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GianellaSandyI don't view the popularity of Japanese Manga so much that it is not strongly associated with a particular ethnic group so much as I think many of the topics and lessons taught are universal to people all over the world.
GianellaSandyI agree with the author's point that the crowd or the audience are a vital part to a sport. We all witnessed that world-wide when the pandemic led to empty stadiums when professional sports were being played. Yes, people could watch at home, but there was no contaigous enthusiasm except from those who might be in the house at the time. Large groups of people do tend to take on a personality of their own and many professional players spoke to missing the crowd's energy when playing to an empty stadium.
Another point, while esports has developed into a lucrative sport for some, it also has a dark side. While I don't think the story of one particular Korean couple represents the entire country, neglect of their baby is a tragedy which could take place in almost any country in the West, including the US, Canada, and Great Britain.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/mar/05/korean-girl-starved-online-game
Many young people's "Job" is working their way up many levels of games for money. Paid by other gamers to reach a certain level where the buyer then takes over.
GianellaSandyI loved the show about Jeju Island! I had students years ago who were going to Jeju Island for a vacation and they were so excited. That was the first I learned of it. I also did a Korean children's literature program with NCTA and one of the books we used was The Ocean Calls: A Haenyeo Mermaid Story. I love this book and use it with me "community helpers" unit when we talk about different professions.
As for "Squid Games" - the part that struck me was the very plainness of the famous international model...could this be a step towards moving away from body shaming? I hope so...young people have so much on their plates right now and that is a stress they do not need to have.
I do like Steph Curry and it was fun seeing the Curry's try to score against the giant balloon player! I know basketball is very popular in China - is it also popular in South Korea?
Do any of the Korean dramas, reality shows, etc. every make it to North Korean audiences? I think so much in the USA we think of "Korea" as what is really South Korea and don't also consider the North Korean population.
GianellaSandyI found the show "Squid Game" interesting at first due to the "shock" of what happens during the first game and then as the story progressed, I found it very relatable to how certain groups of people are treated. Here we do not execute someone once they lose a game or make a poor choice however it is palatable the disdain with which the "poor contestants" are judged. As for the guards, whose only identifying mark is simple shape are treated as disposable robots. Then there is the privileged group who are entertained by the interaction of contestants with eachother as well as with the guards.
As for the color schemes, I felt that was due to the "child-like" presentation of the games. It all just made me feel that the priviledged class looked down on the contestants like children while they could enjoy themselves. It was also interesting to me that the other notes many of the contestants are in a poor financial state due to gambling and the priviledged observes bet on the performance of various contestants.
GianellaSandyGreat conversation tonight! I could not believe have fast the time went by! I am just thinking more about the BTS song that criticized the education system and parental expectations. Was there any backlash from parents? I am thinking the music company's most concerned with selling songs and making money. Does it make the songs even more popular if there is backlash?
GianellaSandyI would like a certificate of completion. THANK YOU!
GianellaSandyI first got introduced to popular Asian music several years ago when I had a few students from Japan. At that time the rage was J-pop. The first Korean pop singer I learned about was Rain. Then of course, Gangham Style. This song made a resurgence with my students, and we would sometimes use the “Dance Revolution” version for a “brain break.” Here is the link if you want to learn the moves. Skip in 25 seconds to pass the ads. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRAJCt27dpw
It seemed that Asian music popularity in my area cooled until the last few years. It may just be me, but years ago when I would see J-pop videos, I saw the young women highly sexualized (not unlike a lot of western music videos). Maybe it’s the videos I have seen, and I am hardly an expert, but the band members appear more androgenous. I wonder if this is just a sign of the changing attitudes of young people and acceptance of people regardless of how they identify themselves.
Reading about how Korean songs have been adapted and appeal to Chinese and Japanese singers and audiences reminds me of the way Latin music has become a bigger and bigger influence in American pop music from Ricky Martin to Daddy Yankee. Many people don’t realize the influence music from African nations has influenced music in America.
It was not surprising to me that Taiwan had become a launching point for much of K-pop. Way back when I was a kid labels didn’t say “Made in China” rather it was “Made in Taiwan.” I wonder if the desire for Taiwanese to support Taiwanese singers and music is influenced by the tightening of China’s grip as Taiwanese do not necessarily see themselves as Chinese nationals.
Finally, I guess we can say Korean pop music is here to stay. Today I received an ad for Sirius music and in the list of hundreds of channels, Korean Music and News is on channel 144x – “Korea Today.”
GianellaSandyI, too, just sat down this afternoon to watch Train to Busan straight through from beginning to end. I agree with Tushurong's post about the self-sacrifice of some of the characters especially when the number of uninfected people began to dwindle.
Another "aha" take away I had from the article was pointing out that an argument the movie makers had with society was economic disparity yet the movie company made a tremendous amount of money from the movie.
Finally, I did not know about "Miss Granny"! I definitely will look for it this week on Netflix. The young lady playing the lead, Shim Eun-kyung, was a student of mine! She had been in the states a few years during high school in order to learn English.
GianellaSandySince I’m lucky enough to live in the number one zombie movie creator of all times, George Romero, I had to look at the article about the Train to Busan.
In case anyone does not know George Romero – here’s a link to the original Night of the Living Dead. Romero made it independently and has an African American actor as the lead.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H91BxkBXttE
I first saw Night of the Living Dead when I was a young kid. I often wondered why zombies did not move very quickly after all, it really is possible to outrun a zombie. Just like the zombies, those disasters that cause the most damage are the ones that move slowly and integrate themselves without anyone taking much action. Then as I got older and learned that Romero’s vision of the zombies was to represent many of the anxieties of the world in the 1960s – one specifically mentioned was that the zombies represented racism and how the country could not (or would not) integrate (remember the lead actor is black…).
In Train to Busan, the anxieties are not racism or nuclear war, but economics where the class disparity continues to grow with little regulation and the safeguards in place for those of the lower classes are being stripped away.
A take-away for me was the explanation of the background of the word “zombie.” I thought it was related to voodoo however I was not aware of the other places where the idea of zombies existed. Also, unnerving is the relationship of the word with African Americans in the south.
As for the “contagion” aspect of the zombie spread, I think we all have a deepened understanding of the interconnectedness of the world with the spread of COVID 19. There is still much debate as to how the US as well as other countries were truly prepared to confront a pandemic much like the decontamination officers in the movie laughed and shrugged off evidence before their eyes that something was spreading.
Just like a virus, ideas can spread like a contagion whether well-founded or not, i.e., the Salem Witch Trials.
