In Defense of Hallyu backlash

Ladies, feast your eyes...

a picture is worth a thousand words, how could you hate something so beautiful...

okay you may now begin reading my post.

Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. The success of Hallyu brings about a backlash from other threatened Asian nations. According to an article in The Korea Times, the Taiwanese government is considering a ban on the broadcast of foreign dramas during prime time as audience ratings of Korean dramas have surpassed those of local dramas: 4-5 Korean dramas are broadcasted nightly on local Taiwanese TV networks. Similarly, “China's State Administration of Radio Film and Television recently announced that it will cut the quota of Korean dramas by half this year”. In Japan, anti-Hallyu sentiment have risen to such heights that “Hyom-hallyu”, a comic book about a Japanese high school student who realizes the “real ugly nature” of Korea has sold more than 300,000 copies.

Kwon Ki-young, a manager of Korea Culture & Content Agency cites the motivation behind the animosity as a defense mechanism to “protect and support local dramas, movie and television industries.”

Kim Tae-won, a managing director of drama production company Olive 9 pointed out that spreading hallyu through unilateral investment rather than a cultural exchange and coalition only sparks animosity from local people toward Korean pop culture.

"The best way to continue hallyu in China and other economies is to pursue its localization, which means producing dramas in China with Chinese staff and supply them directly to the country," said Kim.

"Many Korean production companies in China give the impression that they are obsessed only with making money through the export of dramas and movies rather than sharing their know-how with locals."

"Only when Koreans realize the importance of building such a reciprocal and trustful relationship with China, can the future of hallyu be bright. More and more Korean movie directors and production companies should team up with those from other Asian countries."

Thoughts:

1) Why are Korean dramas such popular forms of mass entertainment and such efficient Hallyu catalysts?

Not only are they entertaining, they are also ridiculously addictive. Subtitles remove the potential problem of a language barrier. Even though certain nuances and a level of sophistication are lost in translation, there is still an innate and intricate appeal of Korean dramas that cause the viewer to be glued to the screen continuously for extended hours. And even though the plots tend to be clichéd and repetitive, they never fail to create pathos with the audience.

As a commercial tool, Korean dramas are an excellent platform for incorporating other elements of popular Korean culture: fashion, music, food, etc. Therefore the visual spectacle that culminates is a cultural product that showcases the multi-facets of Korean culture. (Also, in the case of the drama serial Full House, which was based in a comic book, highlights and glamorizes yet another element of popular Korean culture.)

2) Why does the popularity of Korean dramas supersede those of Chinese dramas?

Personal taste is subjective, so there a myriad of possibilities. Here are my speculations: it could be simply a resistance to local music/tv talent. In Singapore, Taiwanese stars fair better locally than the local starlets, as a result many Singaporean singers/actresses have to travel overseas to succeed.. paradoxically, they often rise to stardom in Taiwan. Even in Canada (where I’ve lived for the past 5-6 years), Canadian artists are regarded as a little less prestigious as American artists. It’s the old “the grass is greener on the other side”, snobbery towards local talent is based on the belief that foreign talents posses something special.

A personal opinion is that Korean actors are simply better looking than Chinese actors. (Granted, the plastic surgery rates are higher in Korea, but in the entertainment industry, an actor is essentially selling his image, it is his JOB to look good, he is PAID to look good.) In the superficial culture of the entertainment industry, looks are everything. The abstract notion of Korean actors being better looking can be solidified by the concept of the “Korean jaw-line”. This is a theory of a friend of mine that Korean men have more defined bone-structure and a stronger jaw-line and are thus better looking than Chinese men. Even amongst Korean actors, the degree of definition (of jaw structure) defines the level of attraction. Take for example Bi and Kim Sung-su in Full House. Bi is considered “cute”, but not “hot” because his face is softer and rounder than Kim Sung-su’s.

I did some research to substantiate this theory and found something interesting on an online medical journal:

High cheekbones and a distinct mandibular (jaw structure) contour characterize the appearance of East Asian persons, especially those of Korean and Japanese descent. In the West, such features are valued, and these areas are frequently enhanced for optimal aesthetic appearance.

3) How legitimate is the claim that Korean production companies should try to localize their dramas (according to the article) and share the “know-how” of creating a successful drama with Chinese directors?

I think the Chinese government is acting extremely immature and over-reacting. Not in the sense that they are putting a limit to Korean dramas—it is after all, a government’s duty to protect the best interests of the nation, but the anti-Hallyu sentiments stemming from insecurity and jealousy. Just because the local entertainment industry is not competent enough to capture the hearts of local viewers, cancelling foreign favorites and demanding to be taught the ‘trick of the trade’ is not the manner to operate. In our capitalist society, cream always rises to the top, the reason Korean dramas are more widely received than Chinese dramas is because they are better. Cancelling a viewer’s favorite program for the sole purpose of protecting one’s economy is an infringement on human rights. There are alternative methods to boosting the local film industry than simply cancelling out the competition. The Chinese film industry should look towards the Korean model as an inspiration, not a threat. The TV industry at its core is all about entertainment, viewers should have the prerogative to pick and choose from a variety of shows that suit their palate, and not have their options limited because the government feels threatened.

Furthermore, demanding that Korea shares its secrets on how to make successful drama serials is, in lack of a better word, cheap. The Chinese film industry is completely removing the element of artistic expression by wanting to utilize a set formula—to guarantee that their dramas are economically successful. Furthermore, by localizing the Korean drama, it loses a lot of its authenticity. Why should France share its secret of making good wine to the world? Why should Switzerland disclose its chocolate-making recipe? Each nation has its niche of production, something it is known for internationally and is proud of. Therefore, if Korea is so awesome at producing spectacular dramas, the other Asian nations should accept that and not react in animosity or bitterness.

Just a note about the “cultural exchange” and import/export. A nation would not bother to import a resource that it already has. Therefore, the criticism of Hallyu being a “unilateral investment rather than a cultural exchange” is not a valid argument.

In an attempt to be more objective, I shall explore the other side. What if the Korean film industry actually collaborated with the Chinese entertainment industry to produce an appropriated Chinese but Korean-stylized drama? I actually watched a localized Chinese-genre-Korean-influenced drama. The concept seemed to work in theory and along with the “cultural exchange” concept: a globalized cast drawing actors from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The main lead was a Chinese male, and starring opposite him was the only Korean actress in the movie. The Korean actress had no knowledge of the Chinese language, therefore she was filmed speaking Korean, and later dubbed in Chinese. The male actor had no knowledge of Korean either, so he would simply respond to her in Chinese, not understanding what his co-star was saying. This all seems extremely unnatural, and takes away the authenticity of the drama as an artistic expression—it’s simply turned into a commercial exploit. Anyway the drama itself was the most horrible thing ever. It seemed like an extremely watered-down version of a Korean drama. Furthermore, the actor were ugly, (no strong jaw-lines here… just kidding!) so there was no eye-candy to alleviate the pain of the clichéd plot line.

I’m interested to hear your thoughts.

Oh, and who wants to buy me a plane ticket to Korea? :)

East Asian Identity?

In Chua’s paper, I found it was interesting that the drama, Romance 2000, failed. I would assume that the larger the scope of the object, the wider the audience it should attract. However, since this is not the case, answering his questions about the “East Asian” identity might give some insight about this.

“Are the audiences of the East Asian popular culture ready for the mixing of cultural and political themes that are hewed from different locations?”–In this current time, no. As in Storey’s definition on foreign, “it is always a question of national difference…[and] it can equally be a question of…ethnicity” (148). Although countries like Singapore are populated with “Chinese” people, they would not identify themselves that they are from China. To illustrate this further, I, with a Cantonese Chinese background, find it very difficult to even identify to, for example, someone from Beijing, let alone to another country. I am definitely interested in other countries, but I would never forget that I am Chinese-American. Even with the “Japanization”, as mentioned by Chua, the Taiwanese–as they were most influenced by the Japanese–were still Taiwanese. They might have admired and went crazy for Japanese idols, they still knew they were the residents and a citizen of Taiwan, through and through. Even the Koreans, who emulated Japanese manga and animation still wanted to repackage them into “Korean” products. This shows the strength of nationalism in these countries. Another point that Romance 2000 might not have succeeded was that even though it tried to include too many cultural topics that it just became too burdened with the differences that there was not “universality” in the drama.

Continuing on to his next question where he asks about, “Does the failure suggests an absence of a possibility of an emergence of what might be called an ‘East Asian Identity’ from emerging through popular culture, in this instance television drama?” In the short term, because of the economic differences–and the cultural differences described above–among all of these East Asian countries, it is still a long way off before they all can call themselves “East Asians”. We cannot guarantee that this cannot happen in the long term, since globalization is spreading cultures more and more into the depths of each country than ever before.

* * *

I was surprised when I read Sung’s paper, I was surprised to find out that it was Kpop that first began the Hallyu instead of Kdrama since that is what is most known. I suppose that, as the author mentioned, their marketing strategy was really successful when they pushed for the drama instead of the music. When he mentioned that “visual” was the way to go, the obvious medium was drama if the Koreans want to spread their products. Music, although it can also be visual, it is missing the “intrigue” element from a storyline that can be presented more thoroughly in a drama or a novel or a volume of manwha.

What's "Taiwanese Wave" in Korean?

Boy Band F4 Invites Korean Fans to Taiwan

I thought that this article provided a nice counterpoint to the readings on Hallyu we did for this week. Sung Kim talked about anti-Hallyu and how various Taiwanese groups and media people have tried to end the "one-way" cultural exchange that Korea seems to be promoting and enjoying. I would say that using a Taiwanese boy band to promote Korean tourism to Taiwan is an example of subtle anti-Hallyu sentiment, but I do think it also evidences that the Taiwanese are trying to follow successful Korean examples. Korean stars have been used as spokespeople for various products quite profitably, and there is no reason to think that Korean fans of F4 can't be convinced to do whatever their idols tell them to do. Sang-Yeon Sung discusses in "The Hanliu Phenomenon in Taiwan: TV dramas and Teenage Pop" how Taiwanese media sources place Taiwan at the center of the "Korean Wave." So, it would be interesting to see if F4, which emerged in 2000 and found fame in Korea in 2002 (5 years ago!), could possibly spark a "Taiwanese Wave" in Korea. Will they be able to get Korean youth to spend their parents' money on Taiwanese cultural products? Will they be able to convince Korean housewives to take tours in Taiwan of places featured in TV dramas that F4 members themselves have starred in?

These (here and here) are unrelated to our discussion of Hallyu, but I thought I would link to them because I love Turkey (the country, not the meat, although I also love turkey meat)! Turkey and Korea must share some sort of special bond. I swear my dad is half-Turkish because he looks like so many of the men I saw in Istanbul. And, the way that the Turkish cook their fish tastes exactly like how my mom (and, therefore, all Koreans) cooks fish. Genius!

Some thoughts on Sung's The Hanliu Phenomenon in Taiwan: TV dramas and Teenage Pop

My obsession for Korean dramas started with a conversation with my second-cousins in 2002. They had (then) recently visited Taiwan and was raving about two Korean dramas A Bright Girl's Success Story and My Love Patzzi both by Jang Nara and commented on how funny and adorable they were. Filled with curiousity, I went back to download the dramas and have been obsessed with the Korean romantic comedy genre ever since. Yet even though I loved the dramas, I never really got into the kpop as much as I'm into cpop and jpop. Thus I found Sung's analysis of Hanliu in Taiwan one that I can easily relate to.

When asked why I like Korean dramas, the number one reason I'd mention is the good looking actresses and actors. As Sung mentions visual imagery is an important factor in the Hanliu phenomenon and also explains why though Kpop stars are popular in Taiwan they're albums don't sell well since fans would rather buy posters and join fanclubs than buy the albums.

As Sung states with the exceptions of CLON, kpop artists have trouble suceeding in TW. This brings me to another memory back in the late 1990s. My dad and I love to watch Taiwanese variety shows, especially the one called 龙兄虎弟 that would invite popular starts and have them perform and play games. I remember one time CLON was introduced on the show. Though they weren't really attractive, I found them very interesting in their dance and rap style. The fact that one of them had his head completely shaved left a very strong impression on me. In fact I can still remember a small part of the melody to they're song tho I had no idea what they were singing about. Yet with the exception of them, I can't really thing of any other Kpop artiests that were popular in Taiwan with the exception of BoA, Rain and, Kang Ta who is a duo with Vanness from F4。

More intersting tho' the type of Kpop albums that Sung mentions that actually sell well in Taiwan, that is, the OSTs. Tho' I'm not sure about Korean OSTs I do know that OSTs to Japanese anime and drama was what got me interested in Jpop in the first place. The song First Love by Utada Hikaru is one I remember especially well b/c it was in the drama Majo no Jouken, thus I agree with Sung's assertion that listening to songs that were in the drama can remind the viewer of the feelings they had when watching the drama. Though, I can't think of any Kdramas songs off the top of my head, I am able to recognize the theme songs when/if they are parodied in other dramas or if I hear them somewhere else. My Girl and Full House's theme songs especially are kpop songs that left deep impressions on me.

Now below are some videos to enjoy!

CLON - Bing Bing Bing (the song for the performance I saw on the variety show)


First Love by Utada Hikaru (My fav jpop song tho' it seems to based on an english song)


Scandal - Kang Ta and Vanness (Korean version)


Scandal - Kang Ta and Vanness (Chinese version)


(and for good measure)

BoA - MOTO


Rain - I Do (with english subs!!!)

Hallyu doin' on TV?

Hello Class. Today's post is about how Korea might dominate in Hallyu products like Korean dramas but regular Korean TV stations are having trouble globalizing like its drama counterparts. The lack of interest found out through Japanese viewers is that Japanese viewers aren't interested in "English-speaking" broadcasts. Although the Japanese channels later found out the importance of English speaking for globalization of their channels, interest in Korean channels are still minimal in the Land of the Rising Sun. Hence, I dont see a future for Korean TV channels in Japan since they will probably make programs of their own in English to expand upon. China just wants to piggy-back off the roads that the Korean dramas have made which doesn't surprise me. Basically, in the end, I don't see a bright future for regular Korean TV channels in other countries. The only reason why people would watch Korean TV would be for the Korean news which would be predominately Korean audience and maybe the funny gag shows like X-Man. However, people from other countries wouldn't understand the humor behind these shows since they don't know the celebrity status of the stars that appear on the show. I think most Americans would just kind of laugh at the ridiculousness of the games played and then they would get bored of the show. This brings up the problem of the type of Humor that is applauded by Koreans vs. the rest of the world. Sure, dramas can be subtitled and dubbed to evoke the same emotional turmoil that these shows are supposed to elicit in the viewers, but i'm not sure how effective korean comedy or korean news would appeal to the masses. So yea, check out the article here. Happy Easter everybody.

--deeKoh

One-way ticket?

After reading Sung Kim's paper about backlash against Hallyu, I thought about the question of whether or not the Korean Wave is a "one-way" cultural and economic exchange. Kim quotes Samuel Kim saying that Korean production companies in China give the impression that they are only interested in exporting goods and do not share their "know-how" with locals. I was slightly confused by this because their "know-how" was not really explained but I assumed it meant their marketing and prodcution techniques. At any rate, why would Korean production companies want to share their strategies with local Chinese production companies which are international competitors. This is more of an example of modern capitalism than a way to justify the notion that the Korean Wave is a "one-way" exchange. I would argue that Hallyu is not simply 'Korean popular culture' clearly penetrating foreign markets for a variety of reasons that we have discussed throughout the semester.

From post modernist theories we learned that we can not think of Korean pop culture as something stable and singular in meaning. We learned about cultural quotation in pop music in particular so Korea often exports music that quotes foreign styles. Furthermore the meanings of songs are not created through production alone. Individul consumers approach and consume popular culture in different ways depending on their individual preferences and/or country of origin.

Sang-Yeon Sung's paper for example talked about how the youth in Taiwann have been notoriously discriminative towards Korean popular music. The paper mentions that Korean lyrics are difficult to listen to but that the Taiwanese valued lyrics greatly. There is no doubt that Korean production companies have had to modify their products to make them more consumable. This illustrates that Korean pop culture is not simply imposed on foreign consumers. There is in fact a give and take relationship between the two parties involved. It is a cultural battlefield in a sense where this constant negotiation and a multiplicity of meanings.

Hallyu Push for Food

After reading about all the recent backlash to Hallyu, I was a bit worried that things might be slowing down... but never fear! A quick Google search revealed that Hallyu is alive and well with ever more backing from the Korean government. One article I came across which I thought was particularly interesting was entitled, "S. Korea chooses its dishes to broaden its marketing concept." In an effort to redefine the Hallyu wave in 2007 (presumably in response to the backlash we've been reading about), the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has placed its top priority on promoting new "content," which will include, among other things, food.

The government plans to spend 78 billion won (or $8.7 billion) over the next four years to globally promote Hansik (Korean food). The plan is to choose ten dishes that best represent Korean food culture, standardize the recipes, and distribute them to Korean restaurants overseas. In addition, the Ministry will offer consulting to overseas Korean restaurants to help restaurant owners better manage their businesses, and will offer scholarships to Korean chefs to go abroad and help teach their foreign counterparts to cook "tastier" Korean dishes. Finally, the government plans to produce commercials and documentaries about Korean food with the hopes of airing them on foreign TV networks.

I think this is definitely a step in the right direction for the Korean government's Hallyu strategy. As we saw earlier in the class, many of the popular dramas (especially Jewel in the Palace) created a demand for Korean food, so there is definitely a market out there for people who wish to consume and learn to cook Korean food. In addition, capitalist markets are all about creating new products to fulfill consumer desires, and while I doubt that the market for TV dramas and movies is saturated, I think that food is a great new arena for the Koreans to promote. After all, who doesn't love food??

My only qualm is with the Ministry's decision to try to standardize some popular dishes. One of the things that makes restaurants great is their individual takes on classic dishes. If every restaurant tasted the same, all the fun would be taken out of exploring new places and new foods. Also, I would imagine that there are some regional differences in Korean food, and standardizing recipes would destroy that uniqueness. While I think the government is right to promote certain dishes and offer a base recipe, I don't think they should be encouraging every restaurant to make the dish the same exact way. Granted, there's no way the Ministry can enforce this abroad, so I'm sure that each restaurant will do it their own way anyhow, but I just think it's unrealistic and counter-productive to even try to institute such rigid standards.

Regardless, overall I think this is definitely a positive push from the Korean government. I, for one, am certainly looking forward to the day when I can flip on the Food Network and find a Korea cooking show (even better if they make it something a la Iron Chef!). In my experience, the stomach is the key to anyone's heart (not just a man's as the old saying goes), and I think that Hallyu is wise to use this strategy.

Full text of the article is below:

S. Korea chooses its dishes to broaden its marketing concept
Mar 15, 07 , 12:03 pm
By Satish Gupta l eTN Asia

Even as Korea reiterates its focus on cultural marketing, the government authorities have decided to reach out to taste buds of people across the globe by promoting Korean dishes.Food along with traditional clothing, traditional home, rice paper and music has already been recognized as main tools for promotion of Korea. Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism has decided to place top priority on nurturing the fast-evolving content business and redefining “hallyu” or the Korean Wave in 2007.

Now Korean dishes are broadening Hallyu by expanding their presence in the international arena. As per the information available with eTurboNews, from next year onwards, Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will spend 78 billion won, or roughly 8.7 billion dollars, over the next four years to globalize Hansik. The decision to promote Korean food (or “Hansik”) comes at a stage when variety of Korean foods is gaining popularity globally.

There are plans to choose ten food items that can best represent Korea and promote them by creating standardized recipes for the items and distributing them at Korean restaurants overseas, according to the Ministry of Culture & Tourism Republic of Korea.

Further, ministry officials are acknowledging the need to upgrade Korean restaurants abroad to instill a better image of Korean food. It will offer consulting on how to successfully manage the restaurants and how to cook tastier Korean dishes. Furthermore, the ministry will designate an institution in Korea to invite chefs and managers from Korean restaurants abroad to train them.

The Korean government plans to produce TV commercials and documentaries about Korean food with the aim of airing them on foreign TV networks.

WoW!!! Starcraft Military Service? O.o

As an addition to our topic discussion last week on the internet and how gaming in Korea has become a huge profession rather than a mere hobby, I found this article that talks about a new special unit that will be developed in the Korean Air Force. This article talks about how the KAF will now have a unit that is specialized in gaming and will be the test subjects for flight simulators and other various technological advances. I just think it's very interesting, yet unfair, that the majority of Korean males have to endure a long 2 year service of hardcore military training while the members of this small, but growing unit get to practically play games as their 2 year service. The members of this team are indeed the best of the best when it come to professional gaming, but does that mean they deserve this much special treatment? In short, this new unit is a slap in the face for many Korean stars/singers/maybe politicians. I know that Korean soccer players receive special treatment when it comes to military service, but starcraft gamers?? Super famous actors and singers still have to partake in the 2 year military service alongside everyone else, but basically Korea has put these gamers on a pedastool and has ranked these gamers as the top of the heiarchy. What do you guys think of this situation? Can there be any positive influence from this new special unit?

By Wohn Dong-hee Staff Writer April 4th, 2007

Korea’s Air Force is now going to have an entirely new unit, composed of people who are experts at playing computer games.The Air Force insisted that its plans were not a joke when it said on Sunday that it would create its first professional e-sports team. By coincidence, the announcement was made on April Fool’s Day. Yesterday, the official launch ceremony for the e-sports team took place at the Air Force Headquarters.This is the first professional gaming team to be created within the Korean military. The air force gaming team had previously participated in a couple of public events, but not as a professional team. There are many different categories for e-sports, but the Air Force unit will mainly focus on StarCraft. Developed by the American company Blizzard, StarCraft is a war game in which players acquire resources, such as minerals and gas, that are required to make progress. The name of the team is ACE, short for Airforce Challenge E-sports, and is made up of eight members. They include StarCraft legend Lim Yo-hwan, Kang Do-kyung, Seong Hak-seung, Choi In-gyu and Cho Hyung-geun. The young men are not new to computer games. They all had experience with professional gaming teams before they began their two-year mandatory service. Lim and Seong were teammates on SK Telecom’s pro-gaming team, T1. All team members joined the Air Force to focus on computer-related activities, not flying. Until now, they tested war simulation games and helped organize StarCraft tournaments as a form of entertainment for the soldiers.ACE’s schedule begins immediately, starting with the 2007 season Pro League championship, which is hosted by the state-run Korea eSports Association.The professional gaming team Pantech EX will also be participating in the Pro League championship this year, with the help of special funding from the Korea eSports Association. This group, which was funded by the cellular phone manufacturer Pantech, was scrapped by the company on the last day of March because the firm is undergoing financial difficulties.The association, however, came to the rescue after a series of emergency meetings. The association announced that it will take the initiative in searching for a company that will take over Pantech EX.

one-way street

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200504/kt2005042117374410440.htm

One of the biggest criticisms on Hallyu is based on economics. In Sung Kim's essay on Hallyu and an article that I found both suggest that the "one-way" culture of this wave as one of the sources of the Korean wave backlash. This accusation that Korean production companies are only interested in making money rather than engaging in a cultural exchange seems unfair. The companies are companies. They are the machines that propel capitalism, they stay in business by making profit. Their primary goal is to compete in the global market. Sure, the promotion of one's culture can tag along as the companies try to lure audience into their "product" -- Korean dramas and celebrities. However, the fact that the critics are blaming these tycoons for making the Korean Wave too economically driven seems like finding a scapegoat.

Yes, capitalism has been seen as the whore of the city of Babylon along with industrialization and whatever challenges conservative values. If capitalism is guilty of everything, why pursue? Because communism only works in theory. People are greedy, they are out to make profit, and step above everyone else. There is no doubt that people engage in humanitarian causes, but altruism is not a natural phenomenon. I'm not suggesting that everyone's corrupt and insincere. That's not the piont here. What I'm suggesting is that economic exchange should not be the core of one's argument in criticizing the possible pitfall of the Korean Wave. Who isn't out there to make monkey, seriously?

If Hallyu started as Sung Kim's paper suggests, then it makes a whole lot of sense to put emphasis on the economic issues. Besides the economics, the heavy involvement of the Korean government has surfaced as one of the criticisms. What I don't understand is why wouldn't the government step in? If the government officials saw possible opportunities to generate revenue to robust the country's economy, why would that deserve such harsh criticism? Sure, the government's overt reaction might have been a shock to foreign countries. It should have been more sensitive to other countries' government's needs. However, this was an unprecedented phenomenon. It should be allowed to make mistakes and learn from them.

Although the thrust of the Korean Wave seems to have subsided, that should not dismiss Korean Wave as a ephemeral phenomenon. The possibility of resurgence remains as the producers of these shows venture out into different areas such as Southeast Asian countries.

Gender as a question of Nature vs. Nurture

I want to cite the source I referred to in today's discussion of gender, as defined in the Queer Theory section of John Storey. I got my timeline somewhat confused, but I located the article about the male being raised as a female: it is the case of David Reimer (1965-2004). His story is tragic, and this information should be used to prevent such mistakes from occuring in the future. I am posting the article from "CBC News" (May 10, 2004).

I preface the article with this quote from Storey. See if you agree after reading this article.

"Therefore, the distinction between sex and gender is not a distinction between
nature and culture: 'the category of "sex" is itself a gendered category, fully
politically invested, naturalized but not natural'. In other words, there is not
a biological 'truth' at the heart of gender; sex and gender are both cultural
categories.

___

Summer 1965. In a Winnipeg hospital, Janet Reimer's lifelong dream comes true as she gives birth to twin sons, Bruce and Brian.

But within six months, both boys develop difficulty urinating. The doctors suggest they be circumcised.

On April 27, 1966, Janet drops her boys off for the routine procedure and her dream turns into a nightmare.

The doctors had chosen an unconventional method of circumcision, one in which the skin would be burned. The procedure goes horribly wrong and Bruce's penis is burned so badly it can't be repaired surgically.

Over the next few months, the Reimers consult with countless doctors. None can offer any hope. Bruce Reimer would have to live with his non-existent penis.

One night, the Reimers see a television profile of an American doctor and his theories on sex and gender. Dr. John Money of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore argues that boys – caught early enough – could be raised to be girls. Nurture and not nature determines a child's gender, the doctor argued.

Janet Reimer thought it was worth exploring. The family went to Baltimore to see Dr. Money, who decided that Bruce Reimer was a perfect candidate.

At the age of 21 months, Bruce's testicles were removed. What remained of his penis was left, not to interfere with his urinary tract. When Bruce was released from hospital, his parents were told to raise him as a girl. The family was told not to divulge anything to anyone. They went home with a girl they called Brenda.

"We relatively quickly came to accept that," Janet Reimer told CBC News in 1997. "He was a beautiful little girl."

Janet Reimer did her best to raise Bruce as a girl. She dressed him in skirts and dresses and showed him how to apply make-up. But the transformation was anything but smooth. Bruce Reimer didn't like playing with the other girls – and he didn't move like one either. He got into schoolyard fistfights. The other kids called him names like "caveman," "freak" and "it."

In an interview with the CBC's The Fifth Estate, Reimer said it got so bad he didn't want to go to school anymore. He felt picked upon and increasingly lonely.

By the time Bruce turned nine, the Reimer family was having serious doubts. Not John Money. He published an article in the Archives of Sexual Behaviour pronouncing the experiment a resounding success. It became widely known in medical circles as the Joan/John case.

Money wrote: "The child's behaviour is so clearly that of an active little girl and so different from the boyish ways of her twin brother."

The twin brother, Brian, remembered it differently: "The only difference between him and I was he had longer hair." "I tried really, really hard to rear her as a gentle lady," Janet Reimer said. "But it didn't happen."

By the time Bruce was reaching puberty, it became increasingly clear the experiment was not working. He started developing thick shoulders and a thick neck.

At the same time, the Reimers were under pressure from Money to take the final step: allow surgeons to create a vagina.

But Bruce rebelled. He protested that he didn't need surgery and threatened to commit suicide if he was forced to make another trip to Baltimore to see Money.

That's when his father broke down and told him everything.

Bruce Reimer said he had one thought at the time: to go to the hospital and track down and shoot the doctor who had botched his circumcision. In the end, he was unable to exact his revenge, but turned his anger on himself.

He attempted suicide three times. The third – an overdose of pills – left him in a coma. He recovered and began the long climb towards living a normal life – as a man.

Bruce Reimer left his Brenda identity behind. He cut his hair and started wearing male clothing again. He changed his name to David.

Earlier, the Reimer family had sued the hospital where the botched circumcision was performed. They settled for about $60,000, which was held in trust for David until his 18th birthday. By then, the settlement was worth about $100,000.

Initially, David Reimer only told his story from the shadows – he refused to talk about it if his identity were revealed. That changed in 2000, when American author John Colapinto wrote As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl.

A whirlwind of media exposure followed, across Canada and the United States.

Around the same time, research was sounding the death knell for the nurture vs. nature theory. Two studies – released by the Johns Hopkins Children's Center – concluded that it's prenatal exposure to male hormones that turns normal male babies into boys. The studies "seriously question the current practice of sex-reassigning some of these infants as females…"

Janet Reimer said it was a difficult thing for her son to go public with his story, but he wanted to help other children facing a similar fate.

David Reimer underwent four rounds of reconstructive surgery to physically make him a man again. The surgery enabled him to enjoy a normal sex life, but he was unable to father children.

"I'm not going to cry a river of tears over that, because I've got three great kids. I've got a wonderful wife. I've got a good home," he told CBC News in the wake of the release of the book.

Recently, David Reimer's life had taken another turn. He lost his job and was separated from his wife. His mother said he was still grieving the death two years ago of his twin brother.

David Reimer committed suicide on May 4, 2004. He was 38.

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This is a very interesting, although tragic, natural experiment. If the experimental treatment is raising a male as a female, there is even a control: the brother being raised as a male. Although every influence was conditioning this child to be a female, nature could not suppressed.

Here we see a failure of the gender theory put forth by Judith Butler. Culture undoubtedly has some determination in what defines "male" and "female", but nature always holds the trump card. Butler invoked biology in the defense of her theory, but in reality biology lends no support whatsoever. Remember that human beings are animals, and we are first and foremost subject to the laws of nature. Sex is not the result of intermingling political and cultural forces, but rather the more mundane explanation of simply the set of chromosomes in each cell.

Reflections upon IT and its Effects on Korean Popular Culture

Sze Hui’s “Wired (and wireless) Korea: Information Technology and its effects on Korean Culture” was my personal favorite out of all three essays (judging from the blog postings of other classmates, its seems that a large majority of the class would echo my assertion). At first glance, the piece did not seem particularly promising—a whole essay about IT seemed like a trite prospect. But Sze Hui does a wonderful job of connecting two almost polarized elements: IT (scientific and objective) and Popular Culture (organic and interpretational).

Sze Hui observes that telecommunications are about “bringing the world closed together” It is extremely interesting to watch her outline the intricate relationship between IT and Korean Popular Culture. Communication technologies play an extremely integral and intimate role in the lives of Korean youth, surpasses the already heavy dependency that adolescents in America posses. She sews facts and analyses seamlessly together. It never seems that she is simply regurgitating boring data, but actively using her research to substantiate her claims.

What struck me most about the piece is the unique living conditions in Korea that make having such advance technology integral for facilitating the quotidian. Sze Hui highlights that “65% of all trips made in Seoul are via Mass transit”. Here in the United States, a commuter is satisfied with an MP3 player to provide entertainment to kill time while in transit; but in Korea, such mass quantities of time is wasted commuting that it is essential to posses technology that not only entertains but serves. The impressive array of Korean cell phone functions put the American Blackberry email-checking business man to shame:

The Korean cellular network is on the leading edge of technology, providing services that are at best 2-3 years away in the United States. These services include the ability to watch television on cellular phones, control home security systems and even home appliances remotely, conduct financial transactions such as banking and bill-paying, and browsing the Internet.

Another point that I find amusing (and kind of cute) is the inclusion of love-seats in local PC Bangs to allow “guys to play videogames while their girlfriends video-chat with pals.” It is no secret that Korean (and in fact, a large population of all Asian, as Teresa mentions in her post) males have a somewhat obsessive-compulsive approach to videogames such as Dota and Counterstrike. I have heard complains from numerous female friends that their boyfriends (some of them in their twenties even!) neglect them for Dota. Sad, but true. Needless to say, it is not very nice to be passed up for a computer game, and I think the PC Bangs have come up with an ingenious win-win solution that does not force either party to compromise. Even for non-couples, PC Bangs provide a place away from home (and the watchful eyes of parents) for teenagers to unwind, socialize and just enjoy being a teen.

I also appreciate Sze Hui’s objective view about the issue. It is hard to write without a personal bias, but she catalogues both the positive and negative effects of the IT boom in Korea. While the upsurge in communication technologies catapult Korea into twenty-first century as a booming Asian nation: rise in education and literacy rates, economic growth (from having the lowest per-capita GDP of $9,400 USD in 2001, to being the highest internet penetrating country, as cited by the ITU), innovative methods of communication and connectivity (PC Bangs, web-cam chat, cell phone), and overall lifestyle improvements (multi-tasking during subway rides), there are many dangerous pitfalls to being wired 24/7, such as death (“heart failure stemming from exhaustion), illnesses and assorted maladies associated with compulsive gaming. I think it is wonderful that “Korean game now include warnings, admonishing gamers to take a break every hour for the health.” It is understandable that games provide an escape and release from the stresses and harsh realities of life (which leads to my next point..), but everything should be done in moderation, and over-indulgence can lead to detrimental consequences.

My next point: my attempt at a cultural analysis of Korean/American youth and their dependency on the internet. The American perspective: after a long day at school, it is such a luxury to unwind in front of a laptop: download (legally, of course) a few new tunes, check your email, perhaps stalk your crush on Facebook/Xanga (just kidding… or not), order food online, browse sports webpages, check the weather, watch Korean dramas on YouTube, etc. Every one needs some personal “me time” to reflect and recollect. In Korea, the lifestyle of Korean youth is extremely stressful. Everything revolves around academics and school. After classes, it’s English lessons at “Hak Won”, a long hour and a half journey back home, homework, and up early the next morning for school. Furthermore, the education system in Korean is completely different from the North American system where creativity, finding your niche and love of learning are stressed… in Korea, schoolwork comes in copious amounts, emphasis is placed on memorizing and regurgitating facts, the standard of math and science are accelerated and everyone is extremely competitive, smart and/or diligent (taking the stereotype of the Asian nerd to the next level), struggling to get into top American universities. Needless to say, the competition is FIERCE, and on top of doing well in one’s subjects is the added challenge of learning a foreign language (English) and taking the SATs. In essence, Korean teens are living under extremely stressful conditions. As we’ve mentioned in our earlier music section, the energy of Punk Rock serves as a release, and an outlet to express frustration and discontentment. Similarly, the internet (PC Bangs, gaming, online blogs, chatting, etc.) serve as a leisure tool, and an outlet to unwind and distress. Because of the unique set of circumstance and high levels of stress that Korean youths face, the need for an avenue of entertainment/relaxation is heightened, and thus their dependency on the internet surpasses the American reliance. Or, it could also be that Asians tend to lack communication skills, and tend to be a little socially awkward due to hours cooped up in a room studying, and need to hide behind a computer screen to interact and socialize, but that’s a whole other topic altogether.