Well spoken points

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Created Mar 14, 2014 20:10:13

"What I find really interesting about Kpop and it's consumers is that everything you see written, all the comments from it's fans, the trajectory of the industry, indicate that kpop consumers are conformists. They don't seem to get bored with the music even when it recycles the same themes, the same beats, styles and voices. They don't get tired with the overproduced videos, rehashed dance routines and costuming. This kind of slavish devotion to sameness is not reflected at all in western culture where pop music originated. True, western pop music can be just as formulaic and cookie cutter as Kpop but many a western artist has risen to superstardom by deviation from cultural norms during their time. What I'm getting at is that Kpop is not only a reflection of korean society it is also a tool that reinforces it's values. Korean young people, Kpop fans in particular seem to be well indoctrinated by the current culture. They study hard, follow the rules with slavish devotion to the point of policing every utterance and gesture from their idols on and off stage. The KSCS doesn't need to police the industry. Kpop fans are the police for this genre and they are following the rules."

"I find it weird that people call one "ualizing for the male gaze" and the other "empowering" as if to the music producers the distinction matters at all. People seem to like to ignore the fact that Gain most likely doesn't have control over concepts and so the reality would be that she is as controlled by the "male gaze" as Hyuna or Stellar. People ignore the fact that Gain is essentially just doing what everyone else does, which is ualizing herself for a concept, because why? Because she does it in a way you approve of? Never mind that she doesn't have control over it, never mind that most likely, the reason her company even goes through with it is that it's the concept that makes the most profit. No, she's right and other groups are wrong because she cloaks it in empowerment, when really it's like every other concept out there, a gimmick to sell more. There, I said it, GaIn is just doing what every other idol who does a concept does.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind that people draw empowerment from Gain's lyrics and concepts, if you do that, more power to you. Heck, I draw empowerment from her lyrics myself. However, deliberately pretending she has so much more control just so that you can make her seem better and other groups seem worse? Come on. It's just an excuse to try and feel superior and taking a note from this article: Hypocrisy is not Cute."

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