The Internet is all agog (very eager or curious) these days to speak about the “racist” behavior of some K-Pop stars. Those comments, ranging from outright denunciation (anger over what someone has done) to admonition (saying something was wrong without anger), reflect the rapidly increasing popularity of Korean entertainers, but warn of possible repercussions (bad results or consequences) that could affect their popularity itself.
Setting off the recent controversy (argument) 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 (flood) 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 exploded all over the scene (become popular) 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.
Vocabulary:
racist: if someone is racist, they think that people of other "races" (Korean, Japanese, Black, white etc.) are inferior (not as good) as their own race. Racism involves prejudice (judging people without knowing them), and stereotyping (thinking that all members of a race act in the same way).
agog: excited
denunciation: if you denounce someone, you say that they have done something bad
admonition: like denunciation, but not as bad (milder)
repercussions: results, consequences (usually negative)
incensed: very angry
slurs: insults
derogatory: if you say something derogatory about someone, you are insulting them or saying something bad about them
black face: when someone paints their face Black to look like or imitate a Black person as part of a singing and dancing act. Black face used to be popular in some parts of the US many years ago, but now it is considered very racist and insulting.
KKK: This is a very racist organization in the US whose members believe that Black people are inferior and should not have the same rights as whites. The KKK has committed many acts of violence over the years, including killing Black people.
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| Lee KiKwang wearing "blackface" and a curly-hair wig: insulting to Black people |
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