Trauma: Kpop Industrial Complex

Explicit content warning

02/10/20 • 83 min

Trigger Warning: Death, Sexual Assault On October 14th 2019, Choi Jinri, popularly known as Sulli from f(x), committed suicide. The same day, one of her good friends, Goo Hara of KARA, went on Instagram live citing her own struggles with mental health. On November 24th, Hara committed suicide. they were both 25 and 28, respectively. Earlier in the summer, Jeon Mi Seon, a character actress featured in many Korean dramas also committed suicide. She was 49. I only hope they rest in power. Korea’s rate of suicide is around 27.3 per 100,000 people according to a 2014 survey. It has the second highest suicide rate of a country in the developed world. Suicide is the number cause of death in people ages 10-39. As most countries, this seems to affect the most vulnerable in Korea and the elderly, people in poverty, and minority groups carry the weight of this reality. In this series we’ll be free falling into some traumatic topics in kpop so if that’s that shit you’re not tryna, hear proceed with caution. In episode 1, we’re focused on spectacles and narratives in kpop that burst through the seams and draw global attention to the medium. Suicides, abuses of power & people, and all other tragic events publicized. We want to interrogate the importance of these narratives and the way they’re misconstrued and misrepresented. The orientalization of Koreans and the dehumanizing nature of western reports. The systems of power that generate the kpop industrial complex and how spectacle is reported plays a part in keeping this system intact. Pop culture is often a reflection of the larger culture that surrounds it. A giant mirror that reflects everything shiny and obscures anything undesirable. Where there are deaths of prominent pop culture figures the rest of country takes a lot of this on and always with higher stakes. Unfortunately this is most people’s intro to kpop, and we’re here to demystify the gps views around these events and hopefully humanize these humans. Wheeeeeeeeew wish us luck... Sources: Regarding the Pain of Others | Susan Sontag On Photography | Susan Sontag The Formal Economy as Patriarchy: Vandana Shiva’s Radical Vision The East Light Megathread *~Music this Episode~* Trauma | SEVENTEEN 하루살이 (dayfly) ft. Sulli, Rad Museum | Dean Follow Us: KPop Critical Twitter Instagram Catrina Cash App: $catrinajk https://www.instagram.com/catnastee/ Morgan Cash App: $mrgnhayes https://www.instagram.com/mrgnhayes.co.uk/ "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for -fair use- for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

Previous Episode

2020: No More Dumb, Just Women's Rights

Oh my god!! We’re back lmfaoooooo. Today, 잊지 못할 ladies ladies ladies night! We talk the last of the old decade and first drops of the new decade, except only the drops from women. We rollercoaster into Irene’s head and talk Reve Festival Finale teas, hags and gals, and fit a little Loona in as well. We also talk about Chen and the non-celebrity love of his life. Before I go! We'd love for you guys to help us out with our next big three episode. Submit to this survey and you might be interviewed for an upcoming episode: https://tinyurl.com/kpopcform *~Music this Episode~* Eyes Locked, Hands Locked (눈 맞추고, 손 맞대고) | Red Velvet Psycho | Red Velvet 내게 들려주고 싶은 말 (Dear Me) | Taeyeon Psycho (Demo) | Cazzi Opeia In & Out | Red Velvet Jumpin' | Red Velvet Sunny Side Up! | Red Velvet 멋있게 (Sassy Me) | Red Velvet Really Bad Boy | Red Velvet Sweater | Ailee 365 | LOOΠΔ 이달의 소녀 (LOONA) Mini Album "#" # | LOOΠΔ So What | LOOΠΔ Thumbs Up | Momoland Take A Hike | Jiyeon 7th Element | Vitas Starry Night (feat. Crush) | BoA Black | BoA 보여 (Think About You) | BoA Butterfly | BoA +처음으로(REWIND)170205+ | CL 花요일 (Blooming Day) | CBX 우리 어떻게 할까요? (Shall We?) | Chen Follow Us: KPop Critical Twitter Instagram Catrina Cash App: $catrinajk https://www.instagram.com/catnastee/ Morgan Cash App: $mrgnhayes https://www.instagram.com/mrgnhayes.co.uk/ "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for -fair use- for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

Next Episode

Bump SHINee

In which Morgan compares SHINee to Beyoncé and the Jackson 5... lightly... and forgets to talk about Key's Forever Yours Shinee way for life we don’t know ANY other way... so this starts off a series of episodes dedicated to groups we stanning. We're gonna do more like these as we go and we needed Shinee to be the first of the girls. Who was doing it like them? Ever? Second generation had to show up to show out and Shinee really ran with it... To paint a picture, we’re talking the year 2008. Tik Tok was only a Kesha single. EXO was only a dream in LSM’s head, NCT were still in the womb... Shinee was passed down the crown from TVXQ. To excel, at one point or another, at facets of vocals, dancing, variety, live performance, and popularity with such skill and grace without question? For each member to have range in so many different arenas of entertainment??? Minho (nations trade) Korea’s own Boy Scout... Taemin straight-bisexual king of stable vocals and limber dancing... Onew... voice of an angel, charismatic actor, all around funny bitch... Jonghyun... nation's composer/producer/vocalist paving the way for self producing idols, and Kim Kibum... true cuntess and dynamic pop icon. When it comes to Shinee, we really don’t give a fuck what a bitch has to say about me I know wtf I said and didn’t say. There are so many different things Shinee accomplished throughout their careers it's impossible to go through it singlehandedly. There is so much to love about their dynamic, the variety material they’ve given us, and even the glimpses of their regular degular selves. Shinee came up in an era of kpop that withstood previous trends and continues to inspire each continuing generation. In every facet of kpop, Shinee has revolutionized styling, choreography, musicality, and onward. In the most bizarre but incomparable ways??? (Source: All of 2008-18.) They’ve offered such present and engaging performances and a piece of themselves for the public’s sake. There is literally only so much we can SAY. Shinee is so famous and popular, now all we can do is show why we’re stans. When I see Shinee, I see a dedicated group of entertainers coming together and harmonizing for the greater GOOD. People who’ve endured. Like Jay Park said: "Shinee is the best kpop group they have it all: talent, character, stage presents, bops, adversity." We talking our Shinee shit, simple. Their history and legacy in kpop is in a narrow lane. Shawol world forever ⬆️!!️ *~Music this Episode~* Stranger (Live) | SHINee Shinee in the car singing Tik Tok I’m Home (그래) | Minho Famous | Taemin Press Your Number | Taemin Replay (샤이니 '누난 너무 예뻐) | SHINee Lucifer | SHINee A-Yo | SHINee Up & Down | SHINee Hello | SHINee Ring Ding Dong | SHINee Sherlock (Clue + Note) (셜록) | SHINee Clue | SHINee Note | SHINee Alarm Clock (알람시계) | SHINee Spoiler (스포일러) | SHINee Dream Girl | SHINee Dynamite (다이너마이트) | SHINee Punch Drunk Love | SHINee Why So Serious? | SHINee Orgel | SHINee Evil | SHINee Excuse Me Miss | SHINee Queen of New York (빗 속 뉴욕) | SHINee Odd Eye | SHINee Woof Woof | SHINee View | SHINee She Is (좋아) | Jonghyun Moon | Jonghyun Cocktail | Jonghyun White T-Shirt | Jonghyun Rewind | Jonghyun Beach 2k20 | Robyn Danger (괴도) | Taemin Married to the Music | SHINee Trigger | SHINee Soldier | Taemin 1 of 1 | SHINee Shift | SHINee Feel Good | SHINee Don’t Let Me Go (투명 우산) | SHINee U Need Me | SHINee Tell Me What to Do | SHINee Move | Taemin Thirsty | Taemin Flame of Love | Taemin Grease (기름때) | Jonghyun Before Our Spring (우린 봄이 오기 전에) | Jonghyun Good Evening (데리러 가) | SHINee I Want You | SHINee Jump | SHINee All Day All Night | SHINee Lock You Down | SHINee Good Evening (Japanese Ver.) | SHINee Countless | SHINee Follow Us: @kpop_critical_