The World behind PSY's "Gangnam Style"

With 81 million views and at number one on Youtube’s 100, Daily 100 list above Carly Rae Jepson and Justin Bieber, this new video from a South Korean rapper by the name of PSY is everywhere. “Gangnam Style” has basically become the most popular Korean music video in the US, and mostly likely around the would at this point, and it’s only been a month and a half. This viral video isn’t just another crazy fancy K-pop video that the Korean media recycles every year with their teenyboppers and the immense collection of girl/boy bands that are used for a few years until they’re outdated, discarded and replaced. It’s quite different.

photo via images.kpopstarz.com

Korean pop entertainment is something that can’t be ignored, not just by Korean-Americans such as my myself, but by anyone who knows or has been immersed into the culture of Korea’s finest and most fake music industry. When it comes to popular music, Korea still acts like it’s stuck in an American 1990′s world, but in a bad way, despite the advanced technology that they’ve acquired. One would think even their music would have evolved by now as well. But I’m sure at some point, the “hipster” and “indie” phase will take over Korea in the next five or ten years, unless some other country becomes Korea’s number one role model, which I doubt would happen. In fact, it may have already started with this video, since it strongly reminds me of “Party Rock Anthem.” But before I go off on a tangent about the seriously flawed mainstream Korean media, I wanted to point out the differences that make “Gangnam Style” and PSY stand out among the flaming crowd of plastic-surgery ridden teenage musicians of Korea.

Firstly, it’s his age, his style and his mannerisms. He’s much older than the average K-pop star, about twice their age (at 34 years). And as for size and body image, Korean producers only choose the slimmest, palest and prettiest (according to Korean standards) of the Korean population. (I didn’t mention talent in there, it’s because a lot of Koreans happen to sing well enough, and since it’s a mini choir, if one person messes up, the other members drown you out. It’s a clever design. Additionally, there’s more eye candy for the public.) He even knows “he doesn’t fit the typical mold of most K-Pop artists, and he’s OK with it … ‘There are standards, like skinny, muscular, handsome, pretty, tall, whatever, none (of those) categories belong to me,’ he said with a laugh.” He’s unique, humorous and is so different from Korean pop culture that one of his albums was banned for being too controversial. That’s understandable since he was educated in the US, at Boston University and Berklee College of Music, therefore he would have a different perspective on the world than native Koreans who haven’t had any other kind of real exposure besides from their own culture.

photo via purpleminds.files.wordpress.com

photo via kangdaesung.files.wordpress.com

And finally, it was his message. K-pop artists are never controversial, in Korea’s opinion, since they’re supposed to represent Korea in a way that makes it look like everyone there is lovely, tall, pale and has a cute personality (sadly, I’m talking about the boys as well). But the song and the video pokes fun at the subculture of Gangnam. It is the richest district in Seoul and in all of Korea. If you want a comparison, think of Beverly Hills, or even Silicon Valley or Miami Beach. It’s basically the closest in economic wealth to America out of all of Korea’s districts. Everyone’s hip and filthy rich, full of rich boys and self-made millionaires, and PSY parodies all of their leisurely activities by looking ridiculous while doing it.

And now, Korea and Korean pop-stars are all applauding him and are proud of how a Korean music artist has made it so far into America’s own pop culture, possibly the farthest of all Korean entertainers. What is bothersome about that is that Korea is now trying to take credit for all the hard work that one man, regardless of his cultural background, has done. Especially since he’s parodying the very country that criticized him and is now praising him.

Although the style in Gangnam is a reflection of America’s own culture, such as Josh Groban tweets, “It’s a Gangnam Style world, we’re just living in it,” it frustrates me to see that this video may make this foolish fashion even more popular in the US, such as this stylist tries to imitate. It defeats the whole purpose. I hope it was only that one person who didn’t get the subliminal message.