Op-Ed: A flawed media system
Once again, the power of netizens is an extremely scary force to have to reckon with. It would barely be a first to hear of a Korean celebrity tearing up during an interview when recalling some of the nasty comments left by antis or netizens on forums in response to some “misdeed” that the celebrity has committed.
In a way, it makes sense because Korea is one of the most wired nations in the world, making all sorts of virtual discussions accessible to practically anyone who owns an electronic device. Even though the movie was kind of silly and funny, Super Junior’s “Attack of the Pin-Up Boys” is a very interesting look at the sort of internet culture that exists in Korea. A completely random and bored student decides one day that he/she will start speculating about the next victim to be attacked by the infamous poop thrower, and within an incredibly short amount of time, has a good portion of Korean high school students hooked onto the intrigue as well. Of course, this is a fictional story created for a movie, but it’s still pretty reflective of the kind of power some nameless, faceless online user has on a group of very real people.
So why do netizens have so much power? One of the reasons may be that the Korean press will never do it themselves. There is very little “bad press” in most of the news coming out of Korea’s news portals and while reporters try to stay neutral, a lot of pieces tend to slant towards the positive. One counter to this argument is 10 Asia, which is one of the younger news sites that contains a lot of opinion pieces that do critique (such as this one on G-Dragon and the merits of his work) but it’s still not enough. 10 Asia is not as mainstream a source as Newsen or Osen or Chosun is.
That’s why it’s not much of a coincidence that so many of the reports coming out of those news portals begin or end with netizen quotes and cite netizens as legitimate sources. Whatever happened to getting a man-on-the-street interview? Sorry to say, but screencapping what BabyGirl249 said on the X/Y/Z forum is not going to cut it as a legitimate source.
Lazy journalistic practices is just one of many factors in why netizens have the absurd amount of power they do. Another is maybe just the ethics of those who are doing the reporting. If the various American interviews of Korean celebrities are any indication of what happens with the Korean press, there’s a lot of editting down of interview questions before an actual interview takes place, and obviously if that happens, only the pristine, perfect image of a celebrity gets preserved. In his interview with SHINee, MTV Iggy’s reporter Edward Chun talks about just that: a manager looks over questions before SHINee sits down for an interview and “censors” the questions deemed inappropriate. This is barely a new practice. A well-placed source within a Seattle paper confirmed that the same thing happened with Se7en and his manager when they were in Seattle for a press conference. They only wanted to discuss Se7en’s upcoming American single, and nothing else.
Of course it’s never going to be true that 100% of all Korean entertainment is going to be widely received by all Korean press. But because the reporters won’t dissect it honestly themselves, somehow whenever misdeeds occur, scandals happen, crimes are committed, netizen response is always cited. Respect and politeness are important parts of Korean culture, but maybe too much of it has also seeped into the press. It’s natural to not want to burn bridges created with various individuals in the industry, but as a result, netizens get to say the bad stuff for them and once again, a bunch of faceless, nameless people get the final say in any public matter.
As if Choi Jin Shil’s unfortunate death was not a big enough example of the unbelievably harsh realities of what netizen culture can brew, we can now unhappily rejoice in another example of it: 2PM’s Jaebum. Entertainment companies bend over backwards in response to netizen reaction and while it may generate positive impacts at times (pushing for an extension for a drama), there is not enough being done to counter the unbelievably negative ones.
COME BACK JAEBOM :( ILY 012 <3
im really sick of antis.theyre just a bunch of haters. jaebeom may be gone for now…but when i get big i’ll definately bring him back!
im just sad he didnt fight. all major celebs go through something.
michael jackson(the children thing)’,
usher(his “affair”),
brittany spears(her breakdown),
but they all fought and in the end came out on top because there were more supporting them than there was against them.
Guess he just didn’t have enough fight in him.
an interesting view – i also was dumbfounded that the online news sites (the big ones) only later reported the regret that netizens were feeling after they had found comments jay had made in 2006 about his newfound love for korea.. obviously some big problems with this:
-the timing: this occurred after jay had gotten on the plane
-the source: the outlets did not themselves find these comments, in fact they were again screengrabs from netizens
-the reporting: many of the reporters themselves did not express regret – they were merely reporting that others were feeling regret
yes, an idol star leaving korea is not exactly on par with the war in afghanistan, but the underlying issues are so serious that they merit at least an op-ed.. not just on entertainment sites but as a serious social issue
i dunno if u can read korean but this is a link to one of the better articles i read: http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=106&oid=312&aid=0000002083 (the title is: 2PM Jaebom withdrawal: this is an issue of personal/civil rights)
hm i just read over my comment and i dont mean anything rude by “i dont know if u can read korean”.. just means that we shouldnt assume all those interested in the kpop industry are able to :)
i just hope that with more international interest the korean press will feel pressured into doing something more positive. i guess its just a huge difference in the idea of media and their roles as opinion makers: i mean u think of the influence or at least recognition that the broadcasters/reporters at the New York Times, CNN or even Fox News have.. then compare to korea.. hm
i know that news reporting is a very difficult balance of leading public opinion and representing it.. but that balance is so seemingly out of whack in korea.. *sigh*
I believe that the reason so many people are emotionally impacted by Jaebum’s story is BECAUSE it is a matter of civil/personal rights.
No person in the world deserves to have people wish for their death, or for their failure, regardless of their mistakes in life.
Jaebum is HUMAN and made a mistake but because of the pedastool that the celebrities in Korea are put on, it’s almost impossible for people to think that Jaebum is in FACT human and is prone to making mistakes.
To look postively on this, I would say that NOW more people know about the injustice that exists in SOCIETY as a whole; that people who feel the need to masks themselves behind user names and computers feel that they have the RIGHT to JUDGE others and how they live their lives.
Having an opinion is one thing; JUDGING what that person does/acts/says is another.
Thanks for the great op-ed and thanks to leira for pointing out that this issue goes beyond the surface.
fantastic article. the analytic assessment of the issue in kpop is refreshing to read once in the midst of the crazy dramatic world of Kpop.
thumbs up
I was hoping you’d respond to the whole situation. This was very well written. :)
come back jay, just come back.
Come back jay, just come back!
I see some of your points but I actually think the biggest reason why netizens lash out is because korean society absolutely discourages them from doing so in person so they known only to attack anonymously. i’ve lived in busan for the past year and a half and the phoniness i see around me everyday is astounding. sadly in order to make it here you have to put on a level of civility that borders on saccharine. meanwhile the damn ajummas talk smack about everything and everyone any chance they get. then as soon as that person’s in their presence, it’s like a total 180. it’s really disgusting. i know there’s fakeness everywhere but i think the point in Korea is that you NEED to be fake in order to survive, to get a job, move up in the company, make good contacts (as opposed to friends) and ultimately even to start a family. i work with Korean people and i’ve lost count on how many times one of them would get angry at someone else who crossed the line and disrespected them but because they’re older or they’re sunbaes, they basically had to push down whatever anger and frustration they felt down into the pit of their stomach. that kind of pent up rage can’t be good for you and i really think it comes out in horrible horrible ways. (i also think it’s related to the high levels of stomach ulcers and cancers in korean people but that’s a whole other discussion)
I understand how you mean they would take a total 180 in personalities. I live here in America but I have many Korean American friends who live in a pretty tight-nit Korean community. And almost every single day, my Korean American friends would rant to me how their parents would talk shit about their grades behind their backs and gossip about them. And even what would happen would be that they would pretend to be friends with another person (who are also my friends) then talk shit about the behind their backs to me. It’s really quite annoying. But I can’t say that only Koreans do that. I’m Chinese American but I still may sometimes have a slip of the mouth about a friend to another friend.
It’s just that since Asian societies are typically more conservative compared to American societies, all those feelings boil up and quite literally, explode. I’d like to say Thank You is an example of what could happen. (And I would also love to say that those villagers who forced YoungShin out of the island are a wonderful representation of faceless netizens.)
Sorry if that correlated none whatsoever to your comment.
i kind of feel that’s with a lot of asian communities. i’m asian-american (specifically fil-am), and i’ve seen similar things transpire within the filipino, fil-am and chinese-american cultures. i also have a korean best friend and have been exposed to her korean culture, and i see it happen there. i hate to be critical of my own kind, but i think asians tend to be very critical.
when i say i’ve seen it, i also mean that my friends of different asian backgrounds have vented out. we’ve all vented out to each other about those things.
Korea might have to bear a little superficiality, but elders talking smack about the young’uns applies to all asians anyway. Kids like me just put up with it because we generally respect them so much anyway.
It has nothing to do with that, and everything to do with kids posting anonymously and for the korean press to take that stuff seriously. It’s almost like Netizens are more organized than the actual press. It’s like as if the US media started giving credence to the millions of stupid comments on YouTube.
…or worse, perez hilton and his ilks as credible sources of unbiased infos
im quite simmilar to you guys in that my community is very critical, but i have a very understanding family who no that im not going to be a typical good homestaying, not artying girl because they understand that living in a different county(england) means that i have very open minded not so conservative opinions (not consevative at all) dangerous views to my comunity. the simplest things like me with my best friend who is a guy (im a girl) who just happens to be gay is wrong thing, they even tried to convice my parents to move me back to my old country its still my country but yeah anywhy ya no what i mean. obvously my parents were very pissed and were like “if she wants to have aboyfriend or a girlfriend than thats her choice so please butt out2″
now everyone in the community looks at us like we’re martains some of them even told their children to stay away from me…
it also amuses me how most of their news came from stalkers and netizens instead of the field reporters having to find it out first,..
Mann. It seems like korean pop fans have to prepare mentally and emotionally before emerging themselves into kpop fandom especially with netizens. OMG. I feel like going back to American pop, at least there aren’t crazy netizens taking control of American celebrities lives.
Being a kpop fan is so distressful. *sigh*
IA with your whole comment, but maybe I’m going back to Jpop instead of American pop. Kpop scarred me to life. I think I’m gonna back out from this fandom, at least until some good news surface. I cant stand any more news about Jay, because it seems like goods news always come out late :/
No crazy netizens, but there’s as much crazy paparazzis! LOL. No privacy, being followed every minute of every day, sounds controlling to me. Not to mention celebs-paparazzis fights? Attacking, knocking down, and throwing cameras happening all the time? And they make celebs break down pretty bad too *coughBritneycough*
Not to mention all those nasty gossip collumns. LOL
Yes that’s true but atleast none of the
paparrazzis go as far as telling the celebs to commit suicide -_-
yeah, and celebrities here can date who the hell they want. in korea you mean to tell me no idols date? YEAH RIGHT! i heard about se7en.
I completely, 100% agree with you. What annoys me is the societal view in Korea and other Asian countries. Everyone there has to be polite to their elders, speak in wonderfully longer versions of polite format, show etiquette some Americans don’t know about. Reputation is key to survival in the world and hell, despite the whole ‘freedom of speech and press’, if you say something somebody doesn’t like, people don’t like you. Which is why people turn to the internet as their venting source.
I think Koreans have been so holed up in their little conservative society that now the younger generation (It’s pretty obvious that it’s the majority of netizens are highschoolers) start feeling suffocated in their never-changing society in an ever-changing world. And as to why they tend to vent it out on celebrities? As American paparazzi states, “Celebrities are out there to make us normal people feel better about ourselves.” The Korean Entertainment Industry dishes out more and more of these celebrities faster than I can do my homework, giving netizens a sprawl of victims to yell shit at behind their protective firewalls and IP addresses. No one finds out who they are so they still can keep that ‘innocent’ look society loves. (Remember how every girl used to always be white, pale, and innocent looking with big eyes?)
So basically, Korea’s putting a noose around their neck by keeping the young generation tight in a bottle where only that really painful, burning steam can escape.
Haha, well, it’s not only Asians that have ‘formal’ language. Spanish does too with ‘usted’ for example, French too.
I don’t think you could call it a ‘noose’. It’s because so many languages in the world naturally have ‘formal’ speech, people automatically apply them in everyday life. English doesn’t really have ‘formal’ speech compared to the majority of languages in the world besides (sir, ma’am, etc) so like you said, some Americans just don’t know the etiquette that comes with the formal speech.
English is my second language so when I and other people my age were learning it, we all couldn’t help but feel a bit comfortable or ‘off’ whenever we had to talk to older people. :P
English does have a formal language. The words “Mister,” “Ma’am,” “Miss,” “Mrs.,”and “Sir.” Formalities are usually used when we don’t know that person but once introduced to a person the formalities disappear. If there is a person of high rank…formalities are always used (like for a doctor, teacher, or president). I would never call these people by their first names unless they asked me to. To say the English don’t is necessarily wrong. The only difference among Westerners, not just Americans, is that we don’t classify rank among civilians by age (like “noona,” “unni,” and “hyung,” “oppa,” and “-nim”)
Respect is given throughout all cultures and societies you just have to know when and how to use them.
The korean fans have a different relationship with celebrities than American/western fans. That is why when a Kolrean celebrity does something fans as view distasteful, rather than think, like Americans, “hell, I’ll never see that person’s movie again/buy their album” their anger turns vicious, as if they had been slighted by a brother or friend.
In Korea celebrities do not walk around on the street/take the subway or interact in a normal way. They have handlers who do everything. If they go into a store they are mobbed by autograph seekers. A Korean bystander would think nothing of forcing a celebrity to stop everything they are doing and sign a personalized autograph because they think that celebrity is PART of them. In the US, in the larger cities at least, people would gawk, but they do not treat famous people like this and understand celebrities are just doing a job.
Korean celebrities I know are acutely aware of this difference, that they “belong” to the public, so they generally behave. They don’t flaunt affairs or bad behavior. Jaebum, being raised in America, probably thought he was being a bad-ass and a rebel criticizing society (something which 90% of teenagers do) and didn’t understand the celebrity culture.
of course jay didnt understand. he was still a trainee. as the years went by i truly believe he was gradually learning. it sucks but im pretty sure this will only increase his dislike towards korea.
he has learned. and no, he will not dislike korea, maybe, just tinge of disappointment
Oh Please! I’m sure Jae didn’t think he was being a “bad ass” he was simply venting about the situation he found himself in at the time. He was a young trainee then and not a celebrity.
I hope Jae gets the rest he needs and is able to re-focus. No one knows if he’ll rejoin 2PM or not but I have a feeling that this isn’t the last we’ll see of him.
Daysgoby, thanks for posting this. As an American myself, I find it hard to understand the culture of netizens (to the extent of the ones in Korea) and their insane power over korean artists, particularly idol groups.
But the questions remain….
When is enough enough? When is it that the society as a whole realizes that this is getting out of control? And what are they going to do about it?
Nothing probably.
it is sad how these netizens can kill people without using their own hands…
i definitely dun think this weird culture of netizens exists only in korea but also other countries as well…
how can we stop this? it is difficult and probably never…
the best solution for these artistes to overcome them is the support from their families, friends, fans and their agencies…
of course, they must be strong enough to face the bumpy road that lies ahead of them…
i hope that after going back to seattle to calm himself down, he will be back as a stronger person and face the bumpy road and criticisms with his 2PM brothers and JYP family.
this is very sad. but i wonder what’s the Korean government doing about this? it seems that they’re just as quiet as the reporters. playing safe? :-/
I think it is the hierarchy system that is scary. Saving one’s own butt is top priority.
Yesterday after reading Cheryl’s comment on public education system + this article now had me scratching my head. Is this real? Is it really so flawed? Was it exaggerated?
Yes, I do watch news regularly where politicians fight embarrassingly, street demonstrations, and where fists speak louder than word. But the dramas and documentaries were so real. I like watching 3 days, screening humanities, environmental special, etc. I thought these shows have provided me with enough information about the beautiful Korea.
I supposed my pre-notion of a beautiful Korea with wonderful people were shattered with this sad episode. Not that it is entirely destroyed but it has somewhat been discounted.
I forgive her reluctantly. At least she realized her mistake and admits it openly so I won’t be hard on her lest it ends a tragedy. Jay will probably put a full-stop on any possibility of coming back if that happens. I am still rooting for Jay to go back to his group after his rest.
*Don’t let the antis have the last laugh*
“I supposed my pre-notion of a beautiful Korea with wonderful people were shattered with this sad episode.”
Hahaha, ME TOO. I’ve never been to Korea. My only link to the country is through, well, cutesy dramas that show the glamor of modern Korea. Propaganda, I tell you! Propaganda!
I’m kidding :P
I really enjoyed reading this piece, so thank you for writing it. I think the big issue here is what most Asian cultures refer to as ’saving face’ … meaning image, keeping up appearances. It happens in most cultures, but seems quite high on the list for Asians and seemingly even more so for Koreans.
What I really liked about this piece was that it mentioned one thing that really irks me about Korean media and why I can never take it seriously – they don’t have proper journalistic practices. When is a celebs’ blog update news? Why are netizens being quoted? What’s so difficult about being asked thought provoking questions?
So tell me, how is SEOULBEATS any different from netizens? You guys write hateful, hurtful words against celebrities all the time. Especially, female celebrities, who are more prone than males to depression, which can lead to suicidal thoughts, which can eventually end in suicide if the depression is gone untreated.
I have been following Seoulbeats since its inception. I don’t think they have ever been malicious to any single celebrity, whether male or female. Sometimes they do poke fun at them, exaggerate some jokers behaviors, etc. this is healthy, I say. What about the weekly gag show? Does it mean they are malicious? No! Don’t think too much and take it the wrong way. They are kind enough to give us some social moments, so be grateful.
@Chile…pls, the people who are also writing comments and such are netizens, you may or may not write cruel things like other might but we are part of this society to. I have no problem with criticizing but i have no respect for others who go to the extreme and post hateful comments that are not founded. For example hate Suju fans (sorry to many who weren’t involved because all of Elf isn’t bad) because of the fact they did cause a girl who had issues already to commit suicide just because she hugged one of the members. those elf netizens or whomever attacked her through the internet and she was being bullied by others at school to. I do apologize i merely am speculating and attack one group of people but to me the only ones who i would see get angry over the fact this young girl hugged a suju member are fans and other’s who enjoy picking on others through the internet.
Anyone who is using the internet and writing mere comments is part of this community, the only difference is the degree we go by but it’s all the same. People find it so easy to attack others because we are all “hidden” behind this screen and therefore we feel protected.
Asia’s entertainment industry is fuelled by fanbases and the strength of one’s own fanclub, though in North America back in the 90’s and earlier we saw fanclubs galore what differs is that today the power of technology is fuelling people more and it helps fee the need to know everything about something and the fact they people want it now.
Hopefully Jay will comeback, he doesn’t deserve to go down like this…i hope it’s turning point.
This is a little off topic:
I remember posting a comment awhile back that I love how Big Bang was in the beginning, so carefree and happy, but something in them changed and they became so reserved.
I also stated that 2PM was a breath of fresh air to this industry (which I attributed to Jaebeom, Nichkhun & Taecyeon) and hope nothing happens that does this to them (now this). . . even if this group does return, they will never be the same.
I am actually a little upset with JYP because if he (JYP) REALLY wanted Jay to stay, would Jaebeom be able to board that plane and come home. The ticket was probably provided by his company, it’s the best thing to do for the group and for the company as a whole. I know he tries to come across as nice and friendly with his artist but he’s a business man first.
Korea has this really sick image, where they tell you go out to play have fun (but now too much fun) because in a flash, they sobers you right up if they deem what you do as bad.
On a separate note, I hope that we can fill the 5 Op-Ed slots with looking into this situation from every angle. The 4th angle, what was JYP doing through this whole controversy, why did he let Jay go?? because he had the power to stop him.
I won’t hide the fact that I admired JYP a lot. I think it is not fair to jump the gun and be upset with him. I am sure his heart bled more than any of us. He can keep the person from leaving but what emotional state was Jay at the time, we won’t know. Worst scenario is if he does the unthinkable, then we’d all be blaming JYP. Let’s hope all this finally becomes a blessing in disguise.
Also, just to add – when this whole thing started, I kept thinking back to the recent episode of WildBunny # 7 that I saw. It’s where Jay goes on Myspace and was showing his friends pics and videos of them dancing.
Anyone with a keen eye could see that he was on Myspace, after that it was just a click or two (because they’re really close friends) to get to his comments. It’s just so sad. Again off topic, sorry.
funny thing was that they went to his friends page and stalked his comments there. thats even more creepy
I think the boybands there in korea are awesome but they all basically acted the same. imo 2pm was just … different. the way they acted, it just reminded me of a group of friends that i wouldve gone to school with here in america. maybe because jay, nichkun, and taec use to live in america and it kinda rubbed off on the others? maybe im wrong …
That could probably triggered the donkeys to act against Jay.
JYP latest statement just arrived and it says a lot about why I had always admired him. When he was here in Singapore with Rain years ago, I noticed the vast difference in him as compared to others.
Whatever happens next, it is still anybody’s guess. I do still think Jay should get over it and join his dear bros after sufficient rest. If he doesn’t, nobody’s a winner.
@ Momopuff:
“Everyone there has to be polite to their elders, speak in wonderfully longer versions of polite format, show etiquette some Americans don’t know about.”
While you think this is an ‘annoying’ side to Asian society, another person could say some Americans are rude and tactless because they don’t ’show etiquette’.
Personally, I always liked the fact Asian show respect to their elders. You’re probably talking about the extremes of this societal characteristic, but in everyday life, like when I go around the mall for example and the salelsadies naturally add a respectful ‘po’ or ‘ho’ at the end of their sentences (I’m Filipino) to older people, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it.
There’s a difference between being respectful and being fake/plastic. I think the pressure to succeed is much stronger in Asian communities (I’m not sure), and there may be times people have to be ‘plastic’ to people they may not give a shit about to do this – and netizens use their anonymity in the internet to let all these frustrations out. Who better than public figures to lash out to?
Great article but there is something else has some thing to do with this the super fast Internet In korea
Nicely written article. It’s so scary to see that 4 years of hard work can be destroyed in 4 days with the power of internet. What has the growth of technology turned people into? Netizens with the power to freely attack and destroy people? :(
And what makes it more sad is that it seems that there’s not much fighting back, neither from the guys or Hottest. Aren’t a lot of Hottest netizens too? They didn’t unleash their power enough
Fantastic piece. Love it when you ladies come out with a post like this. Keep it up.
nicely written, daysgoby.
Wow, i never thought the day would come when ‘attack of the pin-up boys’ would be a great example in analysing. =D But i see your angle.
I think this myspace/jae matter was handled too shabbily, without JYP in korea, this totally spiralled out of control, who the hell is control when JYP isn’t here anyways?
Hmmm……Korea is odd ball……
Korean netizen hatred is no different from American teenage angst on YouTube.
Difference is the Korean online community is more organized to promote angry 10-yr olds, while the US media knows to “lock” those commenters away in their “bedrooms,” so to speak.
I don’t think things are blocked (with angry American teens on YT) it’s just that most people don’t put that much engery into things (if they do they are called out) or that people will easily defend their side n(whether right or wrong)…which I don’t see much on Korean messageboards. While this can be a good and bad thing, Korean neitizens manage to hold some power…I don’t see that with American neitzens. It’s not becuase of censorship it’s becuase there is no real unity oer the computer/internet. Part of that has to do with culture. America is an indivdualist society while Korea (as well as many Asian countries) are communial societies. With this, level of respect differs…at least in some areas.
ure good at keeping it interesting enough to read. one after another..*clap clap*
but i think its unfair for him when some people keep on comparing on how snsd and jae dealt with the netizens. its totally diff issue. diff people have diff ways of dealing. and how they think its very low of him…i expected more from u jae bla bla bla….uve just undermined his confidence and spirit..as far as my experience is concerned la. correct me if im wrong…
regarding comments: well, asians are all like that, because we are all governed by our multi-layered traditions.
and asians, regardless of how westernised we have become will always have some expectations somewhere. chinese parents used to think doctors, lawyers and engineers are the best jobs in the world. and some of them still do.
another example, in asia, air stewardess are considered high class, the models of the air. whereas in the west, air stewardess are just, well, air stewardess. so it’s the same, because of that idol mentality asians have, celebrities are role models and so expect to do this, that, this that this. but in the west, it’s a job, an occupation.
asians have very different persepctive from the west especially from mono ethnic countries like korea.
but i digress from the topic. hehe.
i agree with you, though citizen journalism is on the rise, pro press journalists shouldn’t slack either. i understand the need for them to constantly update their news on the go (that’s y they hold a laptop wherever they go, with internet connection as well) may just let them get away with the excuse of quick updates but they should also write quality stuff, screened through and validated. but that’s just the ideal world we’re talking about.
i just find it funny how netizens LOVE to blow stuff out of proportion. it makes me sick almost. i realized that the news that are written up in korea, especially, surrounds a little issues such as so-and-so seen together therefore, they’re going out, a misunderstood comment or action. celebrity are damn scared to act “real” in front of the cameras and behind, because of fear of being who they are. people make mistakes sometimes and do have flaws. whether it’s jay or anyone, when they do, makes them who they are. as a celebrity in korea, it’s a 100% job….for those who have kept it secretive, sooner of later, their lives will be picked apart by those low-life out to ruin the lives of the celebrity. i just find it sad that jay has worked so damn hard to come home over something like this. i love watching him and hopefully this is just a little break.
wow. this is the first article that i felt wasn’t just slandering and is looking more at the cultural differences and nuances that have driven this episode.
personally, i’m 2.0 korean american. i grew up 1950’s style korean at home (super traditional and overly strict) and 100% american girl outside of the home– to as much as i was accepted as “american” by the white community. it was rough and super grueling bc the bicultural tension is too much, esp when societal relationships and etiquette differ and are polar opposite at times. but as an adult (i’m prob more noona/unni to most of you guys)- i’ve had to make peace with it– understanding the shadows of both asian culture and living as american culture and living. there IS a clash that happens not only internally within an asian american’s internal world to sort out who and how to live that out authentically, but it’s also a constant negotiation when with americans (who don’t fully understand the asianness) and asians (who don’t fully understand/accept the americanness).
i’ve had a visceral reaction these last days– bc all of what’s happened brought up my issues and hurt from how i’ve been mistreated and misunderstood and rejected by asians (native koreans). there is a prejudice that exists both ways, but i’ve experienced the mistreatment one way– koreans towards KA’s. i stepped away from all things korean for a long while– including the drama watching and music and even hanging 90+% of the time with asians because i didn’t want to deal with that constant negotiation. in the past, i even worked on conferences and meetings to discuss these tensions– but i realize that it’s a process of learning… that will continue on. prejudice and conflict doesn’t disappear overnight.
i was super disappointed and angry with the media and netizens in korea. but let’s face it- netizens are mostly a bunch of immature teenagers that cannot discern or empathize another’s feelings or point of view… (at first?). if they were more mature, then culture shock and its effects would have been built into the conversation as a perspective to better understand where jaebum’s comments came from. i’ve experienced culture shock going to other countries and have expressed harsh feelings (venting)– and it’s not bc i truly hated the culture. i think culture shock is even more difficult when you do know/understand/relate to the culture and the nuances are closer. whenever i go to korea, i love it and hate it. all of my inner tensions of not being one or the other (korean or american) come up and it becomes hard to deal with the ajummas that tell me i’m fat or the ajussi’s who say i don’t speak korean well. there’s a pressure to be perfect, and what’s considered rude (the comments) is really their way of relating since asians are so collective. my african friends have said/experienced the same. it’s automatic to correct or comment on things they feel should/could be different or better.
so combining that mentality with immature kids brings out something different– which is the reactive emotional gutteral comments that begin and spiral out-of-control.
along with anger and depression (from my own issues being stirred up)- i’ve also been sad and ashamed of koreans (as a korean). korean pride is one thing, but when it’s rooted still deeply in the hurt and fear from the historical oppression of koreans (and not healed)- it comes up defensive and irrational. pure patriotism has been twisted into sheer defensive anger. and there is little room to consider where people like jaebum (and many others) are coming from when they vent like that.
i’m extremely disappointed in the media– that they haven’t taken a more mature perspective and stance. they’ve just been an amplifier for these myopic comments and statements. for them to not even comment on the ethical/moral actions of the 3000 people who (with their social security numbers) signed a suicide petition blows my mind. i wish someone in the media would have come back to at least question the action and even correct it. the fact that people would create and agree with something THAT ugly- which is certainly not equivalent to the offense, and not comment on how wrong or scary that kind of action is is appalling.
it’s funny that netizens have such “freedom of speech” but that a public figure is crucified for making statements taken out of context. sure, jaebum is an “idol,” but all of this was entirely unnecessary and just ridiculous.
it makes me feel that korea is still yet immature in the way they handle their emotions. it’s terrible that the media doesn’t take a more mature stance in scandals and bring a wider perspective onto things. i wish they would see what role they play in creating negative pressure on celebrities. and i wish that the leaders of these entertainment industries, like jyp (who have lived through the pressures) don’t do a better job of walking their young hubaes through the fire.
when i was 22, i would’ve caved like jaebum did. he’s still a kid. most of the entertainment industry– they are all full of young people that need better protection and teaching from their sunbaes.
i wish a lot of things… but that’s just my two cents.
i’m waiting for more conversations like this– where the fire and anger and accusations die down and the true heart of the matter is addressed so that it won’t happen again… or at least,… get … better.
but jaebum-ah, fighting! i pray your heart finds healing and rest– that you welcome peace to replace the chaos. i hope that people look at the bigger issues at play– the cultural clashing, the prejudice, the immaturity… and i know you will rise above it and not take on the names of the world. know who you are and own it! keep on running after your dreams! don’t let the entertainment industry and its demons take that from you.
that was fantactic
thanks for that
I agree with you 100%
you have to see this…….. it’s what i’ve been waiting for. they finally CORRECTLY translated his myspace comments…..
finally someone in the media who’s doing their investigative work as good reporters!
i don’t know that it can bring jaebum back, but at least he’s being defended the RIGHT way!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K37iltoEqk8&eurl
The product of hatred.
Thoughts do create physical form—and when many people are thinking the same thing, there is a very high likelihood their thoughts will form a “Reality”-Conversations with God
Thank you Ellie for your reassuring articles.
Words are weapons.
You can destroy the world with it.
You can also heal the world with it.
You can change the world.
^_^
it’s amy that wrote this (daysgoby)
The action of netizens are the same to Americans with the paparazzi.invading celebs privacy in order to get the pic or that story to sell to all the gossip mags state wide.In the US there are plenty of gossip sites and magazines that cover ever aspect of a celeb life. To plastic surgery, rehab, relationship,etc.. Instead of focusing on that celebs latest movie or album. People do not care to see someone succeed but whether watch them fail or their flaws be publicly expose.So they can be judge then ridiculed for days, months and years on end.To me its a form of bulling and control.Celebs relay on gossip and internet to promote and continue there existence in the mainstream media but pay a heavy price for having such a close relationship with the media.the netizens prove that they can establish a form of control over a celeb.In the end the one thing people want to do is control another person life.The mass media and press allow that to happen but now, instantly because we do have the internet.
You know, I wish the GOVT. of Korea would do something about it, you know? It’s all just going OUT of CONTROL! Like, holy FUCK ….it’s unbelievable, the power of effing fatasses who sit in front of their computer like geeks all day and bitch about someone they dont even effing know!
But oyu know what I think? If the Govt. decided to do something about this, all those stupid netizens will prolly hold a petition for the entire Govt. to quit -_-
Gahhh…so fucking pissed about this!
or suicide … =(
great Op-Ed and some great points made here by posters about the subject!
That was an effin good movie!
I wasn’t too sure about SuJu before, but was immediately sucked in after watching it…
I really enjoyed this article!
First of all: I have no Asian ancestry. I am very fascinated by Asian culture in general and enjoy studying it, but I still have a lot to learn, and I there are many cultural aspects I still don’t understand. So, I guess I was even more dumbfounded by the Jay drama because I couldn’t always see the cultural strings attached to the incident.
As this article and many of the comments suggest, there is a cultural undertone to the perceived problem of how harsh these netizens can be… so that begs the question: can we change it? There are many things in this world that I disagree with, but if the issue is a cultural issue, then it becomes “hands off” to me. Ya know?
I know that many Koreans are also upset with what has happened, but can anyone come out and address the problem, or just say something? (have people already? Maybe I missed it… ^^; ) I don’t know… I’m just writing my thoughts… ^^;
Also! I’m happy the movie was mentioned! Not just because I’m a SuJu fan, but also because the movie does hit on some interesting points. ^^
There’s a lot of things you can’t express in polite Korean society. Give someone with a lot of repressed hate (for anyone and anything) with a lot of time on their hands, the internet, and it’s a recipe for disaster.
Chin up, Jay, hang in there. This too will pass and you’ll be a better person for it.
I really liked this. Korea in general has many flaws, but i also know that America does. We’re at a point in America where the things you write on blogs and certain sites can get you kicked out of school or prevent you from getting a job.
I just wish there was more regulation or a way for international fans of kpop to connect with the ones in korea. I wonder if sometimes if they ever re-read the stuff they write. The hateful and spiteful things that a lot of them write.
I’m Asian-Mexican American and I faced a lot of predjudice from different asian communities because I was half, but I knew the cultural differences. I liked the respect I learned, because it helped me in the long run. I don’t like how it’s so mandatory punishable in Korea, because what’s the point of respect if it’s fake and not returned.
I wonder if these netizens in korea knew how we viewed them when they were at their worst, if they would change. They destroyed what jaebum had worked so hard for in less than 4 days because of a misinterpretation and a rash judgment. I’ve always been taught that there is always more than one side to a story. Knowing all sides and making a judgment that you can back up with facts is the only way to make it valid.
i agree…the real, and perhaps only, reason korean netizens are so powerful is because the media gives them power. the media puts too much value on the opinions of people with hidden identities, of whom, when asked in person, would probably have a totally different or at least better thought out opinion than just lashing out etc. in korea, internet trolls and haters make the news. in america they are, well, labeled trolls and mostly ignored.
and since the media puts this much value in the netizens, then so do everyone else, including the stars…since it’s all over the news.
great article. i like seoulbeats for the alternative articles you guys bring to the table. along with the comments people post.
when studying countries, people tend to ignore the popular culture aspect of it and in this time and age where internet, media and celebrity influences permeate whole societies, the need for proper assessment/analysis is required. i would discuss more but everyone brought up similar ideas also. :)
ps. i like the take on the super junior movie. lol