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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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dogbert
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: Killbox 90210
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 Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2004 10:53 pm Post subject: |
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In the first episode, he tells his wife to be quiet and not to mingle with/help the others. That seemed believable.
Has his behavior become outrageous in subsequent episodes?
I do admit to finding it funny that there are Koreans who are upset about allegedly inaccurate portrayals of Korean men in "Lost", while seemingly not carrying about definitely inaccurate portrayals of Korean men in "Love Story in Harvard". |
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chiaa
Joined: 23 Aug 2003
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| Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2004 11:12 pm Post subject: |
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| casey's moon wrote: |
| Jin is nothing like the typical Korean man of his age. Not at all. I thought the characterisation was hilarious -- but I also felt that once we saw the history of the Korean couple, it made more sense. I don't think that Jin is supposed to represent Korean men. His wife already planned to leave him and her father and make it look like she disappeared -- obviously she realizes that Jin isn't a typical man, nor is her father. |
I think one has to look at the enitre picture of his character. Now I am no expert, but let's remember that Jin as we can assume thus far, started out as a nice hard working guy, but because of the woman that he married turned into a gangster--typically not nice (it seems he does the dirty work for her father). Knowing a bit about gangsters from reading and what not, a typical mafia family is what most people would consider traditional. Meaning, woman don't ask me about my business and do your work in the home.
That being said, let's look again at Jin. He started out as a loving man who really cared about his wife. He had a crappy job but seemed to be a happy person. He gets married to this woman and starts working for the father. His work is now very difficult and long, although it seems from his house he is getting a lot more money.
Perhaps, because of this new difficult life he is taking it out on his wife, since all of this difficulty is a result of the marriage. That may be why he is treating her like shit. He can also be treating her like shit, since seeing all of his "coworkers" do the same to their wife, since that is what "tough guys" do.
(I am currently reading this book about the landing at Incheon. There is an American man with two Korean fellows and they are on this island weeks before the landing gathering information. At one point, a deadly snake enters their little camp and one of the Koreans kills it with a knife throw perhaps saving the lives of a couple of woman who are working in their camp. Now the Korean women who are cooking for them are in shock, but do not say thank you or anything else to the man as he would lose face for saving the life of a woman i.e. taking the time out of his manly life to save the life of JUST a woman. According to the author, this is the thinking of Koreans at the time--woman are not worth the effort).
Thus, I tend to think that a Korean gangster, still lives his life traditionally and the value of a woman is not that great (still thinking in the traditional mode here) and that we will see Jin break down because of the hard life he has been leading working for her father and maybe change his ways.
Just my two cents... |
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casey's moon
Joined: 14 Sep 2004
Location: Daejeon
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| Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 12:03 am Post subject: Re: Reply |
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| Shapur wrote: |
| No I didn't see the show, but in fairness I wasn't talking about the show. I was referring to "the behaviour described in the article" and I have seen that "many, many times." |
Yeah, I realize that you didn't say you did, which is why I asked. I wasn't trying to be snippy (really, I wasn't  ). The article doesn't really describe Jin's behaviour very specifically. The "unbuttoned" shirt thing was particularly strange on the show -- it was a very high button, and the shirt was extremely conservative.
Dogbert -- yeah, the first episode was certainly believable in regards to the Koreans' behaviour, but it got more extreme after that.
You're right about Love Story in Harvard -- lots of weird portrayals going on there. I loved the American girl in last night's episode who got so incredibly furious that her breakfast wasn't served to her on time.... 
Chiaa -- exactly what I meant. He is a believable as a Korean character, but not as a typical Korean man (perhaps a typical Korean gangster). I guess some people might be offended that if someone didn't happen to see the episode that gives the Korean couple's history, that person might think that Jin represents the typical Korean man. |
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dutchman
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Location: My backyard
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| Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 1:24 am Post subject: |
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| casey's moon wrote: |
| Jin is nothing like the typical Korean man of his age. Not at all. I thought the characterisation was hilarious -- but I also felt that once we saw the history of the Korean couple, it made more sense. I don't think that Jin is supposed to represent Korean men. His wife already planned to leave him and her father and make it look like she disappeared -- obviously she realizes that Jin isn't a typical man, nor is her father. |
Absolutely right. In real life a Korean man would just run up to the guy and start yelling and posturing. No way the average Korean guy could hold his own in a fight the way that guy did. Koreans should be happy the stereotype is not accurate.  |
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casey's moon
Joined: 14 Sep 2004
Location: Daejeon
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| Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 1:32 am Post subject: |
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| dutchman wrote: |
| casey's moon wrote: |
| Jin is nothing like the typical Korean man of his age. Not at all. I thought the characterisation was hilarious -- but I also felt that once we saw the history of the Korean couple, it made more sense. I don't think that Jin is supposed to represent Korean men. His wife already planned to leave him and her father and make it look like she disappeared -- obviously she realizes that Jin isn't a typical man, nor is her father. |
Absolutely right. In real life a Korean man would just run up to the guy and start yelling and posturing. No way the average Korean guy could hold his own in a fight the way that guy did. Koreans should be happy the stereotype is not accurate. |
There are already plenty of threads on this forum where you can brag about how great you are compared to all Korean men. Does this have to be another of those "Korean men are evil. Oh yeah, and they're weak as babies too" threads? |
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dutchman
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Location: My backyard
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| Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 1:35 am Post subject: |
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| casey's moon wrote: |
| dutchman wrote: |
| casey's moon wrote: |
| Jin is nothing like the typical Korean man of his age. Not at all. I thought the characterisation was hilarious -- but I also felt that once we saw the history of the Korean couple, it made more sense. I don't think that Jin is supposed to represent Korean men. His wife already planned to leave him and her father and make it look like she disappeared -- obviously she realizes that Jin isn't a typical man, nor is her father. |
Absolutely right. In real life a Korean man would just run up to the guy and start yelling and posturing. No way the average Korean guy could hold his own in a fight the way that guy did. Koreans should be happy the stereotype is not accurate. |
There are already plenty of threads on this forum where you can brag about how great you are compared to all Korean men. Does this have to be another of those "Korean men are evil. Oh yeah, and they're weak as babies too" threads? |
Where did I say I could fight any better? Just because a guy can't fight doesn't make him evil. |
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casey's moon
Joined: 14 Sep 2004
Location: Daejeon
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| Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 1:48 am Post subject: |
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Ummmm.... I no longer know how to send private messages to people who aren't already in my inbox, so I guess I'll just say this publically. Dutchman -- I may have read more into your message than what was there. I was just so darn disappointed to read the sarcasm in your endorsement of my quote. 
BTW, how do I send private messages now that names can't be clicked on? |
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peppermint
Joined: 13 May 2003
Location: traversing the minefields of caddishness.
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| Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 2:08 am Post subject: |
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| casey's moon wrote: |
BTW, how do I send private messages now that names can't be clicked on? |
There's at least two buttons at the bottom of every post, one says "profile" and the other says "pm", if you want to contact someone directly hit the "pm" one. |
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casey's moon
Joined: 14 Sep 2004
Location: Daejeon
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| Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 2:09 am Post subject: |
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| peppermint wrote: |
| casey's moon wrote: |
BTW, how do I send private messages now that names can't be clicked on? |
There's at least two buttons at the bottom of every post, one says "profile" and the other says "pm", if you want to contact someone directly hit the "pm" one. |
Wow. I feel dumb. There they are, clear as day.
Thanks! |
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rapier
Joined: 16 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 4:22 am Post subject: |
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Stereotypes and generalisations arise for a reason, they don't spring out of a void. What do you think causes them?
Next time you're in a bar/restaurant, in fact everywhere and anywhere in Korea, even if you don't understand Korean, -just listen to the tone of voice as men 'talk" to women.
Do you really think they are relating as equals with mutual respect?
Think carefully...watch closely. Does the man ever patronise, put down, shout at, butt into the womans conversation as if she weren't there, tell her what to do, humiliate or even have a tone of taken-for-granted dominance- and even, disdain?Do you ever notice this??
Do you think this might have something to do with the stereotyping of Korean men?
Maybe its just me... |
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kiwiboy_nz_99
Joined: 05 Jul 2003
Location: ...Enlightenment...
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| Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 5:20 am Post subject: |
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| Itaewonguy wrote: |
does any body watch korean TV or korean movies!??
I mean come on.. just take a look at the men on those shows how they act! aleast every drama has that stereotypical korean males..
problem is simple.. koreans can show themselves like they are .. they just hate it when foreigners show koreans in the same way..
tv, sports, books, talkshows whatever it may be koreans hate it when foreigners do it...
but flick a channel and you will see it all over the tv... |
That's right on the money dude. Stereotypes are exagerations, real life doesn't play out too well on tv. However, as someone mentioned, they don't come out of thin air. I personally don't believe that tv, movies, music, or art has any responsibility to portray what is positive or normal. That's not the job of art. When it comes to consuming your entertainment, it's buyer beware, this is not reality ... |
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rawiri
Joined: 01 Jun 2003
Location: Lovely day for a fire drill.
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| Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 6:52 am Post subject: |
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[quote="kiwiboy_nz_99"][quote="Itaewonguy"]does any body watch korean TV or korean movies!??
quote]
That's right on the money dude. Stereotypes are exagerations, real life doesn't play out too well on tv. However, as someone mentioned, they don't come out of thin air. ...[/quote]
Affirmative...it's amusing that koreans would get all uppity about the portrayl of this character...having not seen the show i can't say much about it specifically but...look at the sopranos and it's portrayl of american italians or i remember a british talk show called kamahl's at #47 which rode on every indian stereotype there is...the simpsons even...that show is just one HUGE pisstake utilising every stereotype they can think of...not to mention a fairly famous New Zealand flick "once were warriors" which also could be said makes use of dramatic licence to portray a stereotype that is acceptable to mainstream society.
Negative portrayls of characters in films/tv need to be viewed with a degree of openmindedness...i would like to think that most people are aware of this and don't take what they see on the screen as kosha...then again there are a whole lot of dumb phucks out there in tv land. |
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Blind Willie
Joined: 05 May 2004
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| Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 11:28 am Post subject: |
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| my personal epiphany wrote: |
| Stereotypes and generalisations arise for a reason, they don't spring out of a void. |
Then these must be true in some respect...
-- English teachers are pathetic alcholics who cant keep the soju bottle away from their lips long enough to get to class on time.
-- They are lazy and do nothing but play hangman in the classroom.
-- They treat Korean women like their personal sperm catchers. They don't love their girlfriends or wives, they just wanted someone who'd "love them long time" and then do their laundry for them afterwards
-- They will always pull a runner the second they have to work even approaching the amout of work their Korean co-workers do. And then they will go whine on ESL Cafe about it.
-- You simply cant trust them.
-- Americans are bigots because they voted a bigot into a second term.
-- Canadians are only here because they can do a passable American imitation.
-- New Zealanders, Irish, Welsh, English, Aussies, and South Africans are only here because they can be gotten for cheap.
Am I missing any hidden truths about you, me, and the rest of the us working here in Korea? I mean, if there's truth to these Korean "I no rikey niggas, get out my store!" stereotypes, then the stereotypes about all of us must mostly be true as well.
I know, I know... it's only bad when other people do it... |
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little mixed girl
Joined: 11 Jun 2003
Location: shin hyesung's bed~
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| Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 12:07 pm Post subject: |
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"lost" is popular?
ppl STILL watch ABC???
wow...
i thought the only thing they had going was 'desperate housewives', '20/20', and 'oprah'....  |
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dnamkung
Joined: 09 Apr 2004
Location: Victoria British Columbia
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| Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 4:36 pm Post subject: |
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blind willie, hilarious post..
but i definitely do agree..
to say that stereotypes arise from certain truths seems pretty ignorant because a lot of them have roots from generations beforehand. I.E.: Japanese stereotypes by koreans and chinese, black stereotypes in southern america. Are all blacks (or even most etc..) rappers and basketball players because media portrays them that way? no! Just because there is a cause to a stereotype does not mean that it is a just cause. |
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