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Sex, Sensibility and the Bottom Line: Evolving Images of Women in Korean Soju...
Watching one of Lotte’s commercials for its new Cheoum Cheoreom Cool (처음처럼 쿨) soju dozens of times…as one does…then many thoughts come to mind, but that it is being effectively marketed towards women...
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Korean Photoshop Disaster #4: NOBODY’S Perfect!
Probably both a driving force and reflection of the increasing amount of male objectification in the Korean media since last year, then you may have noticed that female authors and commenters on K-pop...
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Korean Sociological Image #49: Lee Hyori has an Asian Bottom?
Well, bottom half of her body to be precise. But then she is Korean after all, so what on Earth does that make her top half? Western, according to her. And while she’s quite happy with that at least,...
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Studying Korean Social Issues Can Be Fun…
(Sources: left, right) And using manhwa (만화), or Korean cartoons, is a good place to start. Sadly, my favorite “grown-up” comic-book poptoon (팝툰) sold its last edition back in March, but there’s lot’s...
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(K)Pop Art는?
(Sources: left, right) What comes to mind when you hear that Korean(?) cosmetic brand Clio (클리오) hosts a biennial Clio Cosmetic Art exhibition? That it sounds more like a brand tie-in than a genuine...
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Korean Sociological Image #65: First Commercial to Positively Feature a...
(Source) Turn on a Korean TV, and you won’t be waiting long before you see a commercial with a Korean man in a relationship with a non-Korean woman. But for a long time, I was only aware of one ever...
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Lee Hyori: Korean Pin-up Grrrl #1?
(Source) Out of all this week’s stories, up tomorrow in the Korean Gender Reader, probably one of the most important — but also the most under-appreciated — is the news that Lee Hyori (이효리) will no...
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Korean Gender Reader, November 24-30
(Source) Apologies to Psy’s die-hard fans, but I’ll be retiring the Gangnam Style section this week. After all, even my daughters are tired of it now, preferring to dance 10 times a weekend to Miss A’s...
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Off The Record: Lee Hyolee — Catch it while you can!
(Sources: left, right) Reading recent discussions about 2NE1tv and the BBC’s Idol, I was reminded of Lee Hyori’s endearing Off The Record series from 2008, which I’ve tried and failed to find online...
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Quick Hit: Squee!
(Source) From part of an email interview of me (and many other bloggers) at The Korea Blog last month: ….I actually kind of called him out as a Korea hater, which he rebutted thoroughly. Jon: Reading...
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The Sexiest Lee Hyori Dance Cover Ever…
(Source: Unknown) Introducing the Heterosexual-Homosexual Rating Scale for the first time, Kinsey once wrote: “Males do not represent two discrete populations, heterosexual and homosexual. The world is...
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“Fucking is Fun!”: Sexual Innuendos in Vintage Korean Advertising
(Source: Loading… 100%) Once upon a time, decent, honest Koreans wouldn’t stand for sex and nudity in their media. Gratuitous bikini models sparked outrage. Women had to appear demure and virginal in...
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Watching SPICA’s “Tonight” is an Awesome Teaching Moment About the Male Gaze....
Tonight has been interpreted as an uplifting, carefree song about female friendship, maybe even about a lesbian awakening. So why is the MV soo male-gazey? (All screenshot sources: Youtube)...
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Watching SPICA’s “Tonight” is an Awesome Teaching Moment About the Male Gaze....
(Source: Unknown) “The thing is, it’s patriarchy that says men are stupid and monolithic and unchanging and incapable. It’s patriarchy that says men have animalistic instincts and just can’t stop...
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Watching SPICA’s “Tonight” is an Awesome Teaching Moment About the Male Gaze....
Tonight is a strikingly sensuous MV about a time of freedom and female friendship. But to what extent is it undermined or enhanced by its many erotic moments? To what extent are those just plain sexual...
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Korean Gender Reader
Yes, Korean “gender” reader from now on, as despite the name my “feminist reader” posts were really always more on gender and sexuality issues rather than on feminist ones per se, although of course...
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Korean Sociological Image #17: Deconstructing the Ass Dance
A both compelling and rather confusing marketing campaign from Samsung, difficult to avoid on the Korean internet at the moment: The dancer is actress Han Hyo-joo (한효주), very popular because of her...
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