Korean Job Discussion Forums

[The Great Toad]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yW13T2sfKg

2ne1 music video where the bitter girl who gets dumped by her boyfriend crashes her race car and suicides.

I also saw another music video last night about 6 pm in a pizza place. There was this girl on a cell phone and I got the idea her boyfriend dumped her on the phone. Then she starts crying and walks slowly and purposely into a four lane highway and suicides by getting hit by a speeding car.
I kept watching it and the boyfriend guy wakes up - like maybe it was a dream, drinks water in his posh luxury apartment then later she shows up at his door and starts making food for him she brought.
(can anyone link the vid- I do not know the band - I am sure you can find it to link from youtube...)

So, I am worried about the "heroic" images of these suicides that are made to look glamorous and artful. It is disturbing that primetime programming is showing this depressing nihilism that places romantic relationships as the primary basis for life and happiness and life as better ended in a kind of "graceful heroic protest gesture'. I had a friend while in the Marines who shot himself with a rifle but he was violence prone already but I think suicide is portrayed too favorably in Korean media. But, again I actually only incidentally watch Korean TVs at public venues and hotels (I do not have the tv hooked up to play channels).

[chrisinkorea2011]

actually death, has always had a part in korean music videos lol. even videos from the late 90s - early 2000's had something to do with death. ITs likes the way to sell? lol

[bekinseki]

Suicide is the noblest thing you can do, according to Korean pop culture.

Play a drinking game: watch Korean music videos, and take a drink every time someone commits suicide or dies accidentally in a dramatic way that will make someone feel guilty.

[Draz]

I don't think it is seen as noble. It's not really about the girl at all. It's pushing the idea that you are responsible for other people's feelings and that you'd feel really super bad if you broke up with your gf and she killed herself so you better not break up with anyone ever. Or it'll be YOUR FAULT when she dies. You were her whole life, you ****ing jerk. Also, ladies: you're nothing without your boyfriend, but you can make him feel bad if you die! You have the power! Just sick.

[fermentation]

[Draz]

To be fair, songs about miserable relationships are not just a Korean thing. Stories about how sorry you'd be if you broke up with someone and THEN THEY DIED is taking it a bit far though.

[fermentation]

[The Great Toad]

Yes- well it is rather disturbing from an American cultural aspect where popular media shows how savory revenge murder is for felt personnel wrongs. I have not seen too many Korean movies so can not comment on it... still one of my favorite- "You Are My Destiny/Sunshine" did have the depressed abandoned husband harming himself and saved by his Mom.

I would feel terrible thinking some goofy depressed 14 year old girl kills herself after she saw a vid I, a K-Pop Star, made and thinks it must be a romantic and classy expression to suicide. I do the opposite and tell students to stop and that they are behaving badly when they slice little tattoos on their hands and arms- but that could be from evil oblivion emo existentialism influence leaking in from the West.

[chrisinkorea2011]

[bekinseki]

I know a girl who suffered when one of her male classmates committed suicide in high school. Everyone was mad at her because htey knew the dead guy had a crush on her. Even ten years after, her former classmates treated her poorly because of that.

Oh, and this guy was found with his girlfriend's body, and nobody's sure if it was a suicide pact or a murder-suicide.

[tran.huongthu]

[no_tofu_speed]

K-Ci and JoJo actually had a song called Suicide.

[koreatimes]

Korea needs to look at what its doing to its people.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberbully_(film)

This is a movie about a girl who contemplates suicide. Oh wait, it isn't Korean.

In this movie, a guy named Neil commits suicide, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Poets_Society

Oh wait, that also isn't a Korean movie.

In this Canadian drama series, Degrassi - episode 3 (season 10, titled "Breakaway"), Fiona is bruised and hit by her boyfriend. She is seen pacing on top of a building close to the edge. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degrassi_%28season_10%29

Darn, this one isn't Korean either.

I guess maybe we should all look at what is being broadcast. It's not just Korea.

[ED209]

Maybe the videos should be more realistic and have a kid studying for the university entrance exam, then jumping out the window when they get their results.

[bekinseki]