Cultural Compromise

I mentioned last week that it was difficult to think of Korean punk music as a completely individualistic and resistant movement from below because the 'punk' image is marketed and commodified in TV, magazines and other media. Storey's chapter on Marxism has helped me untangle the issue and realize that there does not necessarily have to be a singular path these cultural phenomena follow. I would aggree that there is what Gramsci calls 'a compromise equilibrium' in which both mass society and the capitalist class engage in a give and take relationship. In looking at Korean folk music, we notice a similar situation.

It seems Korean folk music has succumbed and finds itself in the realm of the popular similar to how Rastafari reggae began as oppisitional culture but now creates profits for Island Records. We see this in the example of Yong Woo Kim amd how he has systematically altered traditioanl Korean songs like "Ch'onando samgori" in order to appeal to a mass youth audience. Folk Music is different than punk in that it has roots in history but the compromising process is still similar. There certainly seems to be a large overhaul though of folk music. Not only does production change but the reason for production changes. Consumption changes as well as the reason for consumption. So the relationship or compromise between what is percived as high art or traditional culture and modern cultural industries is constantly evolving.

Take for instance even the many different cultural shows performed on Penn's campus. Most of them showcase some form of traditional dance or music but they are marketed at least on Locust Walk as forms of entertainment. No one will go up to a person and ask if they want to hear a traditional Korean song about Japanese resentment. So even though traditional or folk music is quite widespread, this may only suggest that the comprimising relationship is allowing such a thing to happen and that theories regarding increased nationalistic sense may requre careful thought.