You probably have seen the familiar image of a Korean man in a horse-galloping stance before.
For those living under a rock, “Gangnam Style” was a viral K-pop music video that blew up in popularity in 2012, riding on the tailwind of other dance trends (e.g., Whip and Nae Nae). Fans worldwide, even “K-pop haters”, rejoiced in what seemed like a catchy, trendy song–it became a gateway to Korean culture.
But that’s on the surface. Gangnam Style is beyond a viral song; it is ingrained with subtle allusions to criticisms of Korean culture and society. Gangnam Style underscores how false illusions of wealth distract Koreans from debt-ridden reality and blind their moral values, leading them, for example, to objectify women.
Perhaps Gangnam Style’s purpose is not just to be a song but more of a lesson that exposes the hollow human tendency to appeal to others despite suffering themselves. I ask you to consider: this form of civic engagement reached billions, but did the lesson come through?
Thank you.
Photo: Gangnam Style // Youtube
This is a really good civic artifact! Not only because it’s well-known and popular among audiences of all ages, but because it has a deeper meaning to it that calls for the viewer to actually think about the piece of media they’re consuming. I personally never realized that Gangnam Style was a critique of Korean society, but now that you mention it, I can see from the music video alone that PSY was trying to make a point about the wealthy with his song. This kind of proves your point as well, since I never noticed Gangnam Style as anything more than a fun song until its “hidden” meaning was brought up by someone else. Good work!