Showing posts with label off topic. Show all posts
Is Dancing a Talent?
To dance. When asking Google's definition, the exact defining words are given as so: move rhythmically to music, typically following a set sequence of steps, with the synonyms (that aren't really up-to-par, in my opinion) being sway, trip, twirl, whirl, pirouette and gyrate. When asking a normal person's definition, it would probably be similar to the scientific, wordy phrase used by the biggest website in the world. However, if questioning a Korean pop fan their definition of this "movement of music", there would be two different answers being fought over across the board: Dancing is moving to the rhythm and beat, following a tune, and requires hardwork and practice to improve because it is a talent, and, dancing is moving to the rhythm and beat, following a tune, and requires hardwork and practice to improve because it most definitely is not a talent. And while there is a constant argument throughout the Korean pop fandom (under all the fanwars and jitters over whether a new comeback is awesome, of course) questioning which statement is the most valid, I want to go into this further and confirm which side is correct: is dancing a talent or not.We can all dance.
But we can't all dance well.
We always say this about singing, whether or not someone is trying to prove that singing is more than just breathing out a note or making harmonious sound in conjunction to the track their playing, however, whenever someone says the same about dancing, there is always backlash coming from the other side. Now, now, I'm not saying that the other side is wrong, however, this statement is true.
We can all dance, of course.
But we can't all dance well, and therefore, should give the good dancers props for being able to well, move their bodies better than we can.
But, because I'm a fan of Google definitions, I took the liberty to try to prove the claim as to whether or not dancing is actually a talent, looking at the sentence as if it was actually 'dancing = talent' and wanting to know what the actual, factual definition of talent was in order to continue going on with this blog post. Here's what I came up with (I made sure to link the Google definitions if you guys think I'm just pulling these out of my ass):
If you can't read that or emitted horrifying screams after seeing my smiley face with a moustache, the relevant definition of talent is as so: natural aptitude or skill. (Aptitude's definition: natural ability to do something). Look at my other opened tab, natural's definition. Since I'm too lazy to create another masterpiece of the definition of natural, here is the most relevant adjective definition of natural (since natural is used as an adjective defining talent):
existing in or caused by nature; not made or caused by humankind.
basically, this means that you are born with it.
This is not something training can bring to you.
This is not something vocal lessons can bring to you.
This is not something that fans can pretend you have.
This is something that you have been gifted with.
A talent is natural.
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| All the stans of any group but SPICA, Ailee or Brown Eyed Girls (i.e. not known for dance) getting shaky now |
What does this mean, though?
Dancing can be a talent as a talent can be dancing. Some people are naturally born with being flexible, for example, SHINee's Key who noted something about him dancing to the beat at his audition. However, for some idols, it's not the case. It's virtually impossible for some idols to be considered 'full of talent in dancing' because they inherited the talent for dancing through training.
They did not come our from their mother's womb knowing how to dance perfectly. In fact, knowing most of these idols, they probably did not come out of the mother's womb knowing how to do anything at all but look pretty.
You cannot fucking sit here and tell me SM Entertainment took YoonA because she was talented in anything. I'm not hating against YoonA. It's just that she's the perfect example in this case. She exhibits confidence and likeability (aka she'll be able to make money) in her audition if anything... but if you call that talent, Hyoyeon must be a fucking god in dancing. A fucking god.
There's no hard feelings against idols who learned how to dance however, using YoonA as a perfectly good example as shown in the audition clip above. Clearly, she was not a good dancer then however, improved to be a good dancer now. Is she talented? By definition, no. She's currently a good dancer, yes, a better dancer than I could be anyday (here SONEs, I self-depricated, happy now or are you going to argue with me that YoonA is actually talented?) however, she is not talented. There is no skill. No skill that was naturally given to her at birth but was rather learned in years and years of practice.
And there are tons of other idols that fall into that mold, this, not just applying to YoonA but rather, to many other idols in dancing... as well as in different 'talents' like singing and rapping.
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To conclude, dancing is a talent. Dancing can be a natural apititude or skill you are blessed with at birth. However, the word talent is flung around like a rag doll without people actually knowing what they're saying. Many idols are not 'talented' in dancing, singing, rapping, etc. but are rather 'good' at it. Of course, there are idols who do have talent in their specific skill however, the majority rules;
The majority (not all) of Korean pop idols whom are not talented in singing and can dance well are not talented in dancing but are rather, good at it. They improve their dancing overtime in training and there's nothing wrong with that.
"The K-Pop Effect" - Plastic Surgery: A Positive or Negative Force?
It's undeniable--K-Pop has gone global, it's largest anchor being none other than PSY's fantastically viral hit song, Gangnam Style, which not only placed #2 on the iTunes chart (much higher up than any other K-Pop song known to man) but also, replaced Justin Bieber's Baby as the most watched YouTube video, LMFAO Party Rock anthem as the most liked and other celebrities who were releasing songs as the most talked about at that moment in time. But rather than thinking of simply the 'one-hit-wonder or two-hit-wonder, still-more-hits-than-your-biases', why don't we look more in the depths of the music, analyzing and viewing the positive and negative effects of not only K-Pop itself, but the Hallyu Wave and figuring out this question's answer: Is the K-Pop effect a positive or a negative force?
Us international fans mostly forget about Korea or simply, don't have a good view and make up the opinion of what Korean's think through netizen comments that have 100 likes and simple assumptions and guesstimates so to say, not really upholding the true effect of K-Pop. K-Pop in Korea can best be described as a 'fascination', hooking people with their catchy songs and receiving love with their outstanding and charming looks, the influence of how K-Pop infects daily lives otherwise known as 'The K-Pop Effect' , inheriting its name from SBS's Dateline. Watch the clip below which projects the actual effect of K-Pop on national Korean citizens starring the lovely Annie Ko of LOVEXSTEREO who was also interviewed by us and asked a question pertaining to her views on surgery.
Teenagers are the biggest victims of the K-Pop effect anywhere including the origin of South Korea, everyone knowing about Girls' Generation or Big Bang regardless of what age group they belong to (which is similar to that of your country knowing of the biggest pop artist--everyone not liking them but everyone acknowledging their existence), but the young ones usually being the most gullible and influenced. As seen in the video and can easily summarize the 16 minute clip, appearance is a huge and key factor for normal people especially for ones who acknowledge the existence of K-Pop. Most normal people apparently resort to plastic surgery as said by a Korean female in the clip who has lived overseas in America and most inspired by their favorite idols to get plastic surgery. To be honest, it's hard to escape the 'pressure to be perfect' when your favorite celebrities have gone through changes that are inexplicable when judging from past photos, idols being simply everywhere as stated in this article pertaining to idol actors.
Nevertheless, a Korean female who's otherwise known as 'JW Cinderella' of the JW plastic surgery clinic whom had actually went under the knife revealed her side of the story:
If you have a complex, you should have a surgery and be free from the complex, I strongly recommend. Of course, each person has their own beauty. However, surgery could improve their complex, it will be good.I agree with this to an extent, plastic surgery can free you from a complex and will be good if it does. But from the popular MTV show Girl Code, the girls decoded plastic surgery and the cast members even said things that can be summarized like this:
Makeup can fix anything plastic surgery can fix but plastic surgery is permanent. They can screw up surgery but if you're good at makeup, it'll be okay.
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| Maybe we should all be like Tanisha |
Why?
Because the media influences you to aim for perfection, all of those women who are a size 0, have the most radiant looking faces and are marketted as goddesses change your view on yourself.
Which is exactly what K-Pop does to women.
And that's the thing.
Now whether the strive to be perfect is a positive or negative force is debatable. I mean, of course, there are some cases where it could drive a woman to be less lazy and care more about herself, maybe taking a jog once in a while and actually washing and moisturizing her face. However, with the plethora of Korean women (and I mean plethora) throwing their money out of their pockets in order to get a straighter nose, larger eyes and a prettier smile just because of a few women on the television screen, I want to say that the K-Pop Effect definitely is not something positive. And whether or not we can fix the consequences of it is still unknown.
The Big, Ugly Post about Beauty in Korea
V-line. Double eyelid. High cheekbones. Pale, milky skin... all small elements which add up to equation of beauty in South Korea. With the high demand of being beautiful or at least a somewhat 'physically attractive' addition to the country, it may seem a bit challenging to express oneself and be unique with their own individual charms and style. Whether the beauty standards in Korea is an concern or something we really don't need to worry about, it's undoubtedly obvious beauty standards are popular and valued heavily in South Korea and should be a topic that's openly discussed rather than just simply looked at then brushed off to the side.
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| Miss Korea 2012, Kim Yumi |
First off, all societies are different. Just because own countries ideals are against Korean ideals of 'one type of beauty' doesn't mean that it's wrong because let's face it--subtly, most people in every single country find the traits showcased and desired from Korean beauty standards as the best traits to possess, anyway, and isn't much different than your's.
Nonetheless, rather than blaming the set beauty standards on the whole Korean population themselves, how about we blame it on the Korean society and how they portray, incorporate and basically shove down people's throats beauty in everyday lives which causes people to feel insecure about themselves? To be honest, it's nearly impossible not to be persuaded to go under the knife with:
• ads and images of it everywhere encouraging the procedure celebrities
• role models whom you follow and basically worship having indescribable changes on their face from their past photos to their current photos.
• even the mere existence of shows like 'Let Beauty' which promises plastic surgery to a person with apparent physical problems (for example, an underbite jaw) however, going over and above with the surgery and correcting things that never required revision (like getting a boob job, double eyelid surgery, etc.) are things that can persuade the public to do it. Likewise, the show 'Let Me In' where a bully victim shares a measly sob story, then goes to plastic surgery as a reward isn't helping either, simpler to the American television show 'Teen Mom' and basically encouraging people who are bullied to hate themselves even more and want to get a billion surgeries as if that will make things better.
• clinics showcasing and giving discounts on plastic surgery for graduation presents as well as 'packages', equivalent to like a "buy 1, get one half off" deal.
• When applying to jobs in Korea, you have to send in a picture of yourself first... some people not even getting jobs due to their 'ugliness' and are forced to go under the knife if they want to put food on the table.
• If you're pretty and go into a store, they'll give you discounts and all kinds of shit. The ugly people? Nothing but full price.
With a society that projects 'beauty is everything' and 'will help you overcome all your problems', it's difficult not to want to fix one of your attributes that sets you different from everyone since you want to be live everyone. With literally one in five Seoul women going under the knife (and one in twenty men), the society also makes it seem like 'hmm... plastic surgery isn't that big of a deal since it's common therefore, get it!'.
Nonetheless, rather than blaming the set beauty standards on the whole Korean population themselves, how about we blame it on the Korean society and how they portray, incorporate and basically shove down people's throats beauty in everyday lives which causes people to feel insecure about themselves? To be honest, it's nearly impossible not to be persuaded to go under the knife with:
• ads and images of it everywhere encouraging the procedure celebrities
• role models whom you follow and basically worship having indescribable changes on their face from their past photos to their current photos.
• even the mere existence of shows like 'Let Beauty' which promises plastic surgery to a person with apparent physical problems (for example, an underbite jaw) however, going over and above with the surgery and correcting things that never required revision (like getting a boob job, double eyelid surgery, etc.) are things that can persuade the public to do it. Likewise, the show 'Let Me In' where a bully victim shares a measly sob story, then goes to plastic surgery as a reward isn't helping either, simpler to the American television show 'Teen Mom' and basically encouraging people who are bullied to hate themselves even more and want to get a billion surgeries as if that will make things better.
• clinics showcasing and giving discounts on plastic surgery for graduation presents as well as 'packages', equivalent to like a "buy 1, get one half off" deal.
• When applying to jobs in Korea, you have to send in a picture of yourself first... some people not even getting jobs due to their 'ugliness' and are forced to go under the knife if they want to put food on the table.
• If you're pretty and go into a store, they'll give you discounts and all kinds of shit. The ugly people? Nothing but full price.
With a society that projects 'beauty is everything' and 'will help you overcome all your problems', it's difficult not to want to fix one of your attributes that sets you different from everyone since you want to be live everyone. With literally one in five Seoul women going under the knife (and one in twenty men), the society also makes it seem like 'hmm... plastic surgery isn't that big of a deal since it's common therefore, get it!'.
The solution
I'm not going to be optimistic and beat around the bush--I don't think there's anyway possible in the near future of clearing any of this up. What unrealistic foreigners don't understand is that, sure, you can attempt to teach one person one thing, but the second you try to shove your testimony of how not just one person, but millions of people in one country has to change their perspective and basically how they live their life in order to live a happier and more fulfilling one down their throats, there'll be absolutely nothing good coming out on either end. I mean, it's just the society and culture they grew up in and accustomed themselves in so of course, they have different beliefs and views of the world. As mentioned before, not every single society needs to fit the standards of your country just because you see your country's ideals superior to the next country's. Not to mention, South Korea is doing fine as is, and from the looks of netizen comments it's obvious that people know the right and wrong with beauty, going too far with it and can tell that the world is different through everyone's eyes.
Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold, Pease porridge in the pot, nine days old; Some like it hot, some like it cold, Some like it in the pot, nine days old.
All these comments about how women should have some fat on their thighs (replying to an article about thigh gaps, most comments are saying gaps are good) just because men like it that way are stupid ã…‹ã…‹ã…‹ Women were not born to fulfill your sexual needs. Your preferences on the issue do not matter.Certainly, educating South Korean children and possibly the immigration of more foreigners would help, people being able to see and of course, mix more cultures together and see that beauty isn't everything. Ultimately, it's great to remember that little nursery rhyme, Pease Porridge Hot that subtly builds the idea that people have differences and not everyone is the same and have different preferences:
Rant: K-Pop Dulls Reality for International Fans
Because I haven't done a legit rant in a long time (it's K-Pop Ranter! We need more of these!) I felt the need to attack a subject that I witness almost everyday (whether it's subtly presented or wide in the open)...the image K-Pop gives to many (not all, a lot have a good head on their shoulders!) international fans and the ignorance that it causes. Please be aware that none of these are exaggerated or "made up"--I have heard/seen different variations of every single one and frankly, the basically 'generalizations' of Korea and Koreans through someone's knowledge of only K-Pop is quite tiring.
1. All Koreans Are Beautiful.
As of 2008, one in five Korean females have received plastic surgery in Seoul, South Korea. One in five. It's not every single day that you walk down a street in South Korea and see 50 Taeyeons standing there... in fact, you'd be lucky to see even one. Though beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I cannot fathom as to why people put in their heads that every. single. person. in. Korea. looks. like. a. K-Pop. Idol. and. naturally. for. that. matter... People cannot--or just don't want to-- realize celebrities and regular citizens have huge differences in every single country (yes, including the one you live in!)... celebrities having access to anything from plastic surgery, cosmetic products and stylists that enhance and better their appearance, whereas regular nobodies...? Not so much.
2. If you weigh over 50kg, you're fat.
What's funny is that a lot of idols themselves aren't even under 50kg and instead just lie about it on their profiles! I've heard so many fangirls complain about their weight after seeing people like KARA's Goo Hara and Girls' Generation's Sooyoung and hearing about ant waists. They're skinny, but that doesn't mean being in the regular BMI range for the token height isn't acceptable. In fact, as stated by this Korean netizen when anchorwomen Park Eun Young stated weighing over 50kg makes you a pig:
[+111, -28] I think the majority of women are around 55 kg [121lb]. My girlfriend is 56 kg [123lb] and she's certainly not a pig.both over 10 kg (20 pounds) over the typical Korean celebrity profile. Get a grip on yourself! You're fine.
3. K-Pop reflects everything about Korea, therefore, you want to visit or live in Korea.
There's nothing wrong with wanting to visit or live in Korea because of fascination with the culture or simply, just wanting to live there... yet, many international fans I've encountered bitched and moaned about how much they want to live there... and among their reasons as to why they want to live there?
• Because oppar is there.
• Because I want to marry oppar.
• Because I'm addicted to K-Pop which is the only reason I actually give a damn about Korea
• I assume because Korea is home of K-Pop, everyone there loves K-Pop and it's a K-topia filled with bubble tea, lemony sweets and fan service. When they walk to work, they happily skip to Sorry Sorry and when they go to the bathroom, I'm the Best plays from their toilet prior to flush.
4. Korea and Koreans are perfect and innocent because my biases are perfect and innocent.
Korea is a place and Koreans are group of people. Korea won't be the same as you see on variety shows like Running Man and all Koreans won't be always the same as oppar.
5. Buying a plethora of the same album to help oppar and unnir win a music show is rational.
"Let's waste hundreds of dollars we could be saving for something important--college, a car, even a new laptop--on something that has no actual gain... which is buying 1000 of the same album to support my bias who doesn't care about me and the love between both of us is one-sided." It's not going to help you--in fact, in ten years when you lose interest for K-Pop, you're going to look back and think 'what the hell was I thinking?'. Of course, buying one or two albums isn't insane, but spending what seems like a life savings on garbage just so your bias can win #1 on a music show? Pure stupidity.
Sure, sure... you can say, 'it's my money! I can spend it on whatever I want!', but even so... really?
6. If you're not Asian, you should hate yourself because you're not pretty. If you're Asian but not Korean, you should hate yourself since you're not Korean and not pretty. If you're Korean, you're the luckiest person in the world and you're guaranteed beauty.
I cannot even count how many times I've heard someone say "I want to be Korean" as if being Korean is the key to life long happiness. What's funny is that I have never seen a legit excuse as to why that is other than what K-Pop makes you believe.
As said in number 1, Korean celebrities have access to things that make them pretty... but regular people like me and you? It's not possible to walk around with photoshop on our faces. Bye.
7. I want to marry a Korean man because they're all perf [insert fangirl squeal].
Men are men, anywhere, whether it's Korea, America, United Kingdom, Africa, Nepal... everywhere. There'll be some that are sane, there'll be some that are crazy like this one. K-Pop celebrities are basically actors and actresses--they put on a show whether their in a concert, a fan-signing... or a legit show and never truly display their true side... so for someone to base a whole population off of just a few people who aren't real psychologically or physically... man, that is extremely accurate and not stupid.
8. And this:
I can't even begin to explain the wrong in this post. P.S. Nationality doesn't equal ethnicity. Thanks.
Lastly, though this is cliche, mundane and any other word that means 'boring' and 'overused' in the English speaking dictionary, I just want to say there's nothing wrong with being yourself and loving yourself... regardless of your ethnicity or background. Liking just the music and being able to name every single member of a K-Pop group doesn't mean hating oneself is necessary... and not to mention, all these assumptions (ass.u.me makes an ass out of u and me) about lifestyle as if Koreans are some sort of martians are stupid, fangirl delusions which for the most part, are wrong. Take it from me, being Korean is not as 'amazing' as you think.
Rant: The Fetish of Koreans if the Root of All Evil?
Mentally raise your hand if you've ever heard someone exclaim 'I want to be Korean'. Now mentally raise your hand if someone say 'I want to date/marry a Korean man/woman'. Lastly, mentally raise your hand if that person who said any one of those things was you.Are you still raising it?
Especially during the year 2013, I have witnessed so many people question why they weren't Korean or how to date/marry a Korean person because obviously, their oppar and unnir are so hot which meant that every single Korean in existence was a walking clone of them. Simply due to an obsession to the drug-like music, K-Pop, more and more people who honestly, wouldn't have dreamed liking these men and women before are now getting effected by the epidemic that's better-wise known as 'yellow fever', the patients fantasizing as well as perfection-izing Koreans as if they were all some kind of gods and it would be the equivalent of placing gold in the Olympics if they were to simply talk to one in real life. But little do most people know, possessing a fetish towards a whole group of people, blinding oneself with idol lies and obvious delusions as well as setting divisions and basically 'caste systems' by placing anything Korean at the top, next, anything Asian, then, the rest is simply unhealthy and comes with more downs than there are ups.
“That is just the way with some people. They get down on a thing when they don’t know nothing about it.” ― Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Music is not a representation of a whole population.
These idols are simply pawns to a chess game--easily manipulated and following all orders given without question or retort. None of their actions--and sometimes none of their facial features--are the same of how they truly act, a camera being on them almost every waking hour of every single day and a smile which never seems to touch their eyes (meaning it's a fake one) always in place. For people to judge the idols' daily actions, thoughts and personalities through variety shows, music videos and everywhere else that glorifies them and comes with a check with their name on it, them, believing that 'everything is what it seems' is truly ignorance. And with a country that has a rate of one in five women and one in twenty men going under the knife, for people to believe that all the inhabitants are perfect walking replicas of Girls' Generation's Yoona or Miss A's Suzy is absurd.
Think of if other countries generalized your own country as such, using only the celebrities as a go-to and not even trying to get to know the culture. Being that most readers reside in United States, would you like it if a Nepalese person thought everyone was Miley Cyrus from watching the We Can't Stop music video? What about if we were all Kim Kardashians and had asses as big as our heads and named our children after directions? Or how about we all twerked our way into infinity and beyond, our shame off our minds but rather, the new Nicki Minaj sound there being that of course, we all look like her?
Is that even realistic?
Then why treat Koreans as if it is? All people are different no matter where you go, collectivism not even taking a part in this and rather, their own self. Not everyone will be as pretty Song Ji Hyo, as funny as Jung Juri or as talented as whoever the hell you were listening to last (if of course, they are talented to begin with).
You are too high on your fangirl fairy dust.
As much as I like K-Pop, it's a dreadful thing to anyone who's both physically and mentally prepubescent and gullible. The children who believe in fairy-tales, unicorns and when they reached the age of thirteen, just found out that Santa Claus was actually a hoax. The fetish is getting to be too much, people basically creating a bit of a bias and forming a subtle racism as if people are not good enough until they are of this specific ethnicity. It's stupid--in fact, to harshly put it in terms, it's pathetic. There's a big difference between celebrities that's seen on your computer screen and simple, innocent citizens who are clumped into a large group because of a bunch of idols who they are far from being like.Finally, there's nothing truly wrong with liking idols but when the thought comes to mind that marrying a Korean person will end all your pain, stop world hunger and of course, ensure your life of a long, happy marriage because of the every Korean person is perfect, that's crossing the invisible line. Korean pop is not an accurate depiction of Korea, oppar and unnir are not accurate depictions of Korean men and women and that plastic monster hanging outside your window...? She's not an accurate depiction of beauty anywhere.
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Casting Couch: Is There Really A Victim?
I've never been offered a 'role on the casting couch' and I'm pretty sure you haven't either... however, the esteemed and respected actor Sayuri has told her experiences when having dealed with offers, shaming the people who accept the casting couch deal and proving the victim is no one other than the gullible sheep who listen and fall for that nonsense:
"It's because celebrity hopefuls are greedy that sexual favors exist. People say that they do it because they're scared of what will happen if they don't, but I think that fear is just their greed. If you're not greedy about becoming a celebrity, you don't have to do it.In the past, someone asked me out to drink with them on a program. I told them to screw off. I, of course, was take off of the program. If I had been greedy, I would've agreed to drink with him. I just think it's a personal choice."I mean sure, it's kind of bad that you're being negotiated between sex and fame but isn't it you who signed the contract of prostitution... or am I mistaking you with your evil twin? Taken from netizenbuzz is a former celebrity trainee who too has been 'victim' to the casting couch:
There are actual entertainment agencies who downgraded into becoming brokers to hook up trainees with sponsors."Likewise, as said by the previously mentioned actress, the casting couch is when you want to get to the top quick however, in my opinion, there's nothing wrong with spending a bit of extra time crawling there slowly. It's the "victim's" own greed and impatience for the casting couch to even exist and it's those fiendish men who know it's their own greed and impatience to take advantage of the girls and offer such deals and contracts. So while we can remain 'hush hush' about the deal, there's no reason to slaughter one side when it's actually both sides at fault. I mean, there's so many people who go through the couch and try to make it out as rape yet, I actually want to say that it's more towards the consensual sex and prostitution side, both parties agreeing to the deed being done and both parties knowing before hand the benefits and the consequences.
A broker revealed, "We have the profiles of celebrity trainees, students majoring in the fine arts, miscellaneous works like home shopping stars, as well as trainees under big name agencies. It costs the sponsor $250 for one meet up with a trainee. If the trainee is young or from a bigger agency, the cost rises to the $800 to $1,000 USD range. Sponsors are asked to make appointments the day before and are required to be registered in the client list."
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South Korea vs. LA's Koreatown
Do you have dreams of flying to Korea but don't have the $900 to actually do so? Perhaps you've wondered if there is an alternative. Or maybe you often find yourself wondering about the similarities and differences between LA's Koreatown, also known as K-Town, and Korea itself. Regardless of what the reason is, don't go anywhere and read on!
Similarities
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| Sorry for making your mouth water! |
Korean BBQ- Now I personally have never been to either Korea or K-Town (even though I live literally half an hour away), but I've seen enough documentaries, read enough articles and known a lot of people from both places to know that both Korea and Koreatown have Korean BBQs everywhere. There are over 20 Korean BBQs located in Koreatown alone and who knows how many are in Korea! BBQs in Korea have more variety however. There, BBQs can range from being stands on the street to an "outdoor style" restaurant.
Nightlife- There are so may varieties of nightlife such as bars, night clubs and dance clubs, but they are a little different from Western style. That's why I was so surprised when I found out that many bars, night clubs and dance clubs in Koreatown stay true to their Korean roots. Take night clubs for example. Now, you may be wondering what the difference between a night club and a dance club is. I will now present you with the answer: night clubs are basically eHarmony in real life. Dance clubs are the place where the actual dancing happens whereas in night clubs, the matchmakers waiters literally drag girls to other tables filled with guys who are interested in them. I guess the only good thing that comes out of this is free food and drinks for the girls, so guys, you better have your wallets ready if you're planning on going to a night club in Korea or K-Town!
24 Hour Spas- Another awesome similarity these two places share is the fact that there are 24 hour spas! If you watch a lot of dramas, you'll know that Korean spas and saunas are no joke. Besides staying open 24 hours a day, many saunas and spas in both Korea and K-Town have restaurants and PC rooms inside of them. Wi Spa is one of the most famous spas in K-Town while In Spa World in Korea even has a water park to frolic around in after getting your lovely spa treatment.
24 Hour Spas- Another awesome similarity these two places share is the fact that there are 24 hour spas! If you watch a lot of dramas, you'll know that Korean spas and saunas are no joke. Besides staying open 24 hours a day, many saunas and spas in both Korea and K-Town have restaurants and PC rooms inside of them. Wi Spa is one of the most famous spas in K-Town while In Spa World in Korea even has a water park to frolic around in after getting your lovely spa treatment.
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| Yoseob approves of Koreatown LA! |
So these were some reasons on how Koreatown can be an awesome alternative to Korea, but don't get too excited yet! There are still some differences between the two as well.
Differences
Culture- The first difference between K-Town and Korea is culture. K-Town does have a few Buddhist temples and traditional gardens, but if you want to go more in depth with the Korean Culture, then K-Town isn't a place where you're gonna find many Korean cultural museums or anything like that (all though it is said that a museum is going to begin construction by 2015). However, you can expect to see the SMTown Museum being created in K-Town by none other than SM Entertainment soon.
Shopping- Shopping in Korea is definitely different from shopping in K-Town. One difference is the fact that there are going to be different brands. Korean malls and shops will have brands such as Bean Pole, with celebrity models including G-Dragon from BigBang and our very own Tiffany from K-Pop Ranter (Ok so I lied about which Tiffany it is. It's actually Tiffany from Girls' Generation), and Codes Combine, featuring celebrities such as Jang Geun Suk and Yoon Eun Hye. However, K-Town has brands ranging from homemade ones to Prada. You also have to consider the fact that the sizes in Korea are so much smaller compared to the sizes in K-Town and the rest of the Western world.
Location, Location, Location! - The most obvious difference between LA'S K-Town and Korea is their locations! Don't get me wrong, Koreatown, (and not just LA's Koreatown, but all of them)is an amazing place, but in order to get the full experience of Korea, you have got to see the real deal!
So what do you think about Koreatown and Korea after reading this post? Go ahead and share your opinions below! If you liked this post, check out my blog, KBoost, for more posts like this one.
Shopping- Shopping in Korea is definitely different from shopping in K-Town. One difference is the fact that there are going to be different brands. Korean malls and shops will have brands such as Bean Pole, with celebrity models including G-Dragon from BigBang and our very own Tiffany from K-Pop Ranter (Ok so I lied about which Tiffany it is. It's actually Tiffany from Girls' Generation), and Codes Combine, featuring celebrities such as Jang Geun Suk and Yoon Eun Hye. However, K-Town has brands ranging from homemade ones to Prada. You also have to consider the fact that the sizes in Korea are so much smaller compared to the sizes in K-Town and the rest of the Western world.
Location, Location, Location! - The most obvious difference between LA'S K-Town and Korea is their locations! Don't get me wrong, Koreatown, (and not just LA's Koreatown, but all of them)is an amazing place, but in order to get the full experience of Korea, you have got to see the real deal!
So what do you think about Koreatown and Korea after reading this post? Go ahead and share your opinions below! If you liked this post, check out my blog, KBoost, for more posts like this one.
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| Peace out, ranters! |
Korean-Indie Should be Glorified: LOVE X Stereo New EP & North American Tour
Probably one out of every twenty fans of Korean music have even given a chance to it's less popular internationally yet more popular nationally sibling, Korean Indie. They like the rampant beats, the auto-tuning of inaudible voices and of course, they like the bodies that even the person who has the body couldn't achieve without the amount of Photoshop, make-up and of course, plastic surgery that they have received.
Of course, Korean Indie is an amazing genre, holding huge artists that have even shone some light internationally like Busker Busker and Park Ji Yoon, brilliant and harmonious beats coming from their instruments and pure talent as well as actual meaning to the words they're saying being released. And because we actually like Korean Indie and it should be glorified a little more, we're shining light on one of our favorite Korean Indie groups, Love X Stereo.
Love X Stereo consist of expert members that have more than a decade of experience in what they do, their talents growing with them and their sensitivity to music following along. Releasing music that's authentic, electronic and based on alternative and punk rock sounds of the 90's and pop sounds coming from the 90's, they are becoming an interest in South Korea. Not only do they compose and produce their own songs, but they're also a group that's currently unsigned yet continuing their journey for world domination in North America.
They're already performed at CMJ Music Marathon in New York City, MidPoint Music Festival in Ohio, M.E.A.N.Y Fest in New York City and Canadian Indie Week in Toronto (Canadian fans, you are not left out) and have been around in Washington D.C, Chicago and Detroit.
They're already performed at CMJ Music Marathon in New York City, MidPoint Music Festival in Ohio, M.E.A.N.Y Fest in New York City and Canadian Indie Week in Toronto (Canadian fans, you are not left out) and have been around in Washington D.C, Chicago and Detroit.
With their tracks which often confuse the Korean audience due to their fresh and new beats, this phenomenal group has been gaining respect and interest from all sides of the indepent Korean music scene, continuing to captivate the hearts of the "expat" (foreigners living in Korea) and oversea community with their new style of music "alternative dance"
Some of the bands influences include:
New Order, The Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Sound Garden, Flaming Lips, The Chemical Brothers, Prodigy, Massive Attack, Alice in Chains, Oasis, My Bloody Valentine, Weezer, Bad Religion, Ramones, U2, Led Zeppelin, ACDC, Apollo440, Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead.
New Order, The Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Sound Garden, Flaming Lips, The Chemical Brothers, Prodigy, Massive Attack, Alice in Chains, Oasis, My Bloody Valentine, Weezer, Bad Religion, Ramones, U2, Led Zeppelin, ACDC, Apollo440, Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead.
Special Preview Link (Please do not share. This is just a demo.)
Lose to Win (from the new EP <GLOW>)
==============================
[BAND PROFILE]
Band: Love X Stereo
Label: unsigned
Genre: alternative/electro/rock
Nationality: South Korea
Influences: electronic, rock, alternative and punk music, especially from the 90s
Debut: Dec 28, 2011
Websites:
Official EPK:
Remarkable quotes:
“Some great music here, has a real unique and distinctive sound! A good mix of indie rock and electronica and punky pop. Has been recorded well, pretty good vocals!” (Stuart Epps)
“Indeed, one readily detects everything from Smashing Pumpkins, U2 and My Bloody Valentine to classic ‘60s girl-group, spacey ‘70s Prog and poppy ‘80s nu-psychedelia in the band’s sound – check, for example, signature track “Soul City” (aka “Seoul City” for a sleek sample of the impressive instrumentation and vocalist Annie’s sensual croon.” (Blurt Magazine)
“Love X Stereo – Rocking in the Shadows of ‘Gangnam Style’” (Music Zeitgeist)
Biography:
Love X Stereo is a 3 piece South Korean electronic rock band. Love X Stereo infuses electronic elements to their original alternative pop, punk rock vibe to create new authentic sound. Love X Stereo is all about experimenting new sounds, new music and new visions. Despite the fact that many genres aside from K-pop are being completely excluded in the harsh environment of Korean music industry, its consistency in creating well-produced, visionary music continues to attract global attention.
Members:
Annie (Lead Vocals, Keyboards and Synthesizers): former vocalist for Skrew Attack
Toby (Guitar, Backing Vocals, Producing): former bassist for 18Cruk, former bassist/guitarist for Skrew Attack, performed as No Brain session member
Sol (Bass, Backing Vocals): former bassist for Airbag, former bassist for Skrew Attack
Key dates, episodes & festivals:
May. 2012 - Opening gig for Asobi Seksu (USA) @ Rolling Hall (Seoul)
Jul. 2012 - Jisan Valley Rock Festival @ Jisan Forest Resort (Gyeonggi-do Province)
Sep. 2012 - RockDo Festival @ Yeouido Floating Stage (Seoul)
Oct. 2012 - Opening gig for The KDMS (UK) @ FF (Seoul)
Zandari Festa ‘AWEH’ Bloc Party @ Freebird (Seoul)
Dec. 2012 - NYE 2013 (ski resort festival) @ Welli Hilli Park (Gangwon-do Province)
Mar. 2013 - “Soul City” P/V receives more than 60,000 hits on YouTube in less than a week
“Soul City” featured in NYLON TV KOREA ad
May. 2013 - IFX Festival @ Incheon Deokjeok-do Island
July. 2013 - Performed at MBC TV music program ‘Nanjang’
Discography:
Demo album <Buzzin’>, December 2011 – title song: Ocean Breeze. 4 tracks included
1st EP album <Off The Grid>, October 2012 – title song: Soul City (Seoul City), 3 tracks included
Collaboration work with Korean pop artist ‘The Jack’ and DnB artist ‘J-Path’ scheduled for release in July, 2013
2nd EP scheduled for release in August, 2013
Upcoming tours:
North American tour (Sep—Nov)
MidPoint Music Festival (Cincinnati), Canada Indie Week (Toronto), scheduled to perform @ Viva Radio YouTube live session (NYC), scheduled for interview @ East Village Radio (NYC), other Korean film festivals and gigs happening in New York
Sep 27: MidPoint Music Festival @ Know Theatre, Cincinnati
Oct 1, 5: Shillelagh Tavern, Astoria
Oct 9: Fontana’s, NYC
Oct 11: RAN, Brooklyn
Oct 12: Parkside Lounge, NYC
Oct 15–19: CMJ Music Marathon
Oct 24–Nov 2: M.E.A.N.Y. Fest, NYC
Oct 16–20: Indie Week Canada, Toronto
Oct 21: Jammin’ Java, DC
Oct 27: The Delancey, NYC
Oct 29: Small’s, Detroit
Nov 3: Elbo Room, Chicago
https://www.songkick.com/
Contact information:
Annie Ko
Phone: +82-10-7118-3076
Skype: lovexstereo
Email: lovexstereo@gmail.com
Oct 24–Nov 2: M.E.A.N.Y. Fest, NYC
Oct 16–20: Indie Week Canada, Toronto
Oct 21: Jammin’ Java, DC
Oct 27: The Delancey, NYC
Oct 29: Small’s, Detroit
Nov 3: Elbo Room, Chicago
https://www.songkick.com/
Contact information:
Annie Ko
Phone: +82-10-7118-3076
Skype: lovexstereo
Email: lovexstereo@gmail.com
The Struggle of Being an Idol Actor
Sooyoung in Dating Agency: Cyrano, Goo Hara in City Hunter, a shit load of idols in Dream High like Taecyeon, Suzy, Wooyoung, IU and Eunjung... it's hard to find a drama nowadays that doesn't have an idol even making a small guest appearance like T-ara's Dani who barely made a difference with her lack of lines in School 2013. Let's face it: As the days go on, more and more idols are trying to cross over from the music industry to the acting industry, some being decent level actors like A Pink's Eunji and arguably Big Bang's TOP, while others proving they should seriously just stay in music like Girls' Generation's Taeyeon and KARA's Seungyeon. But with all the buzz and the talk towards the topic of idols' increasing obtained roles in acting where most Korean netizens are against it and most international fans are for it, it can somewhat just make you shake your head and wonder which side is right: should idols be in dramas or not?
Don’t hate on me idol/SNSD fans, but [Yoona's] acting is mediocre at best. An intense melodrama opposite Jang does not instill confidence in me. (comments of a Dramabeans article about Yoona casting with Jang Geun Suk)
Not only are idols generalized or seen as incomprehensible buffoons who barely can barely stand up on their own two feet due to stupidity, but also, it's common for many idols, with little to no training in acting, to receive roles in shows automatically simply because their fame is great and the television show casting team sees it as a great opportunity to gain fans of the show. Because they push rookie actors to the side and they have to crawl their way to the top while idols who are already at the top basically get things handed to them, it's actually pretty understandable as to why many Korean netizens are PO'ed with the issue, many idol actors being extremely mediocre in acting and them already not liking idols that much, anyway.Though, I can understand why (when being a regular international K-Pop fan) you'd find a bit of discomfort in your idol getting hated so much when they want to try something new, however, as someone who can see on both sides and understand how both sides feel about it, I really have to say that I'm actually leaning more on the 'idols really shouldn't act' side. Think about it from a typical Korean perspective: Idols are basically everywhere--in songs (obviously), in television commercials, in sporting events, in musicals, in OSTs, on billboards... and now they're appearing in a drama alongside your all-time favorite actor or actress, causing it to fall in quality with their B-class acting skills. Can we get a bit less of this idol craze? Idols already have their careers built up, rookie actors should get a chance!!1
In my opinion, the aversion is a bit reasonable, people wanting to see shows for the actual well, show, and not being as caught up and obsessed with K-Pop as the usual fans who tend to push for idol-acting. Not to mention, more than half of idol actors truly can't act and should stay in the music industry but simply get the part, anyway and of course, making it unfair for others who actually aspire to be actors and dream of that being their only career choice... idols being able to be MCs, singers, models and now actors.
However, I'm not going to totally disregard all actors, people like Sooyoung, as mentioned above, actually being somewhat decent in acting as well as Eunji, those two deserving chances in pursuing acting especially with the duration of their careers coming to a end.
Another thing I want to pinpoint is how many idols either never wanted to be idols (like Wonder Girls' Sohee who wanted to be an actress) or ones who simply use the idol life to get a kick-start at their acting career, in my opinion, those ones should be getting a get-off-scot-free card because they actually aspired to be actors in the first place but couldn't or tried a clever and different route.To conclude, though I'm not completely against the idol acting route, I do believe that it's a bit unfair to have idols casted in roles simply because of their fame (and it's funny because a lot of the time, their fame doesn't save dramas--Love Rain with Yoona, Yuri with Fashion King, Changmin in Paradise Ranch, etc.) and it's redundant to have idols appear almost everywhere in your life. Though, I'm not exactly the avid drama viewer, I do watch some time to time and sometimes, I see some idols that I wish that idols took acting classes and other idols who nail it, being an idol not a great representation of acting ability. Likewise, mediocre acting idols or idols who have never even acted once really shouldn't be giving lead casting roles so quickly and they should be tossed down to rookie actors and such who actually have some well, experience.
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