Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Response to October 29

The thing about the "Korean Wave" culture that struck me the most was the attitudes of the Korean Wave celebrities. There is such a large contrast between how they view their popularity and how many celebrities here in the United States view their popularity. In the video, as far as I can remember every time a Korean Wave star was interviewed, they always mentioned something about their country and their pride or love for their country. These Korean stars try to promote their country through their popularity, which is something that is not a familar concept in the United States. This contrast just continues to show that the Korean culture is much more of a collectivist culture, with the most emphasis on the country. In the United States, we are very much and individualistic culture, and our celebrities are a prime example of this. There is no attempt by them to try and promote America throughout the world-their motivation is purely for them as an individual. As the Korean Wave stars become more popular worldwide, however, I wonder how long they will retain this attitude of "country first" when they are being offered more jobs overseas.

1 comment:

  1. That is true. When watching one of the many award shows on television, you never see a celebrity walk up on stage and say anything related to their country. It is all about the fans and often, God.

    As I mentioned in my post, the only scene (that I have noticed) where celebrities and music artists refer to their country is in Country Music due to its' patriotic nature.

    However, celebrities may not say it when they walk on stage but their love for their country is shown in different ways (for example, through their music).

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