I know, I am twice in one week posting something K-pop related, but The Grand Narrative’s James Turnbull has written an interesting piece for Haps on the emerging trend of sexuality in Korean girl groups which is well worth a read.
Though they don’t exactly dress like the girl next door, standard-bearers such as Girls Generation certainly sing like they are:
…for all the leg displayed in the MVs, the common theme of the lyrics is the submissiveness, timidity, innocence and/or virginity of the singers, overwhelmed by their strange new feelings for the male love interest.
Of course, most of the songs are written by men, but female lyricists like Kim Eana are shaking things up with more “controversial” themes. And then there is the video “Bloom” by Brown Eyed Girls’ Ga-in.
Sporting blonde locks, two minutes into the video she suddenly appears in a tight red sweater, strongly resembling 1940s Hollywood actresses like Lana Turner—and just as sassy. Add leather hot pants, and you immediately sense something big is up. And, indeed, almost before you know it, she’s masturbating on her kitchen floor.
You can read the rest here.
On a side note, I am a fan of Hyun-a’s tattoo that reads: “My mother is the heart that keeps me alive.” That’s nice.
{ 53 comments… read them below or add one }
Why is it that female self-identity is so heavily sex-centered? Its like many of these women are unable to transcend to anything more….interesting and ambitious. Masturbating on the floor? Is that supposed to be some kind of statement? Or more like selling your body for money? One of the rarest things is seeing women with books. do they actually read? and when they do read, do they ever read anything that isn’t about sex/love/relationships/fashion?
Videos with girls reading books. That’s kinda hot.
I always liked Beyonce’s Irreplacable: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EwViQxSJJQ
James just emailed me saying he was having trouble posting on Disqus. Here is his comment: For a wider discussion of the songs and themes mentioned in the article, and my translation of a popular Korean music columnist’s thoughts on them, please see here: http://thegrandnarrative.com/2012/12/09/ga-in-bloom-female-empowerment/
Thanks Bobby. In return, here’s a SFW tumblr of girls reading books: http://bookgirls.tumblr.com/archive
Books as accessories. Like bags and shoes!
I started taking an interest in k-pop in early 2009 and this trend was already going on strong (anybody remembers 손담비 ?).
Anyway i feel a strange blend of revulsion/fascination for Hyuna: she strangely reminds me of a Korean version of the last mid-decade Britney: forced, unnatural, with such a sad, unpenetrable look on her face… a real punk performer, if you ask me.
“i fake it so real, i am beyond fake”
Do you tell people to get off your lawn much?
Why can’t there be Kpop music for grown ups? It’s always the 18 year olds flaunting their legs. Same with prime time dramas, it’s all teens on TV, as they get younger and younger. It’s as if you’re over 30 in Korea, you’re still expected to watch and admire performers half their age, or else it’s as if you’re expected to stop enjoying entertainment altogether because you’re old now.
Are you doing shtick?
Yeah really. Can’t they just “graduate” to the older crowd. Don’t these people realize that there more people over 30. And they complain about protecting minors.
We have a richer, more diverse music market in North America, but the sales and marketing nevertheless skew heavily toward the youth demographic and away from quality: think Justin Beiber, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, One Direction….. shit I wouldn’t touch even with Yangachi’s ears.
In the K-pop world, there is a dreadful sameness to the sound and interchangeability of most of the artists who aren’t called PSY. That music doesn’t really have a “next level.” Taking off more clothing is a sure-fire way to distinguish oneself.
Park Chung Hee had a mind to change the habits of the “young” women in the 70′s…He, REALLY, had police stop women wearing short skirts and actually MEASURE the length between knee and hem. I think they were “allowed” one inch but i cannot
remember?
Ok, I am not a big KPOP fan but I do like Im Jang Hee …and her english is pretty good too….
He also stopped young men on streets who had long hairs. They were given haircuts on the spot, and told to act like men, not the girls you see today on Korean streets.
http://www.historum.com/asian-history/16826-s-h-i-t-stamps-singapore.html
lol That’s funny, in a messed up kind of way.
On topic, I would like to see more daring and empowering lyrics in girl group songs. Some better stage costumes would be nice too cause those ugly shorts these girl groups wear is killing my rod.
That’s a good point SMS. If women really want to be considered equals, then they shouldn’t sexualize themselves at all. It only gives them the illusion of power and objectifies them. If they actually think it gives them power, then it just means they are too young and dumb to really know what’s going on.
Hyuna is just average looking by Korean standards. I don’t know what the big fuss is about.
Shaddup Cm. Like every red-blooded ajosshi, I know you like IU.
But in all fairness didn’t police in the US back in the 50′s stop women and measure skirt length too?
Her music videos are not that great. That’s all that matters.
I would to see a reduction of girl groups. There are way too many.
“Shaddup Cm. Like every red-blooded ajosshi, I know you like IU.”
Ewww.. wangkon, just ewwww…
Just what is up with Korea’s version of Lolita syndrome?
Will never be a creepy as Japan’s.
Pictures please.
Read my comments again, I said more lyrics not groups. I agree though, less groups and more soloists. In fact, soloists that write their own material would be appreciated, by me at least.
Agreed, the lolita complex and seifuku obsession is disturbing in real life as it is in manga form. Case in point
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkHlnWFnA0c
I meant to say in addition to what you stated that there should be a reduction of girl groups. Too much manufactured stuff and less originality.
the man who runs the blog is the very definition of ‘creepy white guy’. running a blog about koreans having sex. you wouldn’t tolerate a white man running a blog about blacks having sex but when the subject is asians, then, creep away, creep. i remember he wrote a piece in which he informed us that lee hyo-ri’s boobs were the definition of k-pop. yeah, i’m sure her boobs was HIS defintion of k music. the creep.
pawi,
your really should stop picking on him.
Talking about ajosshi. Am I the only one that thinks that Lotte picked the wrong people to advertise their Soju? They should have kept Lee hyori.
AKB48->Japanese trash.
사백인: You are correct. That is pretty creepy. Just the thought of Koreans having sex. Yuuuccchhh!
I believe either Wangkon or TK have already touched upon why American pop culture is dominant than anybody else’s, but this article from Financial Times says essentially the same thing: wealth and power of nations is the advantage to popularity of pop cultures of those same nations, not necessarily creativity.
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/8c831b72-4a16-11e2-a7b1-00144feab49a.html#axzz2GO1MnWjv
What’s that word Ga-in utters at 1:30?
Jeffery Hodges
* * *
Really
now Salaryman? I think this says more about you than what or whether
women actually read.
It’s like saying “why is it that male
self-identity is so heavily centered on their dick and do they read
anything other than porn and manga?” What’s the last book you read?
It’s not what you think it is. It’s Korean word for blossom.
Last book I read? Well, I’m now finishing “Selected Writings from Mikhail Bakunin.” The last 4 books I finished prior to this were:
1. Susan Sontag “On Photography”
2. Henry David Thoreau “Maine Woods”
3. Amartya Sen “Identity and Violence: The Illusion of Destiny”
4. Basic Writings of Existentialism
5. Nikolai Gogol “Dead Souls”
Next on my list: Nietzsche’s “Will to Power.”
Is male identity heavily centered on sex? Sex is a fun activity, but somewhere in the middle of my personal hierarchy of needs. I don’t think guys base their identity or their “self empowerement” on sex, we simply enjoy it as we enjoy sports, for example. It seems to be something that takes up a much more significant portion of the female self-identity. Just watching music videos, which I do rarely, or going on the street one can see that men do not dress to flaunt their bodies. Men dress with a modicum of modesty. Women seem to want to flaunt it all and be desperate to be noticed. There seems to be a competition on the streets of Seoul to see which girl can dress in the most revealing clothes. In me it raised both feeling of attraction – I enjoy looking – but also feeling of pity for girls who obviously have very little in their noggins beyond the superficial. 99% of videos on music channels with women are nothing but soft porn.
Blossom, eh? Could be a morning glory . . .
Jeffery Hodges
* * *
I think sex/love is for women what sport is for men: often watched, ad nauseam dscussed and very seldom practiced
So what if they’re moving away from that cutesie cutesie Obbaaa crap to more blatant sexuality? They’re still just selling the V.
On the other hand, if the market is really embracing that new angle, perhaps it indicates a masculinization of Korean men – moving away from that creepy Lolitadom to real women.
At pawi’s elementary school reading level, this post is about Koreans having sex.
They read books on sex.
They read books on sex.
How do I like this 100 times?
a bunch of nonsense
Good article and yeah, I’ve been noticing this trend for years now. I think the trains moving way too fast to slow it down now; I just don’t know where it’s going to end up.
agreed
Booby, I have to say that the trend of oversexualizing women (and girls) in Korean music videos isn’t really all that “emerging.” It’s been going on since that Wonder Girls video “So Hot” came out in like 2008. Perhaps the term “more common place” is better than “emerging”?
“And, indeed, almost before you know it, she’s masturbating on her kitchen floor.”
I can’t stand K-pop, but after reading that I had to click on the link.
” It’s been going on since that Wonder Girls video “So Hot” came out in like 2008.”
Actually, most people would say that K-pop singers expressing sexuality started with this (note that she’s also one of Park Jin-young’s performers):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FccTXjqQrs
Or rather, she was at that time. And by “K-pop singers”, I mean female ones. Park Jin-young already had some problems with the ratings board (they didn’t like the fact that he sang about getting down with his lady).
what a waste of time
I say standard bearers like Girl’s Generation need to move on from the girl next door like singing. That last video on youtube was bordering on waste of bandwidth. Maybe it is time for them to break up.
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