Tune Dune: What’s Hot and What’s Not in TOP’s SOLO
Premiering at the B.I.G. show last night in music video form was TOP’s new solo single. Exciting but, I spot a pop culture blunder. Repeated by every member of Big Bang in their solo efforts (minus the rather asexual “Look at Me, Gwisoon” from Daesung) I smell blatant objectification based on gender and fetishizing based on race in TOP’s new solo single.
TOP. You bad boy.
Now lest you frame me as a hater let me get this out of the way. Big Bang’s TOP is talented. He can rap and he isn’t a rapper just because he has no other discernible talent and an entertainment company has nothing to do with him. He’s a rapper because it’s his passion. Oh yeah, and he’s unrealistically attractive. Not devastatingly good looking like, say, Jude Law, but he is at least on the level as the guy from The Famous Jett Jackson (have you seen him on Flash Forward?)
But despite that, his music video for his solo song is just a crock of crap. Yes, I feel a flutter whenever he appears leering, cocking his eyebrow and exhibiting all the components that make a person sexy or sexual or sex, period. Part of the way he does that, however, is by equating women to objects under his control, and white women to some hyper-sexual third gender. The most painful part for me, honestly, is spotting homegirl in the checkers dancing at 2:21 and 2:26.
Hip-Hop is a festering pool of objectification but TOP took it to a new level with this admittedly hot, but wholly demeaning, music video. Why is this a big deal? Most of Big Bang’s fans are females and the only times you see females in their videos they’re gyrating sexually, deceiving their men, killing men (with a pineapple no less) or dying of some as yet unknown disease that mysteriously seeks out and kills pretty girls as soon as they find the perfect guy. Women don’t fit into all these categories and the ones I know that do are prostitues and/or insecure high schoolers, psychopaths, psychopathic killers and completely fictional, respectively. It’s not “harmless” to be barraged with all these images, even when you aren’t a fan they come at you anyway.
But then again, how easy it for a hormonal young girl to not be a fan of really hot guys that sing and dance? Exactly.
I love TOP in this MV, but nothing else including his laying a girl over his lap and playing her. Oh, brother. 
P.S. Guttural sound made by the girl holding the camera at 3:01. Best part of this music video watching experience. He wasn’t even dancing. Unless the “Flopping Fish Out of Water” is a new dance move…
P.P.S
TOP playing harmonica. A+
vid cr: JoongBoSkittles03, kidmoon09
pic and gif cr: as labeled
WOW WOW WOW.
You seriously analysed this video to a tee didn’t you.
I honestly don’t see what you’re talking about. My thoughtson the video are simple.
He’s hot, the girls are sexy, the song is dope and the randomness of the video is totally TOP and the fact that he is totally fail at dancing is cute. However I love the flopping fish dance as you call it. I think it’s cute and cool at the some time lol
“I smell blatant objectification based on gender and fetishizing based on race in TOP’s new solo single”
What??? I think my problem is that I just don’t get where you’re coming from. Maybe other people with agree with what you’re saying but I just honestly don’t get it. My only problem is I have a feeling that when the MV is offcially released it may be banned. Would love to read the translated lyrics, I wanna know what the hell he’s singing about. Would have loved to hear him perform it live as well. Can’t wait for his album whenever it comes out.
I didn’t over-analyze, I just pointed out what I saw. Maybe my mistake in this article is making it seem as if only TOP does this, but it’s a pretty common trend in music and dramas. But this is definitely one of the more blatant advocates of sex and material gluttony.
Now I’m not saying it’s not enjoyable, because it certainly is, but it’s also mindlessly sexist.
But I am also really looking forward to his solo album. make no mistake
illdielaughing, you’re back!! yeah!!
yay indeed!!!
Yes, she’s back with a big bang !
and she came back with a TOP article!!! so full of win!!!
Oh yes welcome back!!!! I have to agree with you and unfortunately it’s everywhere not just in MVs or K-dramas but in hip hop videos (which I just can’t watch anymore, even if I like the song) and everywhere. It’s quite depressing.
To be honest, for example I take particular offence to the “marketing” of Girl Generation. These are beautiful talented and yes sexy (in some cases) girls; the ways those girls are dressed and paraded around is blatantly to turn men on and be objectified is a little upsetting – I guess it happens all the time, and everywhere but there is something particularly offensive about them to me – The short shorts, the bending over in to very provocative sexy poses etc. Now I’m not a prude, I get sex sells and such, but I think it’s their age that I have a real problem with and the overtly sexual image paired with the innocent image.
I know what it is; it’s the innocent thing – trying to say that it’s not sexy, just innocent – whilst being overtly sexy. I think it’s the slyness of it all that I find offensive. You’ll have people swear hand on heart that there is nothing wrong with how the girls are projected and that if you see anything different you are some kind of pervert, but this is clearly what’s going on and as a woman I understand that, which is fine, but what worries me, is the messages that they are projecting to young girls growing up with these people as their idols.
Anyho, I’ve kind of veered off the track somewhere – but yeah, I understand what you’re saying and agree wholeheartedly.
WORD.
I love TOP. He’s so effin hot (and hotter than Jude Law I might add), but you hit the nail on the head saying this video is not right. Many people who don’t see it as a big deal have (today’s) American hip-hop in mind. I abandoned Ahiphop a while ago because I was tired of seeing the media premote filthy black people, instead of the educated, respectful, and talented black artists that remain underground and undescovered. I noticed how hip-hop was influencing artists over seas, and i was pretty happy about it. Because when other cultures with more censorship involved try it, artists are forced to really make music, instead of vulgarities. TOP’s video just made me feel like the desease is spreading. Part of the whole reason I enjoy kpop is because it’s cleaner. I’m all for freedom of expression, but objectifying females and glamorizing extreme materialism is not what i had in mind. Hopfully, TOP was just trying something new, and will soon find a more positive messages to send to his young fangirls. Can’t wait to see what else he’s got to offer. =)
And thank you for giving such an honest, un fangirl-blinded reveiw. A+!
So true, wonderful reply.
im sorry but i dont really understand. you like k pop because its more censored but then you’re for freedom of expression.
im not trying to say your wrong or anything but how will you have the freedom of expression if most of the music are censored. most kpop artist and song + mvs that are produced are sugar coated already.
but i agree with hip hop in the mainstream right now is weak. all they tlk about are cars the money they have and ofcourse women.
Eh, as a whole the music industry (in both US and Korea) objectify women, but this video isn’t really that bad. I mean, look at HyunA’s Change, that is at least 10 times worse. It seems more random than anything. As far as fetishizing, uh what about the entire concept of Girl’s Generation.
Although criticism does have to start somewhere
As a whole, this video is plain vanilla.
But I agree with you about that ‘dancing’ thing. I did something like that in Kindergarten.
i love T.O.P and all.
and i like the song too (even though i dont know what it means)
but i also think that TOP is just talented to be portraying women like this. or YG who is calling the shots.
I can see what you’re saying but I don’t feel that this video is malicious or anything. Maybe it’s because i’ve seen so much worse that this video doesn’t really bother me.
For me, I actually find the video not as bad as a lot of the stuff put out in kpop. I find a lot of videos for girl groups kind of disturbing.
There are a lot of videos that try to cover up blatant sexual lyrics or dance moves by being really cutesy and innocent. That grosses me out.
TOP is supposed to look cool, he’s supposed to be a “baller.” He’s also a guy and videos for guys follow a typical formula:
Hot dancers + sexy angles of the artist = video gold.
I think if there is to be any blame put on TOP and YG it’s for following this equation.
But honestly, I don’t think any of the people watching this focused on anything except TOP.
If the video is too explicit then it’ll be banned and anyone under 19 can’t see it. And if anyone above 19 thinks that it’s a great idea for a girl to be played like an instrument, they don’t deserve sympathy.
The video def isn’t malicious, it’s not trying to be sexist and it’s not trying to say women should be objectified. But that’s what it is and that’s what it says.
I never said it was doing that on purpose. Nor did I say it was the worst example of this, it’s the most recent.
I hope you don’t feel like i’m attacking you. I think my comment came across more aggressive than expected :// I totally see your point. I meant malicious undertones. I guess to me, sexism in the entertainment world is a kind of-what’s new?
In my mind there are videos like TOPs and then there are videos that portray these girl as innocent, cute little things who then bust out, shaking their goodies in shorts and being naive to the point where it’s embarrassing.
Basically to me TOPs is the lesser of two evils.
In a Company so highly influenced in Western Pop Culture a video like this is to say the least, not unexpected. Your points hold true though. The ideals behind the creation of the mv weren’t meant to be that but what it portrays is just that.
AND FINALLY someone else notes The chick killing the guy with the pineapple. Shouldn’t of the Gov Flipped their lids over that b4 the stabbin chick in the back thing cuz shoot death by pineapple just isn’t cool at all :/
Was it Just me who thought he was saying Imma turn her out instead of turn it up?
i thought it was “turn her out”…i almost wish it were “turn her out” just to be like {(o.O)} then {(0.0)} then {(O.O)}…Seung Hyun Choi you dirty, dirty boy…
In a way, I agree that the MV is a little demeaning towards women, but in another way, I also think how the women are displayed in TOP’s MV and other Big Bang MVs are much better then how some women in Kpop display themselves!
For instance, I think 17-year-old Hyuna gyrating her hips like she’s having sex with her clothes on in “Change” was much more demeaning than how TOP teasingly plays his fingers across a woman’s back.
Why? First off, Hyuna is 17, not of legal adult age in Korea. She shouldn’t be shaking her hips like that for everyone in public to see; it made me feel like a pervert. She also shouldn’t wear dresses that flash her crotch for the world to see. It’s gives off the image that she’s loose. Even if it’s for a sexual appeal, she shouldn’t be demeaning herself like that by displaying her sexuality or “womanliness” so blatantly. She’s much too young to start acting so sexy. It doesn’t come off as sexy but slutty.
On the other hand, TOP is 22, a full-fledged, responsible adult. The actions he does in the video of course appears degrading and contains sexual implications, but I believe what he does is more artistic and mature (as in, yes, very sexy, but not displayed in a way where it’s nasty) as compared to others.
Even what the women wear isn’t so bad as, unlike Hyuna, they are much older and mature-looking to pull it off. And at least they’re wearing something fit for their image and age unlike SNSD prancing around in cheerleader outfits a twelve-year-old would wear. And while, yes, I do think it is sexist towards women, I also have to admire the women for putting so much into their work that they can maintain such professionalism while dancing in such tight and tiny clothes. And I applaud them for showing a woman’s sexiness but not in a way where it’s perceived as skanky. I mean, despite the clothes and the provocative slow turns and twists, it looks like artful dancing.
I mostly think thought the reason why the women are in the MV in the first place is just to rile fans up as it makes them jealous and makes TOP much sexier with hot women surrounding him. You just have to admit a man has more charm when you envy the good-looking girl next to him.
I totally agree with you- what bothers me tho most in KPOP is the women and how blatantly sexual they are, but not in a mature way. They put on their little cheerleader/military miniskirts and act like live sex toys for creepy ajusshis.
TOP’s MV is nothing to what the American music scene has got going on, and while a bit offensive, it at least doesn’t have dudes banging hoes, talking about hookers, etc… But I do get what Nia’s saying- I’m just tired of the sexism on both sides of KPOP.
in general girl groups dance move and the way they dress are much worst than this video,
young girls wear super short skirt that usually associated with WHORE
when i look at some girl groups dance for example –>t-ara memebers shake their butts, is like telling male audience to slap their butts
–>Hyuna with her pelvic thrust, is like telling male audience to f**k her
and more…
so how is that not worst than this (?)
NIIIIIAAAA! Oh my to the love of gosh, I’ve missed you. I’m glad you’re writing again. I’m throwing confetti and dancing in my seat right now.
TOP is so hot that it makes me want to cry, but this song? No thank you.
I think this MV is highly artistic and HOTT. nothing wrong with it.
SNSD’s OH is objectifying women. period.
THANK YOU! Thank you sooo much!!! I’m also really bothered by the hyper-sexualized women which frequently show up in Big Bang mvs. As far as I know (and I could be very wrong/ignorant of other examples), Big Bang is the only major male idol group which does that, which is also why I don’t plan on ever going to a Big Show, no matter how much I enjoy listening to Big Bang’s music.
So yeah, Big Bang and YG need to start showing much more respect toward women. That, and idol women need to show themselves more respect by dressing modestly, ’cause (most of) their outfits don’t earn them respect from men.
lol are u kidding me
everything in KPOP SEXUALIZES Woman
SNSD’s entire existance is based on the fantasy’s of hormonal teenage boys and dry-spelled ajjushis.
DBSK’s Mirotic music video shows the girl as a witch/devil
2PM’s Again and Again shows a promiscuous woman.
God you guys should change this website to FeministBeats
I think the bottom line is: this video is fire for one main reason, TOP!
He’s back, and I’m almost 99.998% sure all of us are feeling it.
Speaking to those that feel the sexist undertones, I kinda understand where you’re coming from, however, men are visual creatures and it makes TOP look like a badass “playing the piano” on her back. And compared to the skanky things girl groups put out, I’d rate this G (for gangsta). I don’t know about you, but I don’t like women representing females as … hoochies (lol) or even as bimbos. Not trying to say I like men advertising the booty-shaking sluts either, except this is barely like some I’ve seen *cough*Best I Ever Had MV*cough*
Basically, I wish I could be that girl, and I’m happy TOP is back!
HOLLABACK BROOKLYN!!!
hmm im ok with MV i don’t see any wrong with it maybe is just me Flopping Fish Out of Water” dance nice name i think this will be the dance of 2010.
i really didn’t see anything wrong with it. the women were for the most part pretty well clothed (a lot better than a lot of girl groups out there) and they were adults. it’s not like they were all wearing bikinis shaking their butt. Big Bang’s Number 1 was much more sexist. I think who ever thought of SNSD’s concept is much more sexist than this 3 minute video. maybe if snsd wasn’t around i would agree with you. but like someone said, top is the lesser of two evils here.
I think some of you guys are looking into this “Guys >> Girls” too deep.. I mean, you can’t just say that YG and Big Bang are demeaning women. They’re dancers and that’s what you dancers do.. They dance for passion. They dance for artistic expression. It’s much more saddening that some of you give malicious meanings to what they’ve worked hard to do. [*coughs*] Aimee’s case all over again [*coughs*]…
YG & his artists have nice relationships with their dancers. (watch YG TV) Some of the noonas have been dancing for YG since se7en days.
——-
People should stop over-analyzing MVs… At the end of the day, MVs are produced to catch the masses attention. You’re watching them. You’re talking about them. You’re extracting messages from them. We might as well give these entertainment companies some props. They’re succeeding in catching everyone’s attention.
I think it is very important about the message that Kpop-idols send to their fans bc they are public figures who can reach multitudes, like politicians.
…….In this case, Top, GD and YGE send the message to their thousands of besotted girl-fans that sexual immorality is good – a New Age philosophy of the West. Besotted girl-fans will do whatever their boy-idols tell them to do bc they are in love with their idols. I think, the girl fan-cammer was practically having an orgasm watching Top’s MV.
__________________________
IMO,…….
Like I said b4, besotted girl-fans will defend their evil boy-idols, like GD, Lee Byunghun, etc, to the death.
…..And most of these besotted girl-fans are super jealous of successful idol girlgroups like SNSD, coz most of their male friends are in lust with SNSD, etc.
…..Boy-fans may be in lust, but they won’t defend their evil girl-idols like Hyuna, TEN, etc, to the death. Boy-fans can still keep their moral compass functioning.
Are SNSD promoting sexual immorality with their MVs or concerts ? … Compare them to Lady Gaga’s and Shakira’s MVs, to get what I mean.
…..I think their concept and image is the normal things that girls do to prettify their cute selves with make-up and nice dresses/attire, in order to attract boys to date/court them for marriage and family. Even birds do that during their mating season.
Boys will always lust after cute girls, no matter what they wear, even Islamic burqahs, bc sexual immorality happened even in ancient times when girls were fully covered. Mankind’s natural urge to procreate can’t be hindered by any kind of coverings, not even chastity belts. Hence, the billions of people on Earth, esp the poor.
The thing is, boys should discipline or control their natural sexual urges. They should do the lawful thing, ie date, get married, have sex = children, family, and so on. Not play around with sexual immorality.
…..Girls should not use sex-in-bed/car to attract boys to date them. It is important that they marry the right boy coz it will be hell for them if they marry the wrong one.
In conclusion, girls should also carefully choose their boy-idol… ; )
bleh, no thanks =/
he looks and sounds just like GD, tbh. and there’s a reason why i’m not a GD fan LOL
the only difference is, TOP doesn’t try too hard =P
the position reminds me of JYP concert promo poster.. lol
lol, feministbeats? Really? Because of one article?
I understand the arguments you guys are proposing but they don’t hold up when all you’re basically saying “Oh well there’s worse stuff” “Oh well, it’s artistic etc etc”
First, of course there is worse stuff, but I’m talking about this specific instance. Of course this is something that happens all the time but that’s why seeing it again is a problem. It’s everywhere and TOP is just adding to it.
“They’re older, mature unlike SNSD and Hyunah etc.” They’re older yeah, I’m not saying anything is wrong with sexuality, TOP is sexy as hell and I have no problem with that. But the way the women, specifically, are presented in this is not as people, regardless of age. They’re objects. Hence, the big word objectification.
“This is highly artistic.” No, it’s not. It looks really pretty and it’s in black and white, that’s not really grounds from some highly artistic expression. TOP is expressing an age old hip-hop image “money, cars, women, I own/control them all”
Once again, I love TOP and I like this song, but the mv, though sexy still has that as a main issue. Sorry if I insulted your intellectual ability to enjoy the mv but I’m not saying it’s not enjoyable, I’m saying there’s a problem with the way women are portrayed.
You insulted my intellectual ability when you used words with more than 7 letters. But, It’s okay I forgive you :D
the women are not half naked and there is no grinding going on. i don’t see what’s so horrible about it. they’re just dancing.
but do you know what he’s saying? because if he is actually saying i own these things or anything like that then i’ll agree with you. but if the mv is just random then it looks more artistic than just objectification of women.
Big Bang’s “number one” objectified women, this one i’m not so sure about.
if being half-naked and having grinding are the only reasons that constitute the objectification of women to you… all i have to say is LoL
no it doesn’t. i just don’t see what’s so wrong about the video. it’s random, girls are dancing. the only thing i have a problem with is playing the girl’s back and the shooting of the 3 female silhouettes.
but it doesn’t matter. more than likely the vid will be banned anyways. but why are people blaming top? did he direct the video? if not, then blame the video director.
yeah i’m posting again. i’m not saying the video is okay but since it will probably be banned, people won’t see it that often. to tell the truth, i understand what you all are saying but this is not the worst i’ve seen and i never even thought about it after watching it (maybe growing up with worse stuff has desensitized me). I think Jinusean’s Phone Number is one of the worst as far as kpop videos go in objectifying women. i still think this is more artistic than just straight up objectification.
I’m currently taking up art studies. You know, the first thing the prof tells you is that art is in the eye of the beholder.. I don’t want to get technical with it, so I’ll leave it like that..
——
“”This is highly artistic.” No, it’s not. It looks really pretty and it’s in black and white, that’s not really grounds from some highly artistic expression. ”
Who are you to tell?
Art is in the eye of the beholder, right?
In my eyes it’s not high artistic expression. Not to say that Big Bang videos haven’t been artistic before. This is just not one of them.
But that’s not really my argument here anyway. Let’s say it was high art, that hasn’t stopped artistic and beautiful things from being offensive in the past. “Birth of a Nation”, amazing movie, racist as a mofo.
I see where you are comming from, and I partially agree. There are lots of highly sexualized women in the video. But maybe it’s just my person preference but the lack of skin and actual people to people grinding makes it seem much more visual than sexual to me. I was not really surprised to see this kind of video from TOP, he’s a rapper and this is an age old rapper formula.
then again a lot of his personality comes out in the MV as well. Actor vs. Musican… BINGU TOP… weird ass dancing.. BearBricks etc. While this isn’t the worse example of sexualization out there it is definitely there. I wish there was a translation because I’m really interested to see if the song is as sexual as the MV (but GD still has TOP beat when it comes to sexin up songs secretly)
I actually REALLY enjoyed the video…
I think there is a double standard going on here though.
Yes, he has women dancing all over him in this video…but look at girl groups such as Kara (butt shaking) and Hyuna (pelvic thrust)…those girls are actually YOUNGER than these backup dancers and are the ones little girls look up to….
illdielaughing you’re back!!!
i think youre making something out of nothing…its not like they were dancing around butt naked, this video is cleaner than a lot of other rap videos out there. its a decent video…and for some reason TOP reminded me of Jimmy Fallon o.0
i totally get what you are saying… i mean, i think TOP’s MV would have been fabulous if it had just been a close up of him on the screen doing his thing (rapping and looking gorgeous).
i think my main objection with this video when i saw the secret fancam footage was that he just really didn’t have to go there and have the sexy ladies. that’s all. i’m sure there are a million and one sexy ways to have depicted this and would love to see them in the future. yay TOP-you sexy beast!!!!!!!
I completely agree with you. I watched the MV because, well, TOP is handsome and talented…but I stopped after two minutes after watching him “playing” that girl.
Thank you for pointing this out. Young girls should not believe that it’s okay to be treated as an object, regardless of whether or not the guy is good-looking.
not trying to hate but i kinda feel ur overreacting nad blowing it out of proportion. more or less this vid was just fan service with it’s over the top style…
YES YES YES!!! thank you so much for your courageous post. art is meant to be analyzed and i am so glad that you pointed out the blatant female objectification and occidentalism in the mv. your post was simply exercising your right to critical thinking. reactionaries would suggest otherwise; claiming “overreaction” or blowing things out of proportion. meanwhile such individuals passively consume media w/o realizing that each medium includes the artists’, corporations’, hegemonic ruling class’, or discourse’s subjectivities and personal biases.
to briefly buttress your own arguments:
(1) imagery of women being shot!! of course, they’re simply cardboard cutouts, but the message is clear. these are still violent images. to minimize the effects of such images simply relegates the real problems of domestic violence (esp. in neo-confucian cultures) to dark corners and enable violence against women (jyp is also problematic: just out grand narrative’s blog).
(2) playing the white dancer like an instrument and “object.” this dancer is no longer human!!! she simply slings her long hair around and becomes a play thing for TOP. furthermore, her presence in the video is solely to express sexuality. The korean dancers are not allowed the same “agency”. instead the directors of this video are using the white dancer to further stifle/disallow the expression of sexuality from the non-white dancers. creating a dichotomy. once again we see korean women essentialized and put into a tongue-in-cheek asexual box, while hypersexualizing “foreign” women. and any expression of sexuality becomes negated or chastised for being promiscuous, slutty, or any number of hurtful words infused with gender politics (enabling lolita complexes, but that deserves its own post) furthermore, their faces are partially or fully covered. dehumanizing their presence to mere “ornaments” instead of subjects or dancers!
(3) voyeurism!!! heterosexual male gaze anyone!!! (laura mulvey’s essay) the camera lens is taking on the heterosexual male perspective and naturally this perspective is implanted onto the audience in the act of “watching.” mulvey states that “pleasure” is derived from such images regardless of the individual orientation of the viewer. this becomes problematic when “pleasure” is packaged to the audience in a certain way without the viewer’s knowledge. for example, i may find TOP sexy but in no way is the exploitation of women’s bodies (for some corporate adjusshi’s pleasure) sexy .
(4) there’s nothing wrong with feminism: it’s simply asking for equality among genders. let’s not forget that korean women make significantly less than their male counterparts and are given less access to the workforce. korea is rank like 63 on the un’s list for women’s equality.
(5) double standard in TOP’s portrayal. (1)He barely moves and if he does: it’s his f’n eyebrows. (2)he is fully clothed at all times (even with a fluffy bathrobe in the coffeecup/bath tube). the mv is problematic b/c of the way TOP is being marketed to both young men and women. he;s suppose to be “baller” in a Hugh Hefner kind of way. as if being an objectifying, heterosexual playboy is the only way to express mature masculinity. and young women are getting the impression that one needs to subjugate one’s own body to compete for the attention of a male interest. (of course, i am assuming that each person consumes media the same way. but interpretations are the product of discourse and not always individual intentions)
(6) there’s nothing wrong with shaking one’s hips or grinding up on someone if one does it within one’s free accord. this is known as expression. let’s not kid ourselves by denying the existence of teenage sexuality. but i find it awfully insidious when sexuality is hidden under the guise of coyness.
with that said, i’m extremely excited to see how yg will market TOP’s image!! from the video, i imagine they are working on a more mature…product…if you will. they might actually let him speak now in interviews and on shows. (TOP had a much bigger public voice when they first debuted, which has since been reduced).
p.s. stay strong gurl!!! don’t let negative comments keep you from speaking your mind!
Great insight… but dumb it down for me next time yea? the last sentence was perfect though. I felt you were educated and made clear thoughts then you busted out the gurl and threw me for a loop.
Completely right on all counts. Practically nothing else needs to be said, lol.
kpop in general likes to objectify women. Boy groups sings songs and have images where their women are submissive and meek but are totally sexy and willing (hey thar TOP).
Whereas girl bands often sing songs about being objectified, submissive and making themselves up to be hot for their lovely oppa (OH OH OH oppa saranghae~)
Korea (and Asia) is still very male dominated so I’m not surprised, just frustrated.
oh wow…i didn’t notice any of this until you pointed it out!
i see where youre coming from and some of it, i do agree! but this doesnt make me love TOP any less! hahaha
he still oozes sexiness! :D hes hot, the song is dope, the way the video was made is damn sexy. so i dont really have any negative things to say about it.
its not just TOP, its the music intustry in general, in the US and in Korea. here, the videos are even worse. but again. i understand what youre saying!
what you’re talking about is everywhere in pop culture, unfortunately
i think this video actually doesn’t too just too bad of a job of it, it’s more random than anything. the girls in the video aren’t really oozing sex appeal with their dance moves (that could be opinion though), it’s more like random. i’m not sure how to describe it, but as a guy when i see the video and i see the girls i don’t think “oh those girls are hot” i think “lol what the random, that’s cool”
Two words…Tip Drill.
Until you’ve seen that MV, I don’t think we can say much about this video. TOP’s version of objectification is cotton candy and fluffy puppies compared to Tip Drill.
OMG TIP DRILL!! LMAO
That music video is so disgusting. I lost ALL respect for Nelly when I saw that. yuck.
But again, just because something else i worse that doesn’t mean what I’m talking about is faultless.
Thanks a lot now I’m going to have nightmares about that MV all over again. Mentioning that is worse than mentioning The Game.
I agree with you completely. I couldn’t finish watching this MV the first time i saw it and i still can’t finish watching it. I also agree with the viewers when they say that technically the video isn’t as bad as the other stuff out there.
I like the song and think TOP looks amazing but i’m not really comfortable with the very classic hip hop- pimp- with a group of girls around him. Yes they aren’t scantily clad, but it still seems like their being treated like objects. Not exactly sexual objects but objects nevertheless. Yes hyuna’s dance and other girl groups are perpetuating the image of women as sex symbols but that is NOT THE SAME THING AS OBJECTIFICATION….which is what illdielaughing is talking about.
Actually, i think the reason this MV bothers me so much is because i’m a huge Big Bang and TOP fan and the fact that he’s projecting this image kinda disappoints me. I know that TOP doesn’t a huge choice on the stuff he does and it’s more of what the agency/ director thinks will garner more attention and this definitely doesn’t mean that i will stop supporting TOP.
fucking feminists.
i’m glad he made this video
reminds me of the old school Jinusean videos
I think you’re just overanalyzing it!..just enjoy the music, the vid and Top’s hotness..kekeke?
And yet you guys are complaining when netizens blow things out of proportion? You’re doing it right now. I saw nothing wrong with the MV. I think you’re just OVER ANALYZING it. like people are saying, just enjoy the music and video. gosh, people are always having something to complain about.
YG Entertaiment has always been inspired by American hip hop, from Jinusean to the earlier BIGBANG. And TOP is a former underground rapper. So, it is fairly natural that they decided to shoot a music video like this. And i do not think that only Yang Hyun Suk and the big ones decided to do this… even TOP might have had an hand in all this. We all know that YG artists have a lot of freedom, compared to the ones of the other companies, and it is fairly obvious that both TOP and Teddy composed the track and maybe gave the basic lines for this MV. They are just saying: “Look, we have not forgotten our roots. We are still hip hop, and TOP is still TEMPO deep inside”. I see nothing degrading in this MV, just a sort of return to YG’s and TOP’s hip hop days. The dancers are only doing their job, and it does not really mean YG, or TOP, think that of women. In fact, YG’s girl group, 2NE1, has a “tough girl” image that is not degrading at all, and their female artists are treated just like their male ones. TOP’s MV is just a very cool return to hip hop, YG’s and TOP’s key genre. And i like it.
Nina’s back and with one article managed to start a heated debate on the objectification of women in whole entertainment industry…..YOU GO GIRL. Lol.
Welcome back, goodness I’ve missed you!
Very nice piece. TOP’s MV is definitely getting it’s fair amount of coverage from kpop lovers. I agree that there is definitely objectification going on in that MV. I was a bit uncomfortable at how he “handled” women and not in the
“oh I’m a jealous fan girl” kind of way. It’s definitely not as racy as some American MVs but it’s sending out a not so good message to younger fans. We all know that many VIPs are young. That’s why GD got into hot water with his concert and the explicit scenes there. Its ok to have dancing whether sexy or not in MVs but there must be some sort of context or role (like in Look Only at Me where there definitely was a bit of sexy dancing but as back-up dancers/partners).In TOP’s mv, it was like they were literally objects/playthings just there for his enjoyment/pleasure. TOP was like a pimp lol. For fans who are young and impressionable, this sends a message that it’s ok to be objectified by guys you like. To guys who watch this, it makes it look like it’s normal to objectify women. It also scares me that some VIPs might take it as a cue to be groupies in the worst sense of the word.
I sort of get why YG chose this strategy though. I think TOP’s image is sort of the manly/cool/bad ass guy who’s desired by women and envied by men. Sort of like how Taec is being marketed by JYP (minus the tearing of shirts/going shirtless). If we look at TOP’s projects (IRIS, Into the Gunfire), his image is definitely manly and never cutesy. I think this is beneficial for Big Bang as a group since it makes them more likeable to a wider set of demographics. Because of TOP’s presence in the group, I for one think they’re a lot cooler than most other idols.
Anyway, I think that this officially signals the return of Big Bang to the KPOP scene which makes me excited as hell! When they return, I’m sure it’s with a more mature image. I hope they go back to their hip hop roots and sell as well. 2010 will be Big Bang’s year.
next stop: “dancing” on a vertical bed…LOL or maybe a spider web!
girls are going crazy just by watching him move his eyebrows around??
if i can diagnose this as a new mutated form of crazy, i’ll be filthy RICH. not even kidding.
ill give top credit for actually being able to rap…
but the song was crap.
the mv was crap.
and he can’t dance for shizz (sorry but its true)…unless prancing around on his toes like a diva and doing the “flopping fish out of water” is considered dancing…i dont even want to go there….
Alright, so since you’ve already analyzed the video to a tee, I’ll simply add this.
Where did the “white” women come in? All I saw was asian. [although it's beside the point]
And to continue some analysis.
The second video, he was definately performing “As if Nothing’s Wrong” I don’t need a whole clip with good audio to spot that one. ^^
Yes I do pride myself on being an over-obsessed, bat shiet, crazy fangirl… thank you.
And a final note… Yes, he is hot…♥
“and he can’t dance for shizz (sorry but its true)…unless prancing around on his toes like a diva and doing the “flopping fish out of water” is considered dancing…i dont even want to go there….”
Sorry, I saw this and had to add,
No matter how much we love TOP, we all know he can’t dance. It’s just one of those things, like that one cousin no one likes to talk about. Although I do like to think it’s kind of cute when he decides to try^^
nobody says he can dance great … even TOP himself and those at YG admit that he is not a good dancer. i love his ‘dancing’ in the MV … it makes the MV so much more interesting and entertaining.
by the way … i guess it’s fair to say also that those who wiggle their butt, raise their legs up and down, left and right and do all those stupid movements in the name of being cute or sexy are not dancing either.
I couldn’t agree more with your analysis. Well done. This MV makes me extremely uncomfortable, and I hate the message it’s sending to young female fans. TOP is great. This MV isn’t.
lol this thread for this post is crazy, such long replys from almost everyone…but I guess everyone is allowed to voice their opinion.
but I got to say that I have just recently started to notice T.O.P and and very thankful for this mv because he’s just soo damn hot in it.
however, the main beat sounds kinda like swizzbeat’s it’s me snitches, and/or maybe something else.
it seems familiar
illdielaughing, THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU!!!
I hear exactly where you are coming from and feel this article is extremely well written.
I saw this video when it first appeared on Youtube and right off the bat I had a problem with it, namely the constant gender objectification. Don’t get me wrong, I love TOP and Big Bang, but I am not going to defend their actions to the death or make excuses for aspects I dislike about their music videos, etc. So I was really hoping Seoulbeats would explore this music video and not just sugar coat over it because it’s TOP, which you have done!!! :)
I agree %100 with your opinions on this music video and couldn’t have expressed it better myself.
P.S – ROFL @ “Flopping Fish Out of Water” dance that amused me to no end…