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Dublin, Ireland - K-Pop Flash Mob!
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Mix1



Joined: 08 May 2007

PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2011 11:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

edwardcatflap wrote:
What annoys some people is that they can see where this is going. Flash mob with 20/50/100 people (whatever) in Dublin + newspaper article = K Pop is now officially 'popular' in Europe. Some of my adult students are already coming out with this kind of statement as if it's an undisputed fact. In the same way as they say Korean cuisine is 'popular' all over the world - it clearly isn't - or Korean people I haven't even heard of, and I'm living in the country, are international household names. Yes we should be more tolerant and look more indulgently on their efforts to become better known in the world but when they come out with stuff that just isn't true it's kind of hard to accept it.

Exactly. It's not about "hating" anything per se either, it's about hearing these stories toted about as if it's the new gospel or something. You could love K-pop with all your heart and still these statements would be irritating because they are paraded about like it's some undisputable fact. Korean food is pretty much my favorite food but I don't go around claiming it's exceedingly popular or trendy because that would be an exaggeration. Obviously everyone wants to be proud of their stuff but to lie and exaggerate about its popularity around the world is just odd and reeks of insecurity. But maybe that's just what some countries do to boost pride? "BREAKING NEWS: Someone LIKES us! They really really LIKE us!" This aspect is more annoying than the music itself.

That said, with more time and saturation, K-pop could eventually get a sort of cult following going for it for some select people. But not really so much because of the music (which is mostly copied, forgettable, and interchangable) , but rather because it presents a quirky, wierd and novel visual image for them. In other words it will more likely be a fetish thing, as sad as that sounds.
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isisaredead



Joined: 18 May 2010

PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2011 2:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

edwardcatflap wrote:
Read my post again. I said people could see where this was heading. Koreans already are using articles like this as proof that K pop is popular in Europe and are saying it over and over again. I've heard Korean adults say it often, It's just not most people's idea of popular that's all.


i agree with everything you've said in this thread.

i don't know where the concept of "popular" came from, but according to korea, if a korean group is played once or twice in a foreign country, they are automatically popular there. i've traveled a bit over the past few years, and each time (and it's really only been a handful of times) i've heard a k-pop group played in a foreign country, it's always been the exact same two songs. weird.

edwardcatflap wrote:
Korean adults saying things llike 'K Pop is popular all over Europe' annoy me a little because a) I don't think it's true and b) I'm pretty sure the only evidence they have for this kind of statement is something they read in the Korean press about the odd concert here and there or flash mob type events. To me that's not 'popular'. Popular is singles and albums in the top ten. It's got nothing to do with Koreans or pop music either, if a Canadian came up to me and said Canadian soap operas were the latest thing in the UK in an authoratative kind of way, (and I wasn't in a position to argue with them) that would annoy me a little too.


exactly. the same thing could be said about korean food - apparently it's taken the world by storm. why do koreans believe such obvious lies? is it a case of severe national self-esteem issues?

that's why, even though it was tongue-in-cheek, the comment about SME paying people to do a flashmob in ireland of all places was actually believable for a split-second.

moondoggy wrote:
Even though kpop doesn't appeal to all different age groups it is getting popular in Europe and eventually will be a timeless fad. So don't try downplaying kpop events like concerts and flashmobs when you don't even know much about kpop popularity in Europe. And you can't stop it.


are you korean? because every post you've made in this thread smacks of brainwashed fanboy-ism.
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Steelrails



Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System

PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2011 5:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'd like to state for the record that my utter hatred of flash mobs outweighs any apologistaness or enjoyment of Kpop.

Flash mobs irritate me about as much anything. A pox on the people who drummed up this one. I don't care about whatever cause you're supporting or whatever silly act you're doing. Go do some work or read a book you lazy young whippersnappers. There's a cow somewhere that needs to be milked or some trash taken out or something...

I'm not going to get into some Korea argument on this one.

Just that flash mobs are retarded and I could care less if the mayor decided to turn the hoses on them.
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isisaredead



Joined: 18 May 2010

PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2011 4:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

some of my friends (ok, acquaintances) did a flashmob in busan a while ago. they all thought that they were SO FREAKIN' COOL.

i thought it was the height of mental retardation.

for what it's worth.
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nukeday



Joined: 13 May 2010

PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2011 11:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

lol @ "timeless fad"
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Tamada



Joined: 02 Nov 2008

PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 12:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is a joke and complete publicity stunt! Was at the Korean music awards where foreigners were found, given free access into the VIP section, to make it look like foreigners are into K pop.

Haha, what a joke!

Most Koreans have a deep rooted inferiority complex when it comes to westerners..........and that ain't about to change anytime soon!
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edwardcatflap



Joined: 22 Mar 2009

PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 12:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
lol @ "timeless fad"


Was that supposed to be witty/ironic oxymoron or something or did he just make a mistake about the meaning of fad (a brief trend)?
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tatertot



Joined: 21 Oct 2008

PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 12:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

edwardcatflap wrote:
Quote:
lol @ "timeless fad"


Was that supposed to be witty/ironic oxymoron or something or did he just make a mistake about the meaning of fad (a brief trend)?

I would guess that it was just a mistake because Moondoggy doesn't seem to be a native English speaker.
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isisaredead



Joined: 18 May 2010

PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 1:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

tatertot wrote:
edwardcatflap wrote:
Quote:
lol @ "timeless fad"


Was that supposed to be witty/ironic oxymoron or something or did he just make a mistake about the meaning of fad (a brief trend)?

I would guess that it was just a mistake because Moondoggy doesn't seem to be a native English speaker.


that was my first guess.
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Moondoggy



Joined: 07 Jun 2011

PostPosted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 8:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

All these haters should belong to some anti Korean segment in the first place because it seems that their negative rhetoric on kpop (and its popularity outside asia) has spilled into broader anti Korean sentiments. I understand that antis exist for everything but these lame people keep making lame slanders against kpop and Koreans and using ad hominem attacks on kpop events and supporters. Are they really teachers teaching in Korea? I feel sorry for the students if they really are. Well no matter how hard these haters try to deny, the fact is that kpop is a music genre already. And yes it's a timeless fad. But I'm not gonna defend it anymore because I don't see the point.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca7fTmsjtoA

The point of a flash mob is to show your love and to have fun. And most of participants are teenage girls. Probably you ajossis will never understand it.
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WadRUG'naDoo



Joined: 15 Jun 2010
Location: Shanghai

PostPosted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 9:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

K-pop or Krap poop?
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Steelrails



Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System

PostPosted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 12:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Moondoggy wrote:
All these haters should belong to some anti Korean segment in the first place because it seems that their negative rhetoric on kpop (and its popularity outside asia) has spilled into broader anti Korean sentiments. I understand that antis exist for everything but these lame people keep making lame slanders against kpop and Koreans and using ad hominem attacks on kpop events and supporters. Are they really teachers teaching in Korea? I feel sorry for the students if they really are. Well no matter how hard these haters try to deny, the fact is that kpop is a music genre already. And yes it's a timeless fad. But I'm not gonna defend it anymore because I don't see the point.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca7fTmsjtoA

The point of a flash mob is to show your love and to have fun. And most of participants are teenage girls. Probably you ajossis will never understand it.


I'm as apologist as they come, but flashmobs are absolutely retarded.

No one else cares. Take that desperate cry for attention elsewhere.

If you want to boost K-pop, fine. Do it in a way that doesn't scream "young people with too much time on their hands".

These flashmobbers should be given some tools and go build a house for Habitat for Humanity or something. If you're going to cluster like that, at least do it for something halfway meaningful.
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edwardcatflap



Joined: 22 Mar 2009

PostPosted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 2:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Are they really teachers teaching in Korea? I feel sorry for the students if they really are.


Yes, if one of the common requirements for teaching English in a foreign country was 'must like the local pop music' then I dare say there would be very few job opportunities for the average TEFLer.



Quote:
But I'm not gonna defend it anymore because I don't see the point.



Good because it's quite obvious you are not interested in forming an argument based on what people are actually saying. Many posters have pointed out that it's not about hating K pop at all, it's about distorting the facts. As you continue to do by showing your you tube clips. The argument was flash mobs and news articles do not make a music genre 'popular' in a country by most people's reckoning and you've done nothing to change opinion on that. Also several people mentioned the non sensical expression 'timeless fad', which you seem to have ignored completely. Suggesting again that you're not really interested in what others are saying.
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DIsbell



Joined: 15 Oct 2008

PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 9:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVLF5udJ8pQ&feature=related

Looks like the K-pop global phenomenon is.... siphoning off a few female japanophile-looking types while exchange students awkwardly look on from the background.
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