American Tale
November 9, 2009 § 1 Comment
The First Step Is Admitting…
October 29, 2009 § 13 Comments
I have an addiction.
I’m not exactly sure how it happened, but there have been hints of it here and there.
“Why do you like listening to music you can’t understand?” people have asked.
Well, there are many reasons for that, but my question for them is, why would that inhibit me? Music is aural pleasure; comprehension is not completely necessary.
When I listen to music in English, I listen very intently to the lyrics — as a vocalist, I enjoy being able to sing along. If I listen to a song too many times, however, the lyrics start to get old, and then I can’t stand listening to that song anymore. Foreign songs, though, present a distinct challenge to learn [if I bother trying], and usually take much longer before fatigue settles in. For example, I’ve listened to the same Lee Jung Hyun songs since middle school and still have yet to evict them from my iPod.
If I like a song enough, though, I’ll look up the lyrics to find out whether my impression of the song rings true. Even if the lyrics turn out to be tasteless and puerile, at least it won’t greatly impact my experience — although I feel like America has the most issue with retarded lyrics.
As much as I love French, Spanish, Japanese and Chinese music, my addiction is specific to Korean pop.
Why Kpop?
I’ve written before that I’ve always had an appreciation for Korean music, limited though my knowledge of the industry was. I don’t like using the term “fangirl” because of the squealing teenage image it evokes, and I’m not nearly as hardcore as some can be.
I attribute LC as my biggest influence in this area; over the summer and even a bit last semester, she fed me with Kpop photos and videos and the like, fanning what had been steady embers into a full-fledged forest fire. I take ownership of my addiction now, but I couldn’t have made it without her.
Key from SHINee: love at first sight
Anyone who assumes that all Asian music sounds the same is stupid. The majority of mainstream Chinese music is wimpy. Some of it is lovely, but I have a very low tolerance for weak vocals and pining lyrics. Japanese music is great too but can get comparatively weird [it’s Japan after all]. Although Korea has been infiltrated by our hated enemy, autotune, they don’t overuse it to the point of giving singing careers to people who clearly can’t sing, and Kpop always has a kick to it — I love music I can dance to.
America churns out lively pop music too, you could argue. Of course: Lady Gaga will always be my hero. But the American music industry as a whole is in a disappointing state right now, with very little originality flowing through. Having watched innumerable music videos, I feel justified in saying that Kpop feels like it’s of a higher quality than its American equivalent. What I hear on the radio sounds like people have simply stopped trying, and I refuse to support their half-assed efforts. I can’t fully describe how refreshing it is to go from the countless U.S. music videos of the singer(s) swaying lamely in a club to actually choreographed, visually stimulating music videos from Korea. Even their phone commercials have ridiculous full-length songs with corresponding choreography!
Kpop stars also seem more charming than the drunken deadbeats we have in the States. The Korean music industry is much more controlling of the lives of their stars [living together in dorms and prohibiting dating is unheard for people of such celebrity], which surprisingly doesn’t make them turn out emotionally unstable even if they start their training young. This also means that they do a lot of fun collaborations, makeovers, and variety & reality shows.
More importantly, it means that these stars actually have talent. Kpop stars can sing and dance, AND they’re attractive! These kinds of celebrities are difficult to find in China, which I am very sad to admit. Knowing all this, though, Kpop can seem very contrived, but for those who really care, there are groups that play their own instruments and many who write their own songs.
When I think about the situation, it’s about quality of product [apart from the obvious aural appeal]. And I have found that the most consistent success in caliber lies within Kpop, so I shall unabashedly air my preference. I qualify that statement by noting that I have not completely given in to Korean culture — I refuse to watch dramas or learn the language. Music is all I want.
To conclude, I leave you with a screenshot of me watching a DBSK mv against my DBSK wallpaper [:D ILU JaeJoong!].
There Is No Owl
October 28, 2009 § Leave a comment
This is exciting — it’s my first time reviewing a movie before its actual release date! Last night I had the chance to go see a free pre-screening of The Fourth Kind, which is basically an alien thriller based on what appear to be facts.
I normally avoid scary movies like the plague, but the “based on true events” part intrigued me — aliens can’t be that scary, right? — and I hadn’t seen the trailers for this film, so I had no idea what to expect.
The Fourth Kind starts with actress Milla Jovovich actually addressing the audience, telling us that the film is based on actual audio and visual footage collected by psychiatrist Dr. Abigail Tyler, whose work and recollections fuel the plot. These “recovered” videos are actually interspersed throughout the film, giving it a feel of weighty reality but also serving as a constant reminder that we are simply watching these people act out a story.
The first half plays out like one of those ghost-hunter shows on TV that I sometimes find myself sucked into — they never fail to disappoint. I’ve never seen the discovery of an actual poltergeist in those haunted houses or abandoned prisons; those shows are mostly flashy video-editing and re-enactments of grisly murders and the like. I kept waiting for actual action to occur. With the constant splicing of “original” audio and video, the film also felt more like a docu/mockumentary than actual movie.
The Fourth Kind also attempted to make white owls the next girl-with-long-black-hair-crawling-out-of-a-well. Sorry, but that kind of kitschy enterprise simply will not work with blurry close-up shots of Hedwig.
Once the film gets past the drawn-out expository dialogue, the disturbing stuff develops in spurts. Suicide, levitation, possession and — of course — abduction led to an inconclusive ending and overall freaky film. I would say more, but I don’t want to spoil it.
I’m skeptical as to how much to believe. Despite the insistence that these events were real, we must remember that film directors are not journalists, and they have no obligation to differentiate truth from an ad campaign. Still, my first inclination was to believe [but I’m pretty gullible]. Somebody that sits through this entire film laughing is not fully appreciating it. I’m pretty perturbed by the images that have stamped onto my mind, and I kind of wish I hadn’t watched this film. Wimpy people such as myself should stay away from The Fourth Kind: in theaters Nov. 6!
Little Little Lies
October 15, 2009 § 4 Comments
I can always find the perfect song to match my sentiments.
auradis 