You know the cliché, it’s not work if you love what you do? It is clearly not true for Joanne Lee Molinaro, a digital author, known as the Korean Vegan, who has clocked sixteen-hour days, perhaps longer, to produce a sixty-second video for Tik-Tok. This old saying does not hold for me either, but I was glad to find, be inspired, and share some love for The Korean Vegan as I co-created a video assignment for a Digital Authorship course (EDC534) at the University of Rhode Island.
A “master of the TikTok style,” Joanne Lee Molinaro produces “cultural exchange in 60 seconds or less” (Asmelash, 2021). A lawyer turned TikTok star, Molinaro is renowned for her powerful storytelling which blends Korean-American culture, food, family, immigration, representation, healing, passion, strength, politics, and other elements of intersectionality.
Watch our video to learn more about Joanne Lee Molinaro, the Korean Vegan, an inspiring digital author:
To create a research-based, analytical video on a digital author, with a partner, within a five-minute time frame was a challenge. Yet, the opportunity to work with a smart, talented, thoughtful, and hard-working partner allowed us both, as self-proclaimed beginner digital authors, to meet the task. The worries I faced upon reviewing the assignment criteria and considering how to fit all of its components into five minutes, were alleviated when my partner and I dedicated ourselves to quality research and presentation, communication, and a shared work ethic. We learned a lot about the Korean Vegan and video creation in the process.
The Korean Vegan’s skill with the one-minute TikTok format proved inspirational for us as our original draft clocked nine minutes! If Molinaro can create such poignant, impactful, detailed, and deliberate sixty-second productions, then certainly we could meet the five-minute time frame. This took some cutting, and my partner came up with the idea of narrating one of Molinaro’s videos without sound, allowing the audience to see the Korean Vegan’s content along with our narrated analysis. We are hopeful that our brief video will inspire more audiences to find the Korean Vegan’s Tik Tok and YouTube productions.
This project reinforced how much I love research, and how having passion for a subject strengthens engagement. Enthusiasm for the work and perspectives of this digital author grew as I viewed video after video by the Korean Vegan. I also ate up many published reviews and analyses of her work. Borrowing a copy of her self-titled cookbook, The Korean Vegan, from my local library provided more food for thought as we moved from research to video production.
My digital video authorship skills also grew as a result of this project. I may be taking baby steps compared to more advanced video creators and editors, but thanks to videos and readings from our class, I improved my jump-editing skills, learned how to add and break up music tracks, and successfully app-smashed a video using Zoom and Screencast-o-matic.
In her book, Create to Learn, Renee Hobbs describes the characteristics of parasocial relationships: fandom, feelings of attachment, and the investment of emotional energy, interest, and time. Social media can bring people together, and thanks to this project, my partner and I have officially become fangirls of Joanne Lee Molinaro, the Korean Vegan.
References
Asmelash, L. (2021, March 29). How TikTok is teaching a generation of people about food. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/29/us/tiktok-food-trends-youth-trnd/index.html
The Best Cookbooks of 2021. (2021, December 14). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/14/dining/best-cookbooks.html
Brown, J., & Thoet, A. (2021, December 14). “The Korean Vegan” cookbook is an immigrant story told through food. PBS NewsHour. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/the-korean-vegan-cookbook-is-an-immigrant-story-told-through-food
Eng, M. (2021, October 4). How a high-powered lawyer became a TikTok superstar: Meet the Korean Vegan. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2021/10/04/korean-vegan-joanne-molinaro/
Hobbs, R. (2017). Create to learn : introduction to digital literacy. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Molinaro, J. L. (n.d.). The Korean Vegan. Thekoreanvegan.com. Retrieved February 25, 2022, from https://thekoreanvegan.com/
Molinaro, J.L. (2021). The Korean vegan cookbook : reflections and recipes from Omma’s kitchen. Avery, Penguin Random House Llc.
Molinaro, J. L. (n.d.-a). The Korean Vegan — YouTube. Www.youtube.com. Retrieved February 15, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/c/TheKoreanVegan
Molinaro, J. L. (n.d.-b). The Korean Vegan, Esq. Twitter. Retrieved February 15, 2022, from https://twitter.com/thekoreanvegan
Moncada, K. (2021, November 19). Here’s How The Korean Vegan Honors Her Cultural Heritage During the Holidays. Better Homes & Gardens. https://www.bhg.com/recipes/trends/korean-vegan-cultural-heritage/
Saxe, L. (2021, November 21). The Radical Authenticity Of TheKoreanVegan. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizzysaxe/2021/11/08/the-radical-authenticity-of-thekoreanvegan/?sh=497428d229bc
Yonan, J., Maloney, A., Brooks, M., Massov, O., Krystal, B., Galarza, G. D., Carman, T., Heil, E., Hutcherson, A., Sonde, K., & Molinaro, J. (2021, October 6). TikTok star Joanne Molinaro, “The Korean Vegan,” shares tips for transforming your recipes. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2021/10/06/live-chat-cooking/
