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The Internet is all agog these days to speak about the “racist” behavior of some K-Pop stars. Those comments, ranging from outright denunciation to admonition, reflect the rapidly increasing popularity of Korean entertainers, but warn of possible repercussions that could affect their popularity itself.
Setting off the recent controversy was Jenny Hyun, a co-songwriter for Girls’ Generation and Chocolat, who made a series of racist tweets about black people. In her blog, she said she was incensed by boxer Floyd Mayweather’s derogatory tweet about Asian-American NBA star Jeremy Lin. Hyun’s rants, unworthy of quoting here, caused a deluge of criticism, from communities that had welcomed the arrival of K-Pop in the United States with performances at New York’s Madison Square Garden and Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Video clips have appeared on YouTube to show evidence of racism in Korean pop culture. They had Taeyeon of Girls’ Generation saying that Alicia Keys “is pretty for a black person,” Lee Kee-kwang of Beast wearing grotesque black makeup, Block B members making fun of disasters in Thailand and Japan and even figure skating queen Kim Yuna smiling for a “Be White” campaign in a Smoothie King billboard.
Online journals Jejebel and ONTD also ran videos of Korean entertainers in black face and making allegedly racial slurs on TV and stage shows ― some going several years back ― inviting numerous harsh comments about “racist” Korea. As MBC itself ran a video clip of two Korean women singing in black face on YouTube, Korean entertainers and producers appear to be unaware of or insensitive to what psychological impact their performances have.
K-Pop, an American blogger commented, has literally exploded all over the scene with catchy tunes, dazzling stage costumes and precise choreography. But the same person warned: “Before you purchase a K-Pop album, you might as well save your time (and your ears) and just make a direct deposit into the bank account of the KKK.”
Koreans who have lived in a monocultural environment are being exposed to the vast multicultural world in the 21st century, and the Korean entertainment people should be more cautious if they are to make global audiences happy.
Setting off the recent controversy was Jenny Hyun, a co-songwriter for Girls’ Generation and Chocolat, who made a series of racist tweets about black people. In her blog, she said she was incensed by boxer Floyd Mayweather’s derogatory tweet about Asian-American NBA star Jeremy Lin. Hyun’s rants, unworthy of quoting here, caused a deluge of criticism, from communities that had welcomed the arrival of K-Pop in the United States with performances at New York’s Madison Square Garden and Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Video clips have appeared on YouTube to show evidence of racism in Korean pop culture. They had Taeyeon of Girls’ Generation saying that Alicia Keys “is pretty for a black person,” Lee Kee-kwang of Beast wearing grotesque black makeup, Block B members making fun of disasters in Thailand and Japan and even figure skating queen Kim Yuna smiling for a “Be White” campaign in a Smoothie King billboard.
Online journals Jejebel and ONTD also ran videos of Korean entertainers in black face and making allegedly racial slurs on TV and stage shows ― some going several years back ― inviting numerous harsh comments about “racist” Korea. As MBC itself ran a video clip of two Korean women singing in black face on YouTube, Korean entertainers and producers appear to be unaware of or insensitive to what psychological impact their performances have.
K-Pop, an American blogger commented, has literally exploded all over the scene with catchy tunes, dazzling stage costumes and precise choreography. But the same person warned: “Before you purchase a K-Pop album, you might as well save your time (and your ears) and just make a direct deposit into the bank account of the KKK.”
Koreans who have lived in a monocultural environment are being exposed to the vast multicultural world in the 21st century, and the Korean entertainment people should be more cautious if they are to make global audiences happy.
