How Korean Entertainment Can Make It In The US: It Ain’t Pretty

By Guest Writer | Tuesday, October 2, 2012 | 6 Comments

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psy How Korean Entertainment Can Make It In The US: It Aint Pretty

By John Kim

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve seen Psy’s “Gangnam Style” video. Not only has it broken hundreds of millions of hits on YouTube, he’s made appearances on MTV’s VMAs, the Ellen Degeneres show, the Today show, Saturday Night Live, Ryan Seacrest’s radio show, and recently signed with Scooter Braun. Many in the Kpop industry have tried for years to break into the US. But even with dolled up, management-bred groups like 2NE1, Girls’ Generation, and Big Bang their efforts have fallen flat. Granted, there is a cult following by some loyal fans here in the US, largely by other Asian or Asian Americans, they’ve still never had as huge a following as Psy and have never been played on mainstream radio.

While the K-pop industry is left scratching their heads wondering how their groups failed where Psy succeeded, one fact seems to stand out: The imported Korean media that gets big in the US ain’t pretty. What gets popular in the US isn’t the polished, plastic-surgery shaped, attractive boy/girl bands and actors. It’s really the rough, the strange, or the comical that make it. Take Oldboy, the 2003 movie by Park Chan-wook. The hero of that film is played by actor Choi Min-sik whose rough exterior is a far cry from the pretty boy bands like Big Bang. Or take the movie “the Host,” another film whose main character, played by Song Kang-ho, whose appearance resembles more Psy than Asian pretty-boy.

This brings us to Psy. His video features such iconic scenes such as a man in a cowboy hat thrusting his pelvis while straddling Psy in an elevator, a zoomed out shot revealing Psy sitting on a toilet, a dance in a tour bus full of older Korean females, and a horse dance. These don’t ring of beauty or polish -things that an American audience might have a hard time relating to. But rather it rings of boyish quirkiness, comedy, and satire. And this is something we all can relate to.

I recently saw this interview video of another Korean group, “2NE1″ who is also attempting to break into the US music scene, and I can’t help but fear that they’ve already set themselves up for failure. They look good. They dance well. But if they were to take lesson from Psy, what they need isn’t more polish, but instead more character. Less attempts at allure and more attempts at honest expression. If Korean (and other Asian) media would move further from the pretty boy/girl band and toward the direction of Psy and these more rugged Korean stars, perhaps we’ll hear more Asian songs over the airways in the US.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: A freelance website producer/developer, student of psychology, aspiring writer, I’m a recent transplant to Southern California and am passionate about Asian/Asian American issues.

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http://www.myspace.com/krantzstone Krantzstone

/He’s an excellent dancer, a confident rapper and he’s funny, but another reason for his breakthrough could be that less-than-polished image, said Jae-Ha Kim, a Chicago Tribune pop culture columnist and former music critic.
South Korean music has scored big in Asia with bands featuring handsome, stylish, makeup-wearing young men, including Super Junior and Boyfriend. But seeing such singers “makes some Americans nervous,” Kim said.
“People in America are comfortable with Asian guys who look like Jackie Chan and Jet Li, who are good-looking, but they’re not the equivalent of Brad Pitt or Keanu Reeves,” Kim said./

- from http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1259262–gangnam-style-south-korean-rapper-psy-s-social-commentary

More fear of the Asian male?

A Filipino friend recently blogged about encountering a drunk guy who was rudely and unsuccessfully trying to pick up some ladies who my friend had been partying with earlier in the evening, and when my friend stepped in to intervene, the drunk guy said to the women, “Oh, I see what you’re doing. You’re going to talk to…to…PSY over here and not me.”

Considering my friend doesn’t resemble PSY except for being Asian (and a musician), I’d call that the typical reaction of an anti-Asian racist male who felt threatened at the prospect of an Asian man being a hit with the ladies.
(from: http://www.joeydevilla.com/2012/10/02/pictures-from-the-past-fortnight/)

When I hang out with my sister at clubs (which I often do, just because my sister is sick of getting hit on all the time), I’ve had total strangers get all up in my face while trying to hit on her, thinking I’m her boyfriend and trying to one-up me and intimidate me physically. I remember one time some guy did that and when he found out I was her brother, his attitude towards me did a total 180: I couldn’t decide whether to be angry or laugh at this guy’s entirely transparent and ridiculous attitude. I also wondered if non-Asian guys have to put up with this, or if these guys were just being dicks because they thought they could get away with it because I was Asian (and diminutive in stature).
http://www.facebook.com/people/Ahmed-Sanchez-De-La-Cruz-Kim/58700922 Ahmed Sanchez De La Cruz Kim

I think in this case, it’s just pure entertaining. There’s kind of no need to analyze too much. The Youtube video reached hundreds of millions views, and was widespread (not just limited to the Urban coasts) so yeah, anything that attracts that much attention is gonna be mentioned in mainstream media.

Regarding Kpop, character and all, in a way, it’s not gonna matter too much. If people really desired originality and character, many indie artists, both foreign and domestic, would have done exceptionally well instead of their smaller market. Actually, even among the mainstream artists, they have a lot of songs that are very unique and good sounding, but they don’t get any radio or tv time because the popularity isn’t high enough.

Gangnam style is just an occasional phenomenon but it won’t open many doors for Asian songs or artists on the waves or the tube. Realistically speaking, the only way I can think of, to have more Asian entertainment (or any non-english) on getting more mainstream attention, on a “constant” basis, would be if more Americans became
multi-lingual or at least become more open to that.
http://www.facebook.com/ken.conrad.5 Ken Conrad

Never going to happen. Did Americans need the world to become Anglo-linguists to dominate world music?
Americans won’t learn another language (most of them still don’t have the hang of English) and they’re not open to it. They prefer dubbed movies to subbed. And when it comes to foreign music they feel the same way as they do about foreign movies.
Which do you think is easier? To change 300 million-plus people or to change the handful of K-Pop bands out there?
http://www.facebook.com/people/Ahmed-Sanchez-De-La-Cruz-Kim/58700922 Ahmed Sanchez De La Cruz Kim

It’s just a crazy theory I had. I understand it’s not gonna happen for various reasons.
my self

Goddamn people blacks and latinos, we didn’t do this in a couple of years making our place in hollywood. In fact we had to fight, riot and challenge the U.S sociology to make our claims in Hollywood and the music industry. But it is not like we are still fighting this today.
I don’t think it is wise for anyone to bandwagon on PSY popularity. He did this on his own and without the hype. Many kpop idols need a lot of hype and press to insure some level of fame. As well conform to what ever is trendy and sell able.They’re not gonna get that level of fame without some serious struggles Which I am convince the bigger the kpop company, like SM and YG isn’t willing to endure failure. Both companies failed with their more largest and prestigious of solo singers Boa and Se7en. Now its their idols group who must bring forth some form of success.
All YG will do with PSY is bandwagon and try to use his popularity for 2ne1. It works in Asian but not in the U.S. SM will most likely do the same if SNSD ever amounts to anything beyond being chicas with no biscuits.
I think if Asians want to know how to penetrate the U.S entertainment industry read up on how African-American and Latino-Americans did it and keep doing it. That is the truth, look at another minority group struggle and learn how to over come.
I don’t understand why Asian-American blogs, when speaking about personal struggles in show business never mention other minorities who over come similar issues. Just bothers me
Tousha

I’m Black and I love Korean music. I wish they would be more known here in America. I am a very big fan of BoA, 2NE1, and Big Bang!!! I was happy when BoA came to America and did a american album but i didnt see her on BET and MTV. I’m like why is our Black entertainment is not seeing her they missing out on a great star from Korea!!! I think if we keep spreading the words to people that dont have not ideal about Korean music entertainment it will happen and we will hear more about them. Me and my son plan on moving to South Korea soon. So they have my support all the way!!!!

8 Asians