Pop Culture

Media messages are representations of the world. We depend on the media to understand our world and different cultures.

This statement is true, that the media represents the culture and the world. Which means, the people who are from totally different countries might get ideas(even though some stereotypes) based on the media. Because of that, we need to be conscious about our behaviors based on the media, which might harm and misrepresent our own culture and life. For example, there was one girl from a foreign country have told me that she had some stereotypes before she actually came to Korea because some of the Korean dramas are handling the episodes about early eras of Korea. Therefore she got stereotypes such as "Koreans still wear traditional clothing" or "They still have the traditional building all around", etc.

There could be some misunderstanding of my culture, therefore I always am conscious of my behavior on the social network service, such as Facebook, because my behaviors are being recorded on the system and everyone can see it.

It has to be the same in the pop culture, as the pop culture represents the basic culture of the society or community or even a country. Therefore people need to be conscious while being on the pop culture as it can be the basic information for the people who aren't familiar with.

Target audience

 https://swashleycreative.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/tomsspread_wired_for-web1.jpg

This advertisement is targeted for men, who are willing to hide their smell of sweat after playing sports with deodorants, therefore this advertisement is appealing for the need to achieve. It shows a cropped image of man; half of it is wearing a sports uniform and holding a dirty soccer ball, and the other half is wearing a black suit with a watch- which visually shows the effect of the deodorant: that it will hide any other messy smells and clear them to magically make other people that the man is neat and tidy, compared to what he actually looks like. This advertisement is using pathos as a way to persuade, to appeal to emotion that men want to smell nice to women. The idea that women like sportive men, however, they don't like their body odor. This advertisement is using that idea as the way to persuade.

Does advertisers have a moral duty to avoid stereotyping?

Advertisers use stereotypes of people to persuade. Because of that, the debate is becoming bigger that as a form of mass media, advertisement creators should have moral duty to avoid stereotyping people. In my personal opinion, I disagree this statement. The reason why the idea "advertisers should have the moral duty to avoid stereotyping people" is the size of mass media is huge, therefore it might give stereotypes to the consumers while they watch the advertisements. However, if the consumer gets stereotypes based on what they watched advertisements on YouTube or television, that is because of their gullible personality, not because of the advertisement. In that case, young children are more gullible then adults, therefore the duty is on adults around the children. For example, if some advertisement shows stereotype in their commercial and young kids have watched it, their parents have the duty to tell them the reason why the advertisers have used the stereotype to persuade, and tell them to not to have the stereotype because of the advertisement. However, this education at home is not working well. As kids are getting more closer to the mobile phones and SNS as time flews, they get more time using their devices then talking to their parents face to face. Because of that, children get easily exposed to stereotyped advertisements, and they also get stereotyped ideas in their mind. The worse thing is, if the stereotype gets recognized by younger age, it is easier to fix. However, as time goes, people tend to have more time on their devices compared to having conversations with people offline, therefore it becomes a vicious cycle. For example, now in South Korea, students who are between 14 to 18 are too much affected by the stereotyped commercials, now they think the ideal look of women are pale skin color, red lips, big eyes- especially they use colored contact lenses to make their pupils look bigger. Which leads to another bad vicious cycle, that teenagers don't have much money on their hands, they search for cheaper items, which doesn't have any information about health effects. 

Of course, the advertisers are the one who made the advertisement stereotyped, therefore they should be changing their commercials to not to be too stereotyped. However, as consumer's sight, the advertisements should be attractive, natural, and unaffected. Also, it has to be more attractive compared to other competitors, they need to create their commercial more stimulate and sensational. I personally tell my friends that commercials are made to convince you to buy their products, not to tell you the ideal type of people, therefore you all need to get more self-attachment and confidence about yourselves.

Gender inequality Advertisements

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvjUtU9viuc

This YouTube video contains 6 different advertisements that show gender roles in life due to gender stereotypes that women are the people who are housekeeping, and working as the housewives. Therefore those commercial easily shows women using their product due to creating familiarity. But gender roles are mostly quite not right as the ideas come from stereotypes of gender. Not only women are working at home and cleaning, men also belong to housework. In Korea, this kind of gender roles were more serious issue coming through 21st century, because as most of the Asian countries do, due to Confucian ideas, some aged people still have idea that men are better than women, and women need to stay at home looking after the kids, be housewife and men are the people who are mainly getting profit for the family as the idea of men are in higher class compared to women. However, since the beginning of 21st century, people started thinking of both women and men are equal and there are no differences between anyway.

What commonalities/differences exist between your chosen advertisements in terms of how gender is presented?
In my personal opinion, this advertisement was created with gender role which is an old type stereotype in the society- that women only do the housework and men are not. However, as time flew, people's perspective has been changed, which led to the idea of women also can work outside the house, men also can do housework and look after the kids. But, women are the people who bear babies and easily gets most of the responsibilities while looking after the baby at home. That caused the stereotype that women are the people who work in-house.

What do your chosen ads reveal about how your industry/product is marketed to consumers?
As I explained earlier, advertisements should create familiarity, not abnormality- as the company wants consumers to buy their product and use them in real life. In that case, the role of advertisement is to show how comfortable/easy the product makes during the real-life situation and make the customers have an idea of purchasing the item.

What do your ads reveal about society?
It reveals about society's stereotypes on gender roles. Commonly, in the media, gender role of women are housewives, looking after the kids, etc and for the male, it is working outside and get profit. Which was quite true in the past, but the world has been changed. However, the advertisements are showing the stereotypes which are still there in people's mind.

After reading "I have a Dream: by MLK

In the speech "I have a dream" spoken by Martin Luther King(MLK below) delivers the positive and delightful emotion for freedom of block slavery occurred for decades in America using multiple rhetorical devices. MLK aims citizens of America as the intended audience of the speech, as he used the phrase "Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today" in his speech, mentioning the people listening to speech and even Martin himself is great American.

Martin Luther King used various rhetorical devices throughout his speech in order to deliver his satisfying mood to citizens about the freedom of black slavery in America. MLK commonly used metaphor and Anaphora throughout his speech, he used metaphor multiple times such as "as a joyous daybreak", "Bank of justice" or "Table of brotherhood" to convince the audience to have further imagination about the topic and concentrate in more depth, and also MLK used anaphora to give multiple attention of important phrases.

Letter to the Editor

After reading "Thx for the IView" written by Sarah E. Needleman, I could see the situation going around the world that issue young people using text messages and casual tone to their interviewer, and why is it becoming public issue nowadays.
This text covers that the perspective of the interviewer on the casual tone of textspeak on thank-you email with abbreviations or smiley-face emojis. Some of the interviewers having the adverse reaction on it, as thank-you email should be formal and not sent as a form of text, which is too casual. In the same time, people are telling that the young candidates are using abbreviations and emojis to their interviewers without noticing those actions could be disrespectful, as that communicating style is natural for them to use.
Some people are saying that as technology develops and changes, language also does in the same time, therefore people need to accept the new type of communication, however, there are still people who stick to original structures of language and communication, which can cause various concerns.

EXO-MAMA, which talks about netiquette issue on social media

First debut song MAMA by K-pop band called EXO shows concern about netiquette issues around the world by having a phrase that is asking his mama(mother) why this world have changed so far. This could deliver magnificent and horrific mood as the style of the song carries growling(one skill commonly used for rock musics, using inner part of throat to make scratchy sound) and opera-liked singing skills. 

EXO commonly use metaphors such as “smart prison”, which is metaphor that illustrating people who use their most of time like a prisoner who cannot do other activities instead, and using mobile phones(also known as ‘smart’ phone) all the time. Also he uses phrase “anonymous mask” for people who hides themselves with nicknames on social media, curse other people behind their nickname as people cannot recognise who is who. Author repeats some of the lyrics to emphasise what he opinion he wills to deliver to audience, such as repeating the first and the last stanza of the song. The author’s hope for people to communicate face by face not through internet or social media, and saying issues accruing because of social media is “careless, heartless and mindless”, and keep saying in a metaphor that communications and relationships are not game or war.

As this song is the first song sang by new K-pop group, which was unique and interesting to the listeners, because normal singers usually like to sing about their love stories or happy mood lyrics, but EXO talks about an issue going around the world instead of that, which could have been huge damage for them as this song did not went as familiar as other K-pop songs, but it was such a great opportunity for them to talk about social issues. 

Korean Lyrics - EXO MAMA

Careless careless 

Shoot anonymous anonymous

Heartless mindless 

No one who care about me

잃어버린 채 외면하는 것 같아

참을 수밖에 없어

눈을 감지만

마마 이젠 내게 대답해줘

왜 사람들이 달라졌는지

아름다운 시절이라는게

존재하긴 했는지

이제 더는 사랑하는 법도 잊었고

배려하는 맘도 잃었고

등을 돌린 채로 살아가기 바쁜걸

익명의 가면에 감췄던 살의 가득한 질시

끝을 봐도 배고픈 듯한

이젠 만족해?

우린 더 이상 눈을 마주 하지 않을까

소통하지 않을까

사랑하지 않을까

아픈 현실에

다시 눈물이 흘러

바꿀 수 있다고 바꾸면 된다고

말해요 마마 마마

언젠가부터 우린

스마트한 감옥에 자발적으로 갇혀

0과 1로 만든 디지털에

내 인격을 맡겨

거긴 생명도 감정도 따듯함도 없고

언어 쓰레기만

나뒹구는 삭막한 벌판

날이 갈수록 외로움만 더해져

우리가 인간일 수밖에 없는 건

상처 받는 것

만나고 손을 잡고

느끼며 함께 울고 웃고

닮아가고 서로 연결돼

돌이키고 싶다면

우린 더 이상 눈을 마주 하지 않을까

소통하지 않을까

사랑하지 않을까

아픈 현실에

다시 눈물이 흘러

바꿀 수 있다고 바꾸면 된다고

말해요 마마 마마

Turnback!

죽고 죽이고 싸우고 외치고

이건 전쟁이 아니야

도와줘요 마마마마 마마마마

Turn back

깨닫게 마마마마 마마마마

Rolling back

박고 치고 편을 나누고 싸우고

이건 게임도 아니야

도와줘요 마마마마 마마마마

Turn back

Yeah-

Careless careless (마마)

Shoot anonymous anonymous(마마)

Heartless mindless(마마)

No one who care about me(마마)

삶에 허락된 축복받은

날들에 감사하고

매일 새로운 인연들을 만들고

깨져버린 마음에

보다 기쁜 사랑을 모두 함께

웃을 수 있다면

우린 더 이상 눈을 마주 하지 않을까

소통하지 않을까 사랑하지 않을까

아픈 현실에 다시 눈물이 흘러

바꿀 수 있다고 바꾸면 된다고

말해요 마마 마마

Careless careless Shoot anonymous anonymous

Heartless mindless No one who care about me

English translated lyrics

Careless, careless. 

Shoot anonymous, anonymous.

Heartless, mindless. 

No one. who care about me?

I guess I have no choice but to tolerate who was lost outside

Even though I close my eyes

MAMA! Answer me, why did the people change

Did they notice the existence of that time

I have forgotten how to just hear, love and care, no longer but lost

Turning their backs while working while living

Full of envy behing that anonymous mask

Even after seeing the end, you’re still full with hunger

Are you satisfied now?

Wouldn’t we face our eyes anymore?

Wouldn’t we communicate? Wouldn’t we love?

Tearing up to the reality that hurts

Say MAMA if you can change it, say MAMA

From a day we were behind the bars of a smart prison voluntarily

0 & 1 were used digitally to make my personality

There is no life, feelings and warmth over there, there is only trashy language

There’s a wilderness of a self-desolated one

Lonliness increases as days go by

As human beings we can only be hurt. Yeah-

Laugh, cry all together, holding hands meeting that feeling

Each resemble and connect to each other

If you ever want to recover.

Wouldn’t we face our eyes anymore?

Wouldn’t we communicate? Wouldn’t we love?

Tearing up to the reality that hurts

Say MAMA if you can change it, say MAMA

Turnback!

Die, kill, shout the fight. This is not a war

MAMA MAMA MAMA MAMA Help me to Turn back

MAMA MAMA MAMA MAMA Aware of Rolling back

Getting hit and back, sharing sides, this is not even a game

MAMA MAMA MAMA MAMA Help me to Turn back

Yeah-

Careless, careless. (MAMA) Shoot anonymous, anonymous. (MAMA)

Heartless, mindless. (MAMA) No one. Who care about me? (MAMA)

I’m grateful to be allowed to live in this blessed days

Every day creating new ties

Sharing good love with everyone rather than shattered hearts

If you can still smile

Wouldn’t we face our eyes anymore?

Wouldn’t we communicate? Wouldn’t we love?

Tearing up to the reality that hurts

Say MAMA if you can change it, say MAMA

Careless, careless. Shoot anonymous, anonymous.

Heartless, mindless. No one. Who care about me?

Source of lyrics : http://www.kpoplyrics.net/exo-k-mama-lyrics-english-romanized.html#ixzz4v4zQUz2x