In Erica Vogel’s article titled “K-pop in Mexico”, the concept of large scale fan-organized events, such as flash mobs, in different countries, specifically Mexico, is examined. Vogel explores the potential motivations behind these massive events, including being noticed by their favorite stars, or to put their country on Korea’s radar so that they may host a concert there. This form of communication between the artist and the fan is something rather unique to K-pop, perhaps because of its sheer distance and language/culture barrier. Although interaction on social media does happen, fan-organized events tend to make even more of a statement, especially if it gets covered by local news stations. The ultimate goal seems to be to close the distance between fan and idol, whether that be emotionally or literally. One aspect of fan culture that is very particular to K-pop are fan projects that fans organize at concerts.

Fanclubs will coordinate with their favourite celebrities’ company, the concert venue, and other fans in order to put on a special display of devotion and affection for their idols, usually in the middle of a concert. These projects can come in the form of a fan-made video, coordination of lightsticks to spell out a message, organized chanting, and more. All this is usually done without expectation of any sort of tangible return or compensation, just for an emotional connection to or the recognition of their idol. This sort of fan-idol communication often transcends language, especially as Hallyu becomes more and more of a global trend. One important point that Vogel brings up is how these fan-projects, especially the ones organized by international fans, creates communities and niches within larger cultural groups It takes an exraordinary amount of time and effort for fan projects to take place, and the connection between K-pop fans across gender, race, age, etc.

However, this dedication can also be seen in antifans’ wrath. For their idols, an arena of fans might coordinate their lightsticks to spell out a huge message of love and support, but antifans of that group can coordinate large scale events such as a “black ocean”, where all lightsticks are turned off, to show the performing artiat a malicious lack of support. Overall, fan-idol communication in K-pop seems to be on a much larger scale than in the western entertainment industry. Rather than striving to communicate with a celebrity one on one, K-pop fans seems to believe that coordinating a larger scale of communication with other fans is a more ideal mode. Whether this is due to language and cultural barriers or other reasons, I think it is interesting to consider the dynamic between fan and idol in Korean pop culture. The highly organized nature of fan culture in Hallyu suggests that fans feel not only an obligation to their favorite idols, but also an obligation to other fans. All in all, it reflects a level of dedication and cooperation that is frankly uncommon in western pop culture.

Benjamin M Han’s article “Transpacific Talent” explored American Orientalism and the idea of the Asian as the “perpetual foreigner” in America, through the study of the Kim Sisters’ rise to fame in tne West. For me, this article evoked a phenomenon in a more recent past: Psy’s “Gangnam Style”. We all watched this song and choreography shoot to virality in 2012, and, for many of us, it was the first instance of Asian visibility on a scale this massive, thanks to digital media and the Internet. However, many aspects of Psy’s brilliant fame in the United States seem reminiscent of that of the Kim Sisters.

For one, both acts were seen as more of a fascinating phenomenon than serious musical artists. Psy’s appearance on Ellen reduced him to nothing more than a surprise dance teacher for Britney Spears; at one point he even asks, “Can I introduce myself? Not just dancing?”. The basis of the American media’s fascination in Gangnam Style was in its cheesy dance and catchy chorus. Parodies of the arose rapidly across the Internet. At its core, the mainstream American media’s fascination with Psy and his viral song revolved around how eclectic, how “other” it was. It reflected a brand of “Asian” humor that purely seems humorous due to its novelty. Pikotaro’s PPAP (Pen Pineapple Apple Pen) saw a  surge in popularity in America for seemingly similar reasons. In many of his public appearances in America, Psy was depicted as a funny man who does a funny dance. His artistry is completely overshadowed by how much of a novelty he is. In fact, during his Reddit “Ask Me Anything” session, Psy was asked what one thing he wished more people knew about him was. His answer was, “I compose all my music myself”. 

In Han’s article, he mentioned how the Kim Sisters perpetuated a stereotype about submissive, sexy Asian women to an audience white men, especially soldiers. In the 21st century, the way American media presented Psy perpetuated a stereotype about Asian “otherness”.  The fact that these performers are Asian was played up, then and now; it becomes frustrating how shallow Asian representation can be. And after America began to move on from “Gangnam Style”, the American media hasn’t followed Psy since, solidifying the fact that he was seen as nothing but a temporary novelty. However, the tides of Asian representation in America are turning. Asian artists such as 88rising, and especially BTS, are beginning to break into the American mainstream, demanding the respect that other artists are given, and staying for good. There is no viral song or dance, but rather consistently rising sales and growing fanbases that pique the interest of the American public. Although their Asianness is visible, it is not blinding anymore.