This lecture will engage in a close analysis of the music and videos of groups such as the Wonder Girls, Girls' Generation, KARA, T-ara and the discourse that has surrounded their rise to popularity in South Korea, in order to challenge the notion that contemporary consumer society is making a radical break from more traditional, deeply embedded power structures and argue that a set of recurrent tropes in the studied media and marketing presentation of Korean girl groups undercuts claims to a progressive ethos.It should be interesting - the last time I saw Professor Epstein speak he was introducing the documentary he made about the Korean punk scene over a decade ago. And readers of The Grand Narrative will note that he worked with James Turnbull on this material.
More details can be found here. The lecture will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Residents' Lounge on the 2nd floor of the Somerset Palace in Seoul, which is north of Jogyesa Temple, and is 5,000 won for non-member and free for members.
Anybody who thinks K-pop is "empowering" for young women is a rube.
ReplyDeleteAnd RAS lectures are something I truly miss about Seoul. I'd love to hear him speak.
How was the lecture btw?
ReplyDelete