i don't need a man!

[lirazel]

NEW OBSESSION ALERT:

Seriously, watch this video. It made my whole night. And I think I've finally found ~my girl group. Fei (the one with the curly hair) is my QUEEN, but all the ladies seem super awesome! (I already loved Suzy because she played this absolutely wonderful hbic character in Dream High. That drama was just decent, but her character was GREAT.) I was bouncing along with this song on my way to work, it's so damn delightful.

Lyric translations here. What I love about this song is this is a woman who says, "I don't want to be a burden to my parents [note: ONLY IN A KPOP SONG], so I work really hard for what I have, and it may not be a lot, but I know how to be content. I can live well without you so you better not be all talk, you better take this seriously." I find that really delightful.

Also: I am FOUR ICONS AWAY from reaching my limit. This is distressing to me. That's too close for comfort.

Comments

[ceciliaj.livejournal.com]

Wheeeeeeeeee! What a great song for the morning.

[indiesnopp.livejournal.com]

This makes me just so incredibly happy!
Miss A was the reason I got back into dancing and Jia is my Chinese princess! I just have a thing for fierce ladies in K-pop!

[madcap-shiny.livejournal.com]

WAILS. I can't watch the video right now because I have class, but after you spammed these kids on tumblr last night I went and found some primer-esque comment threads to read + watched a couple videos and I AM WON OVER.

[eilowyn.livejournal.com]

That was delightful and perfect workout music (I'm on my iPad at the gym)!

[kwritten.livejournal.com]

Squee, dude. Squee.

I match your enthusiasm/EPIC LOVE - for this song/anything 2NE1 does, ever::



Not because of the lyrics (in which all the girls lament that they are ugly) - but because they are ALL BADASS MOTHERFRAXKKERS - There is nothing that isn't ridiculous about the lyrics set next to these lovelies being fierce. It's my fave "get pumped" song... which I don't think is ironic at all.

I didn't realize Miss A was so lovely, too! I always anticipate the girl-pops to be hyper-feminine and overtly sexualized. Miss A for the win! (also 2NE1, my heart!)

(Side note: Have you seen the SNE1 music video for "Go Away" where they kill [yes, kill - with flames and everything] one of the girls' abusive boyfriends? IT'S SO EPIC! kpop ladies for the win)

[vergoldung.livejournal.com]

Oh gosh, such pretty. I can't handle that much prettyyyy.

[aerintine.livejournal.com]

Don't you do it, Lauren. DON'T YOU PULL ME INTO ANOTHER ONE. I'm busy, okay? Stop it.

[madcap-shiny.livejournal.com]

REVISITING A MONTHS-OLD POST BECAUSE I AM HAVING SOME FEELINGS ABOUT KPOP GIRLS AND ONLY LAUREN WILL UNDERSTAND AND I FIGURE THIS IS AS GOOD A PLACE AS ANY TO PUT THEM

But no, seriously omg Lauren this has been eating me up inside -- you may have noticed a recent influx in 2NE1 posts on my tumblr, and basically I totally dig them and their badass image and think they're rad as hell because ASSERTIVE KPOP GIRL BANDS ARE THE WAY TO MY HEART, I SUPPOSE, as they well should be. And the thing is, I recently read an article where someone said they didn't think they were all that because in the end, 2NE1's ~fierce~ image is something still packaged and sold by the (male) suits in charge with an interest in making a buck, not empowering women, and 2NE1 isn't really that rebellious because it's all ultimately a manufactured image being put out there when the girls are tightly restricted like any other kpop group and they can't date or anything (which is especially ridiculous since two of the members of 2NE1 are seriously 28 years old and yet not allowed to have relationships).

And, like. I get where this is coming from! But I also disagree on multiple levels? Because first off, it's not the girls' fault that industry rules are preventing them from having, like, NORMAL LIVES. It sucks, but they're not the ones who should be blamed for that or derided for not being as badass and independent as their music/image would promote. It's out of their control and I don't think it's cool to shame them for having to conform to unfair rules when.........if they don't follow those rules their careers are potentially over! And, more importantly, I think that even if their music/image is something a bunch of men came up with in the hope that it would sell just like the more conventional male gaze-y OPPA I LOVE YOU stuff other girl bands put out does, that doesn't necessarily mean that there is no meaning to be found in the material of 2NE1 or Miss A or any other badass lady band? Like, it's kind of a "death of the author" thing in a way -- even if nobody behind the scenes cared about ladies and their agency, that doesn't mean it's invalid for the audience to take joy in that and find it/those groups wonderful. I'm sure it's possible that whoever wrote/produced/etc. Bad Girl Good Girl and I Don't Need A Man was just looking to sell some image of empowerment and dichotomy-busting, but that doesn't mean the members of Miss A are mindless automatons who don't really care about or believe in what they're supporting.

(which brings me to another thing -- this person's point was essentially "2NE1 aren't really that fierce and independent because they are ultimately managed and sold by men like any other girl group," buuuut I feel like that kind of just.......erases them from their own music, on a level? Like, maybe YG and JYP just want to sell girl power because girl power sells, but that doesn't equate to 2NE1 and Miss A not being made up of ladies who are fierce and rad and wonderful in their own right. Sure, it's possible a bunch of guys in charge are controlling them/their music to a degree, but they're not brainless robots. Obvs I don't know their lives but just as there's the potential that these women don't necessarily care about/believe in not needing dudes or being powerful and independent, there's also the potential that they do care and they are committed and they do want people to be inspired by it, even if they aren't the ones who came up with the lyrics and the image in the first place.)

ANYWAY, THIS IS A LONG COMMENT THAT IS AS MENTIONED HILARIOUSLY TACKED ON TO A SUPER OLD ENTRY BUT I'VE BEEN THINKING ON IT A LOT AND I THOUGHT MAYBE YOU'D BE INTERESTED/HAVE YOUR OWN THOUGHTS. lolololol i feel like this all basically boils down to me being defensive of girl groups that give me ~feelings about how they express agency in their music even if that agency might just be a product to the entertainment companies selling them.