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flakfizer
Joined: 12 Nov 2004
Location: scaling the Cliffs of Insanity with a frayed rope.
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 Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 4:10 pm Post subject: Importance of appearance in Korea |
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http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200708/200708230011.html
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200709/200709120022.html
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200709/200709120021.html
These above are all articles I read the other day from the Chosun Ilbo. The first one is about guys in the army preening. The second one os about shops hiring "hunks" to improve business. The third is about a "growing trend" tamper with nature in an attempt to be taller. When you came to Korea, were surprised at the extreme importance of appearances? Do you know of any other society that cares about appearnace this much? I'm always amazed at how many mirrors there are here and how many people constantly take pictures of themselves. Just yesterday I had a couple students who were drawing pictures of themselves in their notebooks, and then they would try to pose like the drawing and take a picture of it with their cell pohones. It was actually kind of funny as they did a pretty good job of it. But I was thinking, "only in Korea..." |
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GoldMember
Joined: 24 Oct 2006
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| Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 4:57 pm Post subject: |
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The girls here have got it all wrong.
Spending money on nose jobs, or eye lid surgery. their priorities are all wrong.
Boob jobs should be the number one priority.
The Bundy Family Motto:
Hooters Hooters Yum Yum Yum
Hooters Hooters, better when their dumb. |
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Fishead soup
Joined: 24 Jun 2007
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 5:15 pm Post subject: |
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| GoldMember wrote: |
The girls here have got it all wrong.
Spending money on nose jobs, or eye lid surgery. their priorities are all wrong.
Boob jobs should be the number one priority.
The Bundy Family Motto:
Hooters Hooters Yum Yum Yum
Hooters Hooters, better when their dumb. |
I had a co-teacher a while back who had a really small petite figure and a massive bust. |
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mikekim
Joined: 11 Aug 2006
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| Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 5:54 pm Post subject: Re: Importance of appearance in Korea |
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| Aside from the gay-looking army soldiers, this is true anywhere in life. Better looking people get more attention. |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 6:14 pm Post subject: |
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I don't think Korea holds a candle to the US when it comes to valuing physical appearance. Korean TV is filled with talents who not only don't have much talent, but are pretty homely.
Who else but the US has beauty pageants for little girls (think Jon Benet Ramsey age kids). How sick is that?
What's the biggest cause of fights between American high school girlfriends/boyfriends? Competition for preening time in front of the mirror between classes. |
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Draz
Joined: 27 Jun 2007
Location: Land of Morning Clam
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| Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 6:28 pm Post subject: |
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| As businesses increasingly target women, who have the biggest say in family spending, their beautiful employees are commanding higher wages. While regular part-timers get about W3,500 per hour, the studs get 20 to 30 percent more, around W4,500 (US$1=W939). |
That's it?? |
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laogaiguk
Joined: 06 Dec 2005
Location: somewhere in Korea
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| Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 7:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
I don't think Korea holds a candle to the US when it comes to valuing physical appearance. Korean TV is filled with talents who not only don't have much talent, but are pretty homely.
Who else but the US has beauty pageants for little girls (think Jon Benet Ramsey age kids). How sick is that?
What's the biggest cause of fights between American high school girlfriends/boyfriends? Competition for preening time in front of the mirror between classes. |
Spot on. Especially the child pageants thing! |
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SeoulShakin
Joined: 05 Jan 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 7:22 pm Post subject: |
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Big on appearance here is right!
My hogwan boss last year (before I was in a public school) told me that he almost didn't hire me because the photo I submitted had a touch of red-eye, and it made me look like the devil.   |
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flakfizer
Joined: 12 Nov 2004
Location: scaling the Cliffs of Insanity with a frayed rope.
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| Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 7:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
I don't think Korea holds a candle to the US when it comes to valuing physical appearance. Korean TV is filled with talents who not only don't have much talent, but are pretty homely.
I guess you're thinking of the "gagmen." True, Koreans do seem to equate homely or downright ugly with funny. But hey, that's partly true in the US too. Lots of heavy/not so attractive guys have had success on TV (John Goodman, that king of queens guy, Belushi, Drew Carey, Chris Farley).
Who else but the US has beauty pageants for little girls (think Jon Benet Ramsey age kids). How sick is that?
Yeah, that is sick. But I wouldn't bet the US is alone in this. Also, most people in the US find it weird too. I was talking more about main-stream culture-not fringe stuff or celebs.
What's the biggest cause of fights between American high school girlfriends/boyfriends? Competition for preening time in front of the mirror between classes.
I have no idea where you got that. Never saw that in my life. Just a joke, I guess. If you really believe the US cares more about looks, why don't American companies make people include a photo on their resume? Or insist that for certain jobs like working at the front desk, the female applicant must be no more than 27 years old and no less than 170cm? Also, if the US was worked up about looks, why so many overweight people? What pertantage of American female university students do think has gotten cosmetic surgery? I'll bet it's not nearly as high as it is here. |
EDIT: Somehow, reading the phrases, "holds a candle" and "valuing physical appearance" coming from Ya-ta, reminded me of this thread:http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=53821&highlight=bathroom+light |
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Natalia
Joined: 10 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 8:44 pm Post subject: |
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| Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
I don't think Korea holds a candle to the US when it comes to valuing physical appearance. Korean TV is filled with talents who not only don't have much talent, but are pretty homely.
Who else but the US has beauty pageants for little girls (think Jon Benet Ramsey age kids). How sick is that?
What's the biggest cause of fights between American high school girlfriends/boyfriends? Competition for preening time in front of the mirror between classes. |
Yes, but the US is a land of extremes. There are those you've mentioned, and then there are plenty at the other end of the 'appearance-obsessed' scale. I've been to a country or two, and I've never seen anything like the obsession with appearance there is in Korea.
Where else would you find an entire subway car of people fixing their hair while inspecting themselves in the glass of the doors?
Does Korea not have the highest plastic surgery rate in the world?
Where else in the world can you walk into a staff room at any time of the day and see a sea of women (and men) applying lip gloss and mascara?
It's certainly the only place in the world I have seen little boys take a day off to get eyelash extensions, or where I've heard preschool teachers advising their toddlers to lose some weight. |
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ChciPivo
Joined: 09 Sep 2007
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| Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 8:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Natalia wrote: |
| Does Korea not have the highest plastic surgery rate in the world? |
Nope, it's either Venezuela or Argentina. |
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Michelle
Joined: 18 May 2003
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| Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 9:00 pm Post subject: Revenge is sweet... |
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Hi,
Oh gees but I love getting back at them......I applied for a job that was a very average deal out in the sticks and I kind of suspected I wouldn't want it so I didn't make too much fuss over my appearance. When I got there they offered me the job; but they took me aside and said 'We are concerned about your appearance....please promise when you start to be more pretty...'
I was never more satisfied to take a better offer elsewhere and tool pleasure in throwing this back at them. 'You said you had concerns about my appearance.'
Michelle |
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