Saturday, August 25, 2012

Gangnam Style.

You may have seen the viral video on Youtube, or even some of the memes

And this picture sums it up.

Many people know about Gangnam Style, and the tune may now be embedded in our heads. Furthermore, people have been making Gangnam Style videos and putting it up on Facebook, and very soon, instead of Owling, people would be Gangnam Styling.

But how many of the people are Korean and really understand the Lyrics of Gangnam Style?

Gangnam Style, Dissected: The Subversive Message Within South Korea's Music Video Sensation

This recent article talks about a subtle message about wealth, class, and value in South Korean society. So this song is not just an MTV or K-POP wannabe, but it does have a social message and it is making fun of the rich folks.

The video is "a satire about Gangnam itself but also it's about how people outside Gangnam pursue their dream to be one of those Gangnam residents without even realizing what it really means," Kim explained to me when I got in touch with her. Koreans "really wanted to be one of them," but she says that feeling is changing, and "Gangnam Style" captures people's ambivalence.

So this song is not translated that way.

And whether you love it or hate it, there is a deeper meaning.

I've appreciated this song even more now.

-- Robin Low