Korean Job Discussion Forums

[gforce645]

As we know "Psy's music is dominating the world" but I never heard Gangnam Style until it was passed along on the local expat blogs. Then it was popping up on CNN, The Chive, Cracked, and various other foreign media outlets. Only after that did I start hearing it everywhere in Korea and students started telling me about it. Now I hear it being played in classrooms by teachers who tell their students how it is now popular everywhere.

My question is: Was the song huge here first then spread overseas? Or did Koreans only take notice of it when it received international praise and attention?

[Dr.Itaewon]

It's just a chunky, funny looking Asian guy doing a funny dance to some poppy kid's tune. It'll be gone in a month but live on in Korea's damaged sense of self importance forever.

[fosterman]

I don't quite get the appeal .. maybe because I have been in Korea to long.
one of my friends from back home posted a link on facebook asking who knows this song? wow I was surprised so many people responded.
and these guys know nothing about Korea. NOTHING!

for me.. I mean it's not the macarena and will never be as popular as that song. but I guess in the world of YOU TUBE, where talking dogs have 1 billion hits.. I guess a fat korean ajossi can be successful for a day!

[edwardcatflap]

I feel sorry for the guy. If he stays in Korea he'll be forced to perform that dance now, or laugh at other people performing it, wherever he goes for the rest of his natural life.

[gforce645]

I agree with all your comments. I think he's on minute 10 of his 15 minutes of fame. He just got signed by a big producer but who is really going to buy one of his albums? His song wouldnt be that popular if it wasnt for the video.

Do you know/think that the song is so huge here now is because it is now famous overseas?

[NYC_Gal 2.0]

I respect the guy. He's making money and taking the piss. Have you ever seen his Lady Gaga impression? He came out on stage with sparklers on his moobs. Good on him.

[transmogrifier]

[Dave Chance]

K-pop is a part of the K-gov't effort to land Korea in people's consciousness through branding.

The insane amounts of hits on YouTube, the coordinating of Girl's Generation on Letterman, the President showing up with K-pop singers in other countries, the endless coverage in the K-press et al is all part and parcel of this huge effort to elevate Korea's image.

As large amounts of resources are commited to this project (i.e. people of position and influence get paid) you are guaranteed to see further coverage of K-popsters in the foreign press.

If you will remember, the K-pop singer Rain was selected as Time magazine's 'most influential person in the world' for 2010...because it was based on the number of online votes...

http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20110417-274100.html


Rain, a South Korean actor and singer, has been voted the most influential person in the world in an online poll.

In a poll conducted by TIME magazine, Rain ranked first in the voting for this year's most influential people.

Rain has been making onto the TIME 100 online list for six straight years since 2006.

Rain has outranked some of the most well-known figures in the world. Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook and The Person of the Year for 2010 selected by TIME magazine, was ranked 28. Michelle Obama, the first lady of the U.S., ranked 32, outpacing Barack Obama, her husband, who was placed 46th. Oprah Winfrey, a famous TV show host, was ranked 84.

Putting together a project with plausible interest and merely tallying up a huge amount of hits and 'like' votes has become a surefire way to become popular and newsworthy in today's world.

Some funny fat guy getting some attention and money...big deal. The problem is that the whole situation begins to influence not only what type of music environment is created but spills over into shaping social culture and the general (even natural) environment we live in.

Some people like shiny/disposable plastic/ here today gone tomorrow culture.

Some people don't.

[edwardcatflap]