January 16, 2011

“Oppa!”  The Interplay of Hierarchical Language and Sexual Desire

From the youtube video description:

SO CUTE LIKE SERIOUSLY. [Yang Yoseob] made the fans call him OPPA like wth but still so cute haha then after he’s like, “ah I like that”

The Korean language shares a lot in common with Japanese, one similarity being honorific speech patterns.  For example, in both languages, the same sentence in English would be spoken differently depending on your relationship with your intended audience; you’d speak more formally with your teacher than with a friend the same age as you.

In all three major East Asian languages, it’s appropriate to refer to a non-blood related individual as family.  In Chinese, you might refer to an older male friend as 大哥 (dà​gē​).  In Japanese, おにいさん (onii-san) would be a functional equivalent.  In both Japanese and Chinese, there are separate familial terms for older brother, younger brother, older sister, and younger sister.  That’s four terms total, with the variables being the gender and the relative age of the audience.

Now here’s where Korean differs from both languages- in Korean, there are five familial terms, only one of which is to be used with someone younger than you (동생; dongsaeng).  The other four all refer to people older than you.

The reason that there are four different terms for people older than you is that in Korean, your gender (the gender of the speaker) also matters.*  If you’re female, an older male is 오빠 (oppa) and an older female is 언니 (unni); If you’re male, an older male is 형 (hyung) and an older female is 누나 (noona).

This is where the sex comes in.  Female idol groups sing about oppas in a sexualized way (see here).  In the youtube video that opened this post, male idol Yang Yoseop (featured in a previous post) asks his audience to call him oppa and is visibly pleased by the response.

Conversely, male idols don’t sing about noonas to the same extent that female idols sing about oppas.  Certain idols are known to have many noona fans and the delicate flower-boy image of groups like SHINee means that they have a large noona fanbase (see also SHINee’s debut song, “Noona is So Pretty”).  Indeed, SHINee seems to be marketed towards older women; their first reality show, Yunhanam, featured them competing for one-on-one dates with noona fans.  It’s also interesting to note that SHINee only sang about noonas in their debut concept, when they were knee-deep in their virginal ‘flower boy’ concept; SHINee’s members don’t rip off their shirts and flex for the audience like the ‘beastly idols’ of 2PM.  Noona fans are more often painted as creepy predatory types; SHINee members often share stories of how noona fans write them to offer their services as sugar mamas, G.O. of MBLAQ is said to have shaved his facial hair because he wanted fans that weren’t noonas, and few male celebrities name older women when asked what their ideal type is (see here for an exception).


Exception:  Son Dongwoon (Beast, 19 years old) has a well-documented preference for older women, especially Narsha (BEG, 29 years old)

But noonas, and the idea of older women, are not sexually desirable in the way that oppas, and the idea of younger women, is.  You don’t get female idols asking their male audiences to call them noona; in a sense, that sort of branding would be pretty dangerous for a young female idol singer.  Instead of expecting an audience of younger fans, the more common reality is that female singers like 17 year old IU have armies of self-identified “uncle fans” that fawn over her aegyo (see here).


Also nicknamed the “National Little Sister”

Of course, this isn’t to say that no Korean men like older women; Sandara (Dara) Park of 2NE1 is universally acknowledged as being exceptionally pretty, such that she has many professed fans… despite the fact that at age 26, she’s considered old for the idol business.  The point is that the term oppa is sexualized in popular culture in a way that noona isn’t; thus the hierarchical structure of the Korean language is made to reflect societal biases about age and gender.  For all intents and purposes, oppa is the “daddy” of the Korean language, and it’s not hard to imagine that oppa might play a similarly charged role in the bedroom.

*It’s worth noting that there are no gender-neutral options here; modern Korean presumes a gender binary on the part of both the speaker and the intended audience.

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Filed under: Beast IU MBLAQ beast korean language shinee sociology son dongwoon yang yoseop sex G.O. 2PM 
January 15, 2011

Piggy Dolls' album cover

The Piggy Dolls:  K-pop’s Latest Savior, or Savor?

Excerpted from the source:

Another girl group has debuted in the industry, but this time with a twist: all three members of “Piggy Dolls” are of rubenesque proportions, with the combined weight exceeding 200kg. Comprised of Park Ji Eun, Kim Min Sun, and Lee Jiyeon, the group debuted on January 6th with their mini-album, “Piggy Style,” on various music sites.

Their title track “TREND” is especially fascinating in that it features lyrics expressing their personal feelings on their image.  “I’m always confident, I don’t care about anything else, what’s wrong with my body?  My face is unique.”

The group expressed, “We think our team name fits well with our members.  As you can see, we really are ‘piggy dolls.’ (laughter)”

Min Sun continued, “All three of us naturally gain a lot of weight. We like eating so we eat.  We can eat about 20kg of rice in three weeks.”

When asked about their reasons for debuting in an industry dominated by thin idols, Jiyeon answered, “People these days tend to favor thin and pretty people. We just wanted to show everyone that people who have weight like us can be just as confident. We want to break the stereotypes of girl groups as only being skinny. Hopefully our debut can console women who have been hurt because to their weight.”

As stated in the article, the Piggy Dolls are a refreshing departure from the svelte figures that populate the world of Korean Pop. It is a landscape inhabited by creatures like Goo Hara, a member of the group, KARA, lauded for her 20 inch “ant-waist.” Female celebrities are held under close inspection, and praised for possessing the favored “S-line,” or “hourglass” figure. Perfect physical appearance is a high commodity. “Ulzzang” (literally meaning “best face”) contests are often held online, and the winners rise to become celebrities. Cosmetic surgery is commonplace; rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty (double eyelid surgery), and liposuction can turn an unknown duckling into the next singing swan. Indeed, in an industry that has been criticized for privileging looks over talent, the Piggy Dolls (a play on the American “Pussycat Dolls”) challenge the Twiggy-normative image of idols, and their positive reception empowers those whose body types do not meet the lofty standard.

However, a brief survey of K-pop’s own critique of celebrity bodies reveals that despite attempts to debunk the belief that talent outweighs beauty, K-pop has delivered an inconsistent message. Thus, The Piggy Dolls may not necessarily be a sign of changing times, but rather symbolic of how the industry maintains homeostasis.

In 1998, Fin.K.L. (“Fine Killing Liberty”), a four-member girl group, debuted under Daesung Entertainment. Consisting of Lee Hyori, Ock Ju Hyun, Sung Yuri, and Lee Jin, the group saw enormous success within their four years of activity and is considered part of the first generation of popular idol groups. The images of the individual members varied according to their roles: Hyori was labeled as the “sexy” member, Yuri was the “cute” member, Lee Jin was the “girl next door,” and Ju Hyun had the beautiful voice. Although it was appropriate that Ju Hyun was recognized for her voice – she was one of the most powerful vocalists of the era – it is notable that she was the only member not recognized for her appearance. Regarding her appearance, Ju Hyun was criticized for not having an ideal figure. She was not overweight, but stood out in comparison to the other members (i.e, Lee Jin’s nickname was “Stick”). Fin.K.L. members went their separate ways after group promotions ended. Hyori continued her music career and is still a popular music idol. Lee Jin and Yuri became actresses. Ju Hyun attempted a music career, but was not nearly as successful as Hyori. In 2004, she gained popularity for her dramatic weight loss and has since appeared in several musicals, variety shows, and released a series of yoga workout videos.

FIN.K.L.

Fin.K.L. members, clockwise from top left:  Lee Hyori, Ock Ju Hyun, Sung Yu Ri, Lee Jin


The 2006 film “200 lbs. Beauty” told the story of an overweight vocal talent who used cosmetic surgery to drastically change her looks and become a pop idol, only to eventually realize that inner beauty was far more important. The moral must have struck a chord with the public, because aside from its financial success, the film won Best Cinematography at the Grand Bell Awards (Korea’s equivalent of the Academy Awards) and star Kim Ah Joong won Best Actress. Despite its satirical attitude toward cosmetic surgery, some elements of the film contradict its apparent message. The main character was forced to come to terms with her past self at the end of the film, and although her willingness to admit to her plastic surgery was met with approval from her fans, the fact that she had already went through with the procedures diminished the significance of her self-actualization. Moreover, the main character’s best friend was shown in a meeting with a plastic surgeon during the closing credits, as if disregarding the overall theme of the story. Kim Ah Joong, who benefited most from the success of “200 lbs. Beauty,” has undergone extensive plastic surgery herself. To cast an actress whose career was made possible through plastic surgery, in a movie that attempts to refute the necessity of plastic surgery, is an act of hypocrisy. 

Movie poster

Following the chastisement of Ock Ju Hyun to the success of the well-meaning “200 lbs. Beauty,” we might assume that K-pop has gradually adopted a more accepting opinion of celebrities with less-than-perfect bodies. If we continue to assume that K-pop is becoming more progressive, then The Piggy Dolls could be a representation of this shift toward a more talent-driven music industry. However, The Piggy Dolls are not K-pop’s first effort at promoting “natural” talent. Four-member girl group “Big Mama” already attempted to break the image stereotype in 2003, seven years prior to The Piggy Dolls. Their concept was similar: a group of average looking (according to celebrity standards), but talented girls challenging the status quo. Members of Big Mama were actually sworn by contract to not undergo any cosmetic surgery, with a breach resulting in the disbanding of the group. Like The Piggy Dolls, Big Mama was well-received and were very successful through their first two albums. Their first single, “Break Away,” was a major reason for their popularity. The music video showed four attractive girls dancing and lip syncing on stage, while Big Mama sang from backstage (a scene that is strikingly similar to the opening scenes of “200 lbs. Beauty”). Nevertheless, after their contract with YG Entertainment expired in 2007, they left the company and have been out of the spotlight since.

K-pop places emphasis on “concept.” As demonstrated in “Agency and Aegyo,” groups continuously reinvent their fashion and musical styles to maintain fan interest. Secret is promoting a “retro” concept, following a trend most recently supported by other girl groups, including Girls’ Generation and the Wonder Girls. In 2010, many groups adopted a “dark” concept, a departure away from the typical cute girl group image. This is nothing new. Female idols often debut under a cute image, only to show a more mature and sexy image as they grow older.

Although it may still be too early to tell, given that idols frequently change concepts according to the current trends, and given that The Piggy Dolls are essentially mirroring an act that was already successful, it is quite possible that their debut is only the continuation of the concept cycle. While they supposedly try to empower women without industry-standard bodies, their very name and the opening of their music video are not as empowering as they are humiliating. From Big Mama to the Piggy Dolls to the light-hearted and non-committal stance on body image put forth by “200 lbs. Beauty,” it seems any physical appearance that does not meet K-pop’s strict requirements is relegated to sideshow status — a concept to garner fan interest.  As talented as The Piggy Dolls are, in order for the industry to take them seriously, their production company must promote them in a respectable manner. The title of their song, “Trend” could be foreshadowing their fate. Once their novelty wears off, like it apparently has for Big Mama, will the public move onto the next “trend?”

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Filed under: Piggy Dolls Big Mama Body Image Plastic Surgery Kim Ah Joong Ock Ju Hyun 
January 15, 2011
Selcas: The Social Capital of Beauty The modern Korean lexicon borrows heavily from the English language (see here).  The term “selca” is taken from two English words, “self” and “camera.”  A selca is, simply, a self-taken picture of one’s face, and sometimes body.  Basically it’s the “Myspace pose.” In American culture, the Myspace pose is universally disdained.  It’s seen as self-indulgent and vain; the idea being that the public presentation of self-taken pictures is a blatant cry for attention.  Some of this contempt is probably linked to issues of age and class.  The Myspace pose is named such because of its prevalence in profiles on the Myspace social network, whose demographic generally skews younger, less-educated, and more of color than that of Facebook.  One of the major criticisms of the Myspace pose, that the shot usually includes the arm of the hand holding the camera, lends credence to the idea that the lack of sophistication in these pictures is what’s objectionable. Of course, social networks like Myspace and Facebook aren’t hugely popular in East Asian countries (for a Korean equivalent, see instead me2day).  Similarly, the prejudices associated with the Myspace pose haven’t transferred over, and the selca instead has taken force as being a marketable, sought-after skill.  Idol singers will often post multiple selcas a week on their twitters and me2day accounts, which often garner many comments from fans.  Idols who are noted for taking particularly good selcas will give advice on tips and tricks of the trade; moreover, a star’s ability to take good selcas is sometimes even news-worthy. In a beauty-obsessed culture with a flourishing plastic surgery industry, it’s unsurprising that selcas are as popular and noteworthy as they are, especially in the idol industry. For examples, google “selca.”  Well-known selca masters include IU, Jo Kwon of 2AM, Heechul of Super Junior, and Sandara Park of 2NE1.  See also here.  Fun bonus activity; note the prevalence of aegyo poses in selcas.

Selcas: The Social Capital of Beauty

The modern Korean lexicon borrows heavily from the English language (see here).  The term “selca” is taken from two English words, “self” and “camera.”  A selca is, simply, a self-taken picture of one’s face, and sometimes body.  Basically it’s the “Myspace pose.”

In American culture, the Myspace pose is universally disdained.  It’s seen as self-indulgent and vain; the idea being that the public presentation of self-taken pictures is a blatant cry for attention.  Some of this contempt is probably linked to issues of age and class.  The Myspace pose is named such because of its prevalence in profiles on the Myspace social network, whose demographic generally skews younger, less-educated, and more of color than that of Facebook.  One of the major criticisms of the Myspace pose, that the shot usually includes the arm of the hand holding the camera, lends credence to the idea that the lack of sophistication in these pictures is what’s objectionable.

Of course, social networks like Myspace and Facebook aren’t hugely popular in East Asian countries (for a Korean equivalent, see instead me2day).  Similarly, the prejudices associated with the Myspace pose haven’t transferred over, and the selca instead has taken force as being a marketable, sought-after skill.  Idol singers will often post multiple selcas a week on their twitters and me2day accounts, which often garner many comments from fans.  Idols who are noted for taking particularly good selcas will give advice on tips and tricks of the trade; moreover, a star’s ability to take good selcas is sometimes even news-worthy.

In a beauty-obsessed culture with a flourishing plastic surgery industry, it’s unsurprising that selcas are as popular and noteworthy as they are, especially in the idol industry.

For examples, google “selca.”  Well-known selca masters include IU, Jo Kwon of 2AM, Heechul of Super Junior, and Sandara Park of 2NE1.  See also here.  Fun bonus activity; note the prevalence of aegyo poses in selcas.

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Filed under: selca aegyo beauty iu jo kwon heechul sandara park 2ne1 super junior 2AM 
January 14, 2011
The Cash and Culture of Music In both America and Korea, record sales benefit record companies more than they do the artists.  But, as previously stated in “Gendered Implications of Chivalry,” idol groups don’t really have concert tours; although idol groups are constantly expected to hold live performances at festivals and for weekly broadcasts, they might have to wait years before holding even one concert where they are the headlining act (see SHINee; debuted in 2008, first concert in 2010). Given that American musicians typically make a lot of money in ticket and merchandise sales during concert tours, how do Korean idol groups make money?  Through endorsements. In America, commercial endorsements are seen as indicative of “selling out.”  We don’t like to think of Indie Group X as having agreed to sell their latest single for a summer blockbuster’s soundtrack.  As a society, we’re far more comfortable with actors and athletes selling us makeup and sports equipment than we are with musicians doing the same thing.  Although Americans realize the commercial aspect of the music industry, we conceive of music (and musicians) as being more authentic and high-culture. Things are different in Korea, where popular idol groups make the vast majority of their earnings through commercial films (CFs) (see here).  A group’s CF pay can give a lot of insight into their popularity; at the high end, idol singers can be paid $1-1.5 million dollars for a one year CF contract (see here).  And for good reason- a contract with a popular singer like Hyori can set off an avalanche of sales (see here for the “Hyori Effect”). Korean consumers respond really well to idols’ CFs.  Instead of disparaging CFs as being low-culture, fans will upload CFs onto youtube and post comments about an idol’s performance.  Certain stars are popular enough that “Behind the Scenes (BTS)” or “Making Of” cuts for CFs are even made and distributed amongst fanbases. Unlike in America, or even in Japan and China, idol groups dominate the Korean music scene to the near exclusion of other genres.  The three big management companies (SME, JYP, and YG) are overt about the way in which their acts are carefully manufactured; like the American boy band groups of the 1990s, idol groups are comprised of individuals who apply separately and are then placed with others to strike just the right balance.  Ala O-Town, the formation of popular groups like Big Bang and 2PM featured documentaries during which aspiring hopefuls were eliminated. This unapologetic stance about the manufactured nature of idol groups is probably a huge force in why CFs are so popular; if we don’t buy into the myth of music and musical acts as being part of an organic process, we won’t be disturbed by the blatant commercialization thereof. The most popular members of idol groups will sometimes receive solo contracts for CFs (Lee Kikwang from Beast, Nichkhun Horvejkul from 2PM).  In an interesting side note, at least one of these groups has noted that the money for solo CF work is sometimes split between all members of the idol group.

The Cash and Culture of Music

In both America and Korea, record sales benefit record companies more than they do the artists.  But, as previously stated in “Gendered Implications of Chivalry,” idol groups don’t really have concert tours; although idol groups are constantly expected to hold live performances at festivals and for weekly broadcasts, they might have to wait years before holding even one concert where they are the headlining act (see SHINee; debuted in 2008, first concert in 2010).

Given that American musicians typically make a lot of money in ticket and merchandise sales during concert tours, how do Korean idol groups make money?  Through endorsements.

In America, commercial endorsements are seen as indicative of “selling out.”  We don’t like to think of Indie Group X as having agreed to sell their latest single for a summer blockbuster’s soundtrack.  As a society, we’re far more comfortable with actors and athletes selling us makeup and sports equipment than we are with musicians doing the same thing.  Although Americans realize the commercial aspect of the music industry, we conceive of music (and musicians) as being more authentic and high-culture.

Things are different in Korea, where popular idol groups make the vast majority of their earnings through commercial films (CFs) (see here).  A group’s CF pay can give a lot of insight into their popularity; at the high end, idol singers can be paid $1-1.5 million dollars for a one year CF contract (see here).  And for good reason- a contract with a popular singer like Hyori can set off an avalanche of sales (see here for the “Hyori Effect”).

Korean consumers respond really well to idols’ CFs.  Instead of disparaging CFs as being low-culture, fans will upload CFs onto youtube and post comments about an idol’s performance.  Certain stars are popular enough that “Behind the Scenes (BTS)” or “Making Of” cuts for CFs are even made and distributed amongst fanbases.

Unlike in America, or even in Japan and China, idol groups dominate the Korean music scene to the near exclusion of other genres.  The three big management companies (SME, JYP, and YG) are overt about the way in which their acts are carefully manufactured; like the American boy band groups of the 1990s, idol groups are comprised of individuals who apply separately and are then placed with others to strike just the right balance.  Ala O-Town, the formation of popular groups like Big Bang and 2PM featured documentaries during which aspiring hopefuls were eliminated.

This unapologetic stance about the manufactured nature of idol groups is probably a huge force in why CFs are so popular; if we don’t buy into the myth of music and musical acts as being part of an organic process, we won’t be disturbed by the blatant commercialization thereof.

The most popular members of idol groups will sometimes receive solo contracts for CFs (Lee Kikwang from Beast, Nichkhun Horvejkul from 2PM).  In an interesting side note, at least one of these groups has noted that the money for solo CF work is sometimes split between all members of the idol group.

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Filed under: cf hyori lee kikwang nichkhun shinee sociology big bang 2PM 
January 11, 2011
Agency and Aegyo Excerpted from the source: Fans used to SECRET’s powerful image with “Magic” and “Madonna” might have been a bit surprised over their retro turnaround, as the girls adopted a more romantic image with one-pieces and cute choreography. The most surprised, however, was none than the girls themselves.They stated, “We expected our comeback to be either something stronger than our previous tracks, or a ballad concept. When we first received the concept for ‘Shy Boy,’ not only were we shocked over the cuteness of it all, but became fully depressed for about a week because we were so worried over it.” … Despite the success of their comeback, member Zinger is still being hit hard with their unexpected concept. She’s always dreamed of performing hip hop, but kept it to herself for the sake of the group. However, because the new concept is completely opposite to everything she’s worked for, she was left in a state of depression. No matter how much she replayed it or rapped it in different ways, concerns over how she would fit the concept grew heavy.Thanks to her members, she was able to overcome the obstacles. “While going through such a difficult time, I realized that there were so many precious people next to me. I can’t just be greedy. Showing off SECRET’s charms comes before my own needs.” Again, some background: each album/single can be identified with the release of a new ‘concept.’  A concept refers, basically, to the branding associated with that new song, and will encompass the mood/theme of both the Music Video (MV) as well as the outfits the idol singers themselves will wear in the MV and during live performances. We imagine that contemporary American pop stars have at least some agency when it comes to purchasing the rights to songs or putting together an outfit for a live performance.  As this article illustrates, however, Korean idol singers often have little to no control over what sort of music they record/perform or even what haircuts they’re expected to sport.  There are quite a few articles out there documenting the disappointment of idol singers to certain concepts (see here). At least recently, girl groups have been the ones most likely to express disappointment to certain concepts.  Usually it’s in response to an overly cute concept that the singers find embarrassing.  In Korean, the term “aegyo” is used to refer to winsome, cutesy, feminized behavior (see here).  Although it often comes off as infantilizing (puffing out cheeks, pouting, striking animal poses), it is also seen as desirable behavior.  Aegyo is considered enough of a ‘talent’ that idols can become famous for their aegyo abilities, and can even expect to be called upon to perform their aegyo in variety shows.  (Interestingly, although aegyo is a feminine trait, male idols are often encouraged to perform it as well.) Perhaps the most important thing about aegyo is that it sells incredibly well.  Secret, previously know for their more ‘powerful’ concepts, has received a large amount of popularity in response to their new Shy Boy concept.

Agency and Aegyo

Excerpted from the source:

Fans used to SECRET’s powerful image with “Magic” and “Madonna” might have been a bit surprised over their retro turnaround, as the girls adopted a more romantic image with one-pieces and cute choreography. The most surprised, however, was none than the girls themselves.

They stated, “We expected our comeback to be either something stronger than our previous tracks, or a ballad concept. When we first received the concept for ‘Shy Boy,’ not only were we shocked over the cuteness of it all, but became fully depressed for about a week because we were so worried over it.”

…

Despite the success of their comeback, member Zinger is still being hit hard with their unexpected concept. She’s always dreamed of performing hip hop, but kept it to herself for the sake of the group. However, because the new concept is completely opposite to everything she’s worked for, she was left in a state of depression. No matter how much she replayed it or rapped it in different ways, concerns over how she would fit the concept grew heavy.

Thanks to her members, she was able to overcome the obstacles. “While going through such a difficult time, I realized that there were so many precious people next to me. I can’t just be greedy. Showing off SECRET’s charms comes before my own needs.”

Again, some background: each album/single can be identified with the release of a new ‘concept.’  A concept refers, basically, to the branding associated with that new song, and will encompass the mood/theme of both the Music Video (MV) as well as the outfits the idol singers themselves will wear in the MV and during live performances.

We imagine that contemporary American pop stars have at least some agency when it comes to purchasing the rights to songs or putting together an outfit for a live performance.  As this article illustrates, however, Korean idol singers often have little to no control over what sort of music they record/perform or even what haircuts they’re expected to sport.  There are quite a few articles out there documenting the disappointment of idol singers to certain concepts (see here).

At least recently, girl groups have been the ones most likely to express disappointment to certain concepts.  Usually it’s in response to an overly cute concept that the singers find embarrassing.  In Korean, the term “aegyo” is used to refer to winsome, cutesy, feminized behavior (see here).  Although it often comes off as infantilizing (puffing out cheeks, pouting, striking animal poses), it is also seen as desirable behavior.  Aegyo is considered enough of a ‘talent’ that idols can become famous for their aegyo abilities, and can even expect to be called upon to perform their aegyo in variety shows.  (Interestingly, although aegyo is a feminine trait, male idols are often encouraged to perform it as well.)

Perhaps the most important thing about aegyo is that it sells incredibly well.  Secret, previously know for their more ‘powerful’ concepts, has received a large amount of popularity in response to their new Shy Boy concept.

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Filed under: aegyo agency gender infantilization secret sociology jung hana zinger shy boy 
January 11, 2011
Gendered Implications of Chivalry Excerpted from source (emphasis added): Yoseob’s Twitter post created a buzz in the industry, as it asked B2ST’s fanbase to apologize for their baseless attacks made against another celebrity. Consequently, he’s risen as one of the most respected and mannerly idols in Korea. He’s caught the attention of many industry representatives for being an exception; he’s one of the few, if not only, celebrities that had the guts to ask his fans to fix their wrongdoings. Regarding the controversy, Yoseob and Junhyung met with Sports Chosun, and have earned the praise of the public once again for their deep words. Yoseob further added, “There’s a clear difference between attacking and criticizing. I was deeply hurt by a lot of hateful replies at the start of our debut. Although I’m numb to them now, I was miserable at the time. I’m a man, so I can hold it in to a certain point, but that person (Rainbow’s Jaekyung) is a woman. I know that she was hurt by the ordeal, which is what led me to write that Twitter post.” First, some background.  Yang Yoseob is a member of idol group Beast (B2st).  Korean idols typically have hectic promotional schedules that are markedly different from that of American pop stars.  When a mini-album or an album is released, Korean idol groups will promote singles through several live weekly performances on well-known music shows, and individual members will participate in different variety shows.  Although idol groups will perform live during their promotional cycle, their sets are generally limited to their current single; they won’t generally perform full concerts until they’re more established in the industry. One of the most popular variety shows out there is called We Got Married, and it’s a half-scripted reality show along the lines of The Hills or Jersey Shore.  Here, the premise is that two Korean celebrities are ‘married’ for the purposes of the show (it’s always a heterosexual couple, and they usually don’t know each other beforehand).  It’s a hugely popular show, and in some sense it’s a star-maker for the celebrities that participate.  As one of the more popular, longer-running couples is phasing out, lists of rumored potential couples have been circulating online.  Two guesses put members of Beast with a member of another idol group, Rainbow. Rainbow’s Kim Jaekyung, who was paired with both Yoseob as well as member Yong Junhyung, has received a ton of hate mail as a result of the rumors.  Yang Yoseob eventually took to Twitter to chastise his own fans for their behavior (translation here), for which he’s been universally lauded. However, in an excerpt from the interview above, Yoseob states that he was motivated to do so because Jaekyung is a woman.  This is interesting for a number of reasons, the first of which is that Yoseob’s fans similarly harassed another female idol singer for performing with Yoseob a year ago (see here), to which he had no response. Secondly, the implication is that Yoseob, because he is a man, is somehow inherently more capable of handling negative public reactions than Jaekyung.  He doesn’t say anything about how Jaekyung, as an individual, has responded to the situation; his explanation is entirely based on gender.  This plays into the misconception that women on a whole are more fragile than men.  Inasmuch as this stereotype conflicts with the perception of girls being more likely to engage in emotional warfare, and thus to be more inured to it, it’s a good example of how gender stereotypes often play off of both edges of the same coin. Of course, Yang Yoseob is only 20 and a product of Korean society; in an industry that heavily panders to the whims of fans, it’s great seeing an idol take a hard stance against the obsessive behavior of his own fans.  But then again, everyone is a product of a flawed, hierarchical society, and Yoseob’s also an adult.  Ostensibly, this is not something that his company forced him to do, and as a result, he should be held  responsible for his words. This is also a good illustration of why most of the source links on this tumblr will take you to Omona They Didn’t- although allkpop was the first English site to release a translated version of the Sports Chosun interview, the commenting system at Livejournal promotes more (and generally better) discussion through the use of threaded comments.

Gendered Implications of Chivalry

Excerpted from source (emphasis added):

Yoseob’s Twitter post created a buzz in the industry, as it asked B2ST’s fanbase to apologize for their baseless attacks made against another celebrity. Consequently, he’s risen as one of the most respected and mannerly idols in Korea.

He’s caught the attention of many industry representatives for being an exception; he’s one of the few, if not only, celebrities that had the guts to ask his fans to fix their wrongdoings.

Regarding the controversy, Yoseob and Junhyung met with Sports Chosun, and have earned the praise of the public once again for their deep words.

Yoseob further added, “There’s a clear difference between attacking and criticizing. I was deeply hurt by a lot of hateful replies at the start of our debut. Although I’m numb to them now, I was miserable at the time. I’m a man, so I can hold it in to a certain point, but that person (Rainbow’s Jaekyung) is a woman. I know that she was hurt by the ordeal, which is what led me to write that Twitter post.”

First, some background.  Yang Yoseob is a member of idol group Beast (B2st).  Korean idols typically have hectic promotional schedules that are markedly different from that of American pop stars.  When a mini-album or an album is released, Korean idol groups will promote singles through several live weekly performances on well-known music shows, and individual members will participate in different variety shows.  Although idol groups will perform live during their promotional cycle, their sets are generally limited to their current single; they won’t generally perform full concerts until they’re more established in the industry.

One of the most popular variety shows out there is called We Got Married, and it’s a half-scripted reality show along the lines of The Hills or Jersey Shore.  Here, the premise is that two Korean celebrities are ‘married’ for the purposes of the show (it’s always a heterosexual couple, and they usually don’t know each other beforehand).  It’s a hugely popular show, and in some sense it’s a star-maker for the celebrities that participate.  As one of the more popular, longer-running couples is phasing out, lists of rumored potential couples have been circulating online.  Two guesses put members of Beast with a member of another idol group, Rainbow.

Rainbow’s Kim Jaekyung, who was paired with both Yoseob as well as member Yong Junhyung, has received a ton of hate mail as a result of the rumors.  Yang Yoseob eventually took to Twitter to chastise his own fans for their behavior (translation here), for which he’s been universally lauded.

However, in an excerpt from the interview above, Yoseob states that he was motivated to do so because Jaekyung is a woman.  This is interesting for a number of reasons, the first of which is that Yoseob’s fans similarly harassed another female idol singer for performing with Yoseob a year ago (see here), to which he had no response.

Secondly, the implication is that Yoseob, because he is a man, is somehow inherently more capable of handling negative public reactions than Jaekyung.  He doesn’t say anything about how Jaekyung, as an individual, has responded to the situation; his explanation is entirely based on gender.  This plays into the misconception that women on a whole are more fragile than men.  Inasmuch as this stereotype conflicts with the perception of girls being more likely to engage in emotional warfare, and thus to be more inured to it, it’s a good example of how gender stereotypes often play off of both edges of the same coin.

Of course, Yang Yoseob is only 20 and a product of Korean society; in an industry that heavily panders to the whims of fans, it’s great seeing an idol take a hard stance against the obsessive behavior of his own fans.  But then again, everyone is a product of a flawed, hierarchical society, and Yoseob’s also an adult.  Ostensibly, this is not something that his company forced him to do, and as a result, he should be held  responsible for his words.

This is also a good illustration of why most of the source links on this tumblr will take you to Omona They Didn’t- although allkpop was the first English site to release a translated version of the Sports Chosun interview, the commenting system at Livejournal promotes more (and generally better) discussion through the use of threaded comments.

12:34am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZI65ux2WdDUj
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Filed under: beast gender kpop rainbow sociology twitter wgm yang yoseob kim jaekyung