Thursday, October 4, 2012

Gangnam Style and other South East Asian Geekiness

I'm not exactly on the pace with youff culture having only recently developed an awareness of Gangnam Style which I originally thought was something to do with fashion. I can't say I've been horse dancing down the street ever since but I've checked the vid. out a couple of times.


So the idiot's guide (aimed at people like me) is that Gangnam Style is a dance song written and performed by Korean pop singer Park Jae Sung, better known as PSY.

It's topped the charts all over the world and the vid went seriously viral at the rate of 9 million views a day.  That's quite a lot. It's more than this blog, possibly.

So how come Korea has become cool all of a sudden? I guess that dictator died etc.

Or was that North Korea? Anyhow PSY isn't exactly a dude. He has the look of a pudgy computer programmer and dresses like a second rate Mariachi singer in a cheap Mexican hotel.

In fact his majestic uncoolness is the key to his success. There's cache in nerdiness these days. It seems the song was written as a satire on a blingy part of Seoul, which means little to me as I have no real conception of Seoul.

But I'm a fan of South East Asian nerdiness. I used to watch the crazy Japanese game shows as a kid and was rather partial to the British spoof comedy of Japanese game shows, Banzai.

Banzai featured a series of crazy characters like Mr. Shake Hands who would not let go of the hands of celebrities and my personal favorite Lady One Question, who would ask a celebrity one question in an interview and not follow up, leaving them dangling as in the case of a bemused Simon Cowell.



The show didn't get much exposure in the US. Asian American groups complained and it was pulled. It was big for a while in Canada. But then, so too was Celine Dion. The less said about that the better.

Place bets now.

17 comments:

  1. As I am very susceptible to 'ear worms' I am going to skip this vid because one of my friends mentioned how it's been stuck in her head. It's already taken me a week to get Call Me Maybe out of my head, only to be replaced by the theme to Big Bang Theory.

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    1. ha, ha JoJo - yes it does get stuck in one's ear...

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  2. Everywhere I look I see this Gangnam video. I don't have a clue why everyone thinks it is so great. It couldn't really have that many views, could it? I just don't get it.

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  3. I'm pretty sure that, deep down, it's a love song :-) BTW, I love the Spanish translation, the singer refers to himself as 'papi' a lot.

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    1. ya think Starla - well it could well be as I have no clue what it's about :)

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  4. I don't get it either (Gangnam video). Hmm, my mother didn't get Yellow Submarine.

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    1. for real Kittie - I still don't think my mother gets Yellow Submarine

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  5. I HATE THIS SONG.

    It disturbs me that music today is filled with these little random stupid jingles, that are insanely popular one day and gone the next. Like, that Friday song. Whatever happened to that girl? Nobody cares.

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    1. lol - say what you think Jen - I think random is the mantra for an increasingly distracted society

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  6. I don't get it. Maybe I'm getting old... ;)

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  7. Having watched that Gangnam vid, I find it hard to believe it may've gotten more hits than your blog. Sorry. That's humbling.

    And it was funny to see a bemused Simon.

    PS Thanks for your support.
    xoRobyn

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    1. least I can do Robyn - hope you are feeling better - I'd say Simon is better viewing than Gangnam Style

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  8. I am excited that I have actually heard of this! For once I am in the know! Just when we think humanity has come up with as many creative songs as they can, they always come up with something new...not necessarily good, but new!

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    1. tis and clearly you are way ahead of the curve Sandra :)

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  9. I saw him on Ellen teaching 'Brit-Brit-Ya'll' Spears how to do the dance and he said he likes 'To dress classy and dance nerdy.' There you have it.

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On Blog PTSD

Now then. What the heck. It seems I had forgotten about my blog completely rather than just neglecting it this time. To return after so long...