it is until the end. And even then, your brain doesn’t want to accept it. And you can’t figure out who is MORE wrong: the guy who has been inexplicably locked in a room for 15 years, or the guy who does it.
Also, this movie messes with your moral sense. Sure, you can readily identify the complete failure of ethics, the lack of people doing the right thing.But admit it, you’re also thinking to yourself: I’m a little bit impressed. OK, you gotta be a LOT impressed. This is the epitome of PERSISTENCE! Just sayin’.
And finally, it’s the film that gives much deserved respect to the hammer!
Let me start by saying one thing: this is not personal. This is not about Koreans. This is about this STATEMENT and IDEA about Korean popular culture. The love is overflowing here at KPK for Koreans, all things Korean and fans of all things Korean. So it’s only out of love that I say this: when people say that you have to be Korean to understand Kpop, my darlings, you are wrong. In the spirit of full disclosure, I should say that I am not Korean (I know, shocking!).
High Yellow - Asian Popular Culture 