Socio-Cultural
20110512_seoulbeats_Victoria

Aegyo isn’t Always Cute

43
Written by On May 12, 2011

f(x)’s Victoria is gorgeous.

I think she’s one of the prettiest women in KPOP in fact. However, there have been moments when Victoria has downright frightened me.

 

Please review at 2:43

And now with the recently released Caribbean Bay photos,I think I understand why.

Aegyo is the Korean word that represents a cute, innocent, and yet vivacious charm. SNSD’s “Gee” is essentially an aegyo overdose. Now, aegyo can be charming, even though it has been known to get a bad rap on the international KPOP fandom circuit. But it really depends on the individual. In my experience, I have found aegyo endearing when coming from children, when in moderation, and when done delicately. Do I think Victoria pulls this off? No.

I’ve always thought that Victoria’s beauty came from her classic, beautiful, radiant features. So when she does the whole ‘aegyo’ thing, honestly, it can be terrifying. Visually, she looks like a murderous doll and personally, it just comes off as fake and annoying.

But she’s not the only female idol who uses aegyo and uses it in a manner that can turn off fans. She is one example of many, in fact. Having been a fan of KPOP for many years, I have noticed the trend and though I don’t believe aegyo is the devil’s whisper, sometimes I become confused when women who can’t pull it off committ to such appeals.

I understand why aegyo is appealing. The culture values youth and acting in such a manner is youthful. But if it doesn’t suit a woman, is it still valuable? If it doesn’t suit her, does that put her under more pressure to act in such a manner?

(miyouns)

 

Related Posts

TAGS: ,
  • Hm

    No video?

    • Hm

      Aegyo is only acceptable for anyone under 16, after that it’s just sad.

      • jamie

        in Korea it’s different. I work with a 40 something Korean women who still talks like a 5 year old and does aegyo all the time. She’s lovely and all…it’s just cultural difference between the east and west.

      • tai

        I feel the same way. I know it is a cultural difference, it look inappropriate on anyone over 11 to me. but we can agree to disagree and I can respect the difference.

  • Zero

    Aegyo for me is for teens or girls that look like teens but when you mature like a lot like most of SNSD or Vic then no.

    If that it doesn’t make sense like girls from J idols groups are actually younger then they look physically so they can pull it effortlessly cuz they look 13, unlike Korean ones who grow normally

    I know weird reasoning

    • kpopboi

      LOL. Go to Korea and you see full grown men getting whipped by their girlfriends through the power of aegyo. in the middle of the street in broad daylight. in public. IN PUBLIC. . IN PUBLIC. Its kinda a ‘you have to be Korean from Korea to really undestand it’ kinda thing. I’m Korean but born and raised in Australia so I fucking hate aegyo. Unless is a girl going down on me. Too much info. I know.

  • NN

    I so agree with this article, her aegyo scares me

  • Merewen

    At first I couldn’t figure out what they were doing. Once it became clear, then it became weird and irritating. Ugh. It’s like a 40 year old trying to botox her way back to 16. It’s even worse when the guys do it.

  • fifi

    this, i have to agree. some people are just not meant for aegyo. i find it especially annoying for vic to talk with aegyo when i think she’d be more appealing talking in a lady-like manner.

  • jo

    meh. never found her attractive

  • kc

    she’s even said she’s not very good at acting cute, and I mean some girls have it and other don’t… I mean I’m sure every girls attempted some cuteness, I mean I’ve caught my self talking in an overly sugerific voice when normally I strike people as a “lone wolf” type of person, I think it’s just genetically implanted into our psyche’s… that and SM is directing it’s idols actions so cute or sexy, nothing else (Unless you’re Amber… I think they’re still a bit confused on how they should have her act…)

  • socket

    forget victpria. amber is all around creepy

  • jyyjc

    whoa..that part in the mv is quite scary..

  • Emeldy

    I cannot stand Ayego male or female. It’s just so Fake.

  • Nana

    I don’t think she can choose to deny the act of aegyo because she probably is asked to do it by her company or the company who hired her.

  • Aya

    aahh..victoria is pretty ^^, i dont get her or any other aegyo, though

  • jamie

    With Victoria, I know her agyeo is an act, probably set up by her company. She’s previously said that she was quite a blunt and unfeminine person who even talked like a guy back when she was in China. In fact, she’s from Shangdong, if girls acted cutesy there, they’d probably be smacked and told to snap out of it. Girls and guys alike are known to be bold and frank where she’s from. Probably explains why she looks so unnatural doing it. Still, her aegyoing is getting plenty of male Korean fans (who like their aegyo thank-you-very-much). I’m still a fan of her other attributes minus the cutesy, because at least she DOSE have more than just that.

  • huh

    I think aegyo is perfectly fine…..as long as you live in Korea! lol

    • eh

      LOL. A+

  • mango

    victoria’s alright. calm yourself.

  • eh

    Maybe she’s doing what the masses demand, and it’s not coming off right because it’s not second-nature to her? Though that moment in the clip, looks like she’s about to eat a pig that’s still alive.

  • JW

    Contrast with Amber, yes, indeed too much aegyo.
    But with other fx members? she is actually not that high on the my list when it comes to acting cute (sulli…cough..cough*)

  • http://atrapforfools.tumblr.com Elle

    I love her awkward-ness, lol.
    But yeah I like aegyo in moderation. But as an f(x) fan, I don’t think f(x) as a whole are particularly talented at it lmao.

  • blahblahblah

    imo aegyo is most charming/appealing when it’s done unintentionally…because to me it feels more natural,. when it’s done on purpose, it just comes across as fake and irritating.

  • asianromance

    Some people can rock the aegyo and some can’t. And that is just one video. If you had watched her in We Got Married, you can see flashes of her strong, blunt personality. You can tell if they really got married, she’ll be wearing the pants. I guess aegyo doesn’t come naturally to her.

  • Marj

    I love aegyo and I love Victoria… but together, I agree that they’re a bigggg no. I don’t think it suits her at all, but she keeps trying it out! It’s sometimes cringe worthy when you watch WGM, and when you see her trying to so cutely pose for selcas/pictures… oh Victoria :S

  • earbeard

    i heard her manager told her to be more feminine and cute. but i wish he didn’t because it is sort of annoying. i like her though but i hate stopping every video of hers because of the aegyo.

  • Pingback: An Ode to Aegyo and Princess Disease? Bubble Pop! (버블팝) by HyunA (현아) – Lyrics, Translation, and Explanation. « The Grand Narrative

  • Ef3LIO

    I don’t see why so many people are against it…. Stay young!! Being playful and acting a little younger than you are brings a sense of youth. You don’t always have to act your age and be completely mature just because you’ve aged. That’s just boring.. Stay young at heart! Life’s funner when your young! <3

    :D

  • Cyphers

    Hmm, I think the best, strongest example of aegyo is Sunny from SNSD, when she does it you’ll see examples of natural cuteness but also of affected cuteness when she puts an act on. Quite educational watching her do all kinds of different sorts of aegyo, to learn what it is and how aegyo can be done.
    I frankly don’t know any other KPop artist who is as good in various forms of aegyo as she is.

  • anonymous

    I think it’s just a weapon for women to emotionally manipulate men with so that they get what they want in this male dominated culture.

  • Pingback: Aegyo, Oppas, and Dirty Old Men | SEOULBEATS

  • Pingback: cool caravans

  • Pingback: best guest beds

  • Pingback: slots for iphone

  • Pingback: Buy Facebook Fans

  • Anonymous

    Great post!  I just wrote about this also and stumbled across this one to see what others were saying about the topic.

    http://masirjones.blogspot.com/2011/12/few-reasons-why-men-prefer-asian-women.html
    Aegyo is what really differentiates Korean (or Asian women) over other ethnicities out there.  It should be embraced and not lambasted.  All the women I’ve dated (Asian and non-Asian alike) have shown me their aegyo side at one point or another.  It’s attractive and makes your heart melt.  If you’re some androgynous, powerhouse chick like Rihanna, you’re probably going to hate aegyo. Oh well, haters are gonna hate.

    If you can’t pull it off, no big deal. Capitalize on your strengths being overtly sexual, butchy or feminazi. Do what you do best soliciting how you’re an independent woman who doesn’t need a man to support her in any way, shape or form. It’ll save us a lot of time from wanting to holler at you.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_TZSWF6Q3MGJIL5BSJ4F5BC7GSQ Jinny Binny

      What utter nonsense. You’re a femnazi if you don’t like to act stupidly cute for the whole world to see?
      I hope you don’t take your own words seriously, because that’s just pitiful and SAD.

  • Pingback: triactol

  • Pingback: womens clothing

  • Pingback: Mobile Games

  • Pingback: Back Acne Treatment

  • Pingback: Secret’s Hyosung is Too Old to Act Young | seoulbeats