Gangnam Style Someone explain it to me 69 replies to this topic Started by sadude , Aug 14 2012 05:09 AM ·

[sadude]

It's a good song, it's an amusing enough video, but why is it #2 on Youtube with 28 million views and 125,000 comments? The best I've found is this article, which I was fine with until "Music critic Cha Woo-jin compared the popularity to the Korean craze over the Indian bhangra song “Tunak Tunak Tun” by Daler Mehndi in the early 2000s."

...No.

[Plum]

I don't really get what needs explaining?

There's lot of amusing things on the internet. Sometimes they go viral. Typically it just takes one major source giving it some exposure before all the other usual haunts pick it up.

Psy's video had a lot of stuff that's universally funny, and it also has some novelty to it. Plus, the song is catchy. Add that to the right people picking it up, and it just kind of got big.

[fpd]

Pretty much what plum said. Stop being a grouchypuss.

The "female version" with hyunah is awful as hell though. I get that they tried to go for an aegyo type voice, but holy shit was it overdone.

[Ap2000]

The "female version" with hyunah is awful as hell though. I get that they tried to go for an aegyo type voice, but holy shit was it overdone.

Really not much else to expect from her...

[Wapiko]

I showed Gangnam Style to my boyfriend last night and he was laughing his ass off and doing the dance halfway through. He doesn't even like Kpop, just weird Japanese opera metal...

[Haru]

I got a Turkish friend to sing it for me. He wanted it in return. I couldn't manage.

[The☆AEUGNewtype]

I'm with sadude, its just blown out of proportion at this point and has become the new "Asian novelty" song for the next few months thanks to the Olympics. I just have a pretty big problem with things getting popular because of pure novelty, and especially when it comes from Asia, then white people just see it as something to laugh at because its different. I actually just had a bit of this discussion with Wapiko a few weeks ago on Facebook regarding Kyary Pyamu Pyamu. These kinds of things blur the borders between what is being created to exploit people and what is actually being created as an art form or expression.

Gangnam Style is really kind of annoying, the song is generic as hell and there are MUCH funnier and more entertaining things out there, but just the fact that it had a big-time mainstream exposure has caused it to explode and go viral. White people are generally interested in things that they aren't used to for a few minutes before they move on to something else.

Whether you think its worth critiquing or looking that far into or not, I don't care, just giving my two cents on this whole fad.

[Haru]

Just watched HyunA's version. Needs more cowboy.

nvm there it is

AEUG, since you're now in my forum, I can properly give my two cents on something...your signature is fucking massive, please learn to use the resize canvas tool.

[The☆AEUGNewtype]

Just watched HyunA's version. Needs more cowboy.

nvm there it is

AEUG, since you're now in my forum, I can properly give my two cents on something...your signature is fucking massive, please learn to use the resize canvas tool.

I did use it, and I know how, but I run my computer on a 60" monitor at a really high resolution, so I have to zoom in really far to be able to read things, so its hard for me to tell how large it looks when people view it on their computer. Its not page-breaking or scroll-breaking, at least on my screen.

[fpd]

Just watched HyunA's version. Needs more cowboy.

nvm there it is

AEUG, since you're now in my forum, I can properly give my two cents on something...your signature is fucking massive, please learn to use the resize canvas tool.

I did use it, and I know how, but I run my computer on a 60" monitor at a really high resolution, so I have to zoom in really far to be able to read things, so its hard for me to tell how large it looks when people view it on their computer. Its not page-breaking or scroll-breaking, at least on my screen.

meh, 250 height isn't terrible, and 800 width shouldn't break anyone's hor scroll.

[Ap2000]

I did use it, and I know how, but I run my computer on a 60" monitor at a really high resolution, so I have to zoom in really far to be able to read things, so its hard for me to tell how large it looks when people view it on their computer. Its not page-breaking or scroll-breaking, at least on my screen.

It's not really small, but certainly not annoyingly big.

[Haru]

My only reason for griping is my laptop is 1024x768 and side scroll bars annoy me. Carry on with your Gangnam Style, you lot.

[Afternoon Mimolette]

"Gangnam Style" has entered my lexicon for the worse. Oh dear.

Hyuna's version was awful, but girl can dance.

[showraniy]

A friend put this song on my facebook the other day. I'm usually not too cynical in my opinion, but I don't get this fad either. It's a cool video and song, but does no one remember DJ OZMA anymore? They were the same kind of ridiculousness a while back, so I guess all my music weird is lost after acts like that and Lady Gaga and so on.

[Zounder]

I found it amusing. The song isn't great but I enjoyed the video. I'm not an expert on this kind of thing or whatever, but I liked it.

[Madara]

There was a news segment on CNN on Psy and Gangnam Style earlier this afternoon (Mon. Aug. 20).

[eri]

It has been deconstructed in The Atlantic now:
http://m.theatlantic...nsation/261462/

[The☆AEUGNewtype]

So interesting how that article points out how much depth there really is to the video and song, yet 99.99999999% of people who watch it and say they love it aren't tuned into that in the slightest. The entire thing is a parody of posh South Korean lifestyles that is basically just insulting a large percentage of their population. Turns out there really was something behind the images in the video, not just randomness like most adopters thought. Oh, irony.

[Petit Melon]

Once I saw a subbed video, it was made really obvious by the lyrics too.

I love it, makes me laugh and it's catchy. Plus plus!

[eri]

So interesting how that article points out how much depth there really is to the video and song, yet 99.99999999% of people who watch it and say they love it aren't tuned into that in the slightest. The entire thing is a parody of posh South Korean lifestyles that is basically just insulting a large percentage of their population. Turns out there really was something behind the images in the video, not just randomness like most adopters thought. Oh, irony.

Well, I think it is something in the middle. The video is mocking the so-called Gangnam Life in a really obvious way to anyone watching it because there is such a huge gap between how the singer presents himself and the reality of his circumstances. So, would you really say all watchers are that clueless to the joke? Also, I don't think either article (this one and the one it links to) are arguing there is "so much depth" but that it is a gentle satire.

Anyway, I'm glad I read the article because the video just got more ridiculous.

[Mukuro]

My small town's radio station posted the link to this video on Facebook. It's kinda crazy how fast this is spreading.

[JPope]

Yeah, when I saw this showing up on political blogs, I knew it had crossed the threshold from Kpop hit to worldwide viral sensation. It's a great, catchy song, and one of the few that watching the video makes better. I was kind of hoping some American pop radio stations would slip it into light-rotation just for the hell of it.

[milfeulle]

Yeah, when I saw this showing up on political blogs, I knew it had crossed the threshold from Kpop hit to worldwide viral sensation. It's a great, catchy song, and one of the few that watching the video makes better. I was kind of hoping some American pop radio stations would slip it into light-rotation just for the hell of it.

Some Finnish radio stations have already started playing it, whenever it is requested at least I think the exposure is great, even if it is just for laughs.

[Shoujo Q]

It's gone round the bend.



And this, I think I'll keep this one.

[Shoujo Q]

Someone did a parody of Gangnam Style on Chatroulette and it's pretty funny watching the reactions to the people on the right. Ranges from WTF to I know what's going on!

[Wapiko]

I came in here to post that myself It was really well done considering the setting...and I wonder how many penises they came across

I also found a really good mash-up of 2NE1's "I Am the Best" with "Gangnam Style" and a song by BIG BANG that I'm not sure of.

[Shoujo Q]

Psy made it to #1 on the USA iTunes charts in MV and Music category. Congrats to him for being the first Korean to do so.

[Mukuro]

Don't know if anyone mentioned this, but he was also on Ellen.

[Wapiko]

And the Today Show. This media blitz is crazy.

[Shoujo Q]

And was on the VMAs for a few moments also.
I'm sure he's enjoying his few moments of fame.