The Wonder Girls Phenomena

OK. I've had a few weeks of "home study leave" to get my head together. I think I've been in culture shock/denial for the past 13 months, but now I'm starting to process things a little. Also, I've made a New Year's Resolution to post more often. (I promise!) To post about daily experiences. Just the little things that make living in a foreign country so fascinating and addicting, and also homesickness inducing.

I've been mulling over in my mind why South Korea is so fascinating and so repelling at the same time.

Here is a good place to start; The Wonder Girls Phenomena.

The Wonder Girls are a Korean Pop group (K-Pop). Made up of five very very very young girls (none of them were born before 1988) that have taken over this country by a storm of ridiculous cuteness, overt sexuality and annoyingly catchy beats.

I came to realize how much The Wonder Girls had invaded my life during my first few classes. I had asked the students to "tell me" something, I don't remember exactly what I wanted them to tell me, but that doesn't matter. As soon as I said the magic phrase "tell me", the class broke out into song. This song...



It's worse than Brittany or say, the Spice Girls. It's worse because most everyone of Korean descent loves The Wonder Girls; from babies to old men.

I enjoy this quote from The Korean Times, it kind sums up my feelings about the group and their fans.

"A housewife who disclosed only her surname Kim said, ``My husband likes the group so much, and I thought it was kind of gross, you know, a 40-year-old man watching and enjoying teenage girls in short skirts dancing. However, I soon found myself humming the song unconsciously and imitating the dance when watching the television.``"

I would like to say to this housewife, go with your gut feelings, it is a little gross indeed. But of course that's just my opinion. Perhaps she should buy herself a school girl uniform... *awkward silence* urm, cough...

Their songs play everywhere: grocery stores, cafes, cell phone ring tones, on the bus, and the lovely off-key renditions emanating from the No Rae Bong (Singing Room AKA Karaoke) And, to make it worse/more hilarious everyone knows the dance moves by heart. The people offer for evidence, exhibit A:(High school boys)



B: (Traffic Police)


C:(Flight Attendants)


and D:(Baby)




:D :D :D :D
The first time I saw a group of high school boys dancing to Wonder Girls on stage in front of the entire school and community, I just about asphyxiated from laughter and disbelief. Then I discovered that this was considered normal behavior for high school boys. Fair enough, I'm open to breaking gender stereotypes.

But it spreads like a disease. I often, too often, find myself unconsciously humming Wonder Girl tunes. I spritz myself with water for punishment, but it doesn't help.

Now, this is just my rant on the Wonder Girls. I haven't even gotten to Jewelry
or Lee Hyo Ri (Who's nickname is Hyorish... my students have no idea what this sounds like... fast forward to 3:00)

Jewelry


Lee Hyo Ri (AKA Hyorish)


Sigh... that's just the girl groups, I haven't even gotten to the boy bands...
And I totally forgot about "Disco". Ya Rob, don't deny it, I've heard you sing it...
"d.d.d.d.i..s.c.o hey disco!"

FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC! WHY? WHY!?

Seriously, I miss concerts and good music.