Where the hell is Nagaland, you ask? Well, it’s a hilly state in the far northeast of India, bordering on Burma. It is inhabited by 14 tribes who speak about a variety of languages belonging to the Sino-Tibetan language group. The good people of Nagaland apparently really love Jesus: some 90% of its nearly 2 million inhabitants are Christian, the majority of them Baptists.
There’s something else the people of Nagaland really love: Korean culture. This is causing concern in some quarters, however, that the Naga might be losing their own culture:
Naga youth have now started to adapt Korean culture. Korean television channels, programs, movies, and clothes are popular among Naga youth. Korean companies are looking into investing in Nagaland. The Nagaland State Government has even taken steps to embrace Korean culture: it hosts an annual Indian-Korean cultural festival.
However, this wave of Korean culture threatens traditional Naga customs. Elder Nagas fear the gradual disappearance of Naga customs in the face of globalization. As young people turn toward foreign cultural products and entertainment produced in other languages, this threat becomes ever real.
Somehow, I don’t think Lisa Kelley ever expected to show up on Youtube as the face of Korean cultural imperialism.
On a serious note, though, Arirang TV is reportedly the most watched TV channel in Nagaland:
The most watched TV channel in the state is the Korean channel Arirang TV, the DVD and CD shops are bursting with Korean films, the hottest hair-dos offered by salons are the ones flaunted by popular Korean actors and actresses, shops are selling street fashion that are currently in vogue in Korea, cultural events in the state has special ‘Korean songs’ contests, sport events now have categories like ‘Korean wrestling” and if these are not enough, the entire media is so quiet on this whole issue, as though this wave of Korean culture is the most natural phenomenon to have happened.
Of course, when they’re ready to be truly Korean, they’ll ditch Arirang TV in favor of NCIS and CSI: Miami.
I know nothing about Nagaland, of course, but since ignorance is never a reason not to express an opinion on the Internet, the first thing that pops into mind is that — in addition to the Jesus thing — the Naga might find Korean pop culture attractive because unlike Bollywood, the people in Korean TV shows and movies kinda, sorta look like them?
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A similar report from the same general area — Korean Fashion in Full Force on Streets of Kathmandu.
More, from a local source — Korean Kraze in Kathmandu.
Korean craze in Kathmandu
“Mufflers around necks, Adidas jackets, overcoats, jeans, long woolen tops and long boots are all fashion styles he saw on the streets of Seoul. ”
Kind of sounds like the same fashions you’d see on pretty much any city’s streets that has cold weather
The Naga (?) probably have a greater affinity for Korean pop culture rather than Bollywood due to the fact that their ethnic origins and general appearance are more Sino-Tibetan/East Asian rather than Indian/South Asian. The mere existence of Nagaland as an Indian state seems to be an anomaly, as it would seem that culturally they are more a part of Tibet. Interesting story nevertheless.
Naga’s folks are East Asian appearance so they’re more attracted to Hallyu than Bollywood. This isn’t just happening in Naga, it’s happening all over Asian cultures. Korea was once influenced by Chinese, Tungus-Siberian, Mongols, Khitans, Manchus, Japanese, European, American etc.. and their native culture didn’t died. In fact their culture became more modernized & refined than their influencers.
Don’t forget Law&Order SVU.
‘Don’t forget Law&Order SVU’
koreans watch plenty of their own dramas.
Over 90% of the Nagalanders are Christian (75% Baptist!), and the Korean Christian missionaries are a potent force.
Interesting how well the young Naga speak English. Maybe they can be the Indians who go to Korea to take the ET jobs.
Really, does anyone imagine that this culture was not already influenced by the British or by other cultures (either in India, or from abroad)? Shangri-La it ain’t.
Of course they do**. However the American shows listed, along with maybe a handful of Hollywood movies, play on OCN and CGV nearly non-stop. They play so often in Korea (sometimes even 3 or 4 episodes in a single day, usually back to back), one only needs to see the first 5 seconds of SVU to know which season and episode it is.
**I’m not sure how much of the Korean dramas are “their own” and how much they are still copied from popular Japanese dramas. Less than the not-so-distant past, I’m assuming.
They–and their American afternoon counterparts–are all perpetually re-hashed dreck anyway.
As a fan of Korean and Japanese dramas, I can honestly say the only good thing that has come out of the Japanese cultural embargo on South Korea, the Korean drama has been able to keep itself distinct and develop separately from the Japanese dramas, which is why it managed to appeal to the Japanese who were looking for something different, rather than a second-rate copy/re-make of their own. This is changing lately, as it was lifted more recently, and more people watch dramas on the internet, and you do get the lazyness come through of people just re-hashing the same stories in different countries.
Usually I am a fan of free flow of culture but this case makes it hard.
The Nagaland people look very similar to Korea people…
maybe thats why they idolise Koreans so much.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_frdQcrbMFKU/Sj3KJVAiH_I/AAAAAAAAHmc/_bylAeNwq_A/s400/Medziphema+Village,+Nagaland+-+Naughty+Boy.JPG
http://mountainparadisetour.com/siteimages/nagaland-people.jpg
http://image63.webshots.com/563/2/48/57/2467248570047837447MOXCfN_ph.jpg
Any time I see people talking about “maintaining” the culture of an area from the voluntary action of those within the culture, I looks to me like outsiders like their quaint little villagers to play dress-up for them.
If these kids don’t want to dress like their grandmother dressed, that’s pretty well the reality everywhere. If you want to maintain your culture, think about what really defines it and find a way to modernize that. The alternative is getting overwhelmed by people who do.
“The Nagaland people look very similar to Korea people…”
I don’t find the similarity other than they look more like Far Easterners, rather than East Indian. I imagine the Nagalese are related to the people from Nepal.
I wonder whether “indigenous culture” isn’t just an excuse for keeping the son of the mat-weaver in his place and not letting him compete for a better job?
I wonder if some of the men are afraid of women being educated enough to discuss things other than child-rearing and cooking?
The “marketplace of ideas” is a Western concept that enabled Greece, Rome, Europe, and later the USA to dominate other economic markets by finding out what people want and selling that to them, instead of telling them what to like and forcing people into artificial social strata.
It’s unfortunate that we forget that cultures–even ours–like rivers and streams, either run freely or grow stagnant and choked with weeds.
8 out of 8 negs. I’m impressed with the % of haters. Obviously, I’ve hit the big time, finally, at the Hole. When do I get my membership card and learn the secret handshake?
What exactly is so disagreeable?
SVU et al is not played nearly non-stop in Korea?
Korean dramas have not been copied from the Japanese?
or is it that said (Korean) dramas and (American) soap operas are not re-hashed dreck?
i’ve never heard of koreans copying j dramas in a long long time but since you’re the expert, why don’t you tell us which ones have been copied, say, in the last ten years. better yet, why don’t you tell us why it pisses you off when other asians like korean things?
Hey Pawi are you asking me?
Drama (Japan->Korea) -> The man who cannot marry(Kekkon Dekinai Otoko 결혼 못하는 남자) , Boys over Flowers, 백야행, 장난스런 키스(in the pipeline) etc. etc. and other such manga based remakes to name a few.
Drama (Korea->Japan) -> Hotelier, Mawang(Majou) and The director of Yupki Girl made Cyborg Girl (which was just like a Korean film with Japanese actors, just awful)
Recently there have been many co-productions of films and Korean actors in Japanese dramas, not all are successful, Choi Jiwoo in Rondo a flop, Ryu Shiwon was good as a support in Joshi Deka, Youngwoong Jaejoong in Sunao ni Narenakute with Eita and Ueno Juri was impressive. The Japanese actress Yu Min (Fueki Yuuko) is holding it well in Life is Beautiful the Korean drama I talked about.
Darth, I wouldn’t attach any meaning to the ratings.
“but since ignorance is never a reason not to express an opinion on the Internet…”
Haha…I just have to say that I love that quote. So true…..words to keep in mind the next time you get offended, annoyed, or furious over somebody’s comments.
no, no, yuna-shi, i was talking to darth. the shows you mentioned are legal adaptations if my memory serves me correctly. darth’s implication is simply wrong and i wonder if he might tell us which korean dramas are plagiarized. fact is, korean dramas are their own and the people of asia love them. why does darth feel the need to take a shit on that? that’s what i’d like to know.
OK. Pawi. I guess he’s not a fan. Plenty of fans out there, I wouldn’t worry about it. I cannot bear to watch any of the American dramas. Doesn’t mean I hate the Americans.
Yuna,
That is rather ironic about Hotelier considering that it was then redone as a Japanese TV series a few years after it was made into a Korean show.
If the people of Nagaland look like Koreans, Nepalese, or other people from the Far East, then the next question seems to be why it’s Korean culture in particular that they are adopting as opposed to Japanese, Chinese, Nepalese, or other Far Eastern cultures.
Thoughts?
I believe that Japanese have also copied “My Sassy Girl” and turned it into a drama not too long ago. Not to mention the drama version of the Korean movie “My Boss, My Hero”. Everyone could argue about who influenced who until the cows come home but, I think the cross-cultural influence is beneficial for both countries.
They don’t watch Bollywood for similar reasons why I don’t watch Hollywood movies.
I don’t like watching Jewish film producers churning out brainwashing opiate for the masses riddled with their anti-Asian biases, with the main roles being played by white Americans and black Americans who look nothing like me.
I don’t watch Bollywood movies because they have too much of the singing and dancing stuff and not enough of the racy stuff.
So, tell me vanishingson, what does an anti-Semite look like?
maybe he looks like david kramer http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/60974.html or joel stein bro http://articles.latimes.com/2008/dec/19/opinion/oe-stein19
ht: the western confucian
Pizza, because it’s the flavour du jour.
Korea is like the bibimpop of pop culture. One discerns a little bit of Japanese here, some American there; some bits of suburban stuff here, some 90s rap stuff there; some Korean seasoning here, some East Asian zeitgeist stuff there. Lots of various genetic muses compose Korean pop, and at this point as an admixture it seems to have gained its own identity; its elements aren’t unique but altogether it has its own sort of flavor.
The reason Kpop culture is catchy among other Asians? Because, it’s basic. The social values Kpop espouses are materialistic, shallow, and sexual. When a product appeals to such basic things, it is fulfilling. One can also say that Kpop is popular because it is the most compatible with modern American culture and as such it is the most identifiable to those who have been encultured under America and its Hollywood. This simply means that most people, including myself, would rather watch a love drama about modern folks living in a modern setting than, say, a Chinese opera. The ‘modernity’ within Korean pop is credible.
It helps that Korean as a language is palatable, too.
I would agree that Nagaland folk do look Korean.
Anyway, I just watched the youtube video posted in the blog entry. — It resonates with my post above. I like that. I just wanted to note this.
‘It helps that Korean as a language is palatable, too.’
i’ve told this before here but it was a long time ago. i once told a filipina who loved k dramas about a place she could watch chinese dramas. she got a look of concernon her face. i asked her what was wrong and she responded that she didn’t like to watch chinese dramas because she couldn’t stand listening to chinese. she said she found korean to be quite mellow. i find that interesting because whenever i’ve played k pop to white people, they’re always surprised about how lyrical it sounds.
one last thing, k dramas are chosen over others because of their high production values. they look sleek and make other asian dramas look cheap.
ps when you listen to k pop, you’re (almost) hearing pure korean with ugly chinese derived words few and far between. just fyi.
So Pawi, are you saying K-Pop skips every other word? Clever trick?
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