K-Pop Idols Changing Western Masculinity
By now I’m sure many people are aware of toxic masculinity and male stereotypes that have been around for decades. This decade however, K-pop (Korean music) has taken the world by storm and has started to make people question what masculinity is and how the fine line between that and femininity is more widely accepted and encouraged.
We know that K-pop isn’t the first thing to challenge what defines masculinity in the west. Celebrities like Prince, David Bowie and Boy George are examples from the past as challengers of this idea. However, they were never quite as successful as K-Pop in this era in time. At the same time K-pop has started to really gain attention, huge pop star Harry Styles has started to challenge the concept as well as he struts across his stage in full glitter and floral suits with painted nails, yet still has a huge fan base and is unapologetically himself.
I’ve realized for the past 5 years that I’ve been involved in K-Pop, the confidence radiating off of these idols is something the western culture has been missing. Idols (what the k-pop celebrities are called after going through schooling and training to become a part of these groups or a solo act.) are dancers, singers, actors and more yet they are confident in their own identity and that’s what makes them stand out. They don’t change themselves to make others comfortable, they are pushing boundaries by just doing what they love. The Korean culture has not been easily accepted here in the states but has seen major growth in the last three years.
This has been led by widely popular K-pop group BTS bringing in four Billboard NO.1 albums while also selling out stadiums all around the world. Despite their success, radio stations have been reluctant in playing their music unless it’s accompanied by an english speaking singer. This doesn’t deter these stars however and shows just how masculine they really are, their confidence, amazing singing and dancing abilities are just the tip of the iceberg.
Toxic masculinity is largely associated with “suppressing emotions…”, and “Maintaining an appearance of hardness” as said by The New York Times. Usually in the western culture this is something that we tend to see in every male protagonist in movies, commercials and TV shows. This is widely different from the Korean term “kkonminam”, which is very loosely translated to “a man as beautiful as a flower”. This is usually connected with young men who are worried about how they are presented and are groomed. This isn’t a new term in the Korean culture however, they take pride in how they represent themselves with their modesty and fashion.
This is highly shown in K-pop culture, some examples of male groups besides BTS are: GOT7, NCT 127, WAYV, ATEEZ, and EXO. All of these groups are known for different aesthetics in both their appearance and music but one thing in common among them all is that they wear makeup, can dance/sing and are always styled to match one another. You will never see them in a professional setting without looking like a model ready to walk down the runway at a high end fashion show. The kick to this fashion is that these idols are not ashamed of being “feminine” or “looking like a girl” they take pride in their art and their makeup because when you look your best it’s shown as respect to those around you.
When it comes to the western culture people meet this imagery with an assumption that this dictates their sexuality. Dr. Michelle Cho, Assistant Professor of East Asian Popular Culture at the University of Toronto, states that “Homophobia is still very common in Korea, so if that were the case, then it would be really contradictory to have a really mainstream type of masculinity that appears very genderfluid.” In Korea someone being beautiful does not determine their sexuality. The members in these groups are also seen as being close with one another but Korea is known for being a homosocial society so it’s more accepted that men can show their closeness with each other and be more open with their emotions.
The western culture has a lot to learn from these emerging idols and customs from other countries. Being open with your emotions and expressing yourself as a male in a toxic society needs to change, and luckily in this decade we do see that change in acceptance. Thank you to BTS and all the male K-Pop groups that have challenged our culture and our minds.
Sources: https://stylecaster.com/bts-masculinity-america/
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/05/9674149/kpop-male-singers-masculinity
